DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim 1 is amended
Claim 2 is cancelled
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over by Lu (US 20200135379 A1).
Regarding Claim 1:
Lu teaches that an integrated-type coupled inductor, comprising:
a lead frame (107a, Fig. 5; para 0060-0065) having a first surface (121, Drawing: 1) and a second surface (122, Drawing: 1) opposite to each other and comprising four pins (1231-1232, 1241-1242; Drawing: 1);
a first coil 14A disposed on the first surface, two ends of the first coil being respectively coupled to two of the four pins;
a second coil 16A disposed on the second surface, two ends of the second coil being respectively coupled to two other pins of the four pins; and
a magnetic packing component (102, Fig. 7) covering the first coil and the second coil to expose parts of the four pins,
a first holder (123, Drawing: 1) and a second holder (124, Drawing: 1) located on different positions, the first holder comprises a first pin (1231, Drawing: 1) and a second pin (1232), the second holder comprises a third pin (1241) and a fourth pin (1242) respectively pointing towards the first pin and the second pin, the first coil is welded to the first pin and the second pin, the second coil is welded to the third pin and the fourth pin.
Lu teaches third pin and the fourth pin except the first coil is welded to the first pin and the fourth pin, the second coil is welded to the second pin and the third pin.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the first coil is welded to the first pin and the fourth pin, the second coil is welded to the second pin and the third pin, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. MPEP 2144.04 (VI-C)
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 first coil is welded to the first pin and the fourth pin, the second coil is welded to the second pin and the third pin as claimed to meet design requirements for certain application.
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Drawing:1, an annotated version of Fig. 5.
Regarding Claim 3:
As applied to claim 1, Lu teaches that wherein the lead frame comprises
a first holder (123, Drawing: 1) and a second holder (124, Drawing: 1) located on different positions, the first holder comprises a first pin (1231, Drawing: 1) and a second pin (1232), the second holder comprises a third pin (1241) and a fourth pin (1242) respectively pointing towards the first pin and the second pin, the first coil is welded to the first pin and the fourth pin, the second coil is welded to the second pin and the third pin.
Regarding Claim 4:
As applied to claim 1, Lu teaches that wherein the lead frame comprises a first holder (123, Drawing: 1) and a second holder (124, Drawing: 1) located on different positions, the first holder comprises a first pin 1231, Drawing: 1) and a second pin 1232, the second holder comprises a third pin 1241 and a fourth pin 1242 respectively pointing towards the first pin and the second pin, the first coil is welded to the first pin and the third pin, the second coil is welded to the second pin and the fourth pin as explained in claim 2 analysis in light of MPEP 2144.04 (VI-C).
Regarding Claim 5:
As applied to claim 1, Lu teaches that wherein the first coil and the second coil except the first coil and the second coil are welded after isolation layers is removed via a mechanical stripping process or a laser stripping process.
The process limitations “the first coil and the second coil are welded after isolation layers is removed via a mechanical stripping process or a laser stripping process” in claim (5), do not carry weight in a claim drawn to structure. MPEP 2113 states, “[E]ven though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985).
However this process limitation implied a structure i.e., an insulating layer which has been disclosed by Lu (coils 14A and 16A in Drawing: 1). Therefore, this limitations are not patentable over Lu.
Claims 11 and 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu in view of Blow (US 20140210584 A1).
Regarding Claim 11:
Lu teaches that an integrated-type coupled inductor, comprising:
a first inductor unit (123, Drawing: 1), a first coil (14A, Drawing: 1) being disposed inside the first inductor unit and two long pins (1231-1232) with a first length being exposed (see Fig. 7);
a second inductor unit (124, Drawing: 1) a top surface of the second inductor unit being (i.e. upper surface of 124 in Drawing: 1) attached (see Fig. 4; claim does not require that directly attached) to the first inductor , a second coil (16A, Drawing: 1) being disposed inside the second inductor unit and two short pins (1241-1242) with a second length being exposed (see Fig. 7), the first coil is welded to the first pin and the fourth pin, the second coil is welded to the second pin and the third pin.
Lu does not teach that the second length being shorter than the first length, the two long pins and the two short pins being bent to a bottom surface of the second inductor unit opposite to the top surface.
However, Blow teaches that the second length (L2, Drawing: 2) in being shorter (i.e. L1<L2; construed from Drawing: 2) than the first length (L1), the two long pins and the two short pins being bent to a bottom surface (i.e. bottom surface of 30 in Fig. 2) of the second inductor unit (30) opposite to the top surface (i.e. upper surface of 30).
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 second length being shorter than the first length, the two long pins and the two short pins being bent to a bottom surface of the second inductor unit opposite to top surface unit to provide stable and secure connection with PCB board.
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Drawing:2, an annotated version of Fig. 2.
Regarding Claim 15:
As applied to claim 1, Lu teaches that wherein isolation layers of the first coil and the second coil are removed via a mechanical stripping process or a laser stripping process and then applied for manufacturing the first inductor unit and the second inductor unit.as explained in claim 5 analysis in light of MPEP 2113.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 12-14 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:
Claim 12 recites, wherein the two long pins are respectively located on two opposite lateral sides of the first inductor unit and further individually located on two different ends of the two opposite lateral sides of the first inductor unit, the two short pins are respectively located on two opposite lateral sides of the second inductor unit and further individually located on two different ends of the two opposite lateral sides of the second inductor unit interlaced to the two long pins.
Claim 13 recites, wherein the two long pins are located on a lateral side of the first inductor unit and individually located on two different ends of the lateral side of the first inductor unit, the two short pins are located on a lateral side of the second inductor unit opposite to the two long pins and individually located on two different ends of the lateral side of the second inductor unit.
Claim 14 recites, wherein the two long pins are respectively located on two opposite lateral sides of the first inductor unit and further individually located on the same end of the two opposite lateral sides of the first inductor unit, the two short pins are respectively located on two opposite lateral sides of the second inductor unit and further individually located on the same end of the two opposite lateral sides of the second inductor unit different from the two long pins.
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitations, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitations.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/1/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicants argue, at least in part, that “the element 14A in Lu is not welded to the element 1231 of the element 123 and the element 1242 of the element 124,and the element 16A is not welded to the element 1232 of the element 123 and the element 1241 of the element 124. Instead, the element 14A in Lu is illustrated as being welded to the pins of the element 123, and the element 16A is welded to the pins of the element 124. Although paragraph [0074] in Lu discloses that the first outlet end 1311 and the
fourth outlet end 1322 constitute the outer connection port of the first coil, and the second outlet end 1312 and the third outlet end 1321 constitute another outer connection port of the second coil. Such disclosure merely defines how the outlet ends are electrically grouped as the outer connection port, and cannot reasonably be interpreted as teaching that the first coil is physically welded between the first outlet end 1311 and the fourth outlet end 1322 or that the second coil is physically welded between the second outlet end 1312 and the third outlet end 1321.” The Examiner respectfully disagrees. First of all, the limitation “welded” is process limitation in amended claim 1, do not carry weight in a claim drawn to structure. MPEP 2113 states, “Even though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process.” In re Thorpe, 777 F.2d 695, 698, 227 USPQ 964, 966 (Fed. Cir. 1985). Second, the welding is used to connect two elements to from an integrated element and it is very well in industry. Therefore, It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the second coil is welded to the second pin and the third pin, since it has been held that forming in one piece an article which has formerly been formed in two pieces and put together involves only routine skill in the art. Howard v. Detroit Stove Works, 150 U.S. 164 (1993). Furthermore, It has been held that the term “integral” is sufficiently broad to embrace constructions united by such means as fastening and welding. In re Hotte, 177 USPQ 326, 328 (CCPA 1973). So, this process limitation implied a structure i.e., first pin, second, third and fourth pins which has been disclosed by Lu in Drawing 1. Therefore, this limitations are not patentable over Lu.
Applicant's arguments regarding the amended claim 11 have been fully considered. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of different interpretation of the previously applied reference, and/or newly found prior art reference(s).
In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of applicant's invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., the first inductor unit 20 is disposed on the top of the second inductor unit 22) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims.
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 892.
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/KAZI HOSSAIN/
Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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