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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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(s) 17-19 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. [KR 102178528 B1] (hereinafter as “Kim ‘528”).
Regarding Claim 17, Kim ‘528 shows a coil component (Figs. 1-2 and Drawings A-C below) comprising:
a body (50);
a substrate (23) disposed in the body (see Figs. 1-2);
a coil unit including a coil pattern (42) disposed on the substrate (see Figs. 1-2), a lead-out portion (62), and a connection portion (connection portion C, see Drawing A below) disposed between the coil pattern and the lead-out portion (see Fig. 2 and Drawing A below); and
an external electrode (81) disposed on the body and connected to the lead-out portion (see Figs. 1-2),
wherein the connection portion (connection portion C) includes a connection pattern (connection pattern CP, see Drawing B below) connecting an end portion of the coil pattern to the lead-out portion (see Fig. 2 and Drawings A-B below) and at least one separation pattern (separation pattern S1) spaced apart from the connection pattern (connection pattern CP, see Drawing B below) and protruding from a different location of an inner surface of the lead- out portion from the connection pattern (see Drawing B below, separation pattern S1 protrudes from a different location of an inner surface of element 62 from connection pattern CP), and
wherein each of the at least one separation pattern (separation pattern S1) includes a pair of protrusions (protrusion P1, protrusion P2, see Drawing B below) that respectively protrude from the inner surface of the lead-out portion and an outer surface of the end portion of the coil pattern (see Drawing B below, protrusion P1, protrusion P2 respectively protrude from the inner surface of element 62 and an outer surface of the end portion of element 42).
Regarding Claim 18, Kim ‘528 shows the connection pattern has a smaller line width than a width of the lead-out portion (see Fig. 2 and Drawings A-C below, connection pattern CP has a smaller line width LW than a width W of element 62).
Regarding Claim 19, Kim ‘528 shows the at least one separation pattern includes two separation patterns (separation pattern S1, separation pattern S2), and the connection pattern is disposed between the two separation patterns (see Fig. 2 and Drawing B below).
Regarding Claim 21, Kim ‘528 shows a width (width W, see Drawing C below) of the lead-out portion (62), measured at a surface (left surface) of the body (50) at which the lead-out portion (62) is connected to the external electrode (81, see Fig. 2 and Drawing C below), is larger than a distance (distance D) between outermost surfaces of the at least one separation pattern (see Drawing C below, width W is larger distance D).
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Drawing A
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Drawing B
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Drawing C
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Drawing 1
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Drawing 2
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Drawing 3
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-8 and 11-14 are allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 17-19 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.
Applicant's arguments filed 03/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant’s arguments that Kim ‘528 does not shows “the connection portion includes a connection pattern connecting an end portion of the coil pattern to the lead-out portion and at least one separation pattern spaced apart from the connection pattern and protruding from a different location of an inner surface of the lead-out portion from the connection pattern, and wherein each of the at least one separation pattern includes a pair of protrusions that respectively protrude from the inner surface of the lead-out portion and an outer surface of the end portion of the coil pattern” is found not persuasive. Based on another interpretation of Kim ‘528 with respect to the newly filed amended claims, Kim ‘528 shows the connection portion (connection portion C) includes a connection pattern (connection pattern CP, see Drawing B below) connecting an end portion of the coil pattern to the lead-out portion (see Fig. 2 and Drawings A-B below) and at least one separation pattern (separation pattern S1) spaced apart from the connection pattern (connection pattern CP, see Drawing B below) and protruding from a different location of an inner surface of the lead- out portion from the connection pattern (see Drawing B below, separation pattern S1 protrudes from a different location of an inner surface of element 62 from connection pattern CP), and wherein each of the at least one separation pattern (separation pattern S1) includes a pair of protrusions (protrusion P1, protrusion P2, see Drawing B below) that respectively protrude from the inner surface of the lead-out portion and an outer surface of the end portion of the coil pattern (see Drawing B below, protrusion P1, protrusion P2 respectively protrude from the inner surface of element 62 and an outer surface of the end portion of element 42).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TSZFUNG J CHAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7981. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 8:00AM-6:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki Ismail can be reached at (571)272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TSZFUNG J CHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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