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 .
This non-final office action is responsive to Applicants' application filed on 08/01/24. Claims 1-20 are presented for examination and are pending for the reasons indicated herein below.
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 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.
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 1-7, 9,13 and 17 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gruber et al. (US 8502634 B2 and hereinafter as Gru)
Regarding claim 1. Gru teaches a planar transformer [fig 1-7], for a DC/DC converter [fig 3], comprising:
a magnetic core component [fig 1] comprising at least one plate portion and a plurality of legs extending from the plate portion [legs as shown in fig 1];
a secondary side [TR1-B/C] with at least one secondary winding;
and a primary side with a plurality of primary windings [fig 4-5, col 5 line 55 – col 6 line 5]; wherein the at least one secondary winding and the plurality of primary windings are stacked in layers along a stacking direction parallel to an extension direction of the legs [implicit base on col 3 lines 40-55],
the plurality of primary windings of different layers are connected to one another [implicit fig 4 forms winding A, col 5 line 55 – col 6 line 5], and wherein a total surface area [area of winding 29 w/55 is different to wingding area of 39 w/37 and winding area of 35 w/33] of primary windings differs between at least two layers of primary windings.
Regarding claim 2. Gru teaches the planar transformer according to claim 1, wherein a number of turns of a layer is defined as the total number of turns of a winding around all legs in this layer [implicit function of layers], wherein the number of turns per layer of primary windings differs between at least two layers of primary windings [implicit based on fig 4].
Regarding claim 3. Gru teaches the planar transformer according to claim 2, wherein the total number of turns of a layer of at least two layers of primary windings is respectively a non-integer rational number [in fig 4 is shown that some portion of the windings to the sides don’t form a complete turn make a non-integer rational number].
Regarding claim 4. Gru teaches the planar transformer according to claim 3, wherein the total number of turns of a layer of multiple layers added together is an integer [layers do make an integer number].
Regarding claim 5. Gru teaches the planar transformer according to claim 1, wherein at least one layer of primary windings comprises at least one primary winding portion which is only electrically coupled to further primary winding portions of the same layer indirectly via at least one primary winding portion of another layer [fig 4 shows winding indirectly connected to for a winding as windings show gaps, since having gaps would lead to an open circuit, then is understood that windings are indirectly connected].
Regarding claim 6. Gru teaches the planar transformer according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the primary winding portions is less than a full turn [winding at 35 is shown to be less than a full turn].
Regarding claim 7. Gru teaches the planar transformer according to claim 1, wherein at least one layer of primary windings comprises at least one primary winding portion which couples only electrically between the primary side and the secondary side so as to produce a capacity [inductance capacity between primary and secondary sides].
Regarding claim 9. Gru teaches the planar transformer according to claim 2, wherein a total number of turns of primary windings of all layers around a first leg is different from a total number of turns of primary windings of all layers around a second leg [turns of 29 are shown different from 35].
Regarding claim 13. Gru teaches the planar transformer according to claim 1, wherein the secondary windings are plate-shaped [fig 6-7 are shown flat shaped].
Regarding claim 17. Gru teaches an LLC converter [see fig 3], comprising the planar transformer according to claim 1, further comprising a resistance element [L1] and a capacitance element [C1], together as an RC circuit [see L1C1], connected directly to a middle point of the primary winding of the planar transformer [point between L1 and TR1-A].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 10-12 and 14-16 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, and if the claim objections stated above were overcome.
Claims 18-20 are allowed.
Regarding claim 18, Regarding claim 18. Gru teaches an LLC converter [fig 1-7], comprising: a planar transformer [fig 4-7] comprising: a magnetic core [fig 1] component comprising at least one plate portion and a plurality of legs extending from the plate portion [legs as shown in fig 1]; a secondary side with [TR1-B/C] a plurality of secondary windings; and a primary side with a plurality of primary windings [fig 4-5, col 5 line 55 – col 6 line 5]; wherein the at least one secondary winding and the plurality of primary windings are stacked in layers along a stacking direction parallel to an extension direction of the legs [implicit base on col 3 lines 40-55], the plurality of primary windings of different layers are connected to one another [implicit fig 4 forms winding A, col 5 line 55 – col 6 line 5]; wherein the primary side is connected with an input [see L1] of the LLC converter and comprises a center tap [Prim- is center between T1 and TR1-A] of the primary windings.
The following is an examiner' s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior art does not disclose or suggest, in combination with the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims, primarily, “…wherein the secondary side is connected with an output of the LLC converter and comprises a center tap of the secondary windings, and wherein the primary and/or secondary center taps are directly connected to an RC circuit.”
Examiner Note
The examiner cites particular columns and lines numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bryan Perez whose telephone number is (571)272-8837. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon.-Fri. (7:30 – 5:00).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Crystal Hammond, can be reached on (571) 270-1682. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRYAN R PEREZ/Examiner, Art Unit 2838
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