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 of group 1/species 1 (figures 1-5, claims 1-4 and 8-9) in the reply filed on 05/18/26 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
1 Claims 1-4 and 8-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishima et al. (US 20210012947) in view of Kim et al. (KR 102105389)(English translation).
Regarding claim 1, Ishima et al. (figures 1-4 and para 0018-0064) discloses an element body having a rectangular parallelepiped shape having six outer surfaces (figures 1-4); an inductor wiring extending inside the element body (figure 2); a first covering electrode (42) that covers a bottom surface (see figure 4), which is one of the outer surfaces (see figures 1-4), and is electrically connected to a first end of the inductor wiring (see para 0026-0030); and a second covering electrode (52) that covers the bottom surface and is electrically connected to a second end of the inductor wiring (see figure 4 and para 0026-0030), when one of the six outer surfaces of the element body perpendicular to the bottom surface is defined as a main surface (see figures 1-4), and surfaces perpendicular to both the bottom surface and the main surface are defined as a first end surface and a second end surface (see figures 1-4), the first covering electrode and the second covering electrode cover a part of a first virtual line that passes through a geometric center of the bottom surface and is perpendicular to the first end surface (see figure 1), and the first covering electrode covers the first end surface, and the second covering electrode covers the second end surface (see figures 1-4) and when a distance from the first end surface to a surface of the first covering electrode in a direction perpendicular to the first end surface is defined as a thickness of the first covering electrode (see figure 4).
Ishima et al. does not expressly disclose a position where the thickness of the first covering electrode is maximum is shifted toward a main surface side with respect to a geometric center of the first end surface on a second virtual line that passes through the geometric center of the first end surface and is perpendicular to the main surface.
Kim et al.(figures 4-6 and pages 3-5) discloses a teaching a position where the thickness of the first covering electrode (132) is maximum is shifted toward a main surface side with respect to a geometric center of the first end surface (see figures 4-6 showing the back portion on the drawings 4-6 is the main surface side in regards to the first covering/outer electrode 132) on a second virtual line that passes through the geometric center of the first end surface and is perpendicular to the main surface. (see figures 4-6)
Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the applicant claimed invention to design wherein a position where the thickness of the first covering electrode is maximum is shifted toward a main surface side with respect to a geometric center of the first end surface on a second virtual line that passes through the geometric center of the first end surface and is perpendicular to the main surface as taught by Kim et al. to the inductive device of Ishima et al. so as to reduce parasitic coupling, optimize heat dissipation, and control magnetic flux leakage without increasing the component footprint.
Regarding claim 2, Kim et al. (figures 4-6 and pages 3-5) discloses wherein when a dimension of the first covering electrode in a direction perpendicular to the bottom surface on the first end surface is defined as a height of the first covering electrode, a position where the height of the first covering electrode is maximum is shifted toward the main surface side with respect to the geometric center of the first end surface.
Regarding claim 3, Kim et al. (figures 4-6 and pages 3-5) discloses wherein the inductor wiring includes a plurality of wiring portions arranged in a direction perpendicular to the main surface and a via connecting the wiring portions adjacent to each other in the direction perpendicular to the main surface, and when, among the plurality of wiring portions, the wiring portion extending parallel to the main surface from the first end is defined as a first end wiring portion, the thickness of the first covering electrode on the second virtual line is maximum in a range where the first end wiring portion exists in the direction perpendicular to the main surface.
Regarding claim 4, Ishima et al. (figure 4 and para 0034-0040) discloses wherein the element body includes a first buried electrode (41) connected to the first end of the inductor wiring and in direct contact with the first covering electrode (42), and the first buried electrode includes an end surface electrode portion that is exposed to an outside of the element body at the first end surface and is covered with the first covering electrode.(see figure 4).
Regarding claim 8, Kim et al. (figures 4-6 and pages 3-5) discloses wherein the thickness of the first covering electrode is 0 on the geometric center of the first end surface.
Regarding claim 9, Kim et al. (figures 4-6 and pages 3-5) discloses wherein the inductor wiring includes a plurality of wiring portions arranged in a direction perpendicular to the main surface and a via connecting the wiring portions adjacent to each other in the direction perpendicular to the main surface, and when, among the plurality of wiring portions, the wiring portion extending parallel to the main surface from the first end is defined as a first end wiring portion, the thickness of the first covering electrode on the second virtual line is maximum in a range where the first end wiring portion exists in the direction perpendicular to the main surface.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RONALD HINSON whose telephone number is (571)270-7915. The examiner can normally be reached M to F; 8 -5.
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/RONALD HINSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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