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 § 102
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.
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 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hishida [US 20149/0348886].
Claim 1, Hishida discloses a method of manufacturing a coil unit [64] in which a coil [V12/V31; figure 5] and a wiring member [52] are welded to each other [figure 7; paragraphs 0067-0069], the coil being configured to include a helical structure of a flat conductor [figures 5 and 7], the wiring member being constituted by a flat conductor [figures 5 and 7], the method comprising: a step of butting an end face of one end of the coil and an end face of a connection end portion of the wiring member and pressing them [figure 7; paragraphs 0067-0069]; and a step of bending a part of the wiring member with respect to the coil [figure 5, inherent in the product structure as the ends of 52 are bent to align with the coil V12/V31].
Claim 2 Hishida discloses the method of manufacturing a coil unit according to claim 1, wherein: the flat conductor of the coil [V21/V31] has a first face [101]; the wiring member [52] integrally constitutes a wiring portion [80] and a coil connection end portion [110; figure 6] by the flat conductor having a second face [111], so that the respective second faces of the wiring portion and the coil connection end portion are allowed to be positioned on a substantially identical plane [figures 6 and 7]; and the method comprises a step of butting the end face of the one end of the coil and an end face of the coil connection end portion and pressing them so that the first face of the one end of the coil and the second face of the coil connection end portion align with a helical axis direction [figure 7; paragraphs 0067-0069], and a step of bending the wiring member so that the respective second faces of the wiring portion and the coil connection end portion are positioned on different planes [figure 5, inherent in the product structure as the ends of 52 are bent to align with the coil V12/V31].
Claim 3 Hishida discloses the method of manufacturing a coil unit according to claim 2, wherein the one end of the coil and the coil connection end portion are welded to each other on a way to a turn of the wound coil [figure 5].
Claim 5 Hishida discloses the method of manufacturing a coil unit according to claim 1, wherein the coil is formed in a substantially rectangular shape at least on an inner peripheral side [figure 5].
Claim 6 Hishida discloses the method of manufacturing a coil unit according to claim 2, comprising, after the step of pressing [paragraphs 0067-0069], a step of bending the wiring portion with respect to the coil [figure 5, inherent in the product structure as the ends of 52 are bent to align with the coil V12/V31].
Claim 7 Hishida discloses the method of manufacturing a coil unit according to claim 6, wherein the wiring member [52] is bent on a side closer to the wiring member than a connection portion with the coil [figure 5].
Claim 8 Hishida discloses the method of manufacturing a coil unit according to claim 6, comprising, after the step of bending, a step of integrally coating the coil and the wiring member with a resin material [inherent in the product structure as disclosed by paragraph 0006].
Claim 9 Hishida discloses the method of manufacturing a coil unit according to claim 1, comprising, after the step of pressing, a step of integrally coating the coil and the wiring member with a resin material [inherent in the product structure as disclosed by paragraph 0006].
Claim 10, Hishida discloses coil unit [64] wherein: a coil [V12/V21] and a bus bar [52] are welded to each other [figure 7; paragraphs 0067-0069]; the bus bar is configured so that a wiring portion [80] and a connection portion welded [110] to an end part of the coil [100] are integrally constituted by a flat conductor; end faces of the connection portion [111] and the end portion [101] are butted and welded to each other [figure 7; paragraphs 0067-0069]; and the connection portion includes a linear region, and is bent with respect to the wiring portion so that a direction in which the linear region extends and a direction in which the wiring portion extends are different from each other [figure 5, the ends of 52 are bent to align with the coil V12/V31].
Claim 11, Hishida discloses the coil unit according to claim 10, wherein the connection portion is bent with respect to the wiring portion so that the direction in which the linear region extends and the direction in which the wiring portion extends intersect each other [figure 7].
Claim 12, Hishida discloses coil unit according to claim 10, wherein the linear region has a size that a holding part of an apparatus for welding the bus bar and the coil can hold [figure 7].
Claim 13, Hishida discloses coil unit according to claim 10, wherein a bent part at which the connection portion is bent with respect to the wiring portion is provided in a vicinity of an end portion of the coil in a vertical direction when a helical axis of the coil is disposed in a horizontal direction [figure 5].
Claim 14, Hishida discloses coil unit according to claim 10, wherein a welded portion of the connection portion and the end portion is provided on a vey to a turn of the coil [figure 5].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hishida [US 20149/0348886].
Claim 4 Hishida discloses the method of manufacturing a coil unit according to claim 2, wherein, after the coil is formed by continuously pressure-welding a plurality of flat conductors [this would be obvious in the coil product structure as shown in figure 5], the coil connection end portion is welded to the one end of the coil [paragraphs 0067-0069].
Claims 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hishida [US 20149/0348886] in view of Fujimura [WO 2017/154466]
Claim 15, Hishida discloses a coil unit [64] comprising: a coil [V12/V31]; and a bus bar [52] including a connection end portion [110] to which the coil is welded [figure 7; paragraphs 0067-0069], and a wiring portion [80], wherein one end of the coil and the connection end portion are welded by welding [paragraphs 0068 and 0107]with end faces of them being butted in a connection portion [figure 7], the bus bar is configured so that the wiring portion and the connection end portion are integrally constituted by a flat conductor [figure 7], and the connection end portion is bent with respect to the wiring portion so that a wider surface of the wiring portion intersects a wider surface of the connection end portion [figure 5, the ends of 52 are bent to align with the coil V12/V31].
Hishida fails to teach that the one end of the coil and the connection end portion are welded by cold pressure welding.
Fujimura teaches that the terminals in a coil are commonly assembled through various techniques including welding, solid phase joining, cold pressure welding and brazing [highlighted section of page 13].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use cold pressure welding to join the end of a coil to a bus as was well known in the art as taught by Fujimura, in order to customize the physical characteristics of the joined components.
Claim 16, Hishida as modified discloses the coil unit according to claim 15, wherein Hishida further discloses that the wiring portion is substantially circular, and is bent so that a direction in which the connection end portion extends is different from a direction in which the wiring portion extends and aligns with a direction in which a center axis of the wiring portion extends [figure 5, the ends of 52 are bent to align with the coil V12/V31].
Claim 17, Hishida as modified discloses the coil unit according to claim 16, wherein Hishida further discloses that the welded portion is provided on a way to a turn of a helical structure of the coil [figure 5].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bernard Rojas whose telephone number is (571)272-1998. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. thru Fri. 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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/BERNARD ROJAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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