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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04 January 2024 was filed prior to the mailing date of this office correspondence. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention II, claims 1-19 in the reply filed on 01 June 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 20-21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 01 June 2026.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 16 and 22 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 1, line 4, “winding at least one soft heat-treated magnetic strip” should read:-- winding at least one heat-treated soft magnetic strip --
In claim 16, “a remanence ratio, Jr /Js < 0.1” should read:
-- a remanence Jr to saturation induction Js ratio, Jr /Js < 0.1 --
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 22 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate of claim 17.
See, claim 1 recites “winding at least one soft heat-treated magnetic strip around the carrier” and claim 17 recites “soft magnetic strip has been heat treated under tensile stress”. However, claim 22 recites “prior to winding the at least one soft magnetic strip, carrying out a heat treatment under tensile stress on the soft magnetic strip”, it which it is evident from claim 1 that, the magnetic strip is heat-treated prior to the winding. Therefore, claim 22 is a substantial duplicate of claim 17. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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 18-19 are 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.
In claim 18, the limitation “fitting a second part of the carrier” renders claim indefinite because, it is unclear where does the recited “fitting a second part of the carrier” fit. As best understood, it appears that the limitation actually intends that “fitting a second part of the carrier on to the shaft”, or the like.
In claim 18, the limitation “assembling the first part and the second part of the carrier together with the first and second toroidal strip cores wound thereon, wherein the first part and the second part of the carrier are coaxial with one another.” is confusing because, firstly, claim fails to define where the recited “second part of the carrier” is. Secondly, if “the first part and the second part of the carrier are coaxial with one another” it is unclear what does “assembling the first part and the second part of the carrier together” mean. If the first part and the second part of the carrier are coaxial with one another, why further step of assembling it. As best understood from Fig. 2, it appears that, providing a carrier comprising a first part and a second part...after winding, assembling the first part and the second part of the carrier together with the first and second toroidal strip cores wound thereon forms a coaxial strip core, or the like.
Claim 19 depends on claim 18. Therefore, claims 18-19 are rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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) 1-6, 9-12, 15, 17 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kapoor (US 20150070124) in view of Schulze (WO 2019180099, see US 20210005374, for the English Translation).
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Annotated Fig. 19, Kapoor.
Regarding claim 1, Kapoor teaches, a method, comprising:
fitting a carrier (winding mandrel 36, see annotated Fig. 19), which has a through opening (the annular core opening, Fig. 1, para. [0036]) along a longitudinal axis, or a part of the carrier, onto a shaft (a winding unit 35 with several winding mandrels 36 can optionally on a rotatable turret plate 37, para. [0056], in which it is obvious that the mandrel is fixed on a shaft);
winding at least one soft heat-treated magnetic strip around the carrier to form at least one toroidal strip core (see Figs. 1, 14 and 23, a wound annular core 38 of tape material, para. [0064]), by rotating the shaft (see Fig. 23, a heat treatment device 28 for heat treatment of the tape-shaped material 39 that has been supplied to it for producing a heat-treated tape material 40, para. [0054], the winding unit 35 can have an additional S-shaped roller drive 38 that feeds the treated tape material, therefore the strip material 40, to the respective winding mandrel 36, para. [0056], the continuously running tape is processed into an annular tape-wound core, para. [0060]); and
removing the carrier together with the at least one toroidal strip core from the shaft (wound annular core 38 of tape material, see Fig. 23).
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Annotated Fig. 21, Schulze.
Kapoor does not teach, the carrier being made of plastic. However, Schulze teaches, a method, comprising a carrier (first trough 1540, annotated Fig. 21), which has a through opening (inner opening in the first trough 1540, Fig. 21, para. [0063]) along a longitudinal axis, the carrier being made of plastic (the housings and the housing parts…such as troughs and trough covers, can be manufactured, for example, of non-magnetic material such as, for example, plastic, para. [0071]); winding at least one soft magnetic strip (magnetic core 180 made of soft magnetic material, para. [0034], material of the magnetic core can be a soft magnetic strip material, para. [0071]) around the carrier to form at least one toroidal strip core (see Fig. 21). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Schulze, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of making a toroidal strip core of Kapoor and to replace the winding mandrel 36 in Fig. 19 with a trough 1540 as Schulze taught in Fig. 21 so that it enables manufacturing the carrier part by injection molding as Schulze disclosed in para. [0039]. Moreover, there is no indication in the instant invention that any surprising results were derived, or that any special steps were devised in fitting a plastic carrier part and winding the soft magnetic strip around the carrier. Such a simple substitution would have been done by one of ordinary skill in the art without any need for experimentation and with reasonable expectations of success.
Regarding claims 2-5, Kapoor does not teach the recited limitations. However, Schulze further teaches,
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising: enclosing the at least one toroidal strip core in a housing (housing 100, see annotated Fig. 1 below) by sliding at least one housing part over the at least one toroidal strip core and connecting the at least one housing part to the carrier (two housing parts 120 and 140 with the U-shaped profile thus enclose a chamber in which the magnetic core 180 is disposed, para. [0034]), wherein the carrier itself forms a further housing part.
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Annotated Fig. 1, Schulze.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the carrier and/or the at least one housing part has at least one side wall which is essentially at right angles to a longitudinal axis of the carrier (see Figs 1 and 2).
4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one housing part and the carrier are mounted on one another by snap-in connections (the ribs and the grooves can be formed such that the grooves of the trough cover or trough covers snap fit onto the ribs of the trough or troughs, para. [0066]).
5. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one housing part and the carrier are mounted on one another by gluing or ultrasound welding (circumferential ribs and the circumferential grooves of the housing parts can also be glued or welded together, para. [0070]).
Therefore, in view of the teachings of Schulze, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of making a toroidal strip core of Kapoor and to replace the winding mandrel 36 in Fig. 19 with a housing as Schulze taught in Figs. 1 and 2 so that it enables manufacturing the core having permanent and stable attachment without the need of adhesive tapes, adhesives, screws as Schulze disclosed in para. [0033].
Regarding claim 6, Kapoor in view of Schulze teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Kapoor further teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein a part of the carrier around which the at least one soft magnetic strip is wound has a shape of a hollow cylinder (the annular core opening, see Fig. 1, para. [0036]).
Regarding claims 9-10, Kapoor does not teach the recited limitations. However, Schulze further teaches,
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier consists of a non-magnetic, electrically non-conductive material (the housings and the housing parts…such as troughs and trough covers, can be manufactured, for example, of non-magnetic material such as, for example, plastic, para. [0071]).
10. The method of claim 1, wherein the carrier consists of a non-magnetic metal (para. [0071]).
Therefore, in view of the teachings of Schulze, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of making a toroidal strip core of Kapoor and to replace the winding mandrel 36 in Fig. 19 with a housing as Schulze taught in Figs. 1 and 2 so that it enables manufacturing the core having permanent and stable attachment without the need of adhesive tapes, adhesives, screws.
Regarding claim 11, Kapoor in view of Schulze teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Kapoor further teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein a beginning of the at least one soft magnetic strip is fixed on the carrier before winding (winding the tape, Fig. 19, para. [0056], in which it is obvious that, the soft magnetic strip is fixed on the carrier before winding).
Regarding claim 12, Kapoor in view of Schulze teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Kapoor further teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the through opening of the carrier and the shaft are formed such that the carrier is held in a form-fitting manner on the shaft (para. [0056], if the carrier is a cylindrical carrier, it is obvious that the carrier has to be held in a form-fitting manner on a cylindrical shaft).
Regarding claim 15, Kapoor in view of Schulze teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Kapoor further teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one soft magnetic strip has a nanocrystalline structure in which at least 50% by volume of the grains have an average size of less than 100 nm (cores wound with nanocrystalline strip material, para. [0059]).
Regarding claim 17, Kapoor in view of Schulze teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Kapoor further teaches, the method of claim 1, wherein the at least one soft magnetic strip has been heat treated under tensile stress (a heat treatment device 28 for heat treatment of the tape-shaped material 39 that has been supplied to it for producing a heat-treated tape material 40, a tension device 30, 31, 32, 33 that is made to feed a tensile force into the tape-shaped material 39, para. [0054]).
Regarding claim 22, Kapoor in view of Schulze teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Kapoor further teaches, the method of claim 1, further comprising: prior to winding the at least one soft magnetic strip, carrying out a heat treatment under tensile stress on the soft magnetic strip (a heat treatment device 28 for heat treatment of the tape-shaped material 39 that has been supplied to it for producing a heat-treated tape material 40, a tension device 30, 31, 32, 33 that is made to feed a tensile force into the tape-shaped material 39, para. [0054]).
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kapoor in view of Schulze as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wang (US 20120248930).
Regarding claim 7, modified Kapoor does not teach, toroidal strip core is prevented from unwinding. However, Wang teaches, a method forming a core including winding magnetic thin band around a bobbin in which, an outer end of the wound strip is not attached to an underlying layer of the strip but is held by an inner side of the at least one housing part, such that the at least one toroidal strip core is prevented from unwinding the at least one soft magnetic strip (the end (winding end end) of the cut magnetic thin band is fastened to the core wound on the bobbin 107 by a bonding means such as adhesive or welding. The reason why the core wound on the bobbin 107 is fastened by the bonding means is to prevent unwinding, para. [0049]). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Wang, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of making a toroidal strip core of Kapoor and to fasten the strip to the mandrel so that it enables manufacturing a core having a compact form.
Claim(s) 13-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kapoor in view of Schulze as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Fohr (DE 102019110872 A1, see US 20200340088, for the English Translation).
Regarding claims 13 and 14, modified Kapoor does not teach the recited limitations. However, Fohr teaches, a method of forming soft magnetic strip in which,
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one soft magnetic strip is made of an alloy that comprises Fe100-a-b-c-a-x-y-zCuaNbbMcTdSixByZz, wherein M is one or more of the elements Mo, Ta, or Zr, T is one or more of the elements V, Mn, Cr, Co, or Ni, and Z is one or more of the elements C, P, or Ge, wherein a, b, c, d, x, y, z are given in atomic % and a, b, c, d, x, y, z satisfy the following conditions: 0 a ≤ 1.5; 0 ≤ b < 2; 0 (b + c) < 2; 0 ≤ d ≤ 5; 10 < x < 18; 5 ≤ y ≤ 11; and 0 ≤ z <2, and wherein the alloy contains up to 1 atomic % of impurities (soft magnetic FeCo alloy, see para. [0006-0018, 0097, 0102, 0114, 0127], alloys according to the invention are almost carbon-free and contain at most 0.02 wt % carbon, preferably 0.01 wt % carbon. This maximum carbon content should be regarded as an unavoidable impurity, para. [0097]).
14. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one soft magnetic strip is made of an alloy that comprises Co100-a-b-c-a-x-y-zFeaNbbMcTdSixByZz, wherein M is one or more of the elements Nb, Mo, and Ta, T is one or more of the elements Mn, V, Cr, and Ni, and Z is one or more of the elements C, P, or Ge, wherein a, b, c, d, x, y, and z are given in atomic % and a, b, c, d, x, y, and z satisfy the following conditions: 1.5 < a < 15; 0.1 < b < 1.5; 1 ≤ c < 5; 0 ≤ d <5; 12 < x < 18; 5 < y <8; and 0 ≤ z ≤ 2, and wherein the alloy contains up to 1 atomic % of impurities (see para. [0006-0018, 0097, 0102, 0114, 0127]).
It is noted that the prior art does not explicitly teach that the soft magnetic strip alloy abiding the exact formula as presented in the claim. However, as the prior art discloses a composition wherein the claimed ranges of the various elements of the instant alloy overlap or lie inside the ranges of various elements of the alloy of the prior art, the ranges of the formulaic expression of the instant claims would also overlap or lie inside the values of the prior art resulting from the instant formulaic expressions. When a claimed compound is not specifically named in a reference, but instead it is necessary to select portions of teachings within the reference and combine them, e.g., select various substituents from a list of alternatives given for placement at specific sites on a generic chemical formula to arrive at a specific composition, anticipation can only be found if the classes of substituents are sufficiently limited or well delineated. Ex parte A, 17 USPQ2d 1716 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1990). If one of ordinary skill in the art is able to "at once envisage" the specific compound within the generic chemical formula, the compound is anticipated. One of ordinary skill in the art must be able to draw the structural formula or write the name of each of the compounds included in the generic formula before any of the compounds can be "at once envisaged." One may look to the preferred embodiments to determine which compounds can be anticipated. In re Petering, 301 F.2d 676, 133 USPQ 275 (CCPA 1962). See MPEP 2131. Therefore, in view of the teachings of Fohr, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of making a toroidal strip core of Kapoor and to replace winding strip in Fig. 19 with a winding strip of Fohr so that it enables manufacturing the core having a higher power density as Fohr disclosed in para. [0005].
Claim(s) 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kapoor in view of Schulze as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Slavkova (Slavkova M., Specific Applications of Nanocrystalline and Amorphous Soft Magnetic Materials with Different Hysteresis Loops, IEEE Electrical Engineering Faculty Conference 2021).
Regarding claim 16, modified Kapoor does not teach a hysteresis loop. However, Slavkova teaches, a method of forming a soft magnetic strip for a toroidal wind magnetic core, wherein the at least one soft magnetic strip has a hysteresis loop with a central linear region (see Figs 1 to 3), a remanence ratio, Jr /Js < 0.1 (very high value of the remanence Br (remanent flux density) which may be over 95% of saturation flux density Bs, col. 1, Page 2), and a ratio Hc/Ha of coercivity He to anisotropy field strength Ha of less than 0.1 (col. 2, Page 2). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Slavkova, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of making a toroidal strip core of Kapoor and to replace the soft magnetic strip with a nanocrystalline soft magnetic strip of Slavkova so that it enables manufacturing the core having improved magnetic material characteristics.
Claim(s) 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schulze (WO 2019180099, see US 20210005374, for the English Translation) in view of Kapoor (US 20150070124).
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Annotated Fig. 21, Schulze.
Regarding claim 18, Schulze teaches, a method, comprising:
fitting a first part of a carrier (first trough 1540, see annotated Fig. 21, para. [0063], alternatively see the double tough cover 300, Fig. 6, para. [0041]), which has a through opening (a round ring that encloses an inner opening, para. [0063]) along a longitudinal axis;
winding at least one soft magnetic strip around the first part of the carrier to form a first toroidal strip core (see Fig. 22, a magnetic core composed of strip material, for example, a wound toroidal tape core, para. [0067]);
removing the first part of the carrier together with the first toroidal strip core (chambers of the housings in which the magnetic cores are disposed can be hermetically sealed off from the housing parts, para. [0067]);
fitting a second part of the carrier (second trough 1541, see annotated Fig. 21 alternatively Fig. 6);
winding a second soft magnetic strip around the second part of the carrier to form a second toroidal strip core (a magnetic core composed of strip material, for example, a wound toroidal tape core, para. [0067]);
removing the second part of the carrier together with the second toroidal strip core (chambers of the housings in which the magnetic cores are disposed can be hermetically sealed off from the housing parts, para. [0067]); and
assembling the first part and the second part of the carrier together with the first and second toroidal strip cores wound thereon, wherein the first part and the second part of the carrier are coaxial with one another (the troughs 1540 and 1541 are assembled,…the housing 1600 is wound into one or more coils along its basic form and the wire coils also lead through the opening 1602, para. [0064-0065], also, see the Note below).
Schulze does not teach, fitting a first part or a second part of the carrier to a shaft; or rotating the shaft. However, Kapoor teaches, a method comprising fitting a carrier (winding mandrel 36, see annotated Fig. 19), onto a shaft and winding soft magnetic strip by rotating the shaft (a winding unit 35 with several winding mandrels 36 can optionally on a rotatable turret plate 37, para. [0056], a wound annular core 38 of tape material, para. [0064]), in which it is obvious that the mandrel is fixed on a shaft); and removing the carrier together with the at least one toroidal strip core from the shaft (wound annular core 38 of tape material, see Fig. 23). Therefore, in view of the teachings of Kapoor, it would have been prima facie obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the method of making a toroidal strip core of Schulze and to include winding mandrel using a shaft as Kapoor taught in Fig. 19 so that it enables manufacturing a core comprising soft magnetic strip material.
Note: unless otherwise defined, the recited limitation “winding a second soft magnetic strip around the second part of the carrier to form a second toroidal strip core, by rotating the shaft; removing the second part of the carrier together with the second toroidal strip core from the shaft” enables by repeating the steps of the winding of the first part of the carrier.
Regarding claim 19, Schulze in view of Kapoor teaches the recited limitations with respect to claim 1. Schulze further teaches, the method of claim 18, further comprising: enclosing the first and second toroidal strip cores in a housing (housing 1500, Fig. 21, para. [0063]) by sliding at least one housing part over the first and second toroidal strip cores and connecting the at least one housing part to the first part and the second part of the carrier, wherein the carrier itself forms a further housing part (trough cover 1520, the first trough 1540 and the second trough 1541 all have the basic shape of a round ring that encloses an inner opening, see Fig. 21, para. [0063]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 is 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter:
Claim 8 would be allowable for disclosing a method, wherein a clearance between the at least one toroidal strip core and the inner side of the at least one housing part is such that an effective permeability and an inductance of the at least one toroidal strip core is reduced by the protruding end of the wound strip by no more than 10%.
Though, prior arts of record Kapoor and Schulze teach, winding soft magnetic heat-treated strip around a carrier to form a toroidal strip core, both Kapoor and Schulze fail to teach, a clearance between the at least one toroidal strip core and the inner side of the at least one housing part is such that an effective permeability and an inductance of the at least one toroidal strip core is reduced by the protruding end of the wound strip by no more than 10%.
Though, Wang teaches winding magnetic strip around a carrier to form a toroidal strip core, Wang does not teach, a soft magnetic heat-treated strip; or a clearance between the at least one toroidal strip core and the inner side of the at least one housing part is such that an effective permeability and an inductance of the at least one toroidal strip core is reduced by the protruding end of the wound strip by no more than 10%.
Though, Slavkova teaches, winding soft magnetic nanocrystalline strip around a carrier, Slavkova fails to teach, a clearance between the at least one toroidal strip core and the inner side of the at least one housing part is such that an effective permeability and an inductance of the at least one toroidal strip core is reduced by the protruding end of the wound strip by no more than 10%.
Prior art of record Fohr does not teach winding and forming a toroidal strip core.
Therefore, claim 8 would be allowable.
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.”
Conclusion
Prior art Schmidtgen (US 20250308771) teaches, a method comprising winding soft magnetic strip around the carrier to form a toroidal strip core, by rotating the shaft; and removing the carrier together with the toroidal strip core from the shaft.
Prior art Hosokawa (US 11948718) teaches, a method comprising winding nanocrystalline soft magnetic strip around the carrier to form a toroidal strip core, including a heat-treatment step.
Prior art Schliewe (US 20220406516) teaches a method of winding soft magnetic strip around the carrier to form a toroidal strip core; and removing the carrier together with the toroidal strip core from the shaft.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE K. ABRAHAM whose telephone number is (571)270-1087. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-4:30 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, THOMAS J. HONG can be reached at (571) 272-0993. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSE K ABRAHAM/Examiner, Art Unit 3729
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