DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the Application filed on 04/21/2023.
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 .
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 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.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
The factual inquiries set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub. No. 2020/0324665; (hereinafter Mackenzie) in view of US Pub. No. 2019/0348213; (hereinafter Ikarashi).
Regarding claim 1, Mackenzie [e.g. Fig. 2] discloses a bidirectional voltage adapter [e.g. paragraph 07 recites “FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a bidirectional power converter”] comprising: an AC link connecting a bidirectional AC power connection [e.g. input of EMI] and an active front end that includes a bidirectional inverter [e.g. 214; paragraph 024 recites “The converter 200 includes an electromagnetic interference filter 212, a power factor correction (PFC) circuit, a bidirectional AC-DC converter 214, and a DC link capacitor 216”]; a DC link [e.g. 216] connecting a bidirectional DC power connection and a DC dual active bridge [e.g. 204; paragraph 026 recites “the DC-DC converter 204 may be a dual active bridge isolated DC-DC converter equipped with a ferrite-core transformer 224 configured to provide galvanic isolation between the AC power source and the traction battery”]; the active front end and the DC dual active bridge connected by a bridge link [e.g. at 216]; a transformer [e.g. 224] within the DC dual active bridge connects a primary bridge [e.g. 218] and a secondary bridge [e.g. 228]; and, an inductor [e.g. 220] within the DC dual active bridge connects one of the primary and secondary bridges with the transformer.
Mackenzie fails to disclose wherein the transformer is a planar transformer.
Ikarashi [e.g. Figs. 2 - 3] teaches wherein the transformer is a planar transformer [e.g. paragraph 034 recites “The planar transformer 4”].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify Mackenzie by wherein the transformer is a planar transformer as taught by Ikarashi in order of being able reduce power loss, paragraphs 04 – 05.
Regarding claim 13, Mackenzie [e.g. Fig. 2] discloses a method of isolating a power supply from a load [e.g. 310] in a bidirectional voltage adapter [e.g. paragraph 07 recites “FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a bidirectional power converter”], the method comprising the steps of: providing a power conversion block [e.g. 214] between an AC power connector [e.g. at input of EMI] and a DC power connector [e.g. line at Cbus 216], the power conversion block including an active front end [e.g. 214] coupled to a DC dual active bridge [e.g. paragraph 026 recites “the DC-DC converter 204 may be a dual active bridge isolated DC-DC converter equipped with a ferrite-core transformer 224 configured to provide galvanic isolation between the AC power source and the traction battery”]; in the DC dual active bridge, connecting a primary bridge [e.g. 218] to a transformer [e. g. 224]; and, in the DC dual active bridge, connecting a secondary bridge [e.g. 228] to the transformer.
Mackenzie fails to disclose wherein the transformer is a planar transformer.
Ikarashi [e.g. Figs. 2 - 3] teaches wherein the transformer is a planar transformer [e.g. paragraph 034 recites “The planar transformer 4”].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date to modify Mackenzie by wherein the transformer is a planar transformer as taught by Ikarashi in order of being able reduce power loss, paragraphs 04 – 05.
Examiner's Note
Examiner has cited particular columns and line numbers in the references applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
In the case of amending the claimed invention, Applicant is respectfully requested to indicate the portion(s) of the specification which dictate(s) the structure relied on for proper interpretation and also to verify and ascertain the metes and bounds of the claimed invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 - 12 and 14 – 20 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:
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 2 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “further comprising: circuit boards bearing windings within a ferrite E core of the planar transformer; and, halves of the E core pressed together by metal plates to either side of the E core”.
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 2 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “further comprising: circuit boards of the planar transformer, the circuit boards bearing windings; mating E core portions of the planar transformer, the circuit boards between the E core portions; the E core portions between intermediate plates; and, the intermediate plates applying pressure tending to force the E core portions together”.
The primary reason for the indication of the allowability of claim 14 is the inclusion therein, in combination as currently claimed as a whole, of the limitation of “further including the step of: providing a transformer core and circuit boards within the core; wherein the core includes mating parts and air gaps between the mating parts, the air gaps being reduced by a cage that applies pressure that holds the mating parts together”.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Pub. No. 2018/0076723 discloses a variable direct current (DC) link power converter is described. In one example, the power converter includes a first converter stage configured to convert power from a power source to power at an intermediate link voltage and a second converter stage configured to convert the power at the intermediate link voltage to power for charging a battery. The power converter further includes a control system having an intermediate link voltage regulation control loop configured, in a first mode of operation, to regulate the intermediate link voltage through the first converter stage based on a voltage of the battery, and a ripple regulation control loop configured to sense a charging current for the battery and regulate a gain of the second converter stage based on the charging current to reduce ripple in the charging current. A new configuration of a Printed Circuit Board (planar) transformer suitable for use with the power converter is also described.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alex Torres-Rivera whose telephone number is (571)272-5261. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00-5:30 ET.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, MONICA LEWIS can be reached at (571) 272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ALEX TORRES-RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838