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
Claims 1-10, 15, and 17 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected product (claims 1-10) and species (claims 15, 17), there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 10 November 2025.
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)).
Drawings
Figure 1 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. 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.
Claims 11, 13, and 16 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.
Claim 11 recites a raw electronic component having “five non-bottom sides” in line 3, and later recites “the five non-mounting faces of the electronic component” in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation recited in line 6. Examiner is interpreting the five non-bottom sides and five non-mounting faces to be referring to the same feature in the claims.
Claims 13 and 16 each contain “wherein forming an insulating layer comprises…”. It is unclear whether this is the same as the insulating layer recited in claim 11. Examiner is interpreting the insulating layer recited in claims 13 and 16 to be the same as that recited in claim 11.
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.
(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) 11-14 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 102011083419 (Schindler et al). For convenience examiner makes reference to a translation of Schindler provided by Espacenet and included in this office action.
As to Claim 11, Schindler teaches a method for making an electronic component, comprising:
providing a raw electronic component (Schindler Fig 6, 60), wherein the raw electronic component is substantially cuboid-shaped with a bottom side and five non-bottom sides (60 shown in cross-section and is reasonably being interpreted as being cuboid shaped);
attaching the raw electronic component onto a support surface (60 attached to 14), wherein the bottom side of the raw electronic component is in contact with the support surface (bottom of 60 in view of Fig 6 in contact with 14); and
forming an insulating layer on the five non-mounting faces of the electronic component (insulating layer 16 formed, for example, by a dipping process ¶0112).
As to Claim 12, Schindler teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the raw electronic component is a passive component (60 may be a resistor ¶0088)
As to Claim 13, Schindler teaches the method of claim 11, wherein forming an insulating layer comprises:
dipping the raw electronic component into a dipping tank containing an insulating material (16 formed by a dipping process ¶0112)
As to Claim 14, Schindler teaches the method of claim 12, wherein the support surface covers all conductive structures on the bottom side of the raw electronic component (14 covers bottom side of 60, which necessarily includes all conductive structures on the bottom side of 60).
As to Claim 16, Schindler teaches the method of claim 12, wherein forming an insulating layer comprises:
dipping the raw electronic component into a dipping tank containing an insulating material (16 formed by a dipping process ¶0112)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 20220173005 (Li) discloses a device having similar structure to that claimed by applicant, but does not explicitly teach the molding compound being formed by a dipping process.
US 20190348325 (Obata) discloses a device similar to that of applicant and the components being dipped in a solution to form an insulating layer thereon.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Corbyn D Mellinger whose telephone number is (703)756-5683. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 Eastern.
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, Zandra Smith can be reached at 571-272-2429. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Corbyn D Mellinger/Examiner, Art Unit 2899 /EVAN G CLINTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2899
