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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Brooksbank [U.S. Patent No. 9312067 B2].
Regarding claim 1, Brooksbank discloses a transformer (e.g., transformer with interleaved coil patterns, column 13, lines 52-67, Fig. 8A, 8B) comprising
an annular core (e.g., similar to core 704 of Fig. 7, column 13, lines 1-7) which is a magnetic material formed in a ring shape,
a primary coil (e.g., coil turns of an interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) configured with plate-shaped conductors (e.g., similar to partial windings 702 of Fig. 7) wound around the annular core (e.g., similar to 704), and
a secondary coil (e.g., the other coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) configured with plate-shaped conductors (e.g., similar to partial windings 702 of Fig. 7) wound around the annular core (e.g., 704).
Regarding claim 2, Brooksbank discloses wherein each of the primary coil and the secondary coil (e.g., coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) comprises
side conductors (e.g., vertical portions of partial windings 702, shown in Fig. 7) that sandwich the annular core (e.g., 704) from lateral directions perpendicular to a direction of penetration of a hole of the annular core (e.g., center hole of core 704), and
upper (e.g., upper surface of partial winding 702a) and lower conductors (e.g., 710, column 13, lines 29-55) that electrically connect the side conductors at both sides in the direction of penetration (see Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 3, Brooksbank discloses wherein the side conductors (e.g., vertical portions of partial windings 702, shown in Fig. 7) are supported by substrates (e.g., 708, column 13, lines 29-45) extending in the lateral directions, and the upper (e.g., upper surface of partial winding 702a) and lower conductors (e.g., 710) are formed as conductor patterns formed on the substrates (e.g., 708).
Regarding claim 4, Brooksbank discloses wherein the secondary coil (e.g., the other coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) is wound around the annular core (e.g., 704) in such a manner that the secondary coil is positioned closer to the annular core than the primary coil (e.g., the interleave configuration makes the secondary coil closer to the core 704 at some point than the primary coil).
Regarding claim 8, Brooksbank discloses wherein the secondary coil (e.g., the other coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) is wound around the annular core (e.g., 704) in such a manner that the secondary coil is positioned closer to the annular core than the primary coil (e.g., the interleave configuration makes the secondary coil closer to the core 704 at some point than the primary coil).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 6, 7, 10-15, 18 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Brooksbank [U.S. Patent No. 9312067 B2] in view of Miyata et al. [U.S. Publication No. 2001/0020825 A1].
Regarding claim 6, Brooksbank discloses wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil have a turns ratio of 1:1 (see transformer of interleaved windings, section 802, Fig. 8A).
Brooksbank discloses the instant claimed invention discussed above except for the primary coil and the secondary coil are electrically connected to each other.
Miyata discloses primary coil (e.g., N1, Paragraph 0039-0041, Fig. 4) and the secondary coil (e.g., N2) are electrically connected to each other.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have primary coil and secondary coil of a transformer electrically connected to each other as taught by Miyata to provide the transformer with high efficiency by having less conductor loss in a compact toroidal arrangement.
Regarding claim 7, Brooksbank discloses wherein the annular core 704 (Fig. 7) is formed in a circular ring shape, and the secondary coil (e.g., the other coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) is positioned offset relative to the primary coil (e.g., coil turns of an interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) in circumferential direction.
Regarding claim 10, Brooksbank discloses wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil have a turns ratio of 1:1 (see transformer of interleaved windings, section 802, Fig. 8A).
Brooksbank discloses the instant claimed invention discussed above except for the primary coil and the secondary coil are electrically connected to each other.
Miyata discloses primary coil (e.g., N1, Paragraph 0039-0041, Fig. 4) and the secondary coil (e.g., N2) are electrically connected to each other.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have primary coil and secondary coil of a transformer electrically connected to each other as taught by Miyata to provide the transformer with high efficiency by having less conductor loss in a compact toroidal arrangement.
Regarding claim 11, Brooksbank discloses wherein the annular core 704 (Fig. 7) is formed in a circular ring shape, and the secondary coil (e.g., the other coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) is positioned offset relative to the primary coil (e.g., coil turns of an interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) in circumferential direction.
Regarding claim 12, Brooksbank discloses wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil have a turns ratio of 1:1 (see transformer of interleaved windings, section 802, Fig. 8A).
Brooksbank discloses the instant claimed invention discussed above except for the primary coil and the secondary coil are electrically connected to each other.
Miyata discloses primary coil (e.g., N1, Paragraph 0039-0041, Fig. 4) and the secondary coil (e.g., N2) are electrically connected to each other.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have primary coil and secondary coil of a transformer electrically connected to each other as taught by Miyata to provide the transformer with high efficiency by having less conductor loss in a compact toroidal arrangement.
Regarding claim 13, Brooksbank discloses wherein the annular core 704 (Fig. 7) is formed in a circular ring shape, and the secondary coil (e.g., the other coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) is positioned offset relative to the primary coil (e.g., coil turns of an interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) in circumferential direction.
Regarding claim 14, Brooksbank discloses wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil have a turns ratio of 1:1 (see transformer of interleaved windings, section 802, Fig. 8A).
Brooksbank discloses the instant claimed invention discussed above except for the primary coil and the secondary coil are electrically connected to each other.
Miyata discloses primary coil (e.g., N1, Paragraph 0039-0041, Fig. 4) and the secondary coil (e.g., N2) are electrically connected to each other.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have primary coil and secondary coil of a transformer electrically connected to each other as taught by Miyata to provide the transformer with high efficiency by having less conductor loss in a compact toroidal arrangement.
Regarding claim 15, Brooksbank discloses wherein the annular core 704 (Fig. 7) is formed in a circular ring shape, and the secondary coil (e.g., the other coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) is positioned offset relative to the primary coil (e.g., coil turns of an interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) in circumferential direction.
Regarding claim 18, Brooksbank discloses wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil have a turns ratio of 1:1 (see transformer of interleaved windings, section 802, Fig. 8A).
Brooksbank discloses the instant claimed invention discussed above except for the primary coil and the secondary coil are electrically connected to each other.
Miyata discloses primary coil (e.g., N1, Paragraph 0039-0041, Fig. 4) and the secondary coil (e.g., N2) are electrically connected to each other.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have primary coil and secondary coil of a transformer electrically connected to each other as taught by Miyata to provide the transformer with high efficiency by having less conductor loss in a compact toroidal arrangement.
Regarding claim 19, Brooksbank discloses wherein the annular core 704 (Fig. 7) is formed in a circular ring shape, and the secondary coil (e.g., the other coil turns of the interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) is positioned offset relative to the primary coil (e.g., coil turns of an interleaved winding type transformer shown in Fig. 8A) in circumferential direction.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 9, 16 and 17 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Reason for allowable subject matter:
Claims 5 and 9 recite, inter alia,
wherein the primary coil and the secondary coil are disposed relative to the annular core in such a manner as to overlap at least partially in the direction of penetration and the lateral directions.
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitation, would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitation.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSELITO SASIS BAISA whose telephone number is (571)272-7132. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8AM to 4PM.
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/J.S.B/Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837