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.
Claim 11 is 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.
Regarding claim 11, applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement of the bobbin intended by “a winding part separation flange separating the first winding part and the second winding part, in which the first winding part is provided with a first main opening for arranging the main inner leg section and a first sub-opening for arranging the first sub-inner leg section, the second winding part is provided with a second main opening for arranging the main inner leg section and a second sub-opening for arranging the second sub-inner leg section, and the first main opening and the second main opening are connected”. Applicant should clarify how the two openings connected? The structure of the first main opening, the second main opening, the first sub-opening and the second sub-opening of the bobbin is/are unclear. Applicant should clarify.
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) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato et al. [US 5,053,738 A] in view of Nagano et al. [US 2009/0289751 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Sato et al. discloses a coil device [figures 4-6] comprising:
- a bobbin structure [figure 6];
- a first wire [30] having a first coil part wound around the bobbin;
- a second wire [32] having a second coil part wound around the bobbin; and
- a core [figure 5] installed to the bobbin [figure 6], wherein; the core comprises a base part [42/42b or 40/40b] extending in a first axis direction, a main inner leg section [42a, 40a] arranged roughly on a center of the base part in the first axis direction, a first sub-inner leg section [42d, 40d] on the base part arranged at one side to the main inner leg section in the first axis direction, and a second sub-inner leg section [42d, 40d] on the base part arranged at another side to the main inner leg section in the first axis direction; in which the main inner leg section [42a/40a] is arranged at an inside of the first coil part and the second coil part [figures 5-6], the first sub-inner leg section [42d/40d] is arranged outside of the second coil part [32], and the second sub-inner leg section [42d/40d] is arranged at the inside of the second coil part [32] and outside of the first coil part.
Sato et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the specific arrangement of the first and second coil parts relative to the sub-inner leg sections.
Nagano et al. discloses a coil device [figures 1-3] comprising:
- a core structure having a main leg [61a] and two outside legs [41a, 51a] arranged next to the central leg; and
- a first coil [2] and a second coil [3] arranged such that the main leg inside of the first and second coils, figure 3].
Nagano et al. further discloses that the first coil [2] arranged inside the first outside leg [41a] and not inside the second coil [3]. Nagano et al. also discloses the second coil arranged inside the second outside leg [51a] and not inside the first coil [41a, figure 3].
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 first and second coils arrangement of Nagano et al. in Sato et al. for the purpose of suppressing interference of the magnetic fluxes generated by the first and second windings [summary of the invention].
Regarding claims 2 and 4-5, Sato et al. further discloses the core comprises a first outer leg section [40c] and a second outer leg section [40c] arranged on the base part, in which the first sub-inner leg section is arranged between the first outer leg section and the main inner leg section [figures 5-6], the second sub-inner leg section is arranged between the second outer leg section and the main inner leg section [figures 5-6], the first outer leg section is arranged at outside of the first coil part, and the second outer leg section is arranged at outside of the second coil part [figures 5-6], wherein a cross sectional area of the main inner leg section is larger than a cross sectional area of the first sub-inner leg section [figures 5-6] and the core is symmetrical across a symmetric axis perpendicular to the first axis direction [figures 5-6].
Regarding claim 3, the specific cross section of the sub-inner legs relative to the main inner leg [about the same] would have been an obvious matter of design choice for the purpose of facilitating different magnetic flux/field characteristics/desired.
Regarding claims 6, Sato et al. discloses the core includes a core first portion [40] at least including a first base part [40b] which is one part of the base part, and a core second portion [42] at least including a second base part [42b] which is another part of the base part and is approximately being parallel to the first base part, and the first coil part and the second coil part are held along a direction of a winding axis of the first coil part between the core first portion and the core second portion [figures 5-6], wherein the first sub-inner leg section has a first gap [G2], the main inner leg section has a second gap [G1], and a length of the first gap is longer than a length of the second gap [figure 6].
Regarding claims 9-10, Sato et al. further discloses the core first portion and the core second portion have symmetrical structures along the winding axis of the first coil part [figures 5-6], wherein the core is separable along a second axis perpendicular to the first axis and the winding axis of the first coil part [figures 5-6].
Claim(s) 11, as best in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato et al. in view of Nagano et al. as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hwang [KR 10-1762559 B1].
Regarding claim 11, Sato et al. discloses the bobbin structure comprises a first winding part [52] to which the first coil part [30] is wound around, a second winding part [46] to which the second coil part [32] is wound around, wherein the first and second winding parts including a plurality of flanges [figure 6] provided to separate the first coil part from the second coil part [figure 6] and openings or spaces arranged to have the main leg part [40a, 42a] and the sub-inner legs to be inserted into [figure 6].
Sato et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the specific of the openings.
Hwang discloses a magnetic device [figures 1-3] comprising:
- a core structure including a main core [113], first sub core [122], a second sub core [122] and side core [112];
- a bobbin structure including a first bobbin [21] for accommodating at least one coil thereof and a second bobbin [22], wherein the first bobbin including flanges [211, 213], a first main opening [211a] for the main core inserted thereto, and two side openings [211b] provided for the first and second sub cores to be inserted [figures 2-3], wherein the second bobbin including a second main opening [221a] and two side openings [221b].
Hwang further discloses the first main opening and the second main opening connected when assembled [figure 2].
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 bobbin of Hwang in Sato et a., as modified, for the purpose of simplifying the assembly and/or accommodating the first/second wires/coils and the core structure.
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837