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 .
Claims 1-9 are pending in this application.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in AUSTRALIA 2022903748 on 12/07/2022. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the AUSTRALIA 2022903748 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because
reference characters "43" and "43" have both been used to designate reverse biased diode 42 and one end of secondary winding 43 in fig.2.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the
A sparkplug support of claim 7,
must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-9 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 3, “the primary winding” should be –the lower voltage primary winding--. Multiple instances in claim 1 and claims 2 and 4 need appropriate corrections.
Claim 1 line 3, “the secondary winding” should be –the higher voltage secondary winding--. Multiple instances in claim 1 and claim 5 need appropriate corrections.
Claim 1 line 9, “the terminal” should be –the ground terminal--.
Claim 1 line
Claim 2 line 1, “An ignition coil device” should be –The ignition coil device--. Similar corrections are required in claims 3-9.
Claim 5 line 2, “the secondary winding spool” should be –the corresponding spool of the higher voltage secondary winding--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 2 lines 1-2 recites “the primary and secondary windings have a turn ratio of 69:1”. It is unclear how secondary winding is higher voltage with lower number of turns than the primary winding turns. For the purpose of examination, the above limitation is interpreted as -- the primary and secondary windings have a turn ratio of 1:69--.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claims 1-5 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura (JP 5846741 B2; Translation attached), and further in view of Visser (US 20090188458 A1) and Camilli (US 20150111458 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nakamura teaches an ignition coil device (page 1, an ignition coil for an internal combustion engine) comprising:
a core (i.e. iron core 36) (figs.2 and 5) inside a housing (i.e. case 40) (fig.2), the core having a lower voltage primary winding (page 2, primary winding 12 is wound about 100 turns) and a higher voltage secondary winding (page 3, secondary winding 22 is wound around 8000 to 15000 turns), each of the lower voltage primary winding and the higher voltage secondary winding being wound onto a corresponding spool surrounding the core (page 2, primary bobbin 10 … secondary bobbin 20);
a heatsink (i.e. cover 50) (figs.1-3) in operative contact with the core (page 5, the periphery of the outer peripheral iron core 32 … is covered with a cover 50), the heatsink being in fluid communication with the outside of the housing (e.g. 50 is exposed to outside of housing) (figs.1-3);
an ignition circuit (e.g. circuit of fig.5) located inside the housing (page 2, a case 40 forming the outer shape of the ignition coil 100), the ignition circuit comprising:
a ground terminal (page 3, a ground connector terminal 63) extending from the outside of the housing to the inside of the housing (page 3, A connector 46 is formed on the side surface of the case 40, and the connector 46 includes a substantially flat power connector terminal 62, a ground connector terminal 63, and an ignition signal connector terminal formed of brass), the terminal being operatively connected to a first transistor terminal (e.g. ground connection to emitter of transistor 30) (fig.5);
a signal terminal (page 3, an ignition signal connector terminal formed of brass) extending from the outside of the housing to the inside of the housing (page 3, A connector 46 is formed on the side surface of the case 40, and the connector 46 includes a substantially flat power connector terminal 62, a ground connector terminal 63, and an ignition signal connector terminal formed of brass), the signal terminal being operatively connected to a second transistor terminal (page 4, One end of the ignition signal connector terminal is connected to the ECU, and the ignition signal connector terminal is connected to the igniter terminal 72 on the base side);
a power supply terminal (page 3, a substantially flat power connector terminal 62) extending from the outside of the housing to the inside of the housing (page 3, A connector 46 is formed on the side surface of the case 40, and the connector 46 includes a substantially flat power connector terminal 62, a ground connector terminal 63, and an ignition signal connector terminal formed of brass), the power supply terminal being operatively connected to one end of the low voltage primary winding (e.g. battery 112 connected to primary 14 at 62) (fig.5) and to one end of the high voltage secondary winding (e.g. battery 112 connected to secondary 24 after diode 74) (fig.5) by a reverse biased diode (i.e. diode 74) (fig.5), another end of the low voltage primary winding being connected to a third transistor terminal (e.g. primary coil 14 connected to collector of 70 on the 12b side) (fig.5); and
another end of the secondary winding being operatively connected to a high voltage link block (page 2, a high voltage tower 44 having a high voltage terminal 60 for supplying a secondary voltage to the spark plug 110) located inside the housing (page 2, is formed on the outer bottom surface of the ignition coil 100), the high voltage link block being operatively connected to a high voltage conductor located inside the housing (page 2, a high voltage tower 44 having a high voltage terminal 60).
Nakamura does not teach, the signal terminal being operatively connected to the second transistor terminal by a capacitor; and
the high voltage conductor being operatively connected to a noise suppression resistor extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing.
Visser teaches in a similar field of endeavor of ignition system, a signal terminal ([0073], when a timing signal 52 received via optical cable 40) being operatively connected to a second transistor terminal (e.g. control terminal of transistor 48) (fig.6) by a capacitor (e.g. capacitor connected to delay circuit) (fig.6).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the capacitor in Nakamura, as taught by Visser, as it provides the advantage of providing a self-oscillating circuit when signal is received on signal terminal.
Nakamura and Visser do not teach, the high voltage conductor being operatively connected to a noise suppression resistor extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing.
Camilli teaches in a similar field of endeavor of composite spark plug, a high voltage conductor (e.g. conductor connected to spark gap) (fig.6) being operatively connected to a noise suppression resistor (e.g. resistor 11) (fig.6) extending from the inside of the housing to the outside of the housing (e.g. resistor 11 inside shell 15) (fig.1).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the noise suppression resistor in Nakamura and Visser, as taught by Camilli, as it provides the advantage of suppressing high frequency electrical noise.
Regarding claim 2, Nakamura, Visser and Camilli teach the ignition coil device according to claim 1, wherein the lower voltage primary (Nakamura, page 2, primary winding 12 is wound about 100 turns) and higher voltage secondary windings (Nakamura, page 3, secondary winding 22 is wound around 8000 to 15000 turns) have a turn ratio of 1:69 (Nakamura, ratio as calculated would be 1:80 to 1:150).
It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to choose 1:69 turn ratio, since the applicant has not disclosed that 1:69 turn ratio solves any problem or is for a particular reason. It appears that the claimed invention would perform equally well with turn ratio of 1:69 to provide for an optimal design.
Regarding claim 3, Nakamura, Visser and Camilli teach the ignition coil device according to claim 1, wherein the core has a "c" shape (Nakamura, page 2, a U-shaped outer peripheral iron core 32) comprising at least two segments (Nakamura, page 2, outer peripheral iron core 32, and the central iron core 30) operatively connected to one another (Nakamura, page 3, connecting surface of the central iron core 30 and the outer peripheral iron core 32) by a key (Nakamura, page 3, a magnet 38) engaged with a keyhole (Nakamura, page 3, magnetic path is provided at one end of the connecting surface).
Regarding claim 4, Nakamura, Visser and Camilli teach the ignition coil device according to claim 1, wherein the lower voltage primary and higher voltage secondary windings are insulated (Nakamura, page 3, insulating coating of the winding 12) (Nakamura, page 3, a secondary winding 22 is wound around 8000 to 15000 turns on the outer periphery).
Regarding claim 5, Nakamura, Visser and Camilli teach the ignition coil device according to claim 1, wherein the corresponding spool of the higher voltage secondary winding spool comprises one or more radially outwardly extending planar supports (Nakamura, page 5, radial direction of the flange 21 formed on the secondary coil 24).
Regarding claim 7, Nakamura, Visser and Camilli teach the ignition coil device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a flared connector (Nakamura, page 2, a high voltage tower 44) for connecting to a sparkplug support (Nakamura, page 2, for supplying a secondary voltage to the spark plug 110), wherein the flared connector extends outwardly from the outside of the housing (Nakamura, page 2, is formed on the outer bottom surface of the ignition coil 100 so as to protrude into a plug hole formed in the upper part of the engine).
Regarding claim 8, Nakamura, Visser and Camilli teach the ignition coil device according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a mounting hole (Nakamura, page 2, case fixing portion 42 for attaching and fixing the ignition coil 100 to an engine head (not shown) is formed on the side surface of the case 40).
Regarding claim 9, Nakamura, Visser and Camilli teach the ignition coil device according to claim 1, wherein the ground, signal, and power supply terminals extend from the inside of the housing and into a socket extending outwardly from outside of the housing (Nakamura, page 3, A connector 46 is formed on the side surface of the case 40, and the connector 46 includes a substantially flat power connector terminal 62, a ground connector terminal 63, and an ignition signal connector terminal formed of brass).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakamura (JP 5846741 B2; Translation attached), Visser (US 20090188458 A1) and Camilli (US 20150111458 A1), and further in view of Terada (US 20210079881 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Nakamura, Visser and Camilli teach the ignition coil device according to claim 1.
Nakamura, Visser and Camilli do not teach, wherein an input signal communicated to the signal terminal is a 5V square signal corresponding to a primary coil charging time, wherein a falling edge of the square signal causes a discharge of the primary coil.
Terada teaches in a similar field of endeavor of ignition control device, an input signal ([0045], the main ignition signal IGT and drives on or off the main ignition switch SW1) communicated to the signal terminal is a 5V square signal corresponding to a primary coil charging time ([0045], at the rising edge of the main ignition signal IGT, the main primary coil 21a is energized and the primary current I1 flows), wherein a falling edge of the square signal causes a discharge of the primary coil ([0045], at the falling edge of the main ignition signal IGT, the main primary coil 21a is de-energized).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have optionally included the input signal communicated to the signal terminal is a 5V square signal corresponding to a primary coil charging time, wherein a falling edge of the square signal causes a discharge of the primary coil in Nakamura, Visser and Camilli, as taught by Terada, as it provides the advantage of causing mutual induction in secondary coil and generating a spark discharge.
Conclusion
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/SREEYA SREEVATSA/ Examiner, Art Unit 2838 08/06/2025