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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper content of an abstract of the disclosure.
A patent abstract is a concise statement of the technical disclosure of the patent and should include that which is new in the art to which the invention pertains. The abstract should not refer to purported merits or speculative applications of the invention and should not compare the invention with the prior art.
If the patent is of a basic nature, the entire technical disclosure may be new in the art, and the abstract should be directed to the entire disclosure. If the patent is in the nature of an improvement in an old apparatus, process, product, or composition, the abstract should include the technical disclosure of the improvement. The abstract should also mention by way of example any preferred modifications or alternatives.
Where applicable, the abstract should include the following: (1) if a machine or apparatus, its organization and operation; (2) if an article, its method of making; (3) if a chemical compound, its identity and use; (4) if a mixture, its ingredients; (5) if a process, the steps.
Extensive mechanical and design details of an apparatus should not be included in the abstract. The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph within the range of 50 to 150 words in length.
See MPEP § 608.01(b) for guidelines for the preparation of patent abstracts.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the content does not appear to be directed to the claimed invention, e.g. process, as recited in at least the steps of Claim 1. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: --Method for Aligning Multilayer Components--.
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 through 4, 6, 7 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Japanese Patent Publication, JP 10-284355 (hereinafter “JP’355”)1.
Claim 1: JP’355 discloses a method for aligning multilayer components (e.g. Figs. 6a, 6b), the method comprising:
placing a plurality of multilayer components (e.g. 3) in a space between a support (e.g. 21) and an upper member (e.g. 22), each of the plurality of multilayer components being a rectangular prism including ceramic green sheets (e.g. 1a) and ferromagnetic layers (e.g. 2a) alternately stacked on one another (e.g. ¶ [0009]), the support comprising a nonmagnetic material and including a support surface being flat and parallel to a horizontal direction, the upper member comprising a nonmagnetic material and being located above the support at a predetermined distance from the support surface (e.g. ¶ [0017]); and
applying a magnetic field to the plurality of multilayer components to align the plurality of multilayer components in a same direction, the magnetic field including a magnetic flux line intersecting with the support surface (e.g. Fig. 6b, ¶ [0035]).
Claim 2: JP’355 discloses the method according to claim 1, further comprising:
applying vibration to the plurality of multilayer components placed in the space (e.g. ¶ [0035]).
Claim 3: JP’355 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic field is intermittent (e.g. for each component 3).
Claim 4: JP’355 discloses the method according to claim 1any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the magnetic field has a direction of the magnetic flux line reversed repeatedly (e.g. opposite circular lines with arrows, Fig. 6b at bottom of each of 23, 24).
Claim 6: JP’355 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein applying the magnetic field includes moving the plurality of multilayer components placed in the space into a pregenerated magnetic field (e.g. Fig. 6b, ¶ [0035]).
Claim 7: JP’355 discloses the method according to claim1, further comprising: assembling, with the magnetic field being applied to the plurality of multilayer components, the plurality of multilayer components aligned in the same direction in the space to form a component assembly (e.g. aligned ceramic capacitors, Fig. 6a, ¶ [0023]).
Claim 12: JP’355 discloses the method according to claim 1, wherein the ferromagnetic layers (e.g. internal electrodes 2, ¶ [0035]) include discontinuous portions (e.g. stacked 2 separated by 1, Fig. 6a) in a longitudinal direction of the plurality of multilayer components.
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 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP’355.
JP’355 discloses the claimed method as relied upon above in Claim 1, further including that the plurality of multilayer components aligned in the same direction being held between the support and the upper member (e.g. Fig. 6a). However, JP’355 does state that the multilayer components are removed from the support and upper member (e.g. ¶ [0039]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention that stopping of the magnetic field occurs when the multilayer components in JP’355 are removed in order to complete that final structure of the multilayer capacitors.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP’355 in view of U.S. Publication 2017/0073170 to Kakuho et al (hereinafter “Kakuho”).
JP’355 discloses the claimed method as relied upon above in Claim 1, further including that the magnetic field is generated by a first magnet located below the support (e.g. Fig. 6b). JP’355 does not teach that a second magnet is located above the upper member.
Kakuho teaches a method for aligning multilayer components (e.g. 1, in Fig. 4) where a first magnet (e.g. 24a) is located below a support and a second magnet (e.g. 24b) is located above an upper member (e.g. 30). Kakuho teaches that such an arrangement of first and second magnets allows for alignment and orientation of the multilayer components such that they are unlikely to get stuck during transportation (e.g. ¶ [0009]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of JP’355 by adding a magnet located above the upper member, as taught by Kakuho, so that the multilayer components are unlikely to get stuck during transportation.
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP’355 in view of U.S. Patent 3,769,132 to Cram (hereinafter “Cram”).
JP’355 discloses the claimed method as relied upon above in Claim 1.
JP’355 does not teach that a portion of the upper member facing the support surface comprises an elastic material or that the upper member is a vertical grid.
Cram discloses a method of manufacturing multilayer components (e.g. capacitors, 14, 16, 18, Fig. 1) that includes an upper member and support (not labeled in Fig. 1) where a portion of the upper member comprises an elastic material (e.g. rubber 34) and is a vertical grid (e.g. 10, 36, col. 2, lines 36-52). Such an arrangement allows for the layers of the multilayer component to be pressed and bonded together (e.g. col. 1, lines 50+).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the upper member of JP’355 by including a vertical grid and elastic material, as taught by Cram, to press and bond the multilayer components before alignment in the application of the magnetic field.
Claims 11 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP’355 in view of U.S. Publication 2016/0027569 to Inoue et al (hereinafter “Inoue”).
JP’355 discloses the claimed method as relied upon above in Claim 1.
JP’355 does not teach an organic binder where a content of the organic binder is 1.5 times or less than a content of the ferromagnetic material by volume. JP’355 also does not teach processing surfaces of the multilayer components and firing the multilayer components.
Inoue discloses a method of manufacturing multilayer components (e.g. 10, Fig. 1), where the multilayer component is formed as a rectangular prism (e.g. Fig. 1) that includes ceramic green sheets and ferromagnetic metal material (e.g. 2) with metal electrode layers (e.g. 4c). The ferromagnetic metal material includes an organic binder where surfaces of the multilayer components are processed (e.g. S1, S2, S4, etc.), the organic binder is subsequently removed, and the multilayer component is fired (e.g. S5, (e.g. ¶¶ [0046] to [0051]) to achieve the structure of the multilayer component. Removal of the organic binder would mean that the content of the organic binder is less than 1.5 times the content of the ferromagnetic metal material. Such a process by Inoue prevents characteristic degradation of the multilayer component (e.g. ¶ [0023]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the method of JP’355 such that before alignment, each multilayer component is formed with an organic binder, surfaces are processed, and firing, as taught by Inoue, to achieve an art-recognized equivalent multilayer component that is firmly bonded together in a rectangular prism, is ready for subsequent processing through alignment, and prevents characteristic degradation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
a) Japanese Patent Publication, JP 2018-98413, discloses a method of aligning multilayer components (e.g. 2, Fig. 5) by placing the components between a support (e.g. 32) and a upper member (e.g. 33, see SOLUTION).
b) Non-Patent Literature IEEE Publication to Morweiser et al, entitled "Computer-aided design of passive multilayer components using electromagnetic field computation", discloses the use of computer aided design to align multilayer components in a magnetic field (see entire document).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to A. DEXTER TUGBANG whose telephone number is (571)272-4570. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri 8:00 am to 5:00 pm.
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/A. DEXTER TUGBANG/ Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3729
1 The interpretation of JP’355 was taken from a Machine Translation, a copy of which has been provided herein.
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