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 with traverse of Species I, FIGs. 1 and 1A, and claims 1-8, 10-18 and 20 in the reply filed on 06/08/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the identified species have considerable overlapping subject matter such that examination of all currently pending claims are in a single application is appropriate. The examiner agrees to examine claims 1-20 without conceding to the argument.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/05/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings received on 07/25/2023 are acceptable.
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 1-3 and 5-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2020/0067478 A1, hereinafter “Kim”).
With respect to claim 1, Kim teaches a header assembly for a power pack assembly (FIG. 1) comprising:
a frame (“printed circuit board” para. [0065], not expressly shown);
a core 1 or 2 disposed on or within the frame; and
a conductor busbar 4 or 5 extending through the core and secured to the frame, wherein the conductor busbar has a round cross-section (paras. [0005] and [0038]).
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With respect to claim 2, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductor busbar is a copper cylindrical member (para. [0036]).
With respect to claim 3, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 1, wherein the core is a hollow cylindrical member (para. [0038]).
With respect to claim 5, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 1, wherein the core is a first core and the conductor busbar is a first conductor busbar, the header assembly further comprising:
a second core 2 disposed on or within the frame, where the second core is a hollow cylindrical member; and
a second conductor busbar (portion of conductor 4 that passes through hole 2-1), wherein the second conductor busbar extends through the second core and is secured to the frame (para. [0038]).
With respect to claim 6, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 5, wherein the second conductor busbar is a copper cylindrical member (para. [0036]).
With respect to claim 7, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 1, wherein the core is formed of a soft magnetic composite material (para. [0031]).
With respect to claim 8, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 7, wherein the core is formed of one of an iron alloy, an iron silicon alloy, and an iron nickel alloy (para. [0031]).
With respect to claim 9, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 1, wherein the header assembly includes a common mode choke arrangement (para. [0058]).
With respect to claim 10, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 1, wherein the header assembly includes a differential mode choke arrangement (para. [54]).
With respect to claim 11, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 1, wherein the conductor busbar extending through the core is a single conductor busbar (para. [0038]). Only a portion of conductor 4 passes through core 2.
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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Omae et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2014/0300304 A1, hereinafter “Omae”).
With respect to claim 4, Kim teaches the header assembly of claim 1. Kim does not expressly teach the frame is a molded plastic component.
Omae teaches a header assembly (FIG. 4), wherein the frame 35 is a molded plastic component (para. [0029]). 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 molded plastic frame as taught by Omae to the header assembly of Kim to optimize the required protection and lightness to meet design requirements.
Claims 12-14 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Saito et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2010/0085778 A1, hereinafter “Saito”).
With respect to claim 12, Kim teaches header assembly for a power pack assembly in a vehicle steering system (FIG. 1) comprises:
a frame (“printed circuit board” para. [0065], not expressly shown);
a first core 1 disposed on or within the frame;
a second core 2 disposed on or within the frame;
a first conductor busbar 4 or 5 extending through the first core, wherein the first conductor busbar has a round cross-section; and
a second conductor busbar 4 extending through the second core, wherein the second conductor busbar has a round cross-section (paras. [0005] and [0038]).
Kim does not expressly teach
a first conductor busbar extending through a hole defined by the frame; and
a second conductor busbar extending through a hole defined by the frame.
Saito teaches a header assembly 1 (FIG. 4), wherein
a first conductor busbar 5 extending through the first core 2 and extending through a hole (opening of frame 6) defined by the frame, wherein the first conductor busbar has a round cross-section (paras. [0036] and 0040]).
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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 busbar extending through a hole defined by the frame as taught by Saito to the header assembly of Kim to improve mechanical stability.
With respect to claim 13, Kim in view of Saito teaches the header assembly of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first conductor busbar and the second conductor busbar is a copper cylindrical member (Saito, para. [0036]).
With respect to claim 14, Kim in view of Saito teaches the header assembly of claim 12, wherein each of the first core and the second is a hollow cylindrical member (Saito, para. [0038]).
With respect to claim 16, Kim in view of Saito teaches the header assembly of claim 12, wherein the second conductor busbar is a copper cylindrical member (Saito, para. [0036]).
With respect to claim 17, Kim in view of Saito teaches the header assembly of claim 12, wherein the first core and the second core are formed of a soft magnetic composite material (Saito, para. [0031]).
With respect to claim 18, Kim in view of Saito teaches the header assembly of claim 17, wherein each of the first core and the second core is formed of one of an iron alloy, an iron silicon alloy, and an iron nickel alloy (Saito, para. [0031]).
With respect to claim 19, Kim in view of Saito teaches the header assembly of claim 12, wherein the header assembly includes a common mode choke arrangement (Saito, para. [0058]).
With respect to claim 20, Kim in view of Saito teaches the header assembly of claim 12, wherein the header assembly includes a differential mode choke arrangement (Saito, para. [0054]).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Saito, as applied to claim 12 above, and further in view of Omae.
With respect to claim 15, Kim in view of Saito teaches the header assembly of claim 12. Kim in view of Saito does not expressly teach the frame is a molded plastic component.
Omae teaches a header assembly (FIG. 4), wherein the frame 35 is a molded plastic component (para. [0029]). 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 molded plastic frame as taught by Omae to the header assembly of Kim in view of Saito to optimize the required protection and lightness 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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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
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