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 of Species I in the reply filed on 05/07/2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claims 5, 7-8, and 10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species II-VII, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 05/07/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fukui et al. [U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0019618].
Regarding Claim 1 (1st interpretation), Fukui et al. shows a coil device (Figs. 27-37 and Drawing 1 below) comprising:
a core (45) mounted on a mounting surface (top surface) of a cooler (6, see Figs. 27-37);
a first coil body (elements 50, 61, 65, 55 form a first coil body) formed by stacking (see Figs. 27-37), on the mounting surface (see Figs. 27-37 such as Figs. 35-37), a plurality of coils (50, 61, 65, 55) having winding portions (see Figs. 27 and Figs. 29-34) wound about a winding axis (winding axis at element 42, 47b) of the core (see Figs. 27-37); and
a heat dissipation member (93, Paragraph [0256]) provided for the cooler (see Figs. 27-37), wherein
among the plurality of coils, a coil (55) positioned on a layer (upper layer) other than a lowermost layer (lowermost layer for element 50, see Figs. 27-37) has an extending portion (58 or extending portion EP1) extending in a direction away from the winding axis (see Figs. 27-37 such as Figs. 33-34), and
the extending portion (58 or extending portion EP1) and a winding portion of a coil (50) positioned on the lowermost layer (lowermost layer) abut on the heat dissipation member (see Figs. 27-37 such as Fig. 35, element 58 or extending portion EP1 and a winding portion of element 50 abut on element 93).
Regarding Claim 1 (2nd interpretation), Fukui et al. shows a coil device (Figs. 27-37 and Drawing 1 below) comprising:
a core (45) mounted on a mounting surface (top surface) of a cooler (6, see Figs. 27-37);
a first coil body (elements 50, 61, 65, 55 form a first coil body) formed by stacking (see Figs. 27-37), on the mounting surface (see Figs. 27-37 such as Figs. 35-37), a plurality of coils (50, 61, 65, 55) having winding portions (see Figs. 27 and Figs. 29-34) wound about a winding axis (winding axis at element 42, 47b) of the core (see Figs. 27-37); and
a heat dissipation member (80) provided for the cooler (see Figs. 27-37), wherein
among the plurality of coils, a coil (55 or 60) positioned on a layer (upper layer or 2nd layer from the top) other than a lowermost layer (lowermost layer for element 50, see Figs. 27-37) has an extending portion (58 or extending portion EP1; or 66 or extending portion EP2) extending in a direction away from the winding axis (see Figs. 27-37 such as Figs. 32-34), and
the extending portion (58 or extending portion EP1; or 66 or extending portion EP2) and a winding portion of a coil (50) positioned on the lowermost layer (lowermost layer) abut on the heat dissipation member (see Figs. 27-37; Fig. 35, element 58 or extending portion EP1 abut on element 80 indirectly through elements 93, 40e, 40d, 40c, and 96a and a winding portion of element 50 abut on element 80 OR element 66 or extending portion EP2 abut on element 80 indirectly through elements 93, 40d, 40c, and 96a and a winding portion of element 50 abut on element 80).
Regarding Claim 2, Fukui et al. shows the extending portion and the winding portion of the coil positioned on the lowermost layer are arranged coplanarly (see Figs. 30, 32-33 and Drawings 2A-2B, 58 or extending portion EP1; or 66 or extending portion EP2 and winding portion of element 50 are arranged coplanarly by looking into the thickness direction as shown Drawings 2A-2B).
Regarding Claim 3, Fukui et al. shows at least one end portion (end portion E1, end portion E2, end portion E3, end portion E4) of both end portions of the first coil body (50, 61, 65, 55) is disposed coplanarly with the extending portion and the winding portion of the coil positioned on the lowermost layer (see Drawings 2A-2B, end portion E1, E2, E3, E4 or end portion EP is disposed coplanarly with element 58, extending portion EP1, element 66 or extending portion EP2 and winding portion of element 50 by looking into the thickness direction as shown Drawings 2A-2B).
Regarding Claim 6, Fukui et al. shows the extending portion (element 58 or extending portion EP1; or element 66 or extending portion EP2, see Drawing 1 below) is disposed in an area surrounded by core profile lines (core profile lines CPL1) representing positions of both side surfaces, in a widthwise direction, of the core (see Drawing 1), and coil profile lines (coil profile lines CPL2) representing positions of both side surfaces, in a front-back direction, of the winding portions (see Drawing 1 below, element 58 or extending portion EP1 disposed in an area at least partially surrounded by core profile lines CPL1 and coil profile lines CPL2; or element 66 or extending portion EP2 disposed in an area at least partially surrounded by core profile lines CPL1 and coil profile lines CPL2).
Regarding Claim 9, Fukui et al. shows a widthwise dimension of the heat dissipation member is equal to or greater than widthwise dimensions of the winding portions and a widthwise dimension of the extending portion (see Fig. 27 and Drawing 3 below, width of element 80 is equal to or greater than widths of elements 50, 61, 65, 55 and element 58, 62).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TSZFUNG J CHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7981. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 8:00AM-6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki 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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/TSZFUNG J CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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