DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA . This Office Action is responsive to the Applicant's communication filed 10 December 2025. In view of this communication, claims 1-20 are now pending in the application.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Invention I, corresponding to claims 1-16 and 18* in the reply filed on 10 December 2025 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)).
*Note that claim 18 was incorrectly listed as belonging to Invention II in the requirement for restriction, but has been included in its proper group herein.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d) or (f), 365(a) or (b), or 386(a), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement(s) submitted on 02 February 2024, 09 April 2024, and 01 August 2025 was/were filed before mailing of the first action on the merits. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement(s) is/are being considered by the examiner.
Disclosure
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Applicant is advised that should claim(s) 2-4 be found allowable, claim(s) 10-12, respectively, will be objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being substantial duplicates thereof. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 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) 1-16 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nomura et al. (US 2011/0140564 A1), hereinafter referred to as “Nomura”.
Regarding claim 1, Nomura discloses a coil substrate [10] (fig. 1-8; ¶ 0045-0046), comprising:
a flexible substrate [11] (fig. 1-4; ¶ 0045, 0048-0052); and
a coil [12] comprising a first wiring [12b] formed on a first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and a second wiring [12a] formed on a second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] on an opposite side with respect to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; ¶ 0045, 0047),
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wherein the coil [12] is formed such that an inter-wiring distance [g2] of the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] is larger than an inter-wiring distance [g1] of the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; ¶ 0052-0054).
Regarding claim 2, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 1, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that a width [d2,d4] of the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] is smaller than a width [d1,d3] of the second wiring [12a] on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3; ¶ 0054; “d2<d1” and “d4<d3”).
Regarding claim 3, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 1, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] are positioned to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; the conductive patterns of the wirings overlap one another in the vertical/radial direction).
Regarding claim 4, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 2, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] are positioned to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; the conductive patterns of the wirings overlap one another in the vertical/radial direction).
Regarding claim 5, Nomura discloses a motor coil substrate [10], comprising:
the coil substrate [10] of Claim 1, as stated above, wound in a cylindrical shape such that the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] is positioned on an inner peripheral side of the cylindrical shape and that the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] is positioned on an outer peripheral side of the cylindrical shape (fig. 3, 8; ¶ 0046-0047).
Regarding claim 6, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 5, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that a width [d2,d4] of the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] is smaller than a width [d1,d3] of the second wiring [12a] on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3; ¶ 0054; “d2<d1” and “d4<d3”).
Regarding claim 7, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 5, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] are positioned to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; the conductive patterns of the wirings overlap one another in the vertical/radial direction).
Regarding claim 8, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 6, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] are positioned to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; the conductive patterns of the wirings overlap one another in the vertical/radial direction).
Regarding claim 9, Nomura discloses a coil substrate [10] (fig. 1-8; ¶ 0045-0046), comprising:
a flexible substrate [11] (fig. 1-4; ¶ 0045, 0048-0052); and
a plurality of coils [12] each comprising a first wiring [12b] formed on a first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and a second wiring [12a] formed on a second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] on an opposite side with respect to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; ¶ 0045, 0047),
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wherein the plurality of coils [12] is formed such that an inter-wiring distance [g2] of the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] is larger than an inter-wiring distance [g1] of the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; ¶ 0052-0054).
Regarding claim 10, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 1, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that a width [d2,d4] of the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] is smaller than a width [d1,d3] of the second wiring [12a] on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3; ¶ 0054; “d2<d1” and “d4<d3”).
Regarding claim 11, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 1, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] are positioned to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; the conductive patterns of the wirings overlap one another in the vertical/radial direction).
Regarding claim 12, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 10, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] are positioned to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; the conductive patterns of the wirings overlap one another in the vertical/radial direction).
Regarding claim 13, Nomura discloses a motor coil substrate [10], comprising:
the coil substrate [10] of Claim 9, as stated above, wound in a cylindrical shape such that the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] is positioned on an inner peripheral side of the cylindrical shape and that the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] is positioned on an outer peripheral side of the cylindrical shape (fig. 3, 8; ¶ 0046-0047).
Regarding claim 14, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 13, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that a width [d2,d4] of the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] is smaller than a width [d1,d3] of the second wiring [12a] on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3; ¶ 0054; “d2<d1” and “d4<d3”).
Regarding claim 15, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 13, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] are positioned to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; the conductive patterns of the wirings overlap one another in the vertical/radial direction).
Regarding claim 16, Nomura discloses the coil substrate [10] according to Claim 14, as stated above, wherein the coil [12] is formed such that the first wiring [12b] formed on the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] and the second wiring [12a] formed on the second surface [11z1] of the flexible substrate [11] are positioned to overlap each other in a direction perpendicular to the first surface [11z2] of the flexible substrate [11] (fig. 3, 8; the conductive patterns of the wirings overlap one another in the vertical/radial direction).
Regarding claim 18, Nomura discloses a motor [100] (fig. 18; ¶ 0078), comprising:
a cylindrical yoke [103] (fig. 18; ¶ 0079);
the motor coil substrate [10] of Claim 5, as stated above, positioned on an inner side of the cylindrical yoke [103] (fig. 18; ¶ 0079);
a rotation shaft [101] positioned on an inner side of the motor coil substrate [10] (fig. 18; ¶ 0079); and
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a magnet [101a] positioned on the rotational shaft [101] such that the rotational shaft [101] and the magnet [101a] are positioned on the inner side of the motor coil substrate [10] (fig. 18; ¶ 0079).
Citation of Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Prior art:
Hirasawa et al. (US 2024/0195252 A1) discloses the same device as that disclosed in the present application.
Dieleman (US 2013/0009511 A1) discloses a coil winding produced on a flexible substrate and wound in a cylinder around the rotor of an electric motor.
Nakamura (US 5,493,157) discloses a coil substrate having windings on both inner and outer circumferential surfaces of a cylindrical flexible substrate.
Sudo et al. (US 4,665,331) discloses a coil substrate having windings on both inner and outer circumferential surfaces of a cylindrical flexible substrate.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael Andrews whose telephone number is (571)270-7554. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday, 8:30am-3:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Oluseye Iwarere can be reached at 571-270-5112. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Michael Andrews/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2834