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 1-5 in the reply filed on 5/8/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that Claims 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 and 12-17 read on Figures 1-5 with claims 1-2, 10, 12-17 generic and searching all Species together without serious burden on Examiner. This is not found persuasive because searching these Species together require additional search and/or consideration in other areas, class/subclass.
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 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 and 12-17 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 1, applicant should clarify the structure and/or arrangement of the exposed portion intended by “the exposed portion includes a bent portion” relative to the electrode and/or the core. Claims 2-3, 5-7, 9-10 and 12-17 inherit the defect of the parent claim.
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) 1-3, 5-7, 9-10 and 12-16, as best understood in view of the rejection under 35 USC 112 second paragraph, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over
Claim(s) 1, 10 and 13, 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 anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Naoya et al. [WO 2020/179298].
Regarding claim 1, Naoya et al. discloses coil device [figure 3] comprising:
- a core body [2];
- a coil including: a winding portion [3a] disposed inside the core and including a lead portion [3] leading from the winding portion; and
- an electrode [5] formed on an electrode formation surface [4] of the core, wherein the lead portion includes a terminal portion extending to the electrode formation surface [figure 3], the terminal portion includes: an embedded portion embedded inside the core [figure 3]; and an exposed portion exposed from the electrode formation surface and connected to the electrode [figure 3], wherein the electrode is made of a conductive paste [specification].
Naoya et al. further discloses the lead portion includes bent portions [7, 13 of figure 3], wherein the bent portions [7, 13] could be “exposed” to connect to external terminals [5], wherein the bent portion has a substantially U shape [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 “expose” end portions [7, 13] to external side of the core body for the purpose of providing external connection to external terminals.
Regarding claims 2-3 and 14, Naoya et al. discloses the exposed portion includes a first extension portion [7, 13] and a second extension portion [7, 13] extending along the electrode formation surface and continuing via the bent portion, wherein the first extension portion and the second extension portion are arranged substantially in parallel [figure 3], wherein the electrode has a maximum thickness in a region between the first extension portion and the second extension portion [figure 3].
Regarding claim 5, Naoya et al. further discloses the electrode includes a first electrode and a second electrode [5], the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged separately along a first direction, and the first extension portion and the second extension portion extend along a second direction [figure 3].
Regarding claims 6-7, the specific arrangement and/or location of the bent “exposed” portion and extension portion would have been an obvious design consideration for the purpose of facilitating and/or improving surface mounting and/or connecting.
Regarding claim 9, Naoya et al. further discloses the lead portion includes a connection portion connecting the winding portion and the terminal portion [figure 3], the first extension portion [13] is connected to the connection portion [figure 3], and the second extension portion [7] is disposed closer to a center of the core than the first extension portion [figure 3].
Regarding claim 12, Naoya et al. discloses the lead portion includes a first lead portion and a second lead portion [3, 7, 13], the terminal portion includes: a first terminal portion [5] provided on the first lead portion; and a second terminal portion [5] provided on the second lead portion, the exposed portion includes: a first exposed portion provided on the first terminal portion; and a second exposed portion provided on the second terminal portion, and the first exposed portion and the second exposed portion have substantially the same shape [figure 3].
Regarding claim 15, Naoya et al. discloses the coil comprises a wire covered with an insulating film, and a surface of the embedded portion is covered with the insulating film [specification].
Regarding claim 16, Naoya et al. discloses the coil comprises a wire covered with an insulating film, and an end of the exposed portion in its width direction orthogonal to its extension direction is covered with the insulating film [figure 3].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 17 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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, the coil further comprises a wire covered with an insulating film, an end of the exposed portion in its width direction orthogonal to its extension direction is covered with the insulating film, and the insulating film has a larger thickness on the side where the first extension portion and the second extension portion are opposed to each other than on the side where the first extension portion and the second extension portion are not opposed to each other.
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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