DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
It is noted that:
Claims 1-3 are amended
Claims 4-25 are cancelled
Claims 26-57 are new
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)(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.
Claims 1-3, 26-27, 34-36, 38, 51 and 54 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Turnbull (US 20140266550 A1).
Regarding Claim 1:
Turnbull teaches that an inductor coil, comprising:
a first component (upper side part 32 in Fig. 3; para 0022-0033);
a second component (lower middle part 32 in Fig. 3; para 0022-0033); and
a length of conductor (not labeled; length of winding 14 in horizontal direction in Fig. 3);
wherein, the first component is located adjacent to the second component;
wherein, a core (28) is formed from the first component and the second
component;
wherein the core is located along a first portion of a central axis (not labeled; i.e., center line of element 28 in vertical direction in Fig. 3) and a second portion of the central axis;
wherein, along a third portion of the central axis the first component is spaced
from the second component to form a gap (42) in the core, wherein the third portion of the central axis is between the first portion of the central axis and the second portion of the central axis;
wherein, a first part (i.e. winding 14) of the length of conductor is located around the first portion of the central axis, located around the second portion of the central axis, and located around the third portion of the central axis to form a plurality of turns of conductor around the core and the gap in the core (construed from Fig. 3); and
wherein, at least one section of the first part of the length of conductor is
compressed in the direction of the central axis.
Regarding Claim 2:
As applied to claim 1, Turnbull teaches that wherein the at least one section of the first part of the length of conductor that is compressed has a dimension (i.e. length of 14 in vertical direction in Fig. 3) of the conductor in the direction of the central axis that is less (construed from Fig. 3) than a dimension (i.e. length of 14 in horizontal direction in Fig. 3) of the conductor in a direction (i.e. horizontal direction in Fig. 3) perpendicular to the central axis.
Regarding Claim 3:
As applied to claim 1, Turnbull teaches that at least one section of the first part of the length of conductor between a base portion (upper 26, Fig. 3) of the first component and a base portion (lower 26, Fig. 3) of the second component is compressed between and by the base portion of the first component and the base portion of the second component.
Regarding Claim 26:
As applied to claim 1, Turnbull teaches that the first part of the length of conductor is at least partially compressed prior to being located around the first portion of the central axis, located around the second portion of the central axis, and located around the third portion of the central axis (construed from Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 27:
As applied to claim 1, Turnbull teaches that wherein adjacent turns of the plurality
of turns of conductor are bonded to each other (construed from Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 34:
As applied to claim 1, Turnbull teaches that the first component comprises
a ferrite material (see para 0022).
Regarding Claim 35:
As applied to claim 1, Turnbull teaches that the second component comprises
a ferrite material (see para 0022).
Regarding Claim 36:
As applied to claim 1, Turnbull teaches that the conductor comprises a multi-strand wire.
Regarding Claim 38:
Turnbull teaches that an inductor coil, comprising:
a first component (upper side part 32 in Fig. 3; para 0022-0033);
a second component (lower middle part 32 in Fig. 3; para 0022-0033); and
a length of conductor (not labeled; length of winding 14 in horizontal direction in Fig. 3);
wherein, the first component is located adjacent to the second component;
wherein, a core (28) is formed from the second component;
wherein the core is located along a first portion of a central axis (not labeled; i.e., center line of element 28 in vertical direction in Fig. 3), along a second portion of the central axis the first component is spaced from the second component to form a gap (42) in the core, wherein the second portion of the central axis is between the first portion of the central axis and the first component; wherein, a first part (i.e. winding 14) of the length of conductor is located around the first portion of the central axis, and located around the second portion of the central axis, and located around the second portion of the central axis to form a plurality of turns of conductor around the core and the gap in the core (construed from Fig. 3); and
wherein, at least one section of the first part of the length of conductor is
compressed in the direction of the central axis.
Regarding Claim 51:
Turnbull teaches that a method of forming an inductor coil, comprising:
locating a first component (upper side part 32 in Fig. 3; para 0022-0033) adjacent to a second component (lower side part 32 in Fig. 3; para 0022-0033), wherein, a core (28) is formed from the first component and the second component, wherein the core is located along a first portion of a central axis (not labeled; i.e., center line of element 28 in vertical direction in Fig. 3) and a second portion of the central axis, and wherein along a third portion of the central axis the first component is spaced from the second component to form a gap (42) in the core, wherein the third portion of the central axis is between the first portion of the central axis and the second portion of the central axis (construed from Fig. 3);
locating a first part of a length (i.e. length of 14 in vertical direction in Fig. 3) of conductor around the first portion of the central axis, around the second portion of the central axis, and around the third portion of the central axis to form a plurality of turns of conductor around the core and the gap in the core; and compressing in the direction of the central axis at least one section of the first part of the length of conductor (construed from Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 54:
Turnbull teaches that a method of forming an inductor coil, comprising:
locating a first component (upper side part 32 in Fig. 3; para 0022-0033) adjacent to a second component (lower side part 32 in Fig. 3; para 0022-0033), wherein, a core (28) is formed from the second component and the second component, wherein the core is located along a first portion of a central axis (not labeled; i.e., center line of element 28 in vertical direction in Fig. 3) and a second portion of the central axis, and wherein along a second portion of the central axis the first component is spaced from the second component to form a gap (42) in the core, wherein the second portion of the central axis is between the first portion of the central axis and the first component (construed from Fig. 3);
locating a first part of a length (i.e. length of 14 in vertical direction in Fig. 3) of conductor around the first portion of the central axis, around the second portion of the central axis, and around the third portion of the central axis to form a plurality of turns of conductor around the core and the gap in the core; and compressing in the direction of the central axis at least one section of the first part of the length of conductor (construed from Fig. 3).
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 of this title, 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 37 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Turnbull in view of Li (US 20180076723 A1).
Regarding Claim 37:
As applied to claim 1, Turnbull teaches the conductor except the conductor comprises a Litz wire.
However, Li teaches that the conductor comprises a Litz wire (see para 0036)/
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 conductor comprises a Litz wire to minimize energy loss and maximize efficiency when carrying high-frequency alternating current.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 28-33 and 52-53 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 28 recites, each turn of conductor of the plurality of turns of conductor has an inner part of the conductor spaced at least one distance from the central axis in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the inner part of the conductor of two or more turns of the conductor located around the first portion of the central axis or located around the second portion of the central axis are spaced from the central axis by at least one first distance, and wherein the inner part of the conductor of one or more turns of the conductor located around the third portion of the central axis is spaced from the central axis by at least one second distance greater than the at least one first distance.
Claim 52 recites, wherein the method comprises locating the length of conductor such that each turn of conductor of the plurality of turns of conductor has an inner part of the conductor spaced at least one distance from the central axis in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the inner part of the conductor of two or more turns of the conductor located around the first portion of the central axis or located around the second portion of the central axis are spaced from the central axis by at least one first distance, and wherein the inner part of the conductor of one or more turns of the conductor located around the third portion of the central axis is spaced from the central axis by at least one second distance greater than the at least one first distance.
Claim 53 recites, wherein the method comprises locating a spacer in the gap in the core to form a gap around the core, wherein an outer surface of a portion of the spacer is located a distance from the central axis that is greater than a distance from the central axis of an outer surface of the first component and an outer surface of the second component that form the core.
Claims 39-50, and 55-57 are allowed.
Claim 39 recites, An inductor coil, comprising:
a first component;
a second component; and
a length of conductor;
wherein, the first component is located adjacent to the second component;
wherein, a core is formed from the first component and the second component;
wherein the core is located along a first portion of a central axis and a second portion of the central axis;
wherein, along a third portion of the central axis the first component is spaced from the second component to form a gap in the core, wherein the third portion of the central axis is between the first portion of the central axis and the second portion of the central axis;
wherein, a first part of the length of conductor is located around the first portion of the central axis, located around the second portion of the central axis, and located around the third portion of the central axis to form a plurality of turns of conductor around the core and the gap in the core; and
wherein each turn of conductor of the plurality of turns of conductor has an inner part of the conductor spaced at least one distance from the central axis in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the inner part of the conductor of two or more turns of the conductor located around the first portion of the central axis or located around the second portion of the central axis are spaced from the central axis by at least one first distance, and wherein the inner part of the conductor of one or more turns of the conductor located around the third portion of the central axis is spaced from the central axis by at least one second distance greater than the at least one first distance.
Claim 50 recites, An inductor coil, comprising:
a first component;
a second component; and
a length of conductor;
wherein, the first component is located adjacent to the second component; wherein, a core is formed from the second component;
wherein the core is located along a first portion of a central axis; wherein, along a second portion of the central axis the first component is spaced from the second component to form a gap in the core, wherein the second portion of the central axis is between the first portion of the central axis and the first component;
wherein, a first part of the length of conductor is located around the first portion of the central axis, and located around the second portion of the central axis to form a plurality of turns of conductor around the core and the gap in the core; and
wherein each turn of conductor of the plurality of turns of conductor has an inner part of the conductor spaced at least one distance from the central axis in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the inner part of the conductor of two or more turns of the conductor located around the first portion of the central axis are spaced from the central axis by at least one first distance, and wherein the inner part of the conductor of one or more turns of the conductor located around the second portion of the central axis is spaced from the central axis by at least one second distance greater than the at least one first distance.
Claim 55 recites, A method of forming an inductor coil, comprising:
locating a first component adjacent to the second component, wherein a core is formed from the first component and the second component, wherein the core is located along a first portion of a central axis and a second portion of the central axis, wherein along a third portion of the central axis the first component is spaced from the second component to form a gap in the core, and wherein the third portion of the central axis is between the first portion of the central axis and the second portion of the central axis;
locating a first part of the length of conductor around the first portion of the central axis, around the second portion of the central axis, and around the third portion of the central axis to form a plurality of turns of conductor around the core and the gap in the core; and
locating the first part of the length of conductor such that each turn of conductor of the plurality of turns of conductor has an inner part of the conductor spaced at least one distance from the central axis in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the inner part of the conductor of two or more turns of the conductor located around the first portion of the central axis or located around the second portion of the central axis are spaced from the central axis by at least one first distance, and wherein the inner part of the conductor of one or more turns of the conductor located around the third portion of the central axis is spaced from the central axis by at least one second distance greater than the at least one first distance.
Claim 57 recites, A method of forming an inductor coil, comprising:
locating a first component adjacent to a second component, wherein a core is formed from the second component, wherein the core is located along a first portion of a central axis, wherein along a second portion of the central axis the first component is spaced from the second component to form a gap in the core, and wherein the second portion of the central axis is between the first portion of the central axis and the first component; locating a first part of a length of conductor around the first portion of the central axis, and around the second portion of the central axis to form a plurality of turns of conductor around the core and the gap in the core; and
locating the first part of the length of conductor such that each turn of conductor of the plurality of turns of conductor has an inner part of the conductor spaced at least one distance from the central axis in a direction perpendicular to the central axis, wherein the inner part of the conductor of two or more turns of the conductor located around the first portion of the central axis are spaced from the central axis by at least one first distance, and wherein the inner part of the conductor of one or more turns of the conductor located around the second portion of the central axis is spaced from the central axis by at least one second distance greater than the at least one first distance.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments have been fully considered. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of different interpretation of the previously applied reference, and/or newly found prior art reference(s).
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 extension fee 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 date of this final action.
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/KAZI HOSSAIN/
Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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