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 without traverse of Group I, claims 1-19 in the reply filed on 2/4/2026 is acknowledged.
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 plating layer protrudes from the insulating layer 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 § 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.
Claim 5-8 and 16-17 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 5, there is no antecedent basis for “the plating layer”.
Regarding claim 6, there is no antecedent basis for “the plating layer”.
Regarding claim 7, there is no antecedent basis for “the plating layer”.
Regarding claim 8, there is no antecedent basis for “the plating layer”.
Regarding claim 17, there is no antecedent basis for “the plating layer”.
Regarding claims 7 and 16, applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement of the plating layer “protrudes” from the insulating layer.
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, 4, 9-10 and 18-19, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Noo et al. [CN 112103028 A].
Regarding claims 1 and 4, Noo et al. discloses a coil component that is a multilayer coil component [figures 1-2] comprising:
- an element assembly [2] containing a magnetic material;
- a coil [11] embedded in the element assembly;
- an outer electrode [51, 52, 53] electrically coupled to the coil and disposed on a bottom surface of the element assembly; and
- an insulating layer [61] on the bottom surface of the element assembly, wherein the insulating layer has a cavity [figure 2], and the outer electrode is in the cavity, wherein the area of the cavity is less than or equal to the area of the bottom surface electrode in plan view when viewed from the bottom surface side of the element assembly [figure 2].
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Noo et al. discloses the insulating layer is a resin material.
Regarding claims 10 and 19, Noo et al. discloses the magnetic material contains a metal magnetic particle [73, figure 1].
Claim(s) 1, 4, 9 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Qui et al. [CN 110858513 A].
Regarding claims 1 and 4, Qui et al. discloses a coil component [figures 1-2] comprising:
- an element assembly [1] containing a magnetic powder material [13];
- a coil [13] embedded in the element assembly;
- an outer electrode [2] electrically coupled to the coil and disposed on a bottom surface of the element assembly; and
- an insulating layer [4, 14, figures 3-4] on the bottom surface of the element assembly, wherein the insulating layer has a cavity [figures 3-4], and the outer electrode is in the cavity, wherein the area of the cavity is less than or equal to the area of the bottom surface electrode in plan view when viewed from the bottom surface side of the element assembly [figure 2].
Regarding claims 9 and 18, Noo et al. discloses the insulating layer is a resin material.
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) 2-3, 5, 8, 10-14 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Qiu et al.
Regarding claims 2-3 and 11-12, Qiu et al. discloses the outer electrode includes a bottom surface electrode and a layer on the bottom surface electrode [multilayer structure 21, 22, 23 formed of nickel, tin, gold], wherein the bottom surface electrode is in the element assembly, and the plating layer is in the cavity, wherein the area of the cavity is less than or equal to the area of the bottom surface electrode in plan view when viewed from the bottom surface side of the element assembly.
The specific use of plating method for the bottom layer would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating manufacturing and/or assembling.
Regarding claims 5 and 13-14, Qiu et al. discloses the bottom/plating layer is flush with the insulating layer [figures 3-4].
The specific use of plating method for the bottom layer would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating manufacturing and/or assembling.
Regarding claims 8 and 17, Qiu et al. discloses the use of nickel, tin, gold for the multilayer structure outer electrode.
The specific use of plating method for the bottom layer would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating manufacturing and/or assembling.
The specific material Ni-Sn use for the bottom layer would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating internal/external connection.
Regarding claims 10 and 19, the specific magnetic metal use for the magnetic powder would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating the desired magnetic flux/field.
Claim(s) 6-7 and 15-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noo et al. or Qiu et al. in view of Yoshioka et al. [CN 111986882 A].
Regarding claims 6 and 15, Qiu et al. or Noo et al. disclose the instant claimed invention except for the bottom/plating layer is recessed on the bottom surface of the insulating layer.
Yoshioka et al. discloses a recess [410] arranged on outer terminal [41] of a coil component.
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 recess arrangement of the of Yoshioka et al. in Noo et al. or Qiu et al., for the purpose of facilitating external connection and/or surface mounting.
Regarding claims 7 and 16, as best understood in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, the specific “protrudes” of the bottom/plating layer would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating external connection and/or surface mounting.
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.
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 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.
/TUYEN T NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
Prosecution Insights