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 Species I, Figures 1-5 with claims 1-3, 6, 8-9 and 12-14 read on the elected Species in the reply filed on 11/21/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 14 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 14, there is no antecedent basis for “the first electrode portion”. Applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement of “the first electrode portion” intended by “where the first electrode portion includes a surface that connects the first surface and the second surface and entirely overlaps the first surface when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the first surface.”
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) 1-3, 8-9, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Su et al. [KR 2018-0116604 A].
Regarding claims 1-2, 8-9 and 12-14, Su et al. discloses a coil component [100, figures 1-2] comprising:
- an element body [50] including a main surface which is used as a mounting surface, wherein the element body includes a plurality of soft magnetic metal particles [metal magnetic particles disposed in a resin that has an electrical insulating property];
- a coil [40] disposed in the element body; and
- a first electrode part [82a] embedded in the element body and electrically connected to the coil, wherein the first electrode part includes a first surface exposed from the main surface and a second surface opposing the first surface, and an area of the first surface is larger than an area of the second surface when viewed from a direction orthogonal to the first surface and wherein the first surface and the second surface are parallel to each other [figure 2].
Regarding claim 3, Su et al. further discloses two or more soft magnetic metal particles [Ni-Zn-Cu ferrite particles] are disposed between the coil and the first electrode part along the direction orthogonal to the first surface.
Regarding claim 12, Su et al. further an average particle diameter of the plurality of soft magnetic metal particles is 0.1 μm or more and 30 μm or less.
Regarding claim 14, as best understood in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, Su et al. further discloses an electrode portion [82] includes a surface that connects the first surface of the first electrode part and entirely overlaps the first surface when viewed from the direction orthogonal to the first surface [figure 2].
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) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Su et al. in view of Jin et al. [KR 10-2025709 B1].
Regarding claim 6, Su et al. further discloses an external electrode [82] disposed on the element body, wherein the element body includes a main surface on which the first electrode part is exposed and an end surface adjacent to the main surface.
Su et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the external electrode includes a first electrode portion provided on the end surface and a second electrode portion connected to the first electrode portion and covering the first electrode part.
Yoon et al. discloses a coil component [figure 1] including:
- a body [100] having a main mounting surface and a side/end surface adjacent to the main mounting surface; and
- at least one external electrode [400, 500] having multiple portions cover the surfaces of the body and connected to an internal coil.
It would have been an obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use external electrode design of Yoon et al. in Su et al. for the purpose of facilitating internal and/or external connections and mounting.
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837