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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species B, Figure 3, Claims 1 and 3-10 in the reply filed on 2/6/2026 is acknowledged.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 7 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Matthews [US 1,846,887].
Regarding claims 1 and 7, Matthews discloses a transformer [figures 1-2] comprising:
- a transformer housing including a sidewall [15] and an accommodating space surrounded by the sidewall, wherein the sidewall has a vacuum or air/space layer formed therein [figures 1-2]; and
- an electromagnetic assembly disposed in the accommodating space and including an iron core and a coil structure disposed on the iron core [12], wherein the iron core includes a plurality of limb portions, and the coil structure includes a plurality of core windings that are respectively wound onto the limb portions [figures 1-2].
Regarding claim 9, Matthews discloses an electrical insulating oil [11] is present in the accommodating space of the transformer housing, and the electromagnetic assembly is immersed in the electrical insulating oil [figures 1-2].
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) 3-6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matthews in view of Specht et al. [US 3,260,974].
Regarding claims 3 and 5, Matthew discloses the instant claimed invention except for reinforcing structure.
Specht et al. discloses a transformer [figure 2 or 4] comprising:
- a tank [28, 86];
- a core/coil assembly [32, 34] disposed inside the tank;
- oil [162] filled the tank and the core/coil assembly emerged in the tank with oil; and
- reinforcing structure [30, 31, 100, 104, 106] disposed on outside of the tank, wherein at least one of the reinforcing structure formed of anti-vibration material [glass fiber or air, column 3], wherein the at least one hollow reinforcing structure surrounds the sidewall of the transformer housing [figure 2 or 4].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include reinforcing structure to the tank of Matthews, as suggested by Specht et al., for the purpose of providing reinforcing.
Regarding claim 4, Specht et al. further discloses other reinforcing structure [106] attached to the tank and filled with sand [108].
Regarding claim 6, Specht et al. discloses more than one reinforcing structure arranged outside the tank [see 30, 31, 100, 104 of figures 2 and 4].
Regarding claim 8, Specht et al. further discloses a plurality of fastening members [35, 95] that are configured to join together the iron core and the coil structure.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matthews in view of Zheng [CN 207409348 U].
Regarding claim 10, Matthews disclose the instant claimed invention except for an oil storage tank.
Zheng discloses the use of an oil storage tank or reservoir [17] in communication with a transformer structure arranged inside a housing [15] filled with oil.
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include an oil storage tank in Matthews, as suggested by Zheng, for the purpose of providing oil for the transformer.
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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