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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, Species II, Figures 2A-2E, Claims 1-6, 10-18 and 36-42 in the reply filed on 11/10/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 6, 10-11, 13-15, 36-38 and 42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Inoue et al. [US 6,784,782 B1].
Regarding claims 1-2, 6, 10-11, 13, Inoue et al. discloses electronic component [figure 4] comprising:
- a core [4] defining an axis, wherein the core is elongate and substantially cylindrical;
- a conductor [2] at least partially wound about the core, wherein the conductor is a round wire and helically wound about the core along the axis of the core with a plurality of turns;
- a mounting surface defining a plane and configured to engage a board surface, the axis of the core extending substantially parallel to the plane [figure 4]; and
- a first terminal [3] and a second terminal [3] extending along the plane of the mounting surface.
Regarding claims 14-15, Inoue et al. further discloses a magnetic and/or non-magnetic material [1, composite magnetic body formed of magnetic powder and resin] forming an encapsulating body about at least a portion of the core and the conductor wherein an end of the core is exposed through the encapsulating body [figure 4].
Regarding claims 36-38, Inoue et al. discloses an electronic component [figure 4] comprising:
- a core [4] defining an axis, wherein the core having a first half about the axis a second half about the axis, and the first terminal end and the second terminal end being along the second half of the core [figure 4]; and
- a conductor [2] at least partially wound about the core to from a conductor winding, the conductor having a first terminal end and a second terminal end, the first terminal end being at a first end of the conductor winding, the second terminal end being at a second end of the conductor winding [figure 4], wherein the first terminal end and the second terminal end reside in a same plane which is substantially parallel to the axis [figure 4].
Regarding claim 42, Inoue et al. further discloses a magnetic and/or non-magnetic material [1] forming an encapsulating body about at least a portion of the conductor, the encapsulating body forming at least a portion of a planar mounting surface along which the first terminal end and the second terminal end extend [figure 4].
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, 10-11 and 13 and is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kitamura [US 2016/0148741 A1].
Regarding claims 1-2, 5, 10-11 and 13, Kitamura discloses an electronic component [figures 1-6] comprising:
- a core [P, figure 4] defining an axis, wherein the core is elongate and substantially cylindrical;
- a conductor [11] at least partially wound about the core, wherein the conductor is a flat wire and helically wound about the core along the axis of the core and forming a plurality of turns about the core [figure 1];
- a mounting surface [figures 1 and 5-6] defining a plane and configured to engage a board surface, the axis of the core extending substantially parallel to the plane; and
- a first terminal and a second terminal extending along the plane of the mounting surface [figures 1 and 5-6].
Claim(s) 1-2, 5, 10-13, 36-39 and 41-42 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Saito et al. [US 2010/0259353 A1].
Regarding claims 1-3, 5, 10-11 and 13-14, Kitamura discloses an electronic component [figure 13c] comprising:
- a core [42c] defining an axis, wherein the core is elongate and substantially cylindrical;
- a conductor [41] at least partially wound about the core, wherein the conductor is a flat wire and helically wound about the core along the axis of the core and forming a plurality of turns about the core [figure 13c] and wherein a first end of the conductor is the first terminal and a second end of the conductor is the second terminal for mounting to the board surface.
- a mounting surface [figure 13c] defining a plane and configured to engage a board surface, the axis of the core extending substantially parallel to the plane;
- a first terminal [41a] and a second terminal [41a] extending along the plane of the mounting surface; and
- a magnetic and/or non-magnetic material [7] forming an encapsulating body about at least a portion of the core and the conductor.
Regarding claim 4, Saito et al. further discloses an end face of the first terminal and an end face of the second terminal are exposed through opposing sides of an outer body encapsulating at least a portion of the core and the conductor [41a of figure 13c and similar to 1a of figure 6].
Regarding claim 12, Saito et al. discloses the conductor is a flat wire having a cross section with opposing sides spaced apart by opposing edges, wherein each side of the cross section represents a side-face of the flat wire, and each edge of the cross section represents an edge-face, and wherein the plurality of turns are wound edge-face to edge-face [figures 13c].
Regarding claims 16-17, Saito et al. further discloses a first terminal [8] and a second terminal [8], the first terminal including a first conductive plate extending along a first end of the conductor, the second terminal including a second conductive plate extending along a second end of the conductor [figures 6-7], wherein a portion of the first conductive plate and a portion of the second conductive plate extend transversely to the axis of the core and the portion of the first conductive plate and the portion of the second conductive plate extend on a same side of the core [figures 6-7].
Regarding claims 36-38, Saito discloses an electronic component [figure 13c] comprising:
- a core [42c] defining an axis;
- a conductor [41] at least partially wound about the core to from a conductor winding, the conductor having a first terminal end [41a] and a second terminal end [41a], the first terminal end being at a first end of the conductor winding, the second terminal end being at a second end of the conductor winding [figure 13c], the core having a first half about the axis a second half about the axis, and the first terminal end and the second terminal end being along the second half of the core [figure 13c], wherein the first terminal end and the second terminal end reside in a same plane with the same plane is substantially parallel to the axis.
Regarding claim 39, Saito et al. further discloses the first terminal end includes a first planar mounting surface and the second terminal end includes a second planar mounting surface extending along the same plane [figure 13c].
Regarding claims 41-42, Saito et al. further discloses a first terminal [8, 18] and a second terminal [8, 18], wherein at least a portion of the first terminal end forms or connects to the first terminal and at least a portion of the second terminal end forms or connects to the second terminal, and a magnetic and/or non-magnetic material [7, 17] forming an encapsulating body about at least a portion of the conductor, the encapsulating body forming at least a portion of a planar mounting surface along which the first terminal end and the second terminal end extend.
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.
Claim(s) 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Saito et al. in view of Stephan et al. [DE 102020110850 A1].
Regarding claim 40, Saito et al. further discloses at least a portion of the first terminal end extends from the conductor winding toward the first planar mounting surface and at least a portion of the second terminal end extends from the conductor winding toward the second planar mounting surface [figure 13c].
Saito et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for a portion of terminal end extends tangentially from the conductor winding toward the first planar mounting surface.
Stephan et al. discloses a magnetic component including a magnetic core and a coil structure [7] disposed inside the magnetic core, wherein the coil structure having helically wound flat conductor having terminal ends [11] with at least a portion [10] of the terminal end extends tangentially from the conductor winding toward a planar mounting surface [figures 4-5].
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have a portion of the terminal ends extend tangentially from the conductor winding toward a planar mounting surface of Saito et al., as suggested by Stephan et al. for the purpose of facilitating/improving surface mounting and/or manufacturing/assembling.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TUYEN T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1996. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:30-5:30.
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, 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.
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.
/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837