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 of Figure 24 in the reply filed on 4/24/2025 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that claims 1-15 read on Figure 24 and claims 1, 6, 11 are generic. This is not found persuasive because claims 4-5, 9-10 and 14-15 do not read on Figure 24. Claims 1-3, 6-8 and 11-13 will be examined herewith.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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) 1-3 and 11-13, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou et al. [US 6,998,952 B2] in view of Feng et al. [US 2009/0160595 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Zhou et al. discloses a magnetic-component module [figure 5] comprising:
- a substrate [502] including wiring portions [505, 506, 507, 522];
- a core [521] on a first surface of the substrate;
- a gap between the core and the substrate [figure 2];
- a spacer [519] that conforms to a top of the core; and
- a winding including: wire bonds [511, figure 5] extending over the core and electrically connecting a first portion of the substrate at the wiring portion [505] and a second portion of the substrate at the wiring portion [figure 5] of the substrate.
Zhou et al. discloses the instant claimed invention except for an overmold material encapsulating the core, the spacer, the gap, the wire bonds, and a portion of the substrate.
Feng et al. discloses a magnetic component [figure 1A] comprising:
- a substrate [11] having wiring portions [13];
- a core [15] on surface of the substrate;
- wire bonds [19c, 19c] formed over the core; and
- an overmold material [101] formed/encapsulated the core, the wire bonds and portions of the substrate [figure 1A].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include an overmold material in Zhou et al., as suggested by Feng et al., for the purpose protecting and encasing the magnetic component [abstract].
The overmold material would extend into the gap between the core and the substrate ff Zhou et al.
Regarding claims 2-3, Zhou et al. discloses a material [503, 504] in the gap between the core and the substrate, wherein material to mount the core to the substrate [figure 5].
Zhou et al., in other embodiment of figure 2, discloses the use of epoxy [142] between the core [102] and the substrate.
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 adhesive material for the material of Zhou et al., figure 5, for the purpose of providing adhesion between the core and the substrate.
The adhesive is in the gap and the overmold would encapsulate the adhesive.
Regarding claim 11, Zhou et al. discloses magnetic-component module [figure 5] comprising:
- a substrate [502] including wiring portions [505, 506, 507, 522];
- a core [521] on a first surface of the substrate;
- a gap between the core and the substrate [figure 2];
- a spacer [519] extending over an entire outer surface of the core or over substantially the entire outer surface of the core [figure 5]; and
- a winding including: wire bonds [511, figure 5] extending over the core and electrically connecting a first portion of the substrate at wiring portion [505, 506, 507, figure 5] and a second portion of the substrate at wiring portion [507, 522, figure 5].
Zhou et al. discloses the instant claimed invention except for an overmold material encapsulating the core, the spacer, the gap, the wire bonds, and a portion of the substrate.
Feng et al. discloses a magnetic component [figure 1A] comprising:
- a substrate [11] having wiring portions [13];
- a core [15] on surface of the substrate;
- wire bonds [19c, 19c] formed over the core; and
- an overmold material [101] formed/encapsulated the core, the wire bonds and portions of the substrate [figure 1A].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include an overmold material in Zhou et al., as suggested by Feng et al., for the purpose protecting and encasing the magnetic component [abstract].
The overmold material would extend into the gap between the core and the substrate of Zhou et al.
Regarding claims 12-13, Zhou et al. discloses a material [503, 504] in the gap between the core and the substrate, wherein material to mount the core to the substrate [figure 5].
Zhou et al., in other embodiment of figure 2, discloses the use of epoxy [142] between the core [102] and the substrate.
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 adhesive material for the material of Zhou et al., figure 5, for the purpose of providing adhesion between the core and the substrate.
The adhesive is in the gap and the overmold would encapsulate the adhesive.
Claim(s) 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Evans et al. [US 5,543,773] in view of Feng et al. [US 2009/0160595 A1].
Regarding claim 6, Evans et al. discloses a magnetic-component module [figures 11-15b and 22] comprising:
- a substrate [121] including wiring portions [122, P, figure 22];
- a core [130] on a first surface of the substrate;
- a gap between the core and the substrate [figure 22]; and
- a winding including: wire bonds [126] extending over the core and electrically connecting a first portion of the substrate and a second portion of the substrate; and the wiring portions of the substrate [figure 22].
Evans et al., further discloses a spacer [former/spacer in figure 13] on the core such that an edge of the spacer overhangs the core;
Evans et al. discloses the instant claimed invention except for an overmold material encapsulating the core, the spacer, the gap, the wire bonds, and a portion of the substrate.
Feng et al. discloses a magnetic component [figure 1A] comprising:
- a substrate [11] having wiring portions [13];
- a core [15] on surface of the substrate;
- wire bonds [19c, 19c] formed over the core; and
- an overmold material [101] formed/encapsulated the core, the wire bonds and portions of the substrate [figure 1A].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include an overmold material in Evans et al., as suggested by Feng et al., for the purpose protecting and encasing the magnetic component [abstract].
The overmold material would extend into the gap between the core and the substrate of Evans et al.
Regarding claims 7-8, Evans et al. further discloses the core may be adhesively attached [e.g. with thermally conductive adhesive] to the substrate [column 9, lines 16-19]. The adhesive is in the gap and the overmold would encapsulate the adhesive.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-3, 6-8 and 11-13 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837