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 1, Figures 1-7, claims 1-20 in the reply filed on 12/30/2025 is acknowledged.
Drawings
Figures 12A-12B should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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 § 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arimitsu et al. [US 2015/0042436 A1] in view of Sukegawa et al. [CN 111834087 A1].
Regarding claim 1, Arimitsu et al. discloses a coil component [figures 1-8] comprising:
- a core [10] that has a winding core portion [11] extending in an axial direction and a first flange portion [12] and a second flange portion [12] respectively at first and second end portions of the winding core portion opposite to each other in the axial direction;
- a first terminal electrode [41] that is at the first flange portion;
- a second terminal electrode [42] that is at the second flange portion; and
- at least one wire [31, 32] that is connected to the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode and is wound around the winding core portion, wherein each of the first flange portion and the second flange portion includes a raised portion raised at a central portion in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction and shoulder portions lower than the raised portion on both sides of the raised portion in the direction orthogonal to the axial direction on any surface around each of the first flange portion and the second flange portion [figure 2], wherein the first and second flange portions each having an inner end surface [figure 2] in the axial direction thereof.
Arimitsu et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for a recess, and a portion of the first end portion of the winding core portion is in the recess of the first flange portion and extends into the inner end surface of the first flange portion, and a portion of the second end portion of the winding core portion is in the recess of the second flange portion and extends into the inner end surface of the second flange portion.
Sukegawa et al. discloses a coil component [figures 1-29] comprising:
- a core [10] having a core portion [11] and two core flanges [12, 13];
- a coil [40] wound about the core portion of the core, wherein the core flanges provided with a recess [or a cutout, a ramp 16, 20] that extends a width direction [Wd] and an inner surface [12a, 13a, figure 5], a portion of the first end portion of the winding core portion [11] and a portion of the second end portion of the winding core portion [11] extend into the inner end surfaces [12a, 13a] of the core flanges.
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 ramp/recess design of Sukegawa et al. in Arimitsu et al. for the purpose of providing support for the coil ends and preventing coil ends from breaking.
Regarding claim 2, Arimitsu et al. discloses each of the first flange portion [12] and the second flange portion [12] includes a mounting surface [12B] facing a mounting board side at a time of mounting, a top surface [12A] facing opposite to the mounting surface, an outer end surface [12I] facing opposite to the inner end surface, the inner and outer end surfaces [12E, 12F] connecting the mounting surface and the top surface, and a first side surface [12C] and a second side surface [12D] that connect the inner end surface and the outer end surface and face in opposite directions to each other, and when a direction in which the first side surface and the second side surface face is a width direction, the raised portion is in a central portion in the width direction on the mounting surface of each of the first flange portion and the second flange portion, and the shoulder portions are on both sides of the raised portion in the width direction [figure 2].
Regarding claim 3, Arimitsu et al. further discloses a rounded surface between the inner end surfaces and the winding core portion [figures 2 and 4].
The specific radius of curvature would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of improving packing density of the coil.
Regarding claim 4, Sukegawa et al. discloses a gap [figure 1] is between the inner end surface and a first lead-out portion of the wire, the first lead-out portion [40c] of the wire being drawn from the winding core portion and reaching the first terminal electrode, and at the second flange portion, a gap [figure 1] is between the inner end surface and a second lead-out portion [40d] of the wire, the second lead-out portion of the wire being drawn from the winding core portion and reaching the second terminal electrode [figure 1].
Regarding claim 5, Arimitsu et al. discloses each of the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode includes a respective metal plate, each of the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode includes portions extending along the raised portion and the shoulder portions on the mounting surface of each of the first flange portion and the second flange portion [figure 1], and in each of the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode, the portion extending along the raised portion defines a connection portion with the mounting board, and the portion extending along the shoulder portions defines a connection portion [31A, 32A] with the wire [31, 32].
Regarding claims 6-7, Arimitsu et al. further discloses rounded surfaces at both end portions of a top face of the raised portion in the width direction and at portions where the raised portion intersects the shoulder portions [figures 2-4].
Regarding claims 8-9, Arimitsu et al. further discloses both end faces of the raised portion in the width direction includes a gradient [13]. Sukegawa et al. discloses the inner surface including a gradient [or ramp 16, 20].
Regarding claim 10, Sukegawa et al. discloses at the first flange portion, a gap [figure 1] is between the inner end surface and a first lead-out portion [40c] of the wire, the first lead-out portion of the wire being drawn from the winding core portion and reaching the first terminal electrode, and at the second flange portion, a gap [figure 1] is between the inner end surface and a second lead-out portion [40d] of the wire, the second lead-out portion of the wire being drawn from the winding core portion and reaching the second terminal electrode.
Regarding claims 11-13, Arimitsu et al. discloses each of the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode includes a respective metal plate, each of the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode includes portions extending along the raised portion and the shoulder portions on the mounting surface of each of the first flange portion and the second flange portion [figure 1], and in each of the first terminal electrode and the second terminal electrode, the portion extending along the raised portion defines a connection portion with the mounting board, and the portion extending along the shoulder portions defines a connection portion [31A, 32A] with the wire [31, 32].
Regarding claims 14-15, Arimitsu et al. further discloses rounded surfaces at both end portions of a top face of the raised portion in the width direction and at portions where the raised portion intersects the shoulder portions [figures 2-4].
Regarding claims 16-20, Arimitsu et al. further discloses both end faces of the raised portion in the width direction includes a gradient [13]. Sukegawa et al. discloses the inner surface including a gradient [or ramp 16, 20].
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that:
[1] There would have been any reason or motivation to combine Arimitsu with Sukegawa; and
[2] The Examiner uses hindsight reasoning to combine Arimitsu with Sukegawa.
The Examiner disagrees.
Regarding [1], in response to applicant’s argument that there is no teaching, suggestion, or motivation to combine the references, the examiner recognizes that obviousness may be established by combining or modifying the teachings of the prior art to produce the claimed invention where there is some teaching, suggestion, or motivation to do so found either in the references themselves or in the knowledge generally available to one of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Fine, 837 F.2d 1071, 5 USPQ2d 1596 (Fed. Cir. 1988), In re Jones, 958 F.2d 347, 21 USPQ2d 1941 (Fed. Cir. 1992), and KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 82 USPQ2d 1385 (2007). In this case, both Arimitsu and Sukegawa teach a coil component having a magnetic core with a coil wound about a winding portion of a magnetic core body. A skilled artisan would have been highly motivate to seek the ramp/recess teaching of Sukegawa for the winding core of Arimitsu for the purpose of supporting the coil ends and preventing the coil ends from breaking [Sukegawa with US Patent equivalent 11,875,927 B2, figures 17, 24 and 26].
Regarding [2], in response to applicant's argument that the examiner's conclusion of obviousness is based upon improper hindsight reasoning, it must be recognized that any judgment on obviousness is in a sense necessarily a reconstruction based upon hindsight reasoning. But so long as it takes into account only knowledge which was within the level of ordinary skill at the time the claimed invention was made, and does not include knowledge gleaned only from the applicant's disclosure, such a reconstruction is proper. See In re McLaughlin, 443 F.2d 1392, 170 USPQ 209 (CCPA 1971). Note, Sukegawa [US Patent equivalent 11,875,927B2] teaches the coil component having the core slope portions [16, 20] that supporting winding portions [figures 17, 24 and 26] and reducing breakage [para 99 or column 23, 159 or column 37, 163 or column 38, and 233 or column 52].
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TUYEN T NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-1996. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:30-5:30.
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/TUYEN T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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