DETAILED ACTION
Notice to Applicant
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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.
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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.
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 1-20 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.
On lines 12-13 of claim 1, the Applicant recites “a region on the outer side surface of the first bobbin”. On lines 15-16 of claim 1, the Applicant recites “a region on the outer side surface of the first bobbin”. However, it is unclear to the Examiner as to how each “region on the outer side surface of the first bobbin” is related to one another (i.e. Are the regions the same as or different from one another?). The Examiner construes that the regions are different from one another.
On lines 2-5 of claim 3, the Applicant recites “wherein each of the first and second terminal parts is disposed in alignment with a virtual parallel line passing through a portion of the first coil or the second coil located farthest from each of the isolation protrusions, the virtual parallel line being parallel to a virtual straight line connecting the pair of isolation protrusions”. However, it is unclear to the Examiner as to how the “virtual parallel line” is in “parallel” with “a virtual straight line connecting the pair of isolation protrusions” when it appears from the instant specification (Fig. 2) that the “virtual parallel line” which connects terminals 30b and 30c or terminals 30a and 30d is actually perpendicular to the virtual straight line VL, thus rendering the claim vague and indefinite. The Examiner construes that the Applicant intended to recite that that virtual parallel line and the virtual straight line are perpendicular to one another.
On line 2 of claim 17, the Applicant recites “θ1”. However, this variable is not defined, thus rendering claim 17 vague and indefinite and respectfully needs to be defined within the claim.
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 1-3, 8, 10, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Applicant’s Admitted Prior Art (AAPA).
As per claims 1-3, 8, 10, and 18-20, AAPA discloses in Fig. 1 a magnetic coupling device, comprising:
as per claim 1, a first bobbin (e.g. bobbin 1b) including an upper surface, a lower surface formed opposite the upper surface (e.g. upper and lower surfaces of bobbin 1b respectively), an outer side surface (e.g. outer side surface of bobbin 1b) formed between the upper surface and the lower surface, a recessed portion (e.g. center opening or “recess” within bobbin 1b) disposed inside the outer side surface and depressed in the upper surface toward the lower surface (Fig. 1 of instant specification; The center opening is disposed inside the outer side surface of bobbin 1b and is depressed in the upper surface towards the lower surface of bobbin 1b.), and first and second terminal parts (e.g. terminals 3b and 3c) disposed on the outer side surface so as to be spaced apart from each other in a first direction (e.g. back to front direction); a second bobbin (e.g. bobbin 1a) disposed in the recessed portion (Bobbin 1a is disposed within the center opening of bobbin 1b.) and accommodating a magnetic core (Paragraph 4 of instant specification; A core is accommodated within the bobbin 1a.) therein; and first and second coils (e.g. coils 2a and 2b respectively) wound on the second bobbin and spaced apart from each other in the first direction (The coils 2a and 2b are wound on the bobbin 1a and are spaced apart from one another in the back to front direction.), where the first coil includes a first wound portion (Annotated Fig. 1 below, portion annotated as A) wound on the second bobbin and a first extension portion extending from the first wound portion to a region on the outer side surface of the first bobbin to be coupled to the first terminal part (Annotated Fig. 1 below; An extension portion of the coil 2a exists (not shown) within a portion annotated as B (i.e. “a region on the outer side surface of the bobbin 1b) to be coupled to the terminal 3b.), and wherein the second coil includes a second wound portion (Annotated Fig. 1 below, portion annotated as C) wound on the second bobbin and a second extension portion extending from the second wound portion to a region on the outer side surface of the first bobbin to be coupled to the second terminal part (Annotated Fig. 1 below; An extension portion of the coil 2b exists (not shown) within a portion annotated as D (i.e. “a region on the outer side surface of the bobbin 1b) to be coupled to the terminal 3c.);
as per claim 2, wherein the second bobbin includes a pair of isolation protrusions (Paragraph 4 of instant specification and annotated Fig. 1 below, bobbin extension portions annotated as E), and wherein the first wound portion and the second wound portion are isolated from each other by the pair of isolation protrusions (Annotated Fig. 1 below; The portions annotated as A and C are isolated from one another by the bobbin extension portions annotated as E.);
as per claim 3, wherein each of the first and second terminal parts is disposed in alignment with a virtual parallel line passing through a portion of the first coil or the second coil located farthest from each of the isolation protrusions (Each of the terminals 3b and 3c are disposed in alignment with a virtual parallel line that is parallel to the “first direction” and passing through portions of the coils 2a and 2b that are disposed within the portions annotated as B and D.), the virtual parallel line being parallel (i.e. perpendicular) to a virtual straight line connecting the pair of isolation protrusions (The virtual parallel line that is parallel to “the first direction” is perpendicular to a virtual straight line connecting the portions annotated as E.);
as per claim 8, wherein the first bobbin further includes a third terminal part (e.g. terminal 3a) and a fourth terminal part (e.g. terminal 3b), and wherein the first to fourth terminal parts are mounted outside the recessed portion so as to be disposed in regions corresponding to four quadrants of the recessed portion, respectively (The terminals 3a-3d are disposed outside the center opening in four quadrants of the center opening.);
as per claim 10, wherein the first bobbin further includes a guide groove portion (Annotated Fig. 1 below, guide groove portions annotated as B and D) formed in an outer surface thereof (e.g. outer surface of the bobbin 1b);
as per claim 18, wherein the guide groove portion further includes a first guide groove portion and a second guide groove portion (Annotated Fig. 1 below, guide groove portions annotated as B and D respectively), and the first extension portion and the second extension portion are disposed in the first guide portion and the second guide portion, respectively (Annotated Fig. 1 below; As shown, the portions of the coils 2a and 2b which extend to terminals 3b and 3c are disposed within the portions annotated as B and D respectively.);
as per claim 19, wherein the guide groove portion is connected to the recessed portion in which the second bobbin is disposed (Annotated Fig. 1 below; The portions annotated as B and D are connected to the center opening.); and
as per claim 20, wherein the first bobbin includes radio extension portions extending from the recessed portion in a radial direction (Annotated Fig. 1 below; The bobbin 1b includes extension portions at a left end thereof which terminals 3b and 3c are disposed on, where the extension portions extend from the center opening to the left end in a radial direction.), and each of the first and second terminal parts is mounted on each of the radial extension portions (The terminals 3b and 3c are respectively mounted on the extension portions.).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7, 9, and 11-17 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAKESH PATEL whose telephone number is (571)272-0961. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrea Lindgren-Baltzell can be reached at 571-272-5918. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAKESH B PATEL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2843
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