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 .
Reopening of Prosecution After Appeal Brief
In view of the Appeal Brief filed on or after 3/10/26, PROSECUTION IS HEREBY REOPENED. A new ground of non-final rejection is set forth below.
To avoid abandonment of the application, appellant must exercise one of the following two options:
(1) file a reply under 37 CFR 1.111 (if this Office action is non-final) or a reply under 37 CFR 1.113 (if this Office action is final); or,
(2) initiate a new appeal by filing a notice of appeal under 37 CFR 41.31 followed by an appeal brief under 37 CFR 41.37. The previously paid notice of appeal fee and appeal brief fee can be applied to the new appeal. If, however, the appeal fees set forth in 37 CFR 41.20 have been increased since they were previously paid, then appellant must pay the difference between the increased fees and the amount previously paid.
A Supervisory Patent Examiner (SPE) has approved of reopening prosecution by signing below:
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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.
Claims 15 and 17-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lin et al. (US 2014/0085030) in view of Fullerton et al. (US 8,179,219), Figures 20D and 51B, further in view of Zejing Wang (CN102055382B).
Regarding claims 15, 25-27, Lin discloses a transformer comprising:
a core (1, 12) of magnetically active material, the core comprising:
a first portion (120, 124), a second portion (121, 124), and an air gap (13) between the first portion (120, 124) and the second portion (121, 124),
a wire (14 and 1) that encircles one of the first portion (120, 124) and the second portion (121, 124) of the core (1, 12).
Lin does not disclose the composite disc magnet, the composite magnet, the composite magnet housed in the air gap between the first portion and the second portion of the core; and the composite magnet comprising a plurality of discs, and a face of each of the plurality of discs is substantially perpendicular to a central axis of the composite disc magnet.
Fullerton discloses a field emission system comprising:
the composite disc magnet (1802a, 1802b, Fig. 20D) and (5102, 4002c, Figure 51A), the composite magnet housed in the air gap (see the Fig. 20D below, and (the space between 5106a, 5106b, Fig. 51A) between the first portion (2036) and the second portion (2048); and the composite magnet (1802a, 1802b, Fig. 20D), comprising a plurality of discs, and a face of each of the plurality of discs is substantially perpendicular to a central axis (see the drawing below) of the composite disc magnet (1802a, 1802b, Fig. 20D).
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Annotated FIG. 20D of Fullerton Annotated FIG. 51A of Fullerton
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the composite disc magnet as taught by Fullerton with the material (17) of Lin for the purpose of producing strong magnetic field.
Lin and Fullerton do not disclose each of the plurality of discs are polarized in the same direction.
Wang discloses a device comprising the permanent magnet magnetized in the same direction (see the abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the permanent magnet magnetized in the same direction as taught by Wang with Lin’s device for the purpose of producing stronger vibrations, and operating efficiently.
Regarding claims 17 and 28, Lin discloses:
a bobbin (11) that holds the wire (15).
Regarding claims 18 and 29, Fullerton discloses:
the first plurality of discs (1802a, 1802b, Fig. 20D) disposed around the central axis of the composite disc magnet in a bundled rod construction (2062) and each disc of the plurality of discs is electrically insulated from every other disc.
Regarding claims 19-21 and 30-32, Fullerton discloses the depth, the size and the shape of each of the plurality of discs (1802a, 1802b, Fig. 20D) is substantially the same.
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Regarding claims 22 and 33, Lin discloses:
the second portion (121, 124) of the core (1 and 12) further comprises a center post (123), and
Fullerton discloses the composite magnet (1802a, 1802b, Fig. 20D).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to place the composite magnet is substantially positioned onto the center post (123) and within an outer boundary of the center post (123) of Lin for the purpose of producing magnetic field.
Regarding claims 23 and 34, Fullerton discloses:
the gaps between each of the plurality of discs (1802a, 1802b, Fig. 20D) and the outer boundary are filled with an insulating fill (such as air).
Regarding claims 24 and 35:
Although Fullerton does not explicitly disclose that each of the plurality of discs is coated with an insulating material, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the method of ultraviolet curing glue, heating and coating (see col. 33, lines 48-57) to cover the discs for the purpose of having better performance.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/10/26 have been fully considered but they are moot.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Lisa Homza whose telephone number is (571) 272-3592.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached on (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Lisa Nhung Homza/
Patent Examiner - Art Unit 2837
May 19, 2026
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights