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 01/11/2023 and 03/27/2026 has been considered.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Species I: Figs. 1-3, claims 1-3, 6 and 8-22 without traverse in a response on 06/05/2026 has been previously acknowledged. Further, Claims 14, 15 and 17-22 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. In this Office Action, claims 14, 15 and 17-22 are withdrawn, and claims 1-3, 6, 8-13 and 16 are examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b), as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 15, the phrase “the first and second band-shaped external electrodes“ is not well defined since the phrase lacks antecedent basis.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 6, 8-13 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Koizumi et al. (hereinafter Koizumi), U.S. Patent Application Publication 2022/0277889.
Regarding Claim 1, Koizumi teaches, a coil component (Fig. 3) comprising:
a body (10) having:
first and second surfaces (15, 16) opposing each other and disposed to be perpendicular to a first direction,
third and fourth surfaces (11, 12) opposing each other and connected to the first surface and the second surface, the third and fourth surfaces being disposed to be perpendicular to a second direction, and
fifth and sixth surfaces (13, 14) opposing each other and connected to the first to fourth surfaces, the fifth and sixth surfaces being disposed to be perpendicular to a third direction, wherein a gap [interval] between the first surface and the second surface is greater than a gap between the third surface and the fourth surface and a gap between the fifth surface and the sixth surface (id.);
a coil portion (30) disposed within the body and including a first lead-out portion (35) and a second lead-out portion (36) leading out to the first surface and the second surface of the body, respectively;
a first external electrode (21) connected to the first lead- out portion and extending from the first surface of the body to the second surface of the body; and
a second external electrode (22) connected to the second lead-out portion and extending from the second surface of the body to the first surface of the body,
wherein the first and second external electrodes are spaced apart from each other in the second direction (id.). (Koizumi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0023], [0028], [0035]).
Regarding Claim 2 and similarly claim 16, Koizumi further teaches, wherein the first and second lead-out portions are disposed in different locations in the second direction (id.). (Koizumi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0023], [0028], [0035]).
Regarding Claim 3 and similarly claims 6 and 8, Koizumi further teaches, wherein the first and second external electrodes are disposed on the first surface and the second surface of the body, and the fifth surface and the sixth surface of the body (id.). (Koizumi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0023], [0028], [0035]).
Regarding Claim 9, Koizumi further teaches, wherein the first to third directions are perpendicular to each other (id.). (Koizumi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0023], [0028], [0035]).
Regarding Claim 11, Koizumi further teaches, wherein the gap [interval] between the third surface and the fourth surface is greater than the gap between the fifth surface and the sixth surface (“length dimension of the multilayer body is preferably equal to or more than 0.61 mm and preferably equal to or less than 0.91 mm” [0042], “height dimension of the multilayer body is preferably equal to or more than 0.61 mm, and preferably equal to or more than 0.91 mm” [0044]). (Koizumi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0042]-[0044]).
Regarding Claim 12 and similarly claim 13, Koizumi further teaches, wherein a portion of the first surface is exposed (id.). (Koizumi: Figs. 1-3, para. [0023], [0028], [0035]).
Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim et al. (US 20200402699).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if claim 10 is rewritten in independent form including all of the limitation of the base claims and any intervening claims.
Claim 10 recites, inter alia, “…wherein a winding axis of the coil portion is parallel to the third direction”. (Emphasis added).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MALCOLM BARNES whose telephone number is (408)918-7512. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5:00 pm (PST).
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/MALCOLM BARNES/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
8/06/2026
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