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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 2 and 8-11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yan et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2016/0217916 A1, hereinafter “Yan”).
With respect to claim 1, Yan teaches a magnetic component (Figs.1-11 or 12), comprising: a magnetic core 160 and 165 (see, e.g., Fig. 2), a winding structure, and at least two heat dissipating rings 130, wherein the winding structure 150 comprises a plurality of coils 154 and 156 (see Fig. 9), and at least one of the coils is used as a primary winding 154 of a transformer, at least one of the coils is used as a secondary winding 156 of the transformer, the magnetic core comprises a winding column 162 extending in a transverse direction (horizontal direction), the plurality of coils and the at least two heat dissipating rings are sleeved on the winding column, and at least one of the at least two heat dissipating rings is arranged between each two adjacent coils, and an inner ring surface (surface in contact with the coil 154 and or 156) of the at least two heat dissipating rings is in thermal contact with the winding column, and the at least two heat dissipating rings are in thermal contact with the adjacent coil, wherein the at least two heat dissipating rings are independent of each other, and each of the at least two heat dissipating rings is a ring-shaped structure, wherein the thermal contact is direct contact, or indirect contact through a material with a high thermal conductivity (para. [0054], [0077] and [0079]).
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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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan, as applied to claim 1 above, and in view of Hoppe et al. (U.S. Patent No. 4,956,626, hereinafter “Hoppe”) and Hsu et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2014/0062634 A1, hereinafter “Hsu”).
With respect to claim 2, Yan teaches the magnetic component according to claim 1. Yan does not expressly teach the plurality of coils comprise a first coil, a second coil, a third coil, and a fourth coil, and the at least two heat dissipating rings comprise a first heat dissipating ring, a second heat dissipating ring and a third heat dissipating ring, the first coil, the first heat dissipating ring, the second coil, the second heat dissipating ring, the third coil, the third heat dissipating ring and the fourth coil are arranged on the winding column in sequence.
Hoppe teaches a magnetic component 30 (FIGs. 6-8), wherein the plurality of coils 45-48 comprise a first coil 45, a second coil 46, a third coil 47, and a fourth coil 48, and the at least two heat dissipating rings comprise a first heat dissipating ring 34, a second heat dissipating ring 35 and a third heat dissipating ring 36, the first coil, the first heat dissipating ring, the second coil, the second heat dissipating ring, the third coil, the third heat dissipating ring and the fourth coil are arranged on the winding column in sequence (col. 5, lines 40-45).
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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 incorporate the number of coils and heat dissipating rings as taught by Hoppe to the magnetic component of Yan to provide the required number of coils and proper cooling characteristics for certain applications to meet design requirements.
Yan does not also expressly teach
wherein the second coil and the third coil are connected in series or in parallel, and the first coil and the fourth coil are connected in series or in parallel; the second coil and the third coil are used as the secondary winding of the transformer, and the first coil and the fourth coil are used as the primary winding of the transformer, or, the second coil and the third coil are used as the primary winding of the transformer, and the first coil and the fourth coil are used as the secondary winding of the transformer.
Hsu teaches a magnetic component 1 (FIG. 1),
wherein the second coil 30a and the third coil 30 are connected in series or in parallel, and the first coil 200a and the fourth coil 200c are connected in series or in parallel;
the second coil and the third coil are used as the secondary winding of the transformer, and the first coil and the fourth coil are used as the primary winding of the transformer, or, the second coil and the third coil are used as the primary winding of the transformer, and the first coil and the fourth coil are used as the secondary winding of the transformer (paras. [0039] and [0041]).
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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 series or parallel connection as taught by Hsu to the magnetic component of Hsu to provide the required output voltage or current density to meet design requirements.
Claims 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kramer et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2009/0286685 A1, hereinafter Kramer).
With respect to claim 8, Yan teaches the magnetic component according to claim 1. Yan does not expressly teach a material of each of the at least two heat dissipating rings is ceramic, and a thermal conductivity of the ceramic is ≥10W/m.K.
Kramer teaches a magnetic component (FIG 2), wherein a material 16i of each of the at least two heat dissipating rings is ceramic, and a thermal conductivity of the ceramic is 10W/m.K (para. [0027]). 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 ceramic heat dissipating material as taught by Kramer to the magnetic component of Yan to improve heat absorption.
With respect to claim 9, Yan in view of Kramer teaches the magnetic component according to claim 8, wherein an outer ring surface of each of the at least two heat dissipating rings is provided with an extending portion 138, and the extending portion has a heat dissipating surface (any surface), the heat dissipating surface is used to realize a contact with an inner wall of a metal tank 110 (Yan, paras. [0054] and 31[0087]).
With respect to claim 10, Yan in view of Kramer teaches the magnetic component according to claim 9, wherein the heat dissipating surfaces of all of the at least two heat dissipating rings are located in a same plane (same vertical plane) (Yan, para. [0087]).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yan, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Huang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2018/0358162 A1, hereinafter “Huang”).
With respect to claim 11, Yan teaches the magnetic component according to claim 1. Yan does not expressly teach at least one groove is provided on each of the at least two heat dissipating rings, the groove is used for pouring a thermally conductive adhesive.
Huang teaches a magnetic component 100 (Figs. 1 and 7), wherein at least one groove 107y (annotated Fig. 1 above) is provided on each of the at least two heat dissipating rings 107c, the groove is used for pouring a thermally conductive adhesive 140 (Fig. 7) (para. [0054]). 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 adhesive in the groove as taught by Huang to the magnetic component of Yan to further improve heat dissipation and mechanical stability (para. P0054]).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
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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