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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) filed on 08/18/2022 has been considered.
Claim Objections
Claim 19 is objected to for the typo “the cover surface having a first cover surface contacting the second surface and...”. Correction to “the cover portion having a first cover surface contacting the second surface and...” is suggested.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Choi, Chinese Patent CN104916390A.
Regarding Claim 1, Choi teaches (except where italicized), a coil component (Fig. 5) comprising:
a body (10) having a first surface (bottom) and a second surface (top) opposing in a thickness direction, and a first side surface (front) and a second side surface (back) opposing in a width direction while each connecting the first surface and the second surface to each other;
a coil unit (70) disposed in the body;
first and second external electrodes (41, 42) disposed to be spaced apart from each other on the body, while respectively being connected to the coil unit; and
a cover portion (not shown, “cover layer” [0067]) disposed on the second surface of the body and at least partially covering the first and second external electrodes (“multiple magnetic layers 50 can be stacked on the upper and lower parts of the inner coil section to form an upper cover layer and a lower cover layer (not shown)” [0067] comprises “a cover portion disposed on the second surface of the body and at least partially covering the first and second external electrodes”),
wherein a cross-section (the body 10 comprises a cross-section above and below the inner conductor pattern 70 comprising the same size in the with and thickness direction) perpendicular to the first surface of the body and parallel to the width direction and traversing the body and the cover portion has substantially the same size in the width direction and in the thickness direction. (Choi: Figs. 1-5, machine translation, para. [0067], [0070], [0105]).
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 of this title, 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 set forth in Graham v. John Deere Co., 383 U.S. 1, 148 USPQ 459 (1966), that are applied 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 2-6, 8-13 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi, in view of Adachi et al. (hereinafter Adachi), U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0362491.
Regarding Claim 2 and similarly claim 3, Choi teaches a cover portion (not shown, “cover layer” [0067]). (Choi: Figs. 1-5, machine translation, para. [0067], [0070], [0105]).
Choi does not explicitly teach, the cover portion has a first cover surface contacting the second surface of the body, a second cover surface opposing the first cover surface, and opposite cover side surfaces opposing each other while each connecting the first cover surface and the second cover surface to each other, and the opposite cover side surfaces are coplanar with the opposite side surfaces of the body, respectively.
However, Adachi teaches (Fig. 3(A)), the cover portion has a first cover surface (bottom (24), Fig. 3(A) contacting the second surface of the body, a second cover surface (top) opposing the first cover surface, and opposite cover side surfaces (Fig. 3(A)) opposing each other while each connecting the first cover surface and the second cover surface to each other, and the opposite cover side surfaces are coplanar with the opposite side surfaces of the body, respectively. (Adachi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0019], [0044], [0048]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the body of Choi to include the surfaces of Adachi, the motivation being to provide “a composite substrate 22 structured to have a ceramic dielectric layer 23 and a ceramic magnetic layer 24 stacked” [0019]. (Adachi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0019]). Therefore, the limitation of Claim 2 would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 4, the combination of Choi in view of Adachi further teaches, wherein the cover portion includes a magnetic material of a same ingredient as the body (“soft magnetic materials can be used to form the ceramic body 10” [0071]. (Choi: Figs. 1-5, machine translation, para. [0071]).
Regarding Claim 5, the combination of Choi in view of Adachi further teaches, wherein an interface (interface between, (22), (23), Fig. 3(A)) is formed between the cover portion and the body, the motivation being to provide “a composite substrate 22 structured to have a ceramic dielectric layer 23 and a ceramic magnetic layer 24 stacked” [0019]. (Adachi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0019]).
Regarding Claim 6 and similarly claim 8, the combination of Choi in view of Adachi further teaches, further comprising a substrate (60) disposed in the body,
wherein the coil unit (70) includes first and second coil patterns (coil patterns of 70) disposed on opposite surfaces of the substrate, respectively, a first via (not shown, Fig. 5, “through electrodes” [0078]) penetrating through the substrate to connect the first and second coil patterns to each other, and first and second lead-out portions (71, 72) connected to the first and second external electrodes, respectively. (Choi: Fig. 5, machine translation, para. [0078], [0082]).
Regarding Claim 9, Choi teaches (except where italicized), a coil component (Fig. 5) comprising:
a body (10) having a first surface (bottom) and a second surface (top) opposing in a thickness direction, a first side surface (front) and a second side surface (back) opposing in a width direction while each connecting the first surface and the second surface to each other, and a first end surface (left) and a second end surface (right) opposing in a length direction while each connecting the first side surface and the second side surface to each other;
a substrate (60) disposed in the body;
a coil unit (70) disposed on the substrate;
first and second external electrodes (41, 42) disposed to be spaced apart from each other on the first surface of the body, while respectively being connected to the coil unit; and
a cover portion (not shown, “cover layer” [0067]) disposed on the second surface of the body,
wherein a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction and traversing the body and the cover portion has substantially the same size in the width direction and in the thickness direction.
Choi does not explicitly teach, wherein a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction and traversing the body and the cover portion has substantially the same size in the width direction and in the thickness direction. (Choi: Figs. 1-5, machine translation, para. [0067], [0070], [0078], [0105]).
However, Adachi teaches (Fig. 3(A)), wherein a cross-section perpendicular to the length direction and traversing the body (22, 23, 24) and the cover portion (24) has substantially the same size in the width direction and in the thickness direction (“0.5 mm” [0048]). (Adachi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0019], [0044], [0048]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the body of Choi to include the cross-section having the same size in the width direction and in the thickness direction of Adachi, the motivation being to provide “a composite substrate 22 structured to have a ceramic dielectric layer 23 and a ceramic magnetic layer 24 stacked” [0019]. (Adachi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0019]). Therefore, the limitation of Claim 9 would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 10 and similarly claim 11, the combination of Choi in view of Adachi further teaches (Adachi: Fig. 3(a)), wherein the cover portion has a first cover surface (bottom (24), Fig. 3(A) contacting the second surface of the body, a second cover surface (top) opposing the first cover surface, and opposite cover side surfaces (Fig. 3(A)) opposing each other while each connecting the first cover surface and the second cover surface to each other, and the opposite cover side surfaces of the cover portion are coplanar with the opposite side surfaces of the body, respectively, the motivation being to provide “a composite substrate 22 structured to have a ceramic dielectric layer 23 and a ceramic magnetic layer 24 stacked” [0019]. (Adachi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0019], [0044], [0048]).
Regarding Claim 12, the combination of Choi in view of Adachi further teaches, wherein the cover portion includes a magnetic material of a same ingredient as the body (“soft magnetic materials can be used to form the ceramic body 10” [0071]. (Choi: Figs. 1-5, machine translation, para. [0071]).
Regarding Claim 13, the combination of Choi in view of Adachi further teaches, wherein an interface (interface between, (22), (23), Fig. 3(A)) is formed between the cover portion and the body, the motivation being to provide “a composite substrate 22 structured to have a ceramic dielectric layer 23 and a ceramic magnetic layer 24 stacked” [0019]. (Adachi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0019]).
Regarding Claim 15, the combination of Choi in view of Adachi further teaches, wherein the coil unit (70) includes first and second coil patterns (coil patterns of 70) disposed on opposite surfaces of the substrate, respectively, a first via (not shown, Fig. 5, “through electrodes” [0078]) penetrating through the substrate to connect the first and second coil patterns to each other, and first and second lead-out portions (71, 72) connected to the first and second external electrodes, respectively. (Choi: Fig. 5, machine translation, para. [0078], [0082]).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Choi, in view of Adachi, as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Choi et al. (hereinafter Choi 2), U.S. Patent Application Publication 2016/0268038.
Regarding Claim 18, Choi teaches a thin-film inductor. (Choi: Figs. 1-5, machine translation, para. [0068]).
Choi does not explicitly teach, wherein the coil unit is a wire-wound type coil.
However, Choi 2 teaches (Fig. 2), wherein the coil unit is a wire-wound type coil (“the coil may be formed of a metal wire” [0101]). (Choi 2: Figs. 1-5, para. [0101]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the thin-film inductor of Choi in view of Adachi to include the wire wound inductor of Choi 2, the motivation being “coil 40 is not necessarily limited to the plating process as described above, and the coil may be formed of a metal wire” [0101]. (Choi 2: Figs. 1-5, para. [0101]). Therefore, the limitation of Claim 18 would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yoon et al. (US 20190259527), Yoo et al. (US 20140062615), Lim et al. (US 20200118729), and Suzuki et al. (US 20160012961).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 14, 16 and 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if any of claims 7, 14 and 16 are rewritten in independent form including all of the limitation of the base claims and any intervening claims.
Claim 7 and similarly claim 14 recite, inter alia, “…further comprising an insulating film covering the coil unit and the substrate together, wherein a mean shortest distance T2 between the insulating film and the first surface of the body is equal to a sum of a mean shortest distance Ti between the insulating film and the second surface of the body and a mean shortest distance T3 between the first cover surface and the second cover surface”. (Emphasis added).
Claim 16 recites, inter alia, “…wherein the first external electrode includes a first pad portion disposed on the first surface of the body, and a first connection portion connecting the first lead-out portion and the first pad portion to each other, the second external electrode includes a second pad portion disposed on the first surface of the body, and a second connection portion connecting the second lead-out portion and the second pad portion to each other, and each of the first and second connection portions penetrates through inside of the body”. (Emphasis added).
Claim 17 recites, inter alia, “…wherein the coil unit further includes a second via penetrating through the substrate to connect the second lead-out portion and the second connection portion to each other”. (Emphasis added).
Reason for Allowance
Claims 19-23, are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claim 19 recites, inter alia, “…a coil component comprising: a body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface in a thickness direction; a coil unit embedded in the body, the coil unit being disposed on a first substrate surface parallel to the first and second surfaces of the body; a cover portion disposed on the second surface, the cover surface having a first cover surface contacting the second surface and a second cover surface opposing the first cover surface in the thickness direction; an insulating film covering the coil unit, wherein a mean shortest distance T2 between the insulating film and the first surface of the body is equal to a sum of a mean shortest distance Ti between the insulating film and the second surface of the body and a mean shortest distance T3 between the first cover surface and the second cover surface. (Emphasis added).
The references of record do not teach or suggest the aforementioned limitation, nor would it be obvious to modify those references to include such limitation.
CN104916390A (Choi) discloses (except where italicized) inter alia,
a coil component (Fig. 5) comprising:
a body (10) having a first surface (bottom) and a second surface (top) opposing the first surface in a thickness direction;
a coil unit (70) embedded in the body, the coil unit being disposed on a first substrate surface (substrate 60) parallel to the first and second surfaces of the body;
a cover portion (not shown, “cover layer” [0067]) disposed on the second surface, the cover [portion] having a first cover surface contacting the second surface and a second cover surface opposing the first cover surface in the thickness direction (“multiple magnetic layers 50 can be stacked on the upper and lower parts of the inner coil section to form an upper cover layer and a lower cover layer (not shown)” [0067] comprises “a first cover surface contacting the second surface and a second cover surface opposing the first cover surface in the thickness direction”);
an insulating film covering the coil unit,
wherein a mean shortest distance T2 between the insulating film and the first surface of the body is equal to a sum of a mean shortest distance Ti between the insulating film and the second surface of the body and a mean shortest distance T3 between the first cover surface and the second cover surface. (Choi: Figs. 1-5, machine translation, para. [0067], [0070], [0078], [0105]).
Choi doesn’t disclose, at least, an insulating film covering the coil unit,
wherein a mean shortest distance T2 between the insulating film and the first surface of the body is equal to a sum of a mean shortest distance Ti between the insulating film and the second surface of the body and a mean shortest distance T3 between the first cover surface and the second cover surface.
Claims 20-23, are allowed because each claim is directly or indirectly dependent of independent Claim 19.
Conclusion
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/MALCOLM BARNES/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
1/24/2026