NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION
This non-final Office action addresses U.S. Application Serial No. 18/375,210, entitled COIL COMPONENT.
Claims 1-21 are pending.
Claims 1-21 are rejected.
I. PRIORITY
Examiner recognizes the Applicant’s claim of foreign priority to Korean Patent Application No. KR10-2023-0030737, filed March 8, 2023.
II. CLAIM INTERPRETATION
After careful review of the original specification, the prosecution history, and unless expressly noted otherwise by the Examiner, the Examiner is unable to locate any lexicographic definitions (either express or implied) with the required clarity, deliberateness, and precision with regard to pending and examined claims. Because the Examiner is unable to locate any lexicographic definitions with the required clarity, deliberateness, and precision, the Examiner concludes that Applicant is not his own lexicographer for the pending and examined claims. See MPEP §2111.01(IV).
The Examiner further finds that because the pending and examined claims herein recite neither “step for” nor “means for” nor any substitute therefore, the examined claims fail Prong (A) as set forth in MPEP §2181(I). Because all examined claims fail Prong (A) as set forth in MPEP §2181(I), the Examiner concludes that all examined claims do not invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f). See also Ex parte Miyazaki, 89 USPQ2d 1207, 1215-16 (B.P.A.I. 2008)(precedential)(where the Board did not invoke 35 U.S.C. § 112(f) because “means for” was not recited and because applicant still possessed an opportunity to amend the claims).
Because of the Examiner’s findings above that Applicant is not his own lexicographer and the pending and examined claims do not invoke 35 U.S.C. §112(f) the pending and examined claims will be given the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification since patentee has an opportunity to amend claims. See MPEP §2111, MPEP §2111.01 and In re Yamamoto et al., 222 USPQ 934 (Fed. Cir. 1984). Under a broadest reasonable interpretation, words of the claim must be given their plain meaning, unless such meaning is inconsistent with the specification. See MPEP §2111.01(I). It is further noted it is improper to import claim limitations from the specification, i.e., a particular embodiment appearing in the written description may not be read into a claim when the claim language is broader than the embodiment. See MPEP §2111.01(II).
III. CLAIM REJECTIONS – 35 U.S.C. §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.
III.A. Anticipation Rejections Applying Jung
Claims 1-3, 6, 8-12 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0335256 to Ji Hyung Jung et al. (hereinafter “Jung”).
Regarding claim 1, Jung discloses:
1. A coil component comprising:
See Jung FIGS. 1 and 5, reprinted below:
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Jung FIG. 1 Jung FIG. 5
a body having a recess;
See Jung FIGS. 1 and 5 above, body 100 having recess for external electrode comprising layers 440/600.
a support member disposed within the body;
See Jung FIG. 1 above, support member 200.
a coil disposed on the support member; and
See Jung FIGS. 1 and 5 above, coil assembly 300.
an external electrode disposed on one surface of the body, the external electrode extending to the recess to be connected to the coil,
See Jung FIGS. 1 and 5 above, electrode including lead out portion 410 and electrodes 600.
wherein the external electrode includes a first metal layer disposed on the recess to be in contact with the coil, and a conductive resin layer having at least a portion in contact with the first metal layer.
See Jung FIGS. 1 and 5 above, note lead out portion 410 reads as the first metal layer on the recess. Further as noted in Jung ¶0056, the electrode 600 comprises a first conductive resin layer, including metal “from the group consisting of copper (Cu), nickel (Ni), and silver (Ag), and a thermosetting resin,” and a second plating layer including “one or more selected from the group consisting of nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), and tin (Sn).” Thus, the external electrode includes three layers, a first metal layer 410, a conductive resin layer (base layer of 600) and a plating metal on the resin layer (plating layer of 600).
Regarding claim 2, Jung discloses the component of claim 1 as evidenced above and further:
2. The coil component of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the first metal layer extends between the one surface of the body and the conductive resin layer.
See discussion for claim 1 above regarding the electrode layers 410/600 of Jung provided on the recess.
Regarding claim 3, Jung discloses the component of claim 2 as evidenced above and further:
3. The coil component of claim 2, wherein the external electrode further includes a second metal layer covering at least a portion of the conductive resin layer.
See discussion for claim 1 above regarding the electrode layers 410/600 of Jung provided on the recess.
Regarding claim 6, Jung discloses the component of claim 1 as evidenced above and further:
6. The coil component of claim 1, wherein the conductive resin layer extends onto the first metal layer disposed on the recess.
See discussion for claim 1 above regarding the electrode layers 410/600 of Jung provided on the recess.
Regarding claim 8, Jung discloses the component of claim 1 as evidenced above and further:
8. The coil component of claim 1, wherein the conductive resin layer includes a resin and a metal dispersed within the resin.
See discussion for claim 1 above regarding the electrode layers 410/600 of Jung provided on the recess.
Regarding claim 9, Jung discloses the component of claim 1 as evidenced above and further:
9. The coil component of claim 8, wherein the resin is a thermosetting resin, and the metal includes at least one of silver (Ag) or copper (Cu).
See discussion for claim 1 above regarding the electrode layers 410/600 of Jung provided on the recess.
Regarding claim 10, Jung discloses the component of claim 1 as evidenced above and further:
10. The coil component of claim 1, wherein the first metal layer includes a metal that is the same as a metal included in the coil.
See Jung ¶0053 wherein “[e]ach of the coil patterns 310 and 320, the via 330, the lead-out portions 410 and 420, the dummy lead-out portions 430 and 440, the connection pattern portions 510 and 520, and the connection vias V1 and V2 maybe formed of a conductive material such as copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti), or alloys thereof, but are not limited thereto.”
Regarding claim 11, Jung discloses the component of claim 1 as evidenced above and further:
11. The coil component of claim 1, wherein the first metal layer includes at least one of copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), chromium (Cr), and titanium (Ti).
See Jung ¶0053 wherein “[e]ach of the coil patterns 310 and 320, the via 330, the lead-out portions 410 and 420, the dummy lead-out portions 430 and 440, the connection pattern portions 510 and 520, and the connection vias V1 and V2 maybe formed of a conductive material such as copper (Cu), aluminum (Al), silver (Ag), tin (Sn), gold (Au), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), titanium (Ti), or alloys thereof, but are not limited thereto.”
Regarding claim 12, Jung discloses the component of claim 3 as evidenced above and further:
12. The coil component of claim 3, wherein the second metal layer includes at least one of nickel (Ni) or tin (Sn).
See discussion for claims 1 and 3 above regarding the electrode layers 410/600 of Jung provided on the recess.
Regarding claim 19, Jung discloses the component of claim 3 as evidenced above and further:
19. The coil component of claim 1, wherein the first metal layer extends continuously from the coil to along the one surface of the body.
See discussion for claim 1 above regarding the electrode layers 410/600 of Jung provided on the recess.
III.B. Anticipation Rejections Applying Noumi
Claims 1, 4, 5, 7 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0313106 to Yoshitake Noumi et al. (hereinafter “Noumi”).
Regarding claim 1, Noumi discloses:
1. A coil component comprising:
See Jung FIGS. 1 and 5, reprinted below:
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Noumi FIG. 3
a body having a recess;
See Noumi FIG. 3 above, body 14 having recess, i.e., corner portion at bottom surface 12, for external electrode 40.
a support member disposed within the body;
See Noumi FIG. 3 above and FIG. 2, support member 24 surrounding the coils.
a coil disposed on the support member; and
See Noumi FIG. 3 above and FIG. 2, coil assembly 22.
an external electrode disposed on one surface of the body, the external electrode extending to the recess to be connected to the coil,
See Noumi FIG. 3 above, external electrodes 40.
wherein the external electrode includes a first metal layer disposed on the recess to be in contact with the coil, and a conductive resin layer having at least a portion in contact with the first metal layer.
See Noumi ¶0024 and FIG. 3 above, wherein the external electrodes 40 comprising a conductive resin layer 42, first metal layer 44 and second metal layer 46.
Regarding claim 4, Noumi discloses the component of claim 1 as evidenced above and further:
4. The coil component of claim 1, wherein the conductive resin layer is disposed on the one surface of the body, and at least a portion of the first metal layer extends onto the conductive resin layer.
See Noumi FIG. 3 above, conductive resin layer 42 on surface of body 14 and first metal layer 44 extending on such layer 42.
Regarding claim 5, Noumi discloses the component of claim 4 as evidenced above and further:
5. The coil component of claim 4, wherein the external electrode further includes a second metal layer covering at least a portion of the first metal layer.
See Noumi FIG. 3 above, conductive resin layer 42 on surface of body 14 and first metal layer 44 extending on such layer 42 and second metal layer 46 extending on first metal layer 44.
Regarding claim 7, Noumi discloses the component of claim 1 as evidenced above and further:
7. The coil component of claim 1, wherein the conductive resin layer is in contact with the one surface of the body.
See Noumi FIG. 3 above, conductive resin layer 42 on surface of body 14.
Regarding claim 13, Noumi discloses the component of claim 5 as evidenced above and further:
13. The coil component of claim 5, wherein the second metal layer includes at least one of nickel (Ni) or tin (Sn).
See Noumi ¶0024 and FIG. 3 above, second metal layer 46 made of tin.
IV. CLAIM REJECTIONS 35 U.S.C. §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.
IV.A. Obviousness Rejections Applying Jung and Kang
Claims 16, 18, 20 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2020/0219651 to Byung Soo Kang et al. (hereinafter “Kang”).
Regarding claims 16 and 20, Jung teaches the features of claims 1 and 19, respectively, as evidenced above and further the external electrode includes first and second external electrodes disposed on the one surface of the body to be spaced apart from each other. See Jung FIGS. 1 and 5 above, external electrodes 600 and 700 on bottom surface of the body 100. However, Jung does not teach a groove between the external electrodes. Nevertheless, Kang teaches and analogous coil component. See Kang FIG. 5 below.
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Kang FIG. 5
As shown in FIG. 5 above, Kang teaches a coil component 100 having a body 101 with external electrodes 400/500 on a bottom surface and further Kang teaches a groove R the one surface of the body includes a groove in a region between the first and second external electrodes. It would have been obvious at the time the invention was filed to provide a groove on the bottom surface of the body in between the external electrodes in the coil component of Jung as taught by Kang. One having ordinary skill in the art would do so because as noted in Kang, “[t]he groove portion R may prevent unnecessary removal of the plating resist used for forming the first and second external electrodes 400 and 500 by electrolytic plating.”
Regarding claims 18 and 21, Jung and Kang teach the component of claims 16 and 20, respectively as provided above and further:
wherein the body further has an other surface opposing the one surface, and a distance between the one surface and the other surface is narrowest in a central region of the groove.
Note combination of Jung and Kang for claims 16 and 20 above. Further both references disclose a bottom surface as the one surface and the top surface as the another surface. In view of the teachings shown in FIG. 5 of Kang above, the central region of the groove R is the narrowest region between these surfaces.
IV.B. Obviousness Rejections Applying Noumi and Kang
Claims 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. §103 as being unpatentable over Noumi in view of Kang. Regarding this claim, Noumi teaches the features of claim 4 as evidenced above and further the external electrode includes first and second external electrodes disposed on the one surface of the body to be spaced apart from each other. See Noumi FIG. 3 above, external electrodes 40 on bottom surface of the body 14. However, Noumi does not teach a groove between the external electrodes. Nevertheless, Kang teaches and analogous coil component. As shown in FIG. 5 above, Kang teaches a coil component 100 having a body 101 with external electrodes 400/500 on a bottom surface and further Kang teaches a groove R the one surface of the body includes a groove in a region between the first and second external electrodes. It would have been obvious at the time the invention was filed to provide a groove on the bottom surface of the body in between the external electrodes in the coil component of Noumi as taught by Kang. One having ordinary skill in the art would do so because as noted in Kang, “[t]he groove portion R may prevent unnecessary removal of the plating resist used for forming the first and second external electrodes 400 and 500 by electrolytic plating.”
IV.C. Obviousness Rejections Applying Noumi and Lee
Claims 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Noumi in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0202148 to Kwi Jong Lee et al. (hereinafter “Lee”).
Regarding claim 14, Noumi teaches the features of the component of claim 1 above, and further the general coil body 14, but not an insulating layer on the body. Nevertheless, Lee teaches an analogous coil component. See Lee FIG. 3, reprinted below. As shown in FIG. 3 of Lee, the coil component shown comprises a body 110, external electrodes 610 and 620, and an insulating layer 520. Specifically, based on these disclosures, Lee teaches an insulating layer covering at least a portion of the body and the external electrode, the insulating layer exposing at least a portion of a region of the external electrode disposed on the one surface of the body, wherein the insulating layer extends between the one surface of the body and the external electrode, and wherein the external electrode protrudes further from the one surface than the insulating layer. It would thus have been obvious to provides an insulating layer to surround the body 14 and extend under the external electrode of Noumi as taught by Lee. One having ordinary skill in the art would do so to provide additional insulating between the body and the external electrodes. Furthermore, such a modification of Noumi would be predictable because such a modification would not change the operation of Noumi, but would merely provide a known insulating layer in a known position within a coil component to provide insulation as taught in Lee.
V. CONCLUSION
Claims 1-21 are pending.
Claims 1-21 are rejected.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENNETH WHITTINGTON whose telephone number is (571) 272-2264. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30am - 5:00pm, Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Andrew Fischer can be reached at (571) 272-6779. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-8300.
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/KENNETH WHITTINGTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3992
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