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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 06/12/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-13 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
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, 2, 4, 5, 7-10 12 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2016/0126004 A1, hereinafter “Yang”).
PNG
media_image1.png
420
537
media_image1.png
Greyscale
With respect to claim 2, Yang teaches the coil component according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic portion is provided immediately adjacent to the outer circumference of the winding part (para. [0022]).
With respect to claim 4, Yang teaches the coil component according to claim 1, wherein the first magnetic portion occupies at least a half of a volume of the magnetic base body outward of the winding part as viewed from a height direction of the coil component (para. [0022]).
With respect to claim 5, Yang teaches the coil component according to claim 1, further comprising an external electrode 80, wherein the first magnetic portion is provided between the winding part and the external electrode (para. [0039]).
With respect to claim 7, Yang teaches the coil component according to claim 1, wherein an external shape of the coil component is square or rectangular when viewed from a height direction of the coil component, and a height dimension of the external shape is smaller than one side of the square or rectangle (para. [0023]).
With respect to claim 8, Yang teaches a circuit board arrangement (FIGs 1-5). comprising:
a coil component recited in claim 1; and
a board (not expressly shown) on which the coil component is mounted (paras. [0003], [0022] and [0046]).
With respect to claim 9, Yang teaches an electronic device (“chip electronic component” para. [0003]) comprising the circuit board arrangement according to claim 8 (paras. [0003], [0022] and [0046]).
With respect to claim 10, Yang teaches a method of manufacturing the coil component recited in claim 1, the method comprising:
(i) forming the compact of the first magnetic portion; and
(ii) forming the compact of the second magnetic portion, wherein step (i) and step (ii) are conducted in a manner that the first magnetic portion and the second magnetic portion are independently shaped; and
(iii) making the magnetic base body such that the winding part that has the wound conductor is encapsulated by the compact of the first magnetic portion and the compact of the second magnetic portion (paras. [0082]-[0086]).
With respect to claim 12, Yang teaches the method according to claim 10, wherein a binder that binds the first metal particles together and a binder that binds the second metal particles together are of the same composition (para. [0026]).
With respect to claim 13, Yang teaches the method according to claim 12, wherein bonding the first metal particles together in the first magnetic portion and bonding the second metal particles together in the second magnetic portion are performed in a same process (paras. [0085] and [0086]).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 3 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang, as applied to claim 1, in view of Sugiyama et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2019/0221357 A1, hereinafter “Sugiyama”).
With respect to claim 3, Yang teaches the coil component according to claim 1. Yang does not expressly teach the first magnetic portion is provided along an entire outer circumference of the winding part.
Sugiyama teaches a coil component (FIG. 9), wherein the first magnetic portion 73 is provided along an entire outer circumference of the winding part 3 (para. [0095]). 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 first magnetic portion as taught by Sugiyama to the coil component of Yang to improve inductance (para. [0095]).
With respect to claim 11, Yang teaches the method according to claim 10. Yang does not expressly teach a portion of the magnetic base body outward of an outer circumference of the winding part is formed of one kind of material.
Sugiyama teaches a coil component (FIG. 9), wherein the magnetic base body 6 and 71-73 outward of an outer circumference of the winding part 3 is formed of one kind of material 73 (para. [0095]). 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 one kind of material as taught by Sugiyama to the coil component of Yang to improve inductance (para. [0095]).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yang, as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hirukawa et al. (U.S. PG. Pub. No. 2022/0262559 A1, hereinafter “Hirukawa”).
With respect to claim 6, Yang teaches the coil component according to claim 1, wherein an external shape of the coil component is rectangular parallelepiped (para. [0023]). Yang does not expressly teach a long side of the external shape is 1.0 mm or less.
Hirukawa teaches a coil component 1 (FIG. 1), wherein a long side of the external shape is 1.0 mm or less (para. [0056). 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 long side as taught by Hirukawa to the coil component of Yang to reduce size.
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 PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANGTIN LIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-5729. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 0800-1700.
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 S. 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.
/MANG TIN BIK LIAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights