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 I, FIGs. 6(a) and 7-9(b), and claims 1-7, 11, 13-17, 19 and 20 in the reply filed on 12/29/2025 is acknowledged. Applicant has withdrawn claims 8-10, 12, 18, 21 and 22 are withdrawn.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/19/2023 and 09/19/2023 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “a first projection of the second winding and a first projection of the third winding on the surface of the first side of the magnetic element” as recited in claim 4, the “the first projection of the second terminal is located within the first projection of the second winding; and the first projection of the third terminal is located within the first projection of the third winding” as claimed in claim 6, the “the first side of the magnetic element is provided with a plurality of signal terminals, and projections of the plurality of signal terminals on the surface of the first side of the magnetic element are not overlap with the first projection of the first terminal, the first projection of the second winding and the first projection of the third winding” of claim 11 and the “the outermost windings of the two magnetic columns are connected through an adhesive” as claimed in claim 13 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 4, it appears “a first side of the magnetic element” as recited in lines 3 and 4 should be --the first side of the magnetic element-- as “a first side of the magnetic element” has been recited in lines 2 and 3.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 13 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 13, it’s not clear what’s intended by “each magnetic column is wounded with one first winding, one second winding and one third winding, and the outermost windings of the two magnetic columns are connected through an adhesive” as recited. Specifically, applicant should clarify if “one first winding, one second winding and one third winding” on the first column is in addition to the “first winding,” the “second winding” and the “third winding” as recited claim 1.
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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2014/0139313 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Zhou et al., hereinafter referred to as “Zhou,” teaches a magnetic element (Fig. 12B), comprising:
a magnetic core 60a and 60b, comprising at least one magnetic column (center leg) extending along a first direction (vertical direction);
a first winding 351 surrounding the at least one magnetic column;
a second winding 32 at least partially surrounding the first winding, wherein the number of turns of the second winding is less than or equal to the number of turns of the first winding; and
a third winding 352 at least partially surrounding the second winding, wherein the number of turns of the third winding is less than or equal to the number of turns of the first winding (para. [0103]).
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Claims 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Onoue (U.S. Patent No. 4,204,263).
With respect to claim 1, Onoue teaches a magnetic element (FIG. 3), comprising:
a magnetic core 14 and 16, comprising at least one magnetic column (upper leg as seen in Fig. 3) extending along a first direction (horizontal direction);
a first winding 26 surrounding the at least one magnetic column;
a second winding (winding immediately above first winding 26) at least partially surrounding the first winding, wherein the number of turns of the second winding is less than or equal to the number of turns of the first winding; and
a third winding (winding immediately above second winding) at least partially surrounding the second winding, wherein the number of turns of the third winding is less than or equal to the number of turns of the first winding (col. 3, lines 51-66).
With respect to claim 2, Onoue teaches teaches the magnetic element according to claim 1, wherein the number of turns of the second winding is greater than or equal to the number of turns of the third winding (col. 2, lines 65-66).
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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.
The factual inquiries 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.
Claims 1-7, 11, 13-17, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cai et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2020/0161042 A1) in view of Onoue.
With respect to claim 1, Cai et al., hereinafter referred to as “Ca,” teaches a magnetic element (FIGs. 6 and 7), comprising:
a magnetic core 20 (see FIG. 3 for illustration, para. [0144]), comprising at least one magnetic column 21 extending along a first direction (into the page direction as seen in FIG. 3);
a first winding 23 surrounding the at least one magnetic column;
a second winding 24 at least partially surrounding the first winding, and
a third winding 25 at least partially surrounding the second winding, wherein the number of turns of the third winding is less than or equal to the number of turns of the first winding (paras. [0156], [0169] and [0170]).
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Cai does not expressly teach
wherein the number of turns of the second winding is less than or equal to the number of turns of the first winding.
Onoue teaches a magnetic element (Fig. 12B),
wherein the number of turns of the second winding (layer of secondary winding 32 immediately above primary winding 26) is less than or equal to the number of turns of the first winding 26 (col. 2, lines 65-66). 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 number of turns of the second winding as taught by Onoue to the magnetic element of Cai to provide the required output voltage to meet design requirements.
With respect to claim 2, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 1, wherein the number of turns of the second winding is greater than or equal to the number of turns of the third winding (Cai, paras. [0156] and [0170]).
With respect to claim 3, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 1, wherein the second winding and the third winding are flatwise-wound windings (paras. [0150] and [0169]).
With respect to claim 4, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 3, wherein:
the first winding is connected to a first terminal 241 or 243, and the first terminal is located on a first side (upper side) of the magnetic element and has a first projection (upward projection) of the first terminal on a surface (surface on which the first terminal is disposed) of a first side of the magnetic element;
the second winding and the third winding have a first projection 24a (annotated FIG. 6) of the second winding and a first projection 25a of the third winding on the surface of the first side of the magnetic element, respectively; and
the first projection of the first terminal is at least partially located outside the first projection of the second winding or the first projection of the third winding (Cai, paras. [0153], [0154] [0169] and [0170]).
With respect to claim 5, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 4, wherein:
the second winding is connected to a second terminal 241, and the third winding is connected to a third terminal 251;
the second terminal and the third terminal are located on the first side of the magnetic element and have a first projection (terminal 243 protrudes upward) of the second terminal and a first projection (terminal 253 protrudes upward) of the third terminal on the surface of the first side of the magnetic element, respectively (Cai, para. [0170]).
With respect to claim 6, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 5, wherein:
the first projection of the second terminal is located within the first projection of the second winding (the first projection of the second terminal is located between the left and right projections of the second winding); and
the first projection of the third terminal is located within the first projection of the third winding (the first projection of the third terminal is located between the left and right projections of the third winding) (Cai, para. [0170]).
With respect to claim 7, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 5, wherein:
the first projection of the second winding has two boundaries (two opposite foil ends of the second winding) arranged in the first direction, and the first projection of the second terminal is extended from one boundary to the other boundary of the first projection of the second winding; and
the first projection of the third winding has two boundaries (two opposite foil ends of the third winding) arranged along the first direction, and the first projection of the third terminal is extended from one boundary to the other boundary of the first projection of the third winding (Cai, para. [0170]).
With respect to claim 11, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 4, wherein the surface of the first side of the magnetic element is provided with a plurality of signal terminals (“toothed portions,” FIG. 8A, para. [0173]), and projections of the plurality of signal terminals on the surface of the first side of the magnetic element are not overlap with the first projection of the first terminal, the first projection of the second winding and the first projection of the third winding (Cai, para. [0173]).
With respect to claim 13, best understood in view of 35 USC 112(b) rejection, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic core comprises two magnetic columns (two legs as seen in FIG. 3), an outside of each magnetic column is wounded with one first winding, one second winding and one third winding, and the outermost windings of the two magnetic columns are connected through an adhesive (Cai, para. [0183]).
With respect to claim 14, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 1, wherein the first winding is a primary winding, and the second winding and the third winding are secondary windings (Onoue, col. 2, lines 65-66).
With respect to claim 15, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 14, wherein the secondary windings comprise two secondary windings, a part of the second winding and a part of the third winding are one of the two secondary windings, the other part of the second winding and the other part of the third winding are the other of the two secondary windings (Cai, para. [0170], Onoue, col. 2, lines 65-66).
With respect to claim 16, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 1, wherein the second winding and the third winding are formed by a bendable substrate 22 (Cai, para. [0158]); or
wherein the second winding and the third winding are integrally formed.
With respect to claim 17, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the magnetic element according to claim 1, wherein:
the first winding is connected to a first terminal 241 or 243, and the first terminal comprises a connection structure (vertical connection) surface-mounted on the first winding;
the second winding is connected to a second terminal 243 and the third winding is connected to a third terminal 253;
the first terminal, the second terminal and the third terminal are located on a first side (upper side) of the magnetic element; and
an upper surface (top surface) of the connection structure, an upper surface of the second terminal and an upper surface of the third terminal are coplanar (Cai, para. [0170]).
With respect to claim 19, Cai in view of Onoue teaches a power module (“power module” para. [0002]), comprising:
the magnetic element according to claim 1;
a first carrier board 74 (FIG. 23D) at least partially covering a surface of a first side (upper side) of the magnetic element;
a first switch (left switch 73), located on a surface (surface on which first switch is provided) of a side (side on which first switch is provided) of the first carrier board away from the magnetic element; and
a second switch (middle switch 73) , located on the surface of the side of the first carrier board away from the magnetic element (Cai, para. [0276]).
With respect to claim 20, Cai in view of Onoue teaches the power module according to claim 19, further comprising at least two first switches (switches 73 as shown in FIG. 23B) and at least two second switches, and the at least two first switches and the at least two second switches are alternately distributed along the first direction (Cai, para. [0276]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. A list of pertinent prior art is attached in form PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANGTIN LIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5729. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 0800-1700.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S. Ismail can be reached at 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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/MANG TIN BIK LIAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837