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 .
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 7, 9 and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Huang et al. [EP 3413321 A2].
Regarding claim 1, Huang et al. discloses a transformer with a modular design [figures 1, 4-5, 7 and 10], and the transformer comprises:
- a front-end assembly [module 107] comprising an input electrode [terminal end 107b1] for receiving an input voltage [by mean of terminal 150, figures 1, 4-5, 7 and 10];
- a back-end assembly [module 106] comprising an output electrode [108a] for outputting an output voltage converted by the transformer;
- a magnetic core [102], the magnetic core being configured to assemble the front-end assembly and the back-end assembly together [primary coil and secondary coil module 107/107a], wherein the back-end assembly comprises one or more conversion modules [106, 107], each conversion module being capable of independently converting the input voltage into the output voltage in collaboration with the magnetic core [figures 1, 4-5, 7 and 10], and the power of the transformer is the sum of the power of all the conversion modules.
Huang et al. further discloses the front-end assembly comprises a first holder [coil cavity 107c], the conversion module comprises a second holder [107a], the first holder has a first mounting portion, the second holder has a second mounting portion, and the second mounting portion is connectible to the first mounting portion to mount the back-end assembly onto the front-end assembly [figure 4].
Regarding claims 7 and 9, Huang et al. discloses the conversion module comprises a secondary bus [107b1] fixed to the second holder, the secondary bus being connected to the output electrode and the front-end assembly further comprises the secondary bus [107b1] and an output electrode that are fixed on the first holder, the secondary bus being connected to the output electrode [figure 10].
Regarding claims 12-13, Huang et al. discloses the magnetic core comprises two magnetic core halves [102], each magnetic core half comprising a central cylinder [104c], the central cylinder passing through the first holder and the second holder. the magnetic core half further comprises a frame, the frame comprising a first part extending vertically from one end of the central cylinder in two opposite directions, and a second part extending in parallel to the central cylinder from the free end of the first part [figures 1 and 5].
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.
Claim(s) 8, 10 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al.
Regarding claims 8 and 10, Huang et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the specific “integrally” formed of the secondary bus with the output terminal.
Huang et al. discloses the secondary bus [107b1] coupled/connected to terminal [150].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to “integrally” formed the secondary bus with the output terminal [or electrode] of Huang et al. for the purpose of improving external connections.
Regarding claims 14-15, Huang et al. discloses the use of transformer in automotive power supply.
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the transformer in a DC-DC converter and/or in a vehicle for the purpose of providing transformer for a DC-DC converter of a power supply.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6, 11 and 16-20 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/24/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Huang fails to describe all of the features recited in amended independent claim 1. There is no second mounting element of the back-end assembly of the transformer to connect to the lead terminal 150.
The Examiner disagrees.
Huang discloses the front-end assembly [107] including a first holder [coil cavity 10c] provided to hold a coil structure [107b] and the conversion module comprises a second holder [107a]. Huang further discloses the front-end assembly including a plurality of mounting portions [107d] that include mounting structure thereof toe mount the back-end assembly [106] onto the front-end assembly [107, figures 4-5]. Huang further discloses the terminal [150] provided for connection with ends [107b1] of the coil structure.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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