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 .
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 04/30/2026has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-7, 9-10, 15-16 and 21-26 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-7, 9-10, 15-16 and 21-26 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 1, it appears “20µm” should be --20 µm--.
The rest of the claims are objected for similar informalities and or as being dependent on claim 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 15 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakanishi et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2018/0218830 A1, hereinafter “Nakanishi”) in view of Li et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2015/0020378 A1, hereinafter “Li”).
With respect to claim 1, Nakanishi teaches a coil component 1 (FIGs. 13) comprising:
a body 50 including first to fourth side surfaces (side surfaces) and one surface (upper or lower surface) and the other surface (the other of upper or lower surface) connected to each of the first to fourth side surfaces and opposing each other in a first direction;
a coil 20a and or 30a disposed in the body; and
a substrate 10 disposed in the body,
wherein
the substrate has a thickness of 20µm or less, the coil is disposed on a surface of the substrate,
a portion of the coil directly contacts the surface of the substrate (paras. [0073] and [0160]-[0163]).
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Nakanishi does not expressly teach a minimum distance from the coil to the first to fourth side surfaces of the body is 40 µm or greater.
Li teaches a coil component (Figs. 1-5) comprising:
a minimum distance 502 (Fig. 5) from the coil 401 to the first to fourth side surfaces front, back, left and right side surfaces) of the body is 40 μm or greater (para. [0046]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the minimum distance as taught by Li to the coil component of Nakanishi to provide large impedance, large inductance value and low direct current resistance (para. [0046]).
With respect to claim 3, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1, wherein a thickness (combined thickness of top or bottom three thin sheets 403) of the coil is less than a minimum distance from the one surface of the body to the coil in the first direction (Li, paras. [0045]-[0046]).
With respect to claim 4, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1, wherein a minimum distance (combined thickness of top or bottom three thin sheets 403) from the one surface of the body to the coil in the first direction is 70 µm or greater (Li para. [0045]).
With respect to claim 7, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1, wherein the coil includes a coil pattern having at least one turn and an insulating layer 40, 42 and 44covering the coil pattern (Nakanishi, paras. [0151] and [0153]).
With respect to claim 9, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1, further comprising external electrodes 60 respectively disposed on the first and second side surfaces of the body opposing each other and having at least a portion extending to the one surface of the body (Nakanishi, para. [0160]).
With respect to claim 10, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1, further comprising:
first and second external electrodes 60 disposed to be spaced apart from each other on the one surface of the body; and
a lead portion P2 and or P5 disposed in the body and connecting the coil to each of the first and second external electrodes (Nakanishi, para. [0160]).
With respect to claim 15, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1, further comprising:
a lead portion P2 and or P5 disposed in the body, connected to the coil, and extending from the first side surface of the body,
wherein the coil includes a coil pattern (coil conductor) having at least one turn and an insulating layer 40, 42, and 44 covering each of the coil pattern and the lead portion (Nakanishi, paras. [0151], [0153] and [0160]).
With respect to claim 16, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1, further comprising external electrodes 60 respectively disposed on the first and second side surfaces of the body opposing each other (Nakanishi, para. [0160]).
Claims 2, 5, 6 and 24-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakanishi in view of Li, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Matsuura et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2022/0044858 A1, hereinafter “Matsuura”).
With respect to claim 2 Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1. Nakanishi in view of Li does not expressly teach a distance from the one surface to the other surface of the body in the first direction is 440 µm or less.
Matsuura teaches a coil component 1 (FIGs. 1-7), wherein a distance H from the one surface 5 to the other surface 6 of the body 2 in the first direction (direction of height H) is 440 μm or less (“about 0.20 mm to about 0.40 mm”) (para. [0029]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the distance as taught by Matsuura to the coil component of Nakanishi in view of Li to reduce size.
With respect to claim 5, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1. Nakanishi in view of Li does not expressly teach
a distance from the one surface to the other surface of the body in the first direction is 440 µm or less, and
a thickness of the coil in the first direction is less than a minimum distance from the one surface of the body to the coil.
Matsuura teaches a coil component 1 (FIGs. 1-7), wherein
a distance H from the one surface 5 to the other surface 6 of the body 2 in the first direction (direction of height H) is 440 μm or less, and
a thickness (thickness as coil 17 and or 18 as seen in FIG. 5) of the coil in the first direction is less than a minimum distance (combined thickness of sheets 3d and 3e minus thickness of coil 17 and or 18) from the one surface of the body to the coil (para. [0041]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the distance thickness of the coil in relation to the body as taught by Matsuura to the coil component of Nakanishi in view of Li to reduce size.
With respect to claim 6, Nakanishi in view of Li and Matsuura teaches the coil component of claim 5, wherein a minimum distance from the one surface of the body to the coil in the first direction is 70 μm or greater (Matsuura, paras. [0029] and [0041]). The body 2 has a height of about 0.4 mm and is made of five non-conductor layers 3a-3e. That means each non-conductor layer 3a-3e would have about 0.08 mm or (80 μm). Therefore, Matsuura teaches the claimed invention.
With respect to claim 24, Nakanishi in view of Li and Matsuura teaches the coil component of claim 6, wherein
the coil includes:
a coil pattern that includes at least two turns, and
an insulating layer 40, 42 and 44 covering the coil pattern,
the at least two turns are disposed on the surface of the substrate, and
the insulating layer is disposed in an entirety of a space between adjacent turns among the at least two turns ((Nakanishi, paras. [0151] and [0153])).
With respect to claim 25, Nakanishi in view of Li and Matsuura teaches the coil component of claim 24, wherein
the at least two turns includes a first turn (innermost turn), and a second turn (turn adjacent innermost turn) that is adjacent to the first turn, and
the second turn surrounds a side surface of the first turn (Nakanishi, paras. [0151] and [0153]).
With respect to claim 26, Nakanishi in view of Li and Matsuura teaches the coil component of claim 25, wherein
a distance from the one surface to the other surface of the body in the first direction is in a range of from 190μm to 440μm (Matsuura, para. [0041]).
Claims 21-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakanishi in view of Li, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lee et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2020/0194165 A1, hereinafter “Lee”).
With respect to claim 21, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 1. Nakanishi in view of Li does not expressly teach he substrate includes a reinforcing material.
Lee teaches a coil component 1000 (FIGs.1-2), wherein the substrate 200 includes a reinforcing material (para. [0040]). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the reinforcing material as taught by Lee to the coil component of Nakanishi in view of Li to improve mechanical strength of the substrate.
With respect to claim 22, Nakanishi in view of Li and Lee teaches the coil component of claim 21, wherein the reinforcing material includes a glass fiber or an inorganic filler (Lee, para. [0040]).
With respect to claim 23, Nakanishi in view of Li teaches the coil component of claim 22, wherein the inorganic filler includes at least one selected from the group consisting of silica, alumina, silicon carbide, barium sulfate, talc, mud, mica powder, aluminum hydroxide, magnesium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, magnesium oxide, boron nitride, aluminum borate, barium titanate, and calcium zirconate (Lee, para. [0041]).
Conclusion
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/MANG TIN BIK LIAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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