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 with traverse of Species A, Figures 1-5 with claims 1-8, 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18-28 in the reply filed on 1/6/2026 is acknowledged.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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) 18-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yoon et al. [US 2017/0178798 A1].
Regarding claim 18, Yoon et al. discloses a coil component [100A, figure 2] comprising:
- a body [10];
- an insulating layer [support member 20] disposed in the body;
- at least one first coil [31] and at least one second coil [32] disposed on opposing surfaces of the insulating layer;
- a plurality of conductive vias [33, 43] spaced apart from one another and connecting the at least one first coil and the at least one second coil through the insulating layer;
- a first external electrode [81] and a second external electrode [82] disposed on the body and connected to the at least one first coil and the at least one second coil, respectively, wherein a portion of each of the plurality of conductive vias is exposed from a side surface of the insulating layer [figures 2-3].
Regarding claims 19-21, Yoon et al. discloses each of the plurality of conductive vias includes an exposed side surface uncovered by and exposed from the side surface of the insulating layer, and the exposed side surface is coplanar with the side surface of the insulating layer [figure 2], wherein the exposed side surface is coplanar with one side surface of the at least one first coil and one side surface of the at least one second coil [figures 2-3], with the exposed side surface is a flat surface [figures 2-3].
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) 1-7, 16 and 18-23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. [KR 10-2145308 or US 2020/0286671 A1] in view of Kim et al. [US 2022/0172879 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Kim et al. ‘308 discloses a coil component [100, figure 1] comprising:
- a body [10];
- an insulating layer [support member 20] disposed in the body;
- at least one first coil [31] disposed on a first surface of the insulating layer;
- at least one second coil [32] disposed on a second surface of the insulating layer;
- a conductive via [35] connecting the at least one first coil and the at least one second coil;
- a first external electrode [81] disposed on the body and connected to the at least one first coil; and
- a second external electrode [82] disposed on the body and connected to the at least one second coil, wherein the conductive via include a plurality of side surfaces, respectively, and at least one side surface, among the plurality of side surfaces, is at least partially uncovered by and exposed from the insulating layer [figure 1].
Kim et al. ‘308 disclose the instant claimed invention except for a plurality of conductive vias.
Kim et al. ‘879 discloses a coil component [1000, figure 1] comprising:
- a body [100];
- a support [200] arranged inside the body;
- a coil structure [300] including a first coil and a second coil [331, 332];
- a plurality of conductive vias [321, 322] connecting the first and second coils; and
- external electrodes [410, 420] connected to the coil structure.
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 the plurality of conductive vias of Kim et al. ‘879 in Kim et al. ‘308, for the purpose of improving internal connections.
Regarding claims 2-4 and 6, Kim et al. ‘308 discloses the plurality of side surfaces includes an exposed side surface uncovered by and exposed from the insulating layer, and the exposed side surface is coplanar with one side surface of the insulating layer [figure 1], wherein the exposed side surface is coplanar with one side surface of the at least one first coil and one side surface of the at least one second coil [figure 1], wherein the exposed side surface is a flat surface [figure 1], wherein the plurality of side surfaces includes an unexposed side surface covered by a portion of the insulating layer, and the unexposed side surface comprises a curved surface [figure 1].
Regarding claim 5, Kim et al. ‘308 discloses the exposed side surface is exposed in a direction toward a core of the at least one first coil or a core of the at least one second coil [figure 1].
Regarding claim 7, both Kim et al. ‘308 discloses a maximum width of the conductive via compare to a line width of a width of the exposed side surface measured in a direction, perpendicular to the line width direction [figure 5].
The specific “greater than half” dimensions for the conductive via would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of improving connections and/or providing connection strength.
Regarding claim 16, Kim et al. ‘879 discloses the plurality of conductive vias arranged in one direction [figures 1 and 7-8].
Regarding claim 18, Kim ‘308 discloses a coil component [100, figure 1] comprising:
- a body [10];
- an insulating layer [support member 20] disposed in the body;
- at least one first coil [31] and at least one second coil [32] disposed on opposing surfaces of the insulating layer;
- a conductive via [35] connecting the at least one first coil and the at least one second coil through the insulating layer;
- a first external electrode [81] and a second external electrode [82] disposed on the body and connected to the at least one first coil and the at least one second coil, respectively, wherein a portion is exposed from a side surface of the insulating layer [figure 1].
Kim et al. ‘308 disclose the instant claimed invention except for a plurality of conductive vias.
Kim et al. ‘879 discloses a coil component [1000, figure 1] comprising:
- a body [100];
- a support [200] arranged inside the body;
- a coil structure [300] including a first coil and a second coil [331, 332];
- a plurality of conductive vias [321, 322] connecting the first and second coils; and
- external electrodes [410, 420] connected to the coil structure.
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 the plurality of conductive vias of Kim et al. ‘879 in Kim et al. ‘308, for the purpose of improving internal connections.
Regarding claims 19-20 and 23, Kim et al. ‘308 discloses the conductive via includes an exposed side surface uncovered by and exposed from the side surface of the insulating layer, and the exposed side surface is coplanar with the side surface of the insulating layer [figure 1], wherein the exposed side surface is coplanar with one side surface of the at least one first coil and one side surface of the at least one second coil [figure 1] and the side surface includes an unexposed side surface covered by a portion of the insulating layer, and the unexposed side surface comprises a curved surface [figure 1].
Regarding claims 21-22, Kim et al. ‘308 discloses the exposed side surface is a flat surface [figure 1], wherein the exposed side surface is exposed in a direction toward a core of the at least one first coil or a core of the at least one second coil.
Claim(s) 8, 10, 12, 14 and 24-28 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. in view of Kim et al. as applied to claims 1 and 18 above, and further in view of Yoon et al.
Regarding claims 8, 12, and 24-26, Kim et al., as modified, further discloses the first and second coils having ends connected to the first and second external electrodes [figure 1].
Kim et al., as modified, further disclose a pad region [36] of the first and second coils connected to the conductive via(s) [figures 1 and 5 of Kim ‘308].
Kim et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the specific line width of the pad region compare to other [different] region(s) of the coils.
Yoon et al. discloses the coils having ends connected to external electrodes thereof and other ends connected to at least one of the conductive via [51] at a connecting pad area of a core region of the coil component, wherein the pad area having a line with equal to a line width of other regions.
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 the pad region design of Yoon et al. in Kim et al. for the purpose of proving uniform conductor and/or improving inductance, manufacturing or assembling.
Regarding claims 10 and 14, the specific dimension [less than or equal to a width, twice the width] of the pad regions relative to the conductive via(s) would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of providing connection strength and improving internal connection.
Regarding claim 27, Kim et al. ‘879 discloses the plurality of conductive vias arranged in one or extending direction of the at least one first coil or the at least one second coil and spaced apart from one another with an interval [figures 1 and 7-8].
Regarding claim 28, Kim et al. ‘308 discloses conductive via include side surface, respectively, that are coplanar with a side surface of the insulating layer [figure 1].
Conclusion
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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