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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 05/08/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 18-21 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.
Drawings
Figures 3A-5 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Konishi et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2016/0056667 A1, hereinafter “Konishi”) in view of Strandberg et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2021/0152077 A1, hereinafter “Strandberg”) or Schultz et al. (U.S. Patent No. 6,362,986 B2, hereinafter “Schultz”).
With respect to claim 1, Konishi et al., hereinafter referred to as “Konishi,” teaches a power conversion circuit (FIG. 1 below for convenience), comprising a three-phase inductor 15 and a switching conversion unit 21 and or 22, a first end (left end) of an inductor in each phase of the three-phase inductor electrically coupled to a connection (connection point to the switching conversion unit) of a bridge arm (arm of the switching conversion unit) in one phase of the switching conversion unit, a second end (right end) of the inductor in each phase of the three-phase inductor electrically coupled to one phase of a three-phase AC power source 6, and the three-phase inductor is integrated into a magnetic assembly 100 (FIG. 11 below for convenience), the magnetic assembly comprising:
two magnetic yokes 103a and 103b relatively parallel to each other;
a first winding column 101r, a second winding column 101s and a third winding column 101t spaced apart sequentially and located between the two magnetic yokes, the second winding column located between the first winding column and the third winding column; and
three windings 102r, 102s and 102t wound around the first winding column, the second winding column and the third winding column in one-to-one correspondence for forming the inductor in one phase of the three-phase inductor respectively, the three windings are wound around the first winding column, the second winding column and the third winding column in the same manner, and phase differences between power frequency currents flowing in any two of the three windings are 120°;
wherein when a reference current is applied to each of the three windings, the reference current flows in from the first end of each of the three windings and flows out from the second end, a magnetic flux 111s excited on the second winding column has a second reference direction (down direction), wherein the second reference direction is opposite to the first reference direction (flux 111r direction or up direction) (paras. [0033], [0050], [0051], [0054]).
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Konishi does not expressly teach magnetic fluxes excited by the reference current on the first winding column and the third winding column have a first reference direction.
Strandberg teaches a power conversion circuit 30 (FIGs. 3-6),
wherein when a reference current is applied to each of the three windings 90-92, the reference current flows in from the first end (upper or lower end) of each of the three windings and flows out from the second end (the other of upper or lower end), magnetic fluxes (up pointing arrows on legs 52 and 54 as shown in upper Fig. 6) excited by the reference current on the first winding column 52 and the third winding column 54 have a first reference direction (up direction), and a magnetic flux (down pointing arrow on leg 53) excited on the second winding column has a second reference direction (down direction), wherein the second reference direction is opposite to the first reference direction (para. [0036]).
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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 use the flux direction as taught by Strandberg to the power conversion circuit of Konishi to provide the desire flux density on the magnetic core legs to meet design requirements.
Schultz also teaches a power conversion unit (FIG. 8),
wherein the windings 102A and 102B wound around the first winding column 106 and the second winding column 106 in the same manner, magnetic flux (left flux 104) excited by the reference current on the first winding column has a first reference direction (up direction), and a magnetic flux (right flux 104) excited on the second winding column has a second reference direction (down direction), wherein the second reference direction is opposite to the first reference direction (col. 9, lines 21-33). The incorporation of the winding structure and the current paths of Schultz to the power conversion circuit of Konishi would result in “wherein when a reference current is applied to each of the three windings, the reference current flows in from the first end of each of the three windings and flows out from the second end, magnetic fluxes excited by the reference current on the first winding column and the third winding column have a first reference direction, and a magnetic flux excited on the second winding column has a second reference direction, wherein the second reference direction is opposite to the first reference direction” as claimed.
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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 incorporate the windings and current paths as taught by Schultz to the power conversion circuit of Konishi to lower net current ripple (col. 9, lines 33-35).
With respect to claim 21, Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz teaches the power conversion circuit according to claim 1, wherein the power conversion circuit is an inverter circuit or a power factor correction circuit (Konishi, para. [0033]).
Claims 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz ,as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Fujimoto (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2020/0412261 A1).
With respect to claim 18, Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz teaches the power conversion circuit according to claim 1. Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz does not expressly teach the first winding column, the second winding column and the third winding column are made of alloy powder core or a material with high magnetic permeability containing air gaps.
Fujimoto teaches a power conversion circuit (FIG. 7), wherein the first winding column (top leg), the second winding column (bottom leg) and the third winding column (center leg) are made of alloy powder core or a material with high magnetic permeability containing air gaps (gap in the third winding column) (para. 0073]). 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 winding column material as taught by Fujimoto to the power conversion circuit of Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz to provide the required saturation magnetic flux density values (para. [0073]).
With respect to claim 19, Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz teaches the power conversion circuit according to claim 1. Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz does not expressly teach the two magnetic yokes, the first winding column, the second winding column and the third winding column are made of alloy powder core.
Fujimoto teaches a power conversion circuit (FIG. 7), wherein the two magnetic yokes (left and right yokes), the first winding column (top leg), the second winding column (bottom leg) and the third winding column (middle leg) are made of alloy powder core (para. 0073]). 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 winding column material as taught by Fujimoto to the power conversion circuit of Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz to provide the required saturation magnetic flux density values (para. [0073]).
With respect to claim 20, Konishi in view of Strandberg or Schultz and Fujimoto teaches the power conversion circuit according to claim 19, wherein a relative magnetic permeability of the alloy powder core is less than or equal to 200 (Fujimoto, para. [0073]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. A list of pertinent prior art is attached in form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANGTIN LIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5729. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 0800-1700.
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/MANG TIN BIK LIAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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