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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election with traverse of Species 2, Figure 2, claims 1-3, 5-8 in the reply filed on 2/2/26 is acknowledged.
The traversal is on the ground(s) that:
Page 1, Applicant argued that “
“Applicant respectfully submits that claims 1 and 5-8 are generic; claims 2 and 3 are generic to Species 2 and 4; and claim 4 is generic to Species 3 and 5“.
Examiner agreed to examine claims 1-3 and 5-8.
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, 5, 6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shao et al. (CN 209134150U).
Regarding claim 1, Shao discloses a device comprising:
A magnetic element (100) comprising a plurality of magnetic units (12, 13),
the plurality of magnetic units (12, 13) being arranged in sequence wherein a groove (10) and a connecting portion (11) are provided between each two adjacent magnetic units of the plurality of magnetic units (12, 13),
the groove (10) is configured to block an eddy current path,
the connecting portion (11) is configured to connect the corresponding adjacent magnetic units (12, 13),
the connecting portion (11) is connected to the groove (10) to block the groove (10) from completely penetrating between the adjacent magnetic units (12. 13), and
the connecting portion (11) and the plurality of magnetic units (12, 13) are made of a same material and integrally formed.
Regarding claim 2, Shao discloses:
the connecting portion (11) is located at a middle position of the corresponding two adjacent magnetic units (12, 13), to allow the groove to be formed on each of both sides of the connecting portion.
Regarding claim 3, Shao discloses:
a line connecting centers of the plurality of the connecting portions (11) is perpendicular to a length direction of each of the plurality of magnetic units (12, 13).
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Regarding claim 5, Shao discloses:
the connecting portion (11) is flush with both sides of the magnetic element (12, 13) in a thickness direction.
Regarding claim 6, Shao discloses:
the groove (10) penetrates through the magnetic element (12, 13) in a thickness direction of the magnetic element (100).
Regarding claim 8, Shao discloses:
the groove (10) is filled with an insulating material (see para. [0005] – [0006]).
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 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shao et al. (CN 209134150U).
Regarding claim 7, Shao teaches the claimed subject as disclosed above, however, fails to explicitly disclose the width of the groove ranges from 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make the groove ranges from 0.05 mm to 0.2 mm for the purpose of suitability of the design choice, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F. 2d 271, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Lisa Homza whose telephone number is (571) 272-3592.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached on (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Lisa Nhung Homza/
Patent Examiner - Art Unit 2837
May 8, 2026
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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