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 and without traverse of Group I, Species I, Figures 1-2 in the reply filed on 2/12/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Figures 1-2 is a generic claim of Species I to III [figures 1-4]. This is found persuasive and claims 1-5 will be examined herewith.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 1, applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement of the fixing tape intended by “wherein the fixing tape is a tape that fixes an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic ribbon in the first magnetic sheet and an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic ribbon in the second magnetic sheet in a state where the end portions are adjacent to each other with a distance equal to or less than a predetermined value, and that is bonded over the resin sheet in the first magnetic sheet and the resin sheet in the second magnetic sheet.” Claims 2-5 inherit the defect of the parent claim.
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) 1, as best understood in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kawai [JP 2005-203564 A].
Regarding claims 1-2, Kawai discloses a magnetic sheet [figure 1] comprising:
- a first magnetic sheet [10];
- a second magnetic sheet [10]; and
- a fixing tape [20], wherein each of the first magnetic sheet and the second magnetic sheet includes: an adhesive layer [13] including a support formed in a band shape and an adhesive provided on a first surface and a second surface of the support, a magnetic ribbon [11] that is formed in a band shape using a magnetic material and is bonded to the adhesive on the first surface of the adhesive layer, and a resin sheet [PET film 14, 15] that is formed in a band shape using a resin material and is disposed on the adhesive on the second surface of the adhesive layer, and wherein the fixing tape is a tape that fixes an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic ribbon in the first magnetic sheet and an end portion in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic ribbon in the second magnetic sheet in a state where the end portions are adjacent to each other with a distance equal to or less than a predetermined value [figure 1], and that is bonded over the resin sheet in the first magnetic sheet and the resin sheet in the second magnetic sheet [figures 1-2], wherein an end portion of the first magnetic sheet and an end portion of the second magnetic sheet have a shape extending linearly as viewed from a layering direction of the magnetic ribbon and the adhesive layer [figure 2].
Regarding claim 4, Kawai disclose the use of amorphous metal material for the magnetic ribbon [11].
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) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawai in view of Nakahata et al. [WO 2019/168159 A1]
Kawai disclose the instant claimed invention except for the magnetic ribbon is a ribbon formed of a nanocrystalline alloy and includes a plurality of small pieces.
Nakahata et al. discloses a soft magnetic layer [12] formed of nanocrystal material including a plurality of small pieces [figure 3].
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 magnetic layer of Nakahata et al. in Kawai for the purpose of suppressing of increasing in coercive force.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record do not teach or disclose, in the claimed combination thereof, a width A as a dimension of the adhesive layer in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the adhesive layer and width B as a dimension of the magnetic ribbon in a direction intersecting a longitudinal direction of the magnetic ribbon satisfy a relationship of 0.2 mm ≤ (width A -width B) ≤ 3 mm.
Conclusion
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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