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 with traverse of Group I and claims 1-12 and 14-20 in the reply filed on 07/17/2026 is acknowledged. Applicant elects Group I with traverse with respect to Group II, and without traverse with respect to Group III. In the spirit of compact prosecution, the examiner withdraws Group I and Group II restriction. Group I and Group II is now grouped together. Accordingly, claims 1-13 and 14-20 are fully examined in this Office action. Applicant withdraws claim 14, which is directed to the original Group III.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 “the conductor element is a one-piece element which extends cylindrically around the longitudinal axis in a closed ring-shaped manner” as recited in claim 1, the “the conductor element contacts the radially inward facing surface or the radially outward facing surface of the foil winding arrangement directly” as claimed in claim 7 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 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 7 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 7, it’s not clear what’s intended by “the conductor element contacts the radially inward facing surface or the radially outward facing surface of the foil winding arrangement directly” as claimed. Is the innermost surface of the conductor element the radially inward facing surface, and the outermost surface of the conductor element the radially outward facing surface?
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 1-13, 15, 16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hanaomote et al. (JP 2012-195412 A, hereinafter “Hanaomote”).
With respect to claim 1, Hanaomote teaches a coil 50 for a transformer assembly, the coil extending circumferentially around a longitudinal axis (“central axis” para. [0058]), and comprising
a foil winding arrangement (arrangement of coil 50), extending circumferentially around the longitudinal axis and having four edge regions (corner regions), and
a conductor element 21 and or 22 that covers at least partially at least one of the edge regions of the foil winding arrangement,
wherein the conductor element is a one-piece element which extends cylindrically around the longitudinal axis in a closed ring-shaped manner (para. [0058], [0075], [0078], and [0080]).
With respect to claim 2, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 1, wherein the conductor element covers the at least one of the edge regions completely (para. [0078]).
With respect to claim 3, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 1, wherein the coil has an extension along the longitudinal axis, and the foil winding arrangement has an extension along the longitudinal axis, wherein the extension of the foil winding arrangement is at least 75% of the extension of the coil (para. [0079]). Winding arrangement S1-S5 is at least 75% of the extension of the coil 50.
With respect to claim 4, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 1, wherein the coil has an extension along the longitudinal axis, and the foil winding arrangement has an extension along the longitudinal axis, wherein the extension of the foil winding arrangement is less than 50% of the extension of the coil (para. [0080]). Winding arrangement S1 or S1 and S2 is less than 50% of the extension of the coil 50.
With respect to claim 5, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 1, wherein the foil winding arrangement has, with respect to the longitudinal axis, a first end face (upper surface), a second end face (lower surface), a radially inward facing surface (inner periphery surface), and a radially outward facing surface (outer periphery surface),
wherein the first end face and the radially inward facing surface are connected via a first edge region (top left corner) of the four edge regions,
wherein the second end face and the radially inward facing surface are connected via a second edge region (bottom left corner) of the four edge regions,
wherein the first end face and the radially outward facing surface are connected via a third edge region (top right corner) of the four edge regions, and wherein the second end face and the radially outward facing surface are connected via a fourth edge (bottom right corner) region of the four edge regions (paras. [0061] and [0062]).
With respect to claim 6, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 5, wherein the foil winding arrangement comprises a conductor member 5 and an insulating member 6, wherein the radially inward facing surface and/or the radially outward facing surface is at least partially formed by the conductor member (para. [0075]).
With respect to claim 7, best understood in view of 35 USC 112(b) rejection, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 5, wherein the conductor element contacts the radially inward facing surface or the radially outward facing surface of the foil winding arrangement directly (para. [0068]).
With respect to claim 8, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 5,
wherein the conductor element covers the first edge region and the second edge region, or
wherein the conductor element covers the third edge region and the fourth edge region.
With respect to claim 9, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 1, wherein the conductor element is made of metal (para. [0085]).
With respect to claim 10, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 1, wherein the conductor element is a bent metal foil element (para. [0093]).
With respect to claim 11, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 1, wherein the conductor element has a curled edge region, wherein the conductor element covers the at least one edge region of the foil winding arrangement at least partially; preferably completely by the curled edge region (para. [0093]).
With respect to claim 12, Hanaomote teaches a transformer assembly, comprising the coil of claim 1 (para. [0058]).
With respect to claim 13, Hanaomote teaches a conductor element 21 and or 22 for covering at least partially at least one of four edge regions (corner regions) of a foil winding arrangement of a coil 51 for a transformer assembly (“transformer” para. [0058]), wherein the coil extends circumferentially around a longitudinal axis (“central axis” para. [0058]), wherein the conductor element is a bent metal foil element comprising a curled-edge region 21a and or 21b,
wherein the conductor element is a one-piece element configured to extend cylindrically around the longitudinal axis in a closed ring-shaped manner (para. [0058], [0075], [0078], [0080] and [0085]).
With respect to claim 15, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 4, wherein the extension of the foil winding arrangement is less than 30% of the extension of the coil (para. [0080]). Winding arrangement S1 is less than 30% of the extension of the coil 50.
With respect to claim 16, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 1, wherein the conductor element is made of aluminum (para. [0075]).
With respect to claim 19, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 11, wherein the conductor element covers the at least one edge region of the foil winding arrangement completely by the curled edge region (para. [0078]).
With respect to claim 20, Hanaomote teaches the conductor element of claim 13, wherein the conductor element is configured to cover the at least one of the edge regions completely (para. [0078]).
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 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hanaomote, as applied to claim 10 above, in view of Zhang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2018/0211761 A1, hereinafter “Zhang”).
With respect to claim 17, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 10. Hanaomote does not expressly teach the metal foil element has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm.
Zhang teaches a coil for a transformer assembly (Fig. 4), wherein the metal foil element 101 has a thickness between 0.1 mm and 0.5 mm (para. [0033]). 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 metal foil thickness as taught by Zhang to the coil of Hanaomote to provide the required shielding effect to meet design requirements.
With respect to claim 18, Hanaomote teaches the coil of claim 10. Hanaomote does not expressly teach wherein the metal foil element has a thickness between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm.
Zhang teaches a coil for a transformer assembly (Fig. 4), wherein the metal foil element 101 has a thickness between 0.2 mm and 0.4 mm (para. [0033]). 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 metal foil thickness as taught by Zhang to the coil of Hanaomote to provide the required shielding effect to meet design requirements.
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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/MANG TIN BIK LIAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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