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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Specie 1, Figures 1A-2A with claims 1-3, 11 and 13 in the reply filed on 10/27/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Dai et al. [US 2019/0043653 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Dai et al. discloses magnetic assembly, comprising:
- a first magnetic core [104];
- a second magnetic core [102], assembled with the first magnetic core to define an internal space;
- at least one circuit board, disposed in the internal space, wherein the at least one circuit board has a plurality of through holes separated from each other [printed circuit board-type windings 502, 504, 602, 604]; and
- a plurality of pillars [108, 110, 116, 122], located in the internal space and respectively corresponding to the plurality of through holes passing through the at least one circuit board, and
- a plurality of air gaps [120, 124] being formed between the plurality of pillars or between the plurality of pillars and at least one of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core.
Regarding claim 2, Dai et al. further discloses the plurality of pillars have the same height and are disposed on the first magnetic core, and the plurality of air gaps of the same spacing are formed between the plurality of pillars and the second magnetic core [gaps 120, 124 of figures 1-4].
Regarding claim 3, Dai et al. further discloses the plurality of pillars have the same height and are disposed on the second magnetic core, and the plurality of air gaps of the same spacing are formed between the plurality of pillars and the first magnetic core [gaps 120, 124 of figures 1-4].
Claim(s) 1, 3 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Minamizawa [JP 09-120910 A].
Regarding claim 1, Minamizawa discloses magnetic assembly [figures 1-15], comprising:
- a first magnetic core [3, 83];
- a second magnetic core [2, 82], assembled with the first magnetic core to define an internal space;
- at least one circuit board [4, 84-86], disposed in the internal space, wherein the at least one circuit board has a plurality of through holes [21] separated from each other; and
- a plurality of pillars [12a, 12b, 12c, or 87], located in the internal space and respectively corresponding to the plurality of through holes passing through the at least one circuit board, and
- a plurality of air gaps being formed between the plurality of pillars or between the plurality of pillars and at least one of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core [figure 13].
Regarding claim 3, Minamizawa. further discloses the plurality of pillars have the same height and are disposed on the second magnetic core, and the plurality of air gaps of the same spacing are formed between the plurality of pillars and the first magnetic core [figure 13]
Regarding claim 11, Minamizawa discloses one of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core is in a shape of a flat plate [83], and the other of the first magnetic core and the second magnetic core is in a shape of a groove [82].
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.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Minamizawa or Dai et al. in view of Hu et al. [US 2020/0265987 A1].
Minamizawa or Dai et al. discloses the instant claimed invention except for the specific of the connecting member and connecting holes.
Hu et al. discloses a magnetic device [figures 1-2] comprising:
- first and second cores [120, 130] having at least one pillar [122] and a gap formed therein;
- a printed circuit board [2] having a through hole formed therein to be inserted through the at least one pillar; and
- a plurality of connecting members [3] provided to be inserted into a plurality of connecting holes [figure 1] formed on the printed circuit board.
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the connecting members and holes design of Hu et al. in Minamizawa or Dai et al., for the purpose of forming/connecting multilayer printed circuit board and/or providing mounting.
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837