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 .
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) 1-2, 4, 17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaneko et al. [JP 2008-004823 A] in view of Hayafuku et al. [JP 2007-067268 A].
Regarding claim 1, Kaneko et al. discloses a transformer comprising:
- a core portion [50A, 50B]; and
- a primary side winding [20] and a secondary side winding [30] arranged about the core portion, wherein each of the primary side winding and the secondary side winding is formed in a shape of a plate that is curved on a same plane orthogonal to an extending direction of the core portion, each surface of the plate is orthogonal to the extending direction of the core portion [figure 1].
Kaneko et al. further discloses at least one extending member [25B, figure 1].
Kaneko et ail. Disclose the instant claimed invention except for the specific of the windings and the extending member.
Hayafuku et al. discloses a transformer [figures 1-9] comprising:
- a core portion [102] for forming a magnetic circuit; and
- a primary-side winding [30] and a secondary-side winding [25] wound at the core portion, wherein one or both of the primary-side winding and the secondary-side winding are divided into a plurality of division windings, and each of the plurality of the division windings of the at least one divided winding has a wound part [26] wound at the core portion, and two extending members [28] extending from both ends of the wound part, and the extending members of the plurality of the division windings of the at least one divided winding are mutually connected, and a number of turns in the transformer of the at least one divided winding is set.
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 extending members design of Hayafuku et al. in Kaneko et al. for the purpose of improving internal connection and assembly.
Regarding claim 2, Hayafuku et al. further discloses a connection member [40, 4, 20], wherein the connection member mutually connects the extending members of the plurality of the division windings of the at least one divided winding, and sets the number of turns in the transformer of the at least one divided winding, by a connection pattern [40].
Regarding claim 4, Hayafuki further discloses the plurality of the division windings of the at least one divided winding have a same number of winding turns and a same winding direction with each other, and the connection member mutually connects the extending members, in series or in parallel, of the plurality of the division windings of the at least one divided winding [figure 1].
Regarding claim 17, Hayafuku et al. discloses the connection member is a substrate [4].
Regarding claim 20, Hayafuku et al. further discloses the core portion includes: an outer peripheral core having an annular shape; and a center core having a columnar shape and connecting two parts opposed to each other in the outer peripheral core, and the primary-side winding and the secondary-side winding are wound around the center core [figure 1].
Claim(s) 18-19, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kaneko et al. in view of Hayafuku et al., as applied to claims 1 and 17 above, and further in view of Koji et al. [JP 2008004823 A].
Regarding claim 18, Hayafuku et al. further discloses the substrate [4] overlap or cover part of the extending member.
Kaneko et al. in view of Hayafuku et al. discloses the instant claimed invention except for the specific of the extending member and the substrate.
Koji et al. discloses a transformer [figure 1] comprising:
- a core structure [50A, 50B];
- at least one coil [25] having a coil/winding portion [25A] and an extending member [25B], wherein the extending member include a bent portion [figure 1] at a different position and configured to arrange on a printed circuit board [10] with the printed circuit board overlap with the extending member.
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 bent portion and the substrate arrangement of Koji et al. in Hayafuku et al., for the purpose of facilitating external connection and/or assembling.
Regarding claim 19, Hayafuku et al. further discloses when viewed in the extending direction of the part, of the core portion, around which the windings are wound, the substrate is disposed on one side or another side with respect to the primary-side winding and the secondary side winding [figure 1].
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-2, 4 and 17-20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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