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.
Claims 1-16 are 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.
Claim 1 recites “the plurality of magnetic sheet pieces are radially arranged with one end side facing a center side”. This limitation is indefinite. It is unclear what is a “center side”. The center of an object is not referred to as a “side”. For purposes of examination, “side” has been afforded no patentable weight.
Claim 11 recites: “angle of the intersecting”. This limitation lacks sufficient antecedent basis. For purposes of examination, it is presumed to be “angle of the intersection”.
Claim 14 recites “a normal line of the coil in a portion facing the magnetic ribbon”. This limitation is indefinite because it is not clear how the normal line of the coil is determined. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand the normal line is perpendicular to the coil. However, it is unclear whether this means the normal line is perpendicular to the curves of the coil (e.g., assuming the coil is a circle, the normal line is an extension of a radius), or whether the normal line is perpendicular to the magnetic ribbon, because the normal line of the coil is one “facing the magnetic ribbon”. For purposes of examination, the former is presumed.
Dependent claims not addressed are indefinite by virtue of dependence from an indefinite claim.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kyeong et al. (US 2018/0286575).
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Regarding claims 1-2, Kyeong teaches a magnetic sheet including two pairs of regions disposed alternately around a center point (¶ 65), thus they are radially arranged. The magnetic sheet has a shape that may be rectangular, circular, oval shape, or rhombic (¶ 64). The regions thus would have triangular shapes and correspond to the claimed “magnetic sheet pieces each formed in an elongated shape”. Furthermore, the corners of the triangular shapes meet at the center, so the width increases in the longitudinal direction and the regions have one side facing outward and the other facing the center. The regions have magnetic easy axes (¶ 67). This implicitly discloses an anisotropy as the regions have one axis which is “magnetic easy”; therefore, other axes are not. Kyeong teaches an embodiment where the magnetic easy axes run along the width of the regions (¶ 67, see also Fig. 4). The square shape of the sheet in Fig. 4 is for simplicity (¶ 64).
Regarding claims 3 and 6-7, Kyeong teaches the magnetic sheets are formed by stacking multiple sheets with adhesive in between (¶ 56). Accordingly, there are first and second sheets of magnetic sheet pieces radially arranged. Additionally, these pieces are at different positions as they are on top of each other.
Regarding claim 4, Kyeong teaches the magnetic sheet may be a nanocrystalline alloy ribbon (¶ 57).
Regarding claim 5, this claim recites a product by process limitation. Even though product-by-process claims are limited by and defined by the process, determination of patentability is based on the product itself. The patentability of a product does not depend on its method of production. If the product in the product-by-process claim is the same as or obvious from a product of the prior art, the claim is unpatentable even though the prior product was made by a different process. See MPEP 2113. It is unclear what structure would be present in the magnetic ribbons produced by the recited product by process limitation, beyond the possibility that the magnetic ribbon contains an amorphous phase. Kyeong teaches the magnetic ribbon may be amorphous (¶ 57). Accordingly, Kyeong is considered to anticipate claim 5.
Regarding claim 8, Kyeong teaches a magnetic sheet including two pairs of regions disposed alternately around a center point (¶ 65), thus they are radially arranged to make up the magnetic sheet and the sheet has an area larger than each of the regions. The magnetic sheet has a shape that may be rectangular, circular, oval shape, or rhombic (¶ 64). The regions thus would have triangular shapes and correspond to the claimed “magnetic sheet pieces each formed in an elongated shape”. Furthermore, the corners of the triangular shapes meet at the center, so the width increases in the longitudinal direction and the regions have one side facing outward and the other facing the center. The regions have magnetic easy axes (¶ 67). This implicitly discloses an anisotropy as the regions have one axis which is “magnetic easy”; therefore, other axes, including those perpendicular to the magnetic easy axis, are not. Magnetic permeability is presumed to be the same as the “magnetic easy” in Kyeong. Kyeong also teaches an embodiment where the magnetic easy axes run along the width
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of the regions (¶ 67, see also Fig. 4). The magnetic easy axes are tangential to the spirals of a circular coil disposed near the magnetic sheet (see Fig. 9), thus the angle between the direction of the magnetic flux and the magnetic easy axes is 0 (as they would be tangent to each other).
Regarding claim 9, Kyeong teaches the magnetic sheets are formed by stacking multiple sheets (¶ 56).
Regarding claim 10, Kyeong teaches the magnetic sheet may be a nanocrystalline alloy ribbon (¶ 57).
Regarding claim 11, Kyeong teaches a magnetic sheet including two pairs of regions disposed alternately around a center point (¶ 65), thus they are radially arranged to make up the magnetic sheet and the sheet has an area larger than each of the regions. The magnetic sheet has a shape that may be rectangular, circular, oval shape, or rhombic (¶ 64). The regions thus would have triangular shapes and correspond to the claimed “magnetic sheet pieces each formed in an elongated shape”. Furthermore, the corners of the triangular shapes meet at the center, so the width increases in the longitudinal direction and the regions have one side facing outward and the other facing the center. The regions have magnetic easy axes (¶ 67). This implicitly discloses an anisotropy as the regions have one axis which is “magnetic easy”; therefore, other axes, including those perpendicular to the magnetic easy axis, are not. Magnetic permeability is presumed to be the same as the “magnetic easy” in Kyeong. Kyeong also teaches an embodiment where the magnetic easy axes run along the width of the regions (¶ 67, see also Fig. 4). The magnetic easy axes are tangential to the spirals of a circular coil disposed near the magnetic sheet (see Fig. 9). The coil carries current, thus the angle between the current and the magnetic easy axes is 0 (as they would be tangent to each other).
Regarding claim 12, Kyeong teaches the magnetic sheets are formed by stacking multiple sheets (¶ 56).
Regarding claim 13, Kyeong teaches the magnetic sheet may be a nanocrystalline alloy ribbon (¶ 57).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-16 appear to be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action. The prior art of record does not teach or suggest the claimed sheet-shaped magnetic member having the claimed angle between a direction of anisotropy of magnetic ribbons making up the magnetic member, and a normal line of a coil disposed near the magnetic member, as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kuriyama et al. (US 2025/0227905) discloses a sheet-shaped magnetic member having elongated magnetic ribbons. However, Kuriyama is disqualified as prior art under 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2). Huang et al. (CN 115394761) discloses magnetic strips arranged radially around a point. However, these strips are not arranged so as to form a sheet-shaped magnetic member.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to XIAOBEI WANG whose telephone number is (571)270-5705. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8AM-5PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Humera Sheikh can be reached at 571-272-0604. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/XIAOBEI WANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1784
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