DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/06/2026 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 3-11 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, it appears “a first terminal of each first secondary winding” in line 11 should be --a first terminal of each of the first secondary windings--. Similar objection is applied in claim 11.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 3-10 are objected as being directly or indirectly dependent on claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 3, 5 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2013/0188329 A1) in view of Tsai et al. (U.S. Patent No. 8,912,875 B1).
With respect to claim 1, Chang et al., hereinafter referred to as “Chang, teaches a transformer (FIGs. 1-4), comprising:
a hollow bobbin 21;
two magnetic cores 10, inserted into the hollow bobbin;
a primary winding 22, wound around the hollow bobbin;
a plurality of first secondary windings (upper windings 31, see FIG. 3, of secondary winding unit 30); and
a plurality of second secondary windings (lower windings 31 of secondary winding unit 30, FIG. 3),
wherein the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings are alternately arranged around the primary winding,
wherein a first terminal 312 of each first secondary winding is connected to a first node (node connected to first terminal), a second terminal 313 of each of the first secondary windings is connected to a second node (node connected to second terminal), a first terminal 313 of each of the second secondary windings is connected to the second node, and a second terminal 312 of each of the second secondary windings is connected to a third node (node connected to third terminal),
wherein the transformer further comprises a circuit board 50, the circuit board comprises a first plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50a, annotated FIG. 2), a second plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50b) and a third plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50c),
wherein each first secondary winding comprises a first ring body 311, a first connecting pin (pin of first terminal 312) and a second connecting pin (pin of second terminal 313), the first secondary windings are mounted on the circuit board and are connected in parallel, the first connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50a of the first plurality of through-holes, the second connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50b of the second plurality of through-holes,
wherein each second secondary winding comprises a second ring body 311, a third connecting pin (pin of third terminal) and a fourth connecting pin (pin of fourth terminal), the second secondary windings are mounted on the circuit board and are connected in parallel, the third connecting pin is inserted into the through-hole 50b of the second plurality of through-holes, the fourth connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50c of the third plurality of through-holes (paras. [0027]-[0029], [0032] and [0034]).
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Chang does not expressly teach
the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings surround the primary winding.
Tsai et al., hereinafter referred to as “Tsai,” teaches a transformer 200 (FIGs. 6-8),
wherein the first secondary windings 21 and 23 and the second secondary windings 22 and 24 surround the primary winding 3 (col. 3, line 66 to col. 4, line 3; col. 5, lines 37-43). The examiner applies the teaching of the secondary windings surrounding the primary winding, not the flexible secondary windings. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the secondary windings surrounding the primary winding as taught by Tsai to the transformer of Chang to provide the required magnetic coupling to meet design requirements.
With respect to claim 3, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1, wherein the primary winding is formed of a metal wire, each of the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings is formed of a metal slot (Chang, paras. [0028] and [0029]).
With respect to claim 5, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1, further comprising:
an insulating film (insulator of primary coil 22 and or flange 21), surrounding the primary winding; and
a plurality of insulating sheets 40, disposed among the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings (Chang, paras. [0028] and [0040]).
With respect to claim 8, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1, wherein each of the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings surrounds the primary winding in one layer (Tsai, col. 4, lines 1-3 and col. 5, lines 35-43).
With respect to claim 9, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1, wherein each of the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings surrounds the primary winding in one turn (Tsai, col. 5, lines 37-43).
With respect to claim 10, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1, wherein cross-sectional areas of the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings are substantially equal (Chang, para. [0029]).
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of Tsai, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nam et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2022/0093315 A1).
With respect to claim 4, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1. Chang in view of Tsai does not expressly teach an air gap is formed between the two magnetic cores.
Nam et al., hereinafter referred to as “Nam,” teaches a transformer 100A (FIGs. 1-7), wherein an air gap G (FIG. 1) is formed between the two magnetic cores C1 and C2 (para. [0072]).
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It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the air gap as taught by Nam to the transformer of Chang in view of Tsai to provide the required magnetic saturation characteristics to meet design requirements.
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of Tsai, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Huang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2016/0111201 A1).
With respect to claim 6, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1. Chang in view of Tsai wherein the primary winding is wound around the hollow bobbin in two layers.
Huang et al., hereinafter referred to as “Huang,” teaches a transformer (FIG. 3), wherein the primary winding 32 is wound around the hollow bobbin 300in two layers (para. [0023]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the two layers primary winding as taught by Huang to the transformer of Chang in view of Tsai to provide the desired turn ratio to meet design requirements.
With respect to claim 7, Chang in view of Tsai teaches the transformer according to claim 1. Chang in view of Tsai does not expressly teach the primary winding has 16 turns.
Huang teaches a transformer (FIG. 3), wherein the primary winding 32 has 16 turns(para. [0023]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the number of primary winding turns as taught by Huang to the transformer of Chang in view of Tsai to provide the desired turn ratio to meet design requirements.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chang in view of Nam and Tsai.
With respect to claim 11, Chang teaches a transformer (FIGs. 1-4), comprising:
a hollow bobbin 21;
two magnetic cores 10, inserted into the hollow bobbin;
a primary winding 22, wound around the hollow bobbin;
a plurality of first secondary windings (upper windings 31, see FIG. 3, of secondary winding unit 30); and
a plurality of second secondary windings (lower windings 31 of secondary winding unit 30, FIG. 3),
wherein a first terminal 312 of each first secondary winding is connected to a first node (node connected to first terminal), a second terminal 313 of each of the first secondary windings is connected to a second node (node connected to second terminal), a first terminal 313 of each of the second secondary windings is connected to the second node, and a second terminal 312 of each of the second secondary windings is connected to a third node (node connected to third terminal),
wherein the transformer further comprises a circuit board 50, the circuit board comprises a first plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50a, annotated FIG. 2), a second plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50b) and a third plurality of through-holes (column of through-hole 50c),
wherein each first secondary winding comprises a first ring body 311, a first connecting pin (pin of first terminal 312) and a second connecting pin (pin of second terminal 313), the first secondary windings are mounted on the circuit board and are connected in parallel, the first connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50a of the first plurality of through-holes, the second connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50b of the second plurality of through-holes,
wherein each second secondary winding comprises a second ring body 311, a third connecting pin (pin of third terminal) and a fourth connecting pin (pin of fourth terminal), the second secondary windings are mounted on the circuit board and are connected in parallel, the third connecting pin is inserted into the through-hole 50b of the second plurality of through-holes, the fourth connecting pin is inserted into a through-hole 50c of the third plurality of through-holes (paras. [0027]-[0029], [0032] and [0034]).
Chang does not expressly teach
an air gap is formed between the two magnetic cores.
Nam teaches a transformer 100A (FIGs. 1-7),
wherein an air gap G (FIG. 1) is formed between the two magnetic cores C1 and C2 (para. [0072]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the air gap as taught by Nam to the transformer of Chang to provide the required magnetic saturation characteristics to meet design requirements.
Chang does not also expressly teach
the first secondary windings and the second secondary windings surround the primary winding.
Tsai teaches a transformer 200 (FIGs. 6-8),
wherein the first secondary windings 21 and 23 and the second secondary windings 22 and 24 surround the primary winding 3 (col. 3, line 66 to col. 4, line 3; col. 5, lines 37-43). The examiner applies the teaching of the secondary windings surrounding the primary winding, not the flexible secondary windings. It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the secondary windings surrounding the primary winding as taught by Tsai to the transformer of Chang to provide the required magnetic coupling to meet design requirements.
Conclusion
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/MANG TIN BIK LIAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837