DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Elections/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group I (Claims 1-5, 7 and 12-17) in the reply filed on 01/27/2026 is acknowledged. However, since applicant did not distinctly indicate whether election is with or without traverse and did not point out any supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.03(a) and 818.03(c)).
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the windings are arranged in a single row as claimed in claim 7 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121 (d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as "amended." If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either "Replacement Sheet" or "New Sheet" pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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)(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.
Claims 1-4 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim (US 20200402699 A1).
Regarding Claim 1:
Kim teaches that a power inductor (10, Fig. 1), comprising;
a winding (42, 44, Fig. 1; para 0031-0055) comprising a first pin (34) and a second pin (31), wherein the winding is a bare copper sheet (see para 0065); and
a metal magnetic powder core (see para 0043-0044), that is pressed to the winding, and
wherein the metal magnetic powder core is insulated (i.e. resin; see para 0043) from the winding, and
wherein the first pin and the second pin are exposed (claim does not require that pins are directly exposed on the surface, given the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) of the claim interpretation, Kim reads the claim limitations) on different surfaces of the metal magnetic powder core (i.e. pin 34 and 31 exposed on surface 103 and 104, respectively).
Regarding Claim 2:
As applied to claim 1, Kim teaches that a body structure (50) comprising two ends:
a first connection structure (64, Fig. 1) connected to a first end of (44a, Fig. 1) the two ends, wherein the first connection structure comprises the first pin; and
a second connection structure (62) connected to a second end (42a) of the two ends, wherein the second connection structure comprises the second pin.
Regarding Claim 3:
As applied to claim 2, Kim teaches that the second connection structure further comprises a third pin (32);, and wherein the third pin and the first pin (34) are located on a same surface (construed from Fig. 1) of the metal magnetic powder core.
Regarding Claim 4:
As applied to claim 3, Kim teaches that first current path length from the first pin to the second pin (i.e. current path from pin 34 to 31); and a second current path (i.e. current path from pin 32 to 31); length from the third pin to the second pint wherein the first current path length is less (i.e. length of 32 to 31 is less than to length of 34 to 31 in Fig. 1) than the second current path length.
Regarding Claim 7:
As applied to claim 3, Kim teaches that further comprising a plurality of windings (i.e. 42, 44), wherein the windings are arranged in a single row (construed from Fig. 1).
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 of this title, 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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Kim in view of Hanson (US 20210193360 A1).
Regarding Claim 5:
As applied to claim 2, Kim teaches that the first connection structure is connected to the first end, and wherein the second connection structure is connected to the second end structure except the body structure is Z-shaped.
However, Hanson teaches that the body structure is Z-shaped (see Fig. 4A; para 0072).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the body structure is Z-shaped to provide for a flat inductor coil having a shape with leads formed as a unitary piece by stamping a sheet of meta (para 0007).
Claims 12-14 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Hwang (US 20220208438 A1).
Regarding Claim 12:
Kim teaches that a system in package module, comprising a power inductor (10, Fig. 1), wherein the power inductor comprises;
a winding (42, 44, Fig. 1; para 0031-0055) comprising a first pin (34) and a second pin (31), wherein the winding is a bare copper sheet (see para 0065); and
a metal magnetic powder core (see para 0043-0044), that is pressed to the winding, and wherein the metal magnetic powder core is insulated (i.e. resin; see para 0043) from the winding, and
wherein the first pin and the second pin are exposed (claim does not require that pins are directly exposed on the surface, given the broadest reasonable interpretation (BRI) of the claim interpretation, Kim reads the claim limitations) on different surfaces of the metal magnetic powder core (i.e. pin 34 and 31 exposed on surface 103 and 104, respectively).
Kim does not teach that a circuit board; and a power inductor is disposed on the circuit board.
However, Hwang taught in para 0029 that the sixth surface 106 of the body 100 may be used as a mounting surface when the coil component 1000 according to the present exemplary embodiment is mounted on a mounting board such as a printed circuit board (PCB) or the like.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have a circuit board; and a power inductor is disposed on the circuit board to provide a coil component in which connection reliability between a coil unit and external electrodes is improved (para 0007).
Regarding Claim 13:
As applied to claim 12, Kim teaches that further comprising a plurality of windings (i.e. 42, 44), wherein the windings are arranged in a single row (construed from Fig. 1).
Regarding Claim 14:
As applied to claim 12, Kim teaches that a body structure (50) comprising two ends:
a first connection structure (64, Fig. 1) connected to a first end of (44a, Fig. 1) the two ends, wherein the first connection structure comprises the first pin; and
a second connection structure (62) connected to a second end (42a) of the two ends, wherein the second connection structure comprises the second pin.
Regarding Claim 16:
As applied to claim 14, Kim teaches that the second connection structure further comprises a third pin (32);, and wherein the third pin and the first pin (34) are located on a same surface (construed from Fig. 1) of the metal magnetic powder core.
Regarding Claim 17:
As applied to claim 14, Kim teaches that
a first current path (i.e. current path from pin 34 to 31) length from the first pin to the second pin; and
a second current path (i.e. current path from pin 32 to 31); length from the third pin to the second pint wherein the first current path length is less (i.e. length of 32 to 31 is less than to length of 34 to 31 in Fig. 1) than the second current path length.
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim in view of Hwang and further in view of Hanson.
Regarding Claim 15:
As applied to claim 14, Kim teaches that the first connection structure is connected to the first end, and wherein the second connection structure is connected to the second end structure except the body structure is Z-shaped.
However, Hanson teaches that the body structure is Z-shaped (see Fig. 4A; para 0072).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to have the body structure is Z-shaped to provide for a flat inductor coil having a shape with leads formed as a unitary piece by stamping a sheet of meta (para 0007).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. A list of pertinent prior art is attached in form 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kazi Hossain whose telephone number is 571-272-8182. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday from Monday to Thursday 8:00 AM to 4:30 PM (EST).
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/KAZI HOSSAIN/
Examiner, Art Unit 2837
/SHAWKI S ISMAIL/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2837