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 .
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 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.
Applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement of the first/second bobbins relative to the first/second leg portion intended by “wherein a clearance is present in a height direction of each of an attachment position of the first bobbin relative to the first leg portion and an attachment position of the second bobbin relative to the second leg portion, and the first bobbin and the second bobbin are assembled so as to be displaced in a same direction to abut against one of the first core and the second core.” It is unclear what the applicant is trying to claim. The “clearance”, the “attachment position” of the first/second bobbin is/are unclear. Applicant should clarify.
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(s) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JPH03083466 in view of JP06-295834.
Regarding claim 1, JPH03083466 discloses a magnetic device comprising:
a core [4] including a common leg portion [5], a first leg portion having a first gap [3], and a second leg portion provided with a second gap [3] in the same positional relationship as the first gap;
a first coil [6] including first and second coils [41] connected in series and arranged around the first leg portion;
a second coil [7] including third and fourth coils [42] connected in series and arranged around the second leg portion.
JPH03083466 discloses the instant claimed invention except for bobbin structure and the first/second/third/fourth coils connection [X-shape connected in series].
JP 06-295834 discloses a magnetic device comprising:
a core having first and second portions [figures 1-3];
a first bobbin [1] arranged on the first core portion and having first/second coils [5, 6];
a second bobbin [1] arranged on the second core portion and having third/fourth coils [7, 8], wherein the first coil connected in series with the fourth coil and the second coil connected in series with the third coil [X-shape connection when view from the front, see figure 2a].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the coils connection [X-shape] of JP 06-295834 for the device of JPH03083466 for the purpose of reducing the size and/or miniaturized and providing high quality device with good characteristic [see abstract and use/advantage].
Regarding claim 2, JP 06-295834 further discloses each of the first bobbin and the second bobbin has a first separator, a second separator, and a third separator each protruding from both end portions and a central portion of a cylindrical body, the first coil is wound between the first separator and the second separator of the first bobbin, the second coil is wound between the second separator and the third separator of the first bobbin, the third coil is wound between the first separator and the second separator of the second bobbin, the fourth coil is wound between the second separator and the third separator of the second bobbin, and inductances formed by each of the first coil, the second coil, the third coil, and the fourth coil are made substantially equal to each other [see figures 1-3].
Regarding claim 3, JP 06-295834 discloses the first coil and the fourth coil are connected in series, and the second coil and the third coil are connected in series [figures 2a and 3a].
Regarding claim 4, JP 06-295834 further discloses the bobbins include a plurality of terminal pins [3] provided for connections of the first, second, third and fourth coils to wiring pattern of a printed circuit board [not shown].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use more than four terminal pins for the purpose of facilitating multiple internal/external connections.
Regarding claim 5, as best understood in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, 06-295834 discloses the first bobbin and the second bobbin, when arranged on the first and second leg portions, forming a clearance in height direction at each attachment positions between the first/second bobbin relative [abut] to the first/second leg portions of the first and second cores [figures 1-3].
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JPH03083466 in view of JP06-295834 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Sun et al. [KR 20120067568A].
JPH03083466 in view of JP06-295834 disclose the instant claimed invention except for the specific of the bobbins.
Sun et al. discloses a magnetic component [figures 1-2] comprising:
a magnetic core structure [110] including a first core [111] and a second core [112], each of the first and second cores comprises first/second leg portions [111a, 111b, 112a, 112b] and middle leg portion [111c, 112c];
bobbin structure [121, 122, 123, 124] including a plurality of terminal pins [figures 1-2] provided for surface mounting and connecting to wiring pattern on a circuit board [not shown]; and
first, second, third and fourth coils [131, 132, 133, 134] arranged in the bobbin structure, wherein the bobbin structure with the coils arranged to be mounted vertically to a circuit board.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the bobbin/coil structure and/or arrangement of Sun et al. in JPH03083466, as modified, for the purpose of facilitating different mounting options and/or connections.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TUYEN T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1996. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:30-5:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached at 571-272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights