COMMISSIONER'S DECISION
Obvious: The rejected claims were replaced by a claim to the safety feature of the
conductively isolated winding in the circuit, thus clearing the cited art. Rejection
modified.
This decision deals with Applicant's request for review by the
Commissioner of Patents of the Examiner's Final Action on
application 500,113 (Class 315-44). The application was filed on
January 22, 1986, by N.V. Philips Gloeilampen Fabrieken and is
entitled ELECTRIC ARRANGEMENT FOR REGULATING THE LUMINOUS
INTENSITY OF AT LEAST ONE DISCHARGE LAMP. The inventor is J.M.
van Meurs. The Examiner in charge issued a Final Action on May
9, 1989, refusing to allow the claims of the application.
Subsequent to the response to the Final Action, the Applicant
submitted a single claim by letter dated April 18, 1990.
The invention provides an electrical circuit for regulating the
luminous intensity of at least one discharge lamp by means of one
variable non-capacitive impedance, as shown in figure 1
reproduced below.
(See formula 1)
The variable impedance 115 that is used to regulate discharge
lamps 15 and 15' is part of a control circuit that is
electrically conductively isolated from that part of the circuit
that forms part of a DC/AC converter for the high-frequency
supply of the discharge lamps. The alternating voltage source 1,
2, is rectified by the bridge 3 and is lead to input terminals A
and B of the converter. Among the several components
interconnected between A and B are transistors 11 and 20, 11
being part of a control device having a secondary winding 30, and
20 being part of a control device having a secondary winding 31.
30 and 31 are magnetically coupled to a primary winding 12.
Transistor 11 is also part of a series combination including
primary winding 12, a load circuit 13, a first winding 110, and a
capacitor 14. Load circuit 13 has two parallel branches each
carrying one of the above discharge lamps. The current from the
lamps flows through the first winding 110 which surrounds an
undivided ferromagnetic core 111 that carries and magnetically
couples a third winding 118. A second winding 112 is
magnetically coupled by core 111 to 110 and 118, but is not
electrically connected to them, thus providing protection against
electrical contact in operating the variable impedance 115 when
regulating lamps 15, 15'.
In the Final Action, the Examiner cited the following United
States Patent:
4,017,785 Apr. 12, 1977 Perper
Figure 1 of the Perper patent is reproduced below:
(See formula 1)
The Examiner refused the Applicant's two claims in view of
Perper, saying in part, as follows:
...
The above reference shows a discharge lamp operating
circuit and claim 1 may be read thereon as follows:
Claim 1 Perper
"An electric arrangement See figures 1 and 2,
--at least one discharge discharge lamp "21"
lamp"
"---circuit having a The circuit of Perper has
first winding arranged to a first winding "14" on
surround a core of core "13".
magnetizable material"
"this winding--supply of The winding "14" is the
the discharge lamp" primary winding for the
transformer energizing
lamp "21".
"and this core--a second A second winding "15" on
winding coupled the core "13" is coupled
magnetically to the first to "14".
winding"
"characterized---lamp" The winding "14" is the
output winding in the
collector circuit of the
inverter oscillator
transistor Q1.
"the core---having a A third winding "31"
third winding--- coupled to winding "15"
converter" through core "13" is
connected to a control
device "30" forming part
of the converter.
"the third winding being the winding "14" is
magnetically coupled to magnetically coupled to
the first winding" winding "31" through the
core "13".
"and a series combination the series combination of
of a non-capacitive a variable resistor R2a
variable impedance and a and diode D2 are
diode being connected connected in series
between the ends of the between the ends of coil
second winding" or winding "15" as shown
in figure 1.
The capacitor defined in claim 2 as connected in
parallel to the above series-combination is shown as C2
in figure 1 of the reference.
Applicant's remarks in the above letter relating to
manual adjustment of the third winding voltage by the
variable resistor have been considered. It is noted
that this feature is not defined by the claims and
therefore cannot be considered distinguishing over
the reference.
...
The Applicant responded to the Final Action with an amendment to
claim 1, and said in part, as follows:
.. It was believed that the recitation of a "variable
impedance" implied that the impedance is manually
adjustable but it is conceded that claim 1 could have
been more explicit in that regard. As amended, claim 1
now recites explicitly that the impedance is manually
variable and that manual adjustment of the variable
impedance determines the voltage developed across the
third winding.
...
By the letter dated April 18, 1990, subsequent to a telephone
discussion, the Applicant submitted one amended claim to replace
the two rejected claims, and argued in part, as follows:
.. This is further to a recent telephone discussion
between Mr. Brown of the Patent Appeal Board and the
undersigned. Mr. Brown intimated that the Examiner
would look favourably on a revision of the claim to
specify that the second winding is coupled magnetically
but not electrically to the first winding. Applicant
agrees with this suggestion and has amended the claim
to include the words "the second winding being
electrically conductively isolated from the first and
third windings,".
The statement of invention on page 2 of the
disclosure has been conformed to the revised claim and
the first two full paragraphs of page 3 have been
revised and combined into a single paragraph also
consistent with claim 1.
...
The issue before the Board is whether or not the single amended
claim removes the rejection based on obviousness. The amended
claim of April 18, 1990 reads:
An electric arrangement for regulating the luminous
intensity of at least one discharge lamp, this
arrangement comprising an electric circuit having a
first winding arranged to surround a core of
magnetizable material, this winding being included in
an electric circuit for the supply of the discharge
lamp and this core further having a second winding
coupled magnetically to the first winding,
characterized in that the first winding is included in
a circuit forming part of a DC/AC converter for the
high-frequency supply of the discharge lamp, the core
of magnetizable material having a third winding which
is magnetically coupled to the second winding and is
connected to a control device forming part of the DC/AC
converter, the third winding being magnetically coupled
to the first winding, the second winding being
electrically conductively isolated from the first and
third windings, and a series-combination of a non-
capacitive manually variable impedance and a diode
being connected between the ends of the second winding,
a capacitor being connected parallel to the variable
impedance.
From a comparison of the amended claim to the rejected claims,
the Board believes the safety feature disclosed has been clearly
identified. By setting out that the second winding is
electrically conductively isolated from the first and third
windings, and that the non-capacitive manually variable impedance
and the diode are in series with the second winding, the single
amended claim presents an improvement in protection against the
risk of manual contact with the power supply portion of the known
DC/AC converter. The Board is satisfied that the single amended
claim overcomes the obviousness rejection.
The Board recommends, therefore, that the claim submitted
April 18, 1990 be accepted as overcoming the refusal of the
claims for being obvious.
M.G. Brown
Acting Chairman
Patent Appeal Board
I concur with the findings and the recommendation of the Patent
Appeal Board. Accordingly, I remand the application to the
Examiner for prosecution consistent with the findings of the
Board.
J.H.A. Gari‚py
Commissioner of Patents
dated at Hull, Quebec
this 9 day of August , 1990
Fetherstonhaugh & Co.
Box 2999, Station D
Ottawa, Ontario
K1P 5Y6