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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 7/27/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 27, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant has argued:
(i) Youssefi-Shams fails to disclose or suggest such model-specific output- specification combination. Rather, Youssefi-Shams uses a common base unit 200, including the AC-DC conversion circuit 220, and interchangeable plug-side adapter units. Thus, the output-side circuitry and output specifications are not model-specific in the manner now claimed.
(ii) Applicants respectfully submit that these differences are not a mere absence of an express disclosure. Youssefi-Shams is technically directed in the opposite direction. For example, Youssefi-Shams keeps the power-conversion side in the common base unit and changes the plug-side adapter unit. The present claims, by contrast, use a common power supply module including the plug, electrodes, and internal frame, while distinguishing the models by the model-specific output-specification combination.
The Examiner respectfully disagrees. Both the arguments appears to allege that Youssefi-Shams is different than the applicant’s device, but fails to specifically point out how the claim recitation is not met by the reference.
Applicant further argues:
Moreover, it is noted that the Office Action indicates that element 404 in Youssefi- Shams is identified as the claimed "internal frame." However, in the prior rejection, and in the Examiner's welding rationale, the Examiner also treats element 404 as the lid to which housing main body 402 would be welded.
However, the claims require a lid and an internal frame that cooperate with each other. If element 404 is mapped to the claimed internal frame, Youssefi-Shams lacks the claimed lid. Conversely, if element 404 is mapped to the claimed lid, Youssefi-Shams lacks the claimed internal frame.
As to the numerals related to internal frame used in the rejection, the Examiner agrees that better clarification could have been provided, the Youssefi-Shams reference does not use separate numerals for the lid. The current rejection has added mark-up of figures and clarified the rejection.
The Applicant has argued:
(i) Applicant respectfully reminds the Examiner that such an interpretation of the claims is prohibited because words and phrases within a claim among claims in the same patent are presumed to have different meanings (citation omitted). The use of different terms in a claim indicates absent evidence to the contrary, that different elements are required (citation omitted).
In other words, the single component 404 cannot reasonably satisfy both distinct claim elements of a lid and an internal frame. The amended makes this explicit by reciting that the lid is a member distinct from the internal frame and configured to serve with the internal frame.
Examiner respectfully agrees. The current rejection uses a mark-up of figures, and separate numerals are given to the different parts.
(ii) Applicants also note that it is admitted in the Office Action that Youssefi-Shams fails to disclose the claimed "welding step." In an effort to overcome the admitted deficiencies, it is alleged that one of skill in the art would have combined the teachings of Colahan so as to obtain the claimed invention.
However, if element 404 is treated as the "internal frame," welding 402 to 404 would not be welding a housing main body to a lid. It would be welding a housing main body to the alleged internal frame. Therefore, even if Colahan teaches welding between two housing parts, the current mapping of the claim elements to the applied art still fails to arrive at the claimed relationship between the housing main body and the lid.
While Colahan may disclose ultrasonic welding in the context of a sealed, integrated power adapter structure, Youssefi-Shams is directed to replaceable adapter units. The general statement in the Office Action regarding better mechanical connection as a reason for modification of the primary reference does not provide a sufficient reason why a skilled person would modify Youssefi-Shams in the manner required to reach the amended claims.
Because the combination of references fails to disclose or suggest each of the elements recited in the rejected claims, withdrawal of the rejection is requested.
Examiner respectfully disagrees. The Examiner has added numerals and the rejection identifies the lid with numeral 201 and internal frame as 404, the modification of welding step would make sense.
Claim Interpretation
The amended claim 1, in part recites:
“wherein each of the plurality of models of AC adapters comprises an AC-DC conversion circuit and one or more output ports that output DC power, and, for each of the plurality of models, a combination of (i) a rated output of the AC-DC conversion circuit, (ii) one or more standards to which the one or more output ports conform, and (iii) the number of output ports, the combination being unique to the respective model.”
As to the (i), since there is no specific output (current, voltage) recited, therefore any output that the prior art device produces will satisfy this limitation. As to (ii), there no specific standard recited, and therefore, the prior art device deems to meet the standard (also see 112). As to (iii), there is no specific number of output ports (in terms of number of ports or the type of ports, i.e. USB, power socket, signal socket, etc.), and therefore the prior art device will meet the limitation.
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.
Claims 1-8 are 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 1, line 19, recites “one or more standards”, which suggests that there is some unknown standard against which the device is being evaluated or rated. The fact that the claim does not recite any particular standard, the Examiner assumes that the applicant is trying to recite an industry standard. Since the standards are subject to change, the recitation of ‘standard’ in the claim makes the claim ‘vague and indefinite’.
Claim 2, lines 19-20, also recites ‘one or more standards’, and therefore is vague and indefinite for the same reasons as Claim 1. Claims 5 and 8, also recites standard.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Youssefi-Shams et al. (US 8,550,857) in view of Colahan et al. (US 9,343,850).
Regarding Claim 1, Youssefi-Shams discloses a method for producing a plurality of models of AC adapters by using power supply modules and a plurality of types of housings (figures 18-20) that store the power supply modules (400, fig. 3) ,the power supply modules each including (1) a plug (figure 11) which is constituted by a first plug (411) and a second plug (412), (2) a pair of electrodes (figure 10) each of which is constituted by a metal plate and which are constituted by a first electrode (406) and a second electrode (408) that have respective one end parts configured to be electrically communicated with the first plug and the second plug, respectively, and (3) an internal frame (404) which attaches the plug and the pair of electrodes to a corresponding housing (plastic body portion 405, fig. 3), and the power supply modules being common to the plurality of models,
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the housings each being constituted by a housing main body (405) and a lid (201, plastic cover portion, fig. 9), the lid being a member distinct from the internal frame and configured to serve with the internal frame to sandwich the plug and the pair of electrodes (fig. 9), and the housings being unique to the respective plurality of models (see fig. 18-20),
said method comprising:
a housing selection step of selecting a specific housing from the plurality of types of housings (for figure 18-20, each housing is specific); an attachment step of attaching a given one of the power supply modules to an inner wall of the specific housing:
Youssefi-Shams, does not disclose welding step of welding the housing main body to the lid.
Colahan et al. discloses a power adapter with housing body (102) and lid (104). Colahan also discloses step of attaching the housing main body to the lid by welding (column 7, lines 25-26, fig. 7B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use welding step for connecting housing main body and lid in Youssefi-Shams as suggested by Colahan et al. in order to have better mechanical connection between the housing main body and the lid.
Regarding Claim 2, Youssefi-Shams discloses an AC adapter product group constituted by AC adapters of a plurality of models, (figures 18-20), the AC adapters of the plurality of models comprising:
respective power supply modules each including (1) a plug (figure 11) which is constituted by a first plug (411) and a second plug (412), (2) a pair of electrodes (figure 10) each of which is constituted by a metal plate and which are constituted by a first electrode (406) and a second electrode (408) that have respective one end parts configured to be electrically communicated with the first plug and the second plug, respectively, and (3) an internal frame (404) which attaches the plug and the pair of electrodes to a corresponding housing of a respective power supply module (figures 18-20); and
the housing being constituted by a housing main body (405) and a lid (201), the lid, the lid being a member distinct from the internal frame and configured to serve with the internal frame to sandwich the plug and the pair of electrodes,
the power supply modules being common to the plurality of models, and the housings being unique to the respective plurality of models (for figure 18-20, each housing is unique).
Youssefi-Shams, does not disclose welding the housing main body to the lid.
Colahan et al. discloses a power adapter with housing body (102) and lid (104). Colahan also discloses welding the housing main body to the lid (column 7, lines 25-26, fig. 7B).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use welding step for connecting housing main body and lid in Youssefi-Shams as suggested by Colahan et al. in order to have better mechanical connection between the housing main body and the lid.
For claims 3-8, It is noted that Youssefi-Shams et al. discloses North American Adapter in figure 1, which is 120V, 60 Hz and with flat blades (see column 1, lines 33-35). The reference also discloses European type adapter in figure 18 (230 volt, 50 Hz; column 2, lines 26-28) with round pins; and UK adapter in figure 19, (230 colts, 50 Hz; column 2, lines 28-32) with three flat pins. Figure 1, also discloses adapter with one USB connector (column 3, line 4). Each adapter is provided with circuit board and conversion circuit (310, figure 21), a transformer (312), a DS-DC switching converter (320) and output (324). The components such as pins (flat or round), PCB, rectifier, transformer, and conversion circuit will have to be selected depending upon the input voltage and frequency, and the desired output voltage. The selected combination of these components will produce unique adapter.
Regarding Claim 3. Youssefi-Shams and Colahan et al. discloses the method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of models of AC adapters are produced further by using a plurality of types of substrates (PCB, 220) each on which an AC-DC conversion circuit is provided, the substrates being unique to the respective plurality of models, the method further comprising selecting a substrate and storing the selected substrate in the selected housing.
Regarding Claim 4. Youssefi-Shams and Colahan et al. discloses the method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of models of AC adapters produced comprises an AC-DC conversion circuit, and a rated output of the AC-DC conversion circuit is unique to the respective model (see discussion above).
Regarding Claim 5. Youssefi-Shams and Colahan et al. discloses the method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of models of AC adapters produced comprises one or more output ports (figures 1, 2, 4, 13) that output DC power, and a combination of one or more standards to which the one or more output ports conform and the number of output ports is unique to the respective model.
Regarding Claim 6. Youssefi-Shams and Colahan et al. discloses the AC adapter product group of claim 2, wherein each of the AC adapters further comprises a substrate (PCB 220) on which an AC-DC conversion circuit is provided and which is stored in the housing, the substrates being unique to the respective plurality of models.
Regarding Claim 7. Youssefi-Shams and Colahan et al. discloses the AC adapter product group of claim 2, wherein each of the AC adapters comprises an AC-DC conversion circuit (310, fig. 21) , and a rated output of the AC-DC conversion circuit is unique to the respective model.
Regarding Claim 8. Youssefi-Shams and Colahan et al. discloses the AC adapter product group of claim 2, wherein each of the AC adapters comprises one or more output ports (figures 1, 2, 4, 13) that output DC power, and a combination of one or more standards to which the one or more output ports conform and the number of output ports is unique to the respective model (see discussion above).
Conclusion
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/TULSIDAS C PATEL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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