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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-6, 8 and 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement intended by “wherein at least one winding comprises a body portion.” The structure of the at least one winding relative to body element is unclear. Does this “at least one first winding” the same of “at least one coil”? Applicant should clarify. Claims 2-6, 8 and 10-11 inherit the defect of the parent claim.
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) 1-3, 5-6, 8 and 10-11, as best understood in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marcato et al. [DE 102012204206 A1] in view of Maurice et al. [FR 2721431 A1].
Regarding claims 1-3, Marcato et al. discloses a toroidal inductor comprising [100, figure 2]:
a circuit board [105];
a toroidal core [210]; and
at least one coil, in which each coil comprises a plurality of first winding portion [230], and a plurality of second winding portion [220], in which:
each first winding portion comprises at least one alpha electrical pathway which extends between a first alpha pathway end to a second alpha pathway end [figure 2],
each second winding portion comprises at least one beta electrical pathway which extends between a first beta pathway end to a second beta pathway end [figure 2], wherein at least one beta electrical pathway comprises a length of an electrically conductive wire, and wherein each beta electrical pathway comprises a length of an electrically conductive wire,
the first and second winding portions are electrically connected to form at least one coil wound around the toroidal core [figure 2],
each coil is comprised of a plurality of pathway units, and each pathway unit comprises an alpha electrical pathway connected to a beta electrical pathway, the second alpha pathway end is connected to the first beta pathway end, and the second beta pathway end is connected to the first alpha pathway end of the next pathway unit along the coil, wherein at least one first winding portion comprises a body element [figure 2].
Marcato et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the specific of the body element.
Maurice et al. discloses a magnetic device [figures 8-9] comprising:
- an isolated/insulated metal substrate surface mount circuit board [86, 95];
- a core element [81] arranged on the board; and
- at least one coil [84, 85] arranged over the core element and attached to circuit tracks of the metal substrate board [abstract].
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 insulated metal substrate for the board of Marcato et al., as suggested by Maurice et al., for the purpose of improving manufacturing/assembling, reducing cost and/or heat transfer.
Regarding claims 5-6, Marcato et al. discloses each second winding portion [220] is configured to extend more than halfway around the toroidal core, wherein each second winding portion is configured to be in contact with or close to the part of the surface of the toroidal core about which the second winding portion extends [figure 2].
Regarding claims 8 and 10-11, Marcato et al. discloses the at least one first winding portion comprises a body element [105], wherein the body element has a first surface configured to support the toroidal core at a support position in which the axis of revolution of the toroidal core is approximately normal to the first surface; each alpha electrical pathway is configured and arranged relative to the support position on the body element so that when the toroidal core is supported at the support position one end of each alpha electrical pathway can be accessed through a hole in the toroidal core, and the other end of each alpha electrical pathway can be accessed not through the hole in the toroidal core [figure 2], wherein at least one alpha electrical pathway comprises a conductive track [230] on the circuit board, in which at least one alpha electrical pathway comprises an electrically conductive element [230] supported on the body element [105].
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Marcato et al. in view of Maurice et al., as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Iverson et al. [US 2005/0017054 A1].
Regarding claim 4, Marcato discloses the use conductive bond wires [220].
Marcato et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the bond wire form of insulated wire.
Iverson et al. discloses the use of insulated wire [150, 160] around a toroidal core [110] arranged on a pcb [120].
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 insulated wire in Marcato et al., as suggested by Iverson et al., for the purpose of providing insulation between the coil and the core.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3, 5-6, 8 and 10-11 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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