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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on June 2, 2026, has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 14 and its depending claims 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.
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) 14 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jeon et al. (US Publication 2014/0116766).
In re claim 14, Jeon discloses a multilayer ceramic capacitor comprising:
a ceramic body (12 – Figure 1, Figure 3, ¶53) including a plurality of dielectric layers (52, 54 – Figure 1, Figure 3, ¶53) stacked on one another and having a preset size with a length, a width, and a thickness along directions crossing each other (Figure 1, Figure 3) (¶49);
first and second external electrodes (42, 44 – Figure 1, Figure 3, ¶58) spaced apart from each other along a longitudinal direction of the ceramic body (‘L’ direction – Figure 1, Figure 3), each of the first and second external electrodes (42, 44 – Figure 1, Figure 3) including a body portion (portion of 42, 44 on surfaces of 12 facing in the ‘L’ direction – Figure 3) covering one of opposite end surfaces of the ceramic body (left and right surfaces of 12 – Figure 3) in the longitudinal direction, and a band portion (portion of 42, 44 on ST, SB – Figure 3, ¶64) from the body portion to cover portions of upper and lower surfaces (ST, SB – Figure 3) that face each other in a thickness direction of the ceramic body (‘T’ direction – Figure 3);
a plurality of first and second internal electrodes (22, 24 – Figure 3, ¶53) alternately stacked with the dielectric layers therebetween in the ceramic body (Figure 1, Figure 3), positioned to be offset from each other in the longitudinal direction of the ceramic body to be alternately drawn out from opposite end portions thereof, and respectively connected to the first and second external electrodes (42, 44 – Figure 1, Figure 3); and
an insulating layer (80 – Figure 3, ¶67) disposed to cover outside of the body portions of the first and second external electrodes (42, 44 – Figure 1, Figure 3), and extending to cover the band portions of the first and second external electrodes disposed on the upper and lower surfaces of the ceramic body (Figure 3), wherein the insulating layer does not extend onto the upper and lower surfaces of the ceramic body (12 – Figure 3) between the first and second external electrodes (42, 44 – Figure 3),
wherein the band portions of the first and second external electrodes (42, 44 – Figure 1) further extend to cover opposite side surfaces of the ceramic body (110b, 110c – Figure 1, ¶43) facing each other in a width direction of the ceramic body (surfaces of 12 facing in the ‘W’ direction – Figure 1),
the insulating layer (80 – Figure 1) includes a cutout portion exposing entire side portions on the band portions (Figure 1, Figure 3) disposed on the opposite side surfaces of the ceramic body in the width direction (See Figure 3; 80 does not fully cover 42, 44 on surfaces ST, SB),
a width of the insulating layer (80 – Figure 1, Figure 3) in the width direction (‘W’ direction – Figure 1) is greater than at least half of a width of each body portion of the first and second external electrodes in the width direction (Figure 1).
In re claim 17, Jeon discloses the multilayer ceramic capacitor of claim 14, as explained above. Jeon further discloses wherein the insulating layer is made of at least one material selected from a group including insulating glass, epoxy, and insulating ceramic (¶22).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jeon et al. (US Publication 2014/0116766) in view of Kim (US Publication 2013/0050893).
In re claim 16, Jeon discloses the multilayer ceramic capacitor of claim 14, as explained above. Jeon does not disclose wherein the first and second external electrodes have openings on the opposite end surfaces of the ceramic body, respectively, facing in the longitudinal direction.
Kim discloses wherein the first and second external electrodes (131, 132 – Figure 6) have openings on the opposite end surfaces of the ceramic body, respectively, facing in the longitudinal direction (‘X’ direction – Figure 6; Note that this external electrode configuration is consistent with Figure 10 of the Instant Application.).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to increase the stability of the device and adhesion strength when mounted via solder (¶115 – Kim).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-2 and 5-13 are allowed. The prior art does not teach nor suggest (in combination with other claim limitations) the first and second electrode pads include a pair of patches that are physically isolated from each other based on a center of the ceramic body in the width direction.
Claims 18 and 20 are allowed. The prior art does not teach nor suggest (in combination with other claim limitations) the first and second electrode pads include a pair of patches that are physically isolated from each other based on a center of the ceramic body in the width direction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ahn et al. (US Publication 2015/0124370) Figure 2, Figure 3, Figure 4
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/ARUN RAMASWAMY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2848
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