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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/10/2025 has been entered.
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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hoppe et al. (U.S. Patent No. 4,956,626).
With respect to claim 1, Hoppe et al., hereinafter referred to as “Hoppe,” teaches a magnetic component 30 (FIGs. 6-8, provide below for convenience), comprising:
a magnetic core 44,
a winding structure (structure of windings 45-48), and
at least two heat dissipating rings 34-36 (each heat exchangers 34-36 encircles around the core legs, so it’s reasonable to interpret heat exchangers 34-36 as “ring” as recited),
wherein
the winding structure comprises a plurality of coils 45-48, and at least one of the coils is used as a primary winding of a transformer, at least one of the coils is used as a secondary winding of the transformer,
the magnetic core comprises a winding column (left and or right leg) extending in a transverse direction (vertical 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 (inner periphery surface) 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, wherein the thermal contact is direct contact, or indirect contact through a material with a high thermal conductivity (col. 5, lines 40-51).
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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.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoppe, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hsu et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2014/0062634 A1).
With respect to claim 2, Hoppe teaches the magnetic component according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of coils 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). Hoppe does not 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 et al., hereinafter referred to as “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 Hoppe 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 Hoppe, as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Kramer et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2009/0286685 A1).
With respect to claim 8, Hoppe teaches the magnetic component according to claim 1. Hoppe 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 et al., hereinafter referred to as “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 Hoppe to improve heat absorption.
With respect to claim 9, Hoppe 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 40 and or 41, and the extending portion has a heat dissipating surface (Hoppe, col. 5, lines 26-30).
With respect to claim 10, Hoppe 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) (Hoppe, col. 5, lines 26-30).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hoppe in view of Kramer, as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Huang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2018/0358162 A1).
With respect to claim 11, Hoppe teaches the magnetic component according to claim 1. Hoppe 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 Hoppe to further improve heat dissipation and mechanical stability (para. P0054]).
Conclusion
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