DETAILED ACTION
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on October 1, 2025 has been entered.
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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of a certified copy of JP 2020-165903 filed September 30, 2020 as required by 37 CFR 1.55. Receipt is also acknowledged of WO 2022/070499, a copy of the WIPO publication of PCT/JP 2021/018300 filed May 13, 2021.
Claim Status
This Office Action is in response to Applicant’s Remarks and Claim Amendments filed October 1, 2025.
Filing Date
October 1, 2025
Amended
1
Cancelled
2-4
Pending
1, 5-13
The applicant argues claim 1 has been amended to incorporate the subject matter of claim 4 as supported by [0006] (Remarks p. 4 para. 1).
Response to Remarks filed October 1, 2025
Yoshizawa
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks p. 5 paras. 2-3, filed October 1, 2025, with respect to Yoshizawa have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection over Yoshizawa’s composition No. 13 has been withdrawn.
The applicant persuasively argues Cu has been removed from the X1 Markush group, such that Cu is an “other element” and limited to 0.1 mass% or less and the FebalCo14Cu1.35B14Si1.5Mn0.5 composition of Yoshizawa No. 13 does not satisfy this amended claim (Remarks p. 5 paras. 2-3).
David
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks p. 4 para. 4, filed October 1, 2025, with respect to David have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection over David’s Table 1 Symbol B3 composition has been withdrawn.
The applicant persuasively argues the pending claims contain the limitation of previous claim 4, which was not rejected over David, such that the rejection over David is requested to be withdrawn (Remarks p. 4 para. 4).
For the Table 1 Symbol B3 composition of David, f/α(1-γ){1-(a+b+c+d+e)} is 8.7, 2.6/0.23(1-0)(0.77).
New Grounds
In light of claim amendment a new grounds of rejection is made of Katsuto
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, 6, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Katsuto (JP S58-225613 including machine translation).
Regarding claim 1, Katsuto discloses a soft magnetic alloy with a composition that falls within the scope of that claimed ((CoxFe1-x)75Mn0.5Si10B14.5 where x = 0.4) (p. 60 col. 2 para. 2, Fig. 1).
Variable
Range
Katsuto
a
0.020 to 0.200
0.145
b
0 to 0.070
(0 to 0.050)
0
c
0 to 0.100
0.10
d
0 to 0.050
0
e
0 to 0.040
(0.001 to 0.020)
0
f
0.002 to 2.800 at%
0.5
alpha
0.150 to 0.500
0.4
beta
0 to 0.200
(0.001 to 0.050)
0
gamma
0 to < 0.030
(>0 to < 0.030)
0
1-(a+b+c+d+e)
0.720 to 0.900
(0.780 to 0.890)
0.75
f/alpha(1-gamma)(1-(a+b+c+d+e))
0.050 to 8.0
0.94
Regarding claim 6, Katsuto discloses 0 ≤ b ≤ 0.050 is satisfied (b is 0 for (CoxFe1-x)75Mn0.5Si10B14.5 where x = 0.4) (p. 60 col. 2 para. 2, Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 13, Katsuto discloses a magnetic component (core) made of the soft magnet alloy according to claim 1 (Abstract, p. 60 col. 2 para. 2, Fig. 1, machine translation).
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.
Claims 7, 8, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Katsuto (JP S58-225613 including machine translation).
Regarding claim 7, the (CoxFe1-x)75Mn0.5Si10B14.5, x = 0.4 example of Katsuto (p. 60 col. 2 para. 2, Fig. 1) is silent to 0.780 ≤ 1-(a+b+c+d+e) ≤ 0.890.
Katsuto discloses M is selected from Co, Fe, and Ni and is 50 to 95 (0.50 to 0.95) (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in the example of Katsuto to vary the Co and Fe content from 0.50 to 0.95 because this is within the scope of the inventive alloy composition of Katsuto (Abstract), which has reduced variation in squareness resulting from non-uniformity of internal stresses and excellent squareness (Katsuto Abstract, machine translation p. 1 para. 1). In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05(I).
Regarding claim 8, the (CoxFe1-x)75Mn0.5Si10B14.5, x = 0.4 example of Katsuto (p. 60 col. 2 para. 2, Fig. 1) is silent to 0.001 ≤ β ≤ 0.050.
Katsuto discloses M is selected from Co, Fe, and Ni (Abstract).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in the example of Katsuto to include Ni with the Co and Fe because this is within the scope of the inventive alloy composition of Katsuto (Abstract), which has reduced variation in squareness resulting from non-uniformity of internal stresses and excellent squareness (Katsuto Abstract, machine translation p. 1 para. 1). In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05(I).
Regarding claim 10, Katsuto discloses an amorphous alloy (Abstract) inventive composition (machine translation p. 1), which reads on a more than 50% amorphous ratio X. In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05(I).
Claims 5, 8, 9, and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Katsuto (JP S58-225613 including machine translation) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yoshizawa (US 2010/0040503).
Regarding claim 5, the (CoxFe1-x)75Mn0.5Si10B14.5, x = 0.4 example of Katsuto (p. 60 col. 2 para. 2, Fig. 1) is silent to 0.001 ≤ e ≤ 0.020.
Yoshizawa discloses a soft magnetic alloy ([0001]) with Cr of less than 1 atomic% (less than 0.01) ([0020]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in the example composition of Katsuto to include less than 1 at% of Cr to help fine crystal grains grow and contribute to improvement in soft magnetic properties (Yoshizawa [0020]). Therefore, α(1-γ){1-(a+b+c+d+e)} x e x 10000, is less than 30, (0.4(1-0)(0.75)*0.01*10000). In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05(I).
Regarding claim 8, the (CoxFe1-x)75Mn0.5Si10B14.5, x = 0.4 example of Katsuto (p. 60 col. 2 para. 2, Fig. 1) is silent to 0.001 ≤ β ≤ 0.050.
Yoshizawa discloses a soft magnetic alloy ([0001]) with less than 2 at% Ni relative to the amount of Fe ([0019]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in the example composition of Katsuto to include less than 2 at% Ni relative to the amount of Fe to control induced magnetic anisotropy and improve corrosion resistance (Yoshizawa [0019]). In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05(I).
Regarding claim 9, the (CoxFe1-x)75Mn0.5Si10B14.5, x = 0.4 example of Katsuto (p. 60 col. 2 para. 2, Fig. 1) is silent to 0 < γ < 0.030.
Yoshizawa discloses a soft magnetic alloy ([0001]) with at least one of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Re, Au, Ag, Zn, In, Sn, As, Sb, Bi, Y, N, O, and rare earth elements of less than 1 atomic% (less than 0.01) ([0020]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in the example composition of Katsuto to include less than 1 at% of at least one of Ti, Zr, Hf, V, Nb, Ta, Mo, W, Re, Au, Ag, Zn, In, Sn, As, Sb, Bi, Y, N, O, and rare earth elements to help fine crystal grains grow and contribute to improvement in soft magnetic properties (Yoshizawa [0020]). Therefore, γ is less than 0.01. In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05(I).
Regarding claim 11, Katsuto discloses a thin plate (Abstract, machine translation p. 1).
Katsuto is silent to the alloy being in a form of powder.
Yoshizawa discloses a soft magnetic alloy ([0001]) that is a thin film (plate) or powder ([0030]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art for the example composition of Katsuto to be a powder because it is capable of giving excellent characteristics and it is an art recognized equivalent of a ribbon (Yoshizawa [0030]). It is prima facie obvious to substitute equivalents known for the same purpose. MPEP 2144.06(II).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Katsuto (JP S58-225613 including machine translation) and Yoshizawa (US 2010/0040503) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Inoue (JP 2010-212442).
Regarding claim 12, Katsuto in view of Yoshizawa is silent to the average Wadell’s circularity of the powder.
Inoue discloses amorphous soft magnetic powder ([0001]) with a Wadell’s sphericity preferably 0.90 or more ([0022]-[0025], [0048]-[0049]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to form the powder of Katsuto in view of Yoshizawa with a Wadell’s sphericity (circularity) of 0.90 or more to advantageously reduce the number of contacts between powder particles, enabling higher packing density during compaction, resulting in higher green density and magnetic permeability (Inoue [0023]) and enabling production by low pressure molding (Inoue [0024]). In the case where the claimed ranges “overlap or lie inside ranges disclosed by the prior art” a prima facie case of obviousness exists. MPEP 2144.05(I).
Related Art
Blazquez (Blazquez et al. Influence of Mn and Cu addition on the hyperfine parameters of amorphous and nanocrystalline FeCoNbB alloys. Journal of Alloys and Compounds 370 (2004) 36-42.)
Blazquez discloses an amorphous ribbon with a composition of Fe37Co39Mn2Nb6B16 (2. Experimental, x=2, y=0).
Ishida (JP H01-119642 machine translation)
Ishida discloses a soft magnetic material with 25-65 wt% Co, 0.005-1.0 wt% B, 0.05-5.0 wt% Mn, and balance of Fe (Abstract, pp. 1-2, Table 1).
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHANI HILL whose telephone number is (571)272-2523. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-12pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, KEITH WALKER can be reached on 571-272-3458. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/STEPHANI HILL/Examiner, Art Unit 1735