CTNF 18/461,306 CTNF 78599 NON-FINAL OFFICE ACTION This non-final Office action addresses U.S. Application Serial No. 18/461,306, entitled INDUCTOR COMPONENT. Claims 1-9 are pending. Claims 1-3 and 8 are rejected. Claim 4-7 and 9 are objected to as containing allowable subject matter. I. PRIORITY Examiner recognizes the Applicant’s claim of foreign priority to Japanese Patent Application No. JP2022-173532, filed October 28, 2022. 07-30-03-h AIA 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 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-12-aia AIA (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.B. Anticipation Rejections Applying Iwasaki 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-3 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102( a)(1) and/or (a)(2 ) as being anticipated by Japanese Patent No. JP2006-294927 to Tomohide Iawasaki (hereinafter “ Iwasaki ”) . Regarding claim 1 , Iwasaki discloses: 1. An inductor component comprising: See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 below. PNG media_image1.png 366 198 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 292 410 media_image2.png Greyscale Iwasaki FIG. 1 Iwasaki FIG. 2 a base body including an insulator; See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 above, ceramic sheets 1-16 forming a body, the ceramic being an insulator. an inductor wire extending inside the base body; See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 above, inductor wire comprising coil conductors 33-40 and via conductors 21-27. extended electrodes connected to the inductor wire, each one of the extended electrodes having a portion exposed to outside of the base body; and See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 above, extended electrodes formed from via holes 17-20 and 28-32. outer electrodes connected to respective ones of the extended electrodes, See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 above, outer electrodes 41 and 42. wherein the base body, the inductor wire, and the extended electrodes configure a component body together, the component body has a flat bottom surface and a top surface facing oppositely to the bottom surface, an area of the bottom surface is greater than an area of the top surface, and when a first sectional area is defined as an area of a section of the component body that is taken along a plane parallel to the bottom surface at an arbitrary position, and when a second sectional area is defined as an area of another section of the component body that is taken along another plane parallel to the bottom surface at a position closer to the bottom surface from the arbitrary position, the second sectional area is equal to or greater than the first sectional area. See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 above, note component body made from base body of sheets 1-16, inductor comprising items 33-40 and 21-27, extended electrodes formed from via holes 17-20 and 28-32 and outer electrodes 41 and 42 forming a component body having a square pyramidal shape with an upper surface area smaller than the bottom surface area and intervening surface areas of sheets 1-16 increase in area from top to bottom. Regarding claim 2 , Iwasaki discloses the inductor of claim 1 as evidenced above and further: 2. The inductor component according to claim 1, wherein the area of the bottom surface is equal to or greater than 1.03 times of the area of the top surface. See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 above, note component body bottom surface area is greater than 1.03 times the top surface area via the pyramidal shape shown. Regarding claim 3 , Iwasaki discloses the inductor of claim 1 above and further: 3. The inductor component according to claim 1, wherein the component body has a truncated quadrangular pyramid shape. See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 above, note component body made from base body of sheets 1-16, inductor comprising items 33-40 and 21-27, extended electrodes formed from via holes 17-20 and 28-32 and outer electrodes 41 and 42 forming a component body having a truncated square pyramidal shape. Regarding claim 8 , Iwasaki discloses the inductor of claim 1 above and further: 8. The inductor component according to claim 1, wherein the inductor wire includes multiple inductor conductors that extend parallel to the bottom surface and are arrayed in a direction normal to the bottom surface, and via conductors that connect adjacent ones of the inductor conductors arrayed in the direction normal to the bottom surface. See Iwasaki FIGS. 1 and 2 above, inductor wire comprising coil conductors 33-40 and via conductors 21-27 on the ceramic sheet layers 5-12. III.B. Anticipation Rejections Applying Kawamura 07-15 AIA Claim s 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102( a)(1) and/or (a)(2 ) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0198226 toe Keizo Kawamura et al. (hereinafter “ Kawamura ”) . Regarding claim 1 , Kawamura discloses: 1. An inductor component comprising: See Kawamura FIGS. 1D and 2A below. PNG media_image3.png 178 240 media_image3.png Greyscale PNG media_image4.png 206 308 media_image4.png Greyscale Kawamura FIG. 1D Kawamura FIG. 2A a base body including an insulator; See Kawamura FIGS. 1D and 2A above and ¶0055, body 12 which “is formed by a soft magnetic alloy, magnetic metal, amorphous magnetic metal, or nanocrystal magnetic metal, the constituent grains thereof may be insulated.” an inductor wire extending inside the base body; See Kawamura FIGS. 1D and 2A above, wire coil 40. extended electrodes connected to the inductor wire, each one of the extended electrodes having a portion exposed to outside of the base body; and See Kawamura FIGS. 1D and 2A above, extended electrodes 44a and 44b which are exposed to the bottom surface of the body. outer electrodes connected to respective ones of the extended electrodes, See Kawamura FIGS. 1D and 2A above, outer electrodes 70a and 70b wherein the base body, the inductor wire, and the extended electrodes configure a component body together, the component body has a flat bottom surface and a top surface facing oppositely to the bottom surface, an area of the bottom surface is greater than an area of the top surface, and when a first sectional area is defined as an area of a section of the component body that is taken along a plane parallel to the bottom surface at an arbitrary position, and when a second sectional area is defined as an area of another section of the component body that is taken along another plane parallel to the bottom surface at a position closer to the bottom surface from the arbitrary position, the second sectional area is equal to or greater than the first sectional area. See Kawamura FIGS. 1D and 2A above, note component body comprising base body 12, coil 40, extended electrodes 44a/44b and outer electrodes 70a and 70b form a square pyramid shape, having an upper surface area smaller than the bottom surface area and wherein the sectional areas taken along a plane parallel to the bottom surface increase in area from the top to the bottom. Regarding claim 3 , Kawamura discloses the inductor of claim 1 above and further: 3. The inductor component according to claim 1, wherein the component body has a truncated quadrangular pyramid shape. See Kawamura FIGS. 1D and 2A above, note component body comprising base body 12, coil 40, extended electrodes 44a/44b and outer electrodes 70a and 70b form a square pyramid shape. IV. ALLOWABLE SUBJECT MATTER 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim s 4-7 and 9 are 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. Regarding claim 4, the prior art cited in this application do not show or teach “an average weight density of a portion of the base body from the bottom surface to a midpoint between the bottom surface and the top surface is greater than an average weight density of a portion of the base body from the midpoint to the top surface” as required in the claim and in combination with the other features of the claim. Nor does the prior art of record in this application teach a modification of Iwasaki and Kawamura to arrive at this claim. Regarding these claims, the prior art cited in this application do not show or teach “an average weight density of a portion of the base body from the bottom surface to the specified point is greater than an average weight density of a portion of the base body from the specified point to the top surface” as required in the claims and in combination with the other features of the claims. Nor does the prior art of record in this application teach a modification of Iwasaki and Kawamura to arrive at these claims. V. CONCLUSION Claims 1-9 are pending. Claims 1-3 and 8 are rejected. Claim 4-7 and 9 are objected to as containing allowable subject matter. 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 you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call (800) 786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or (571) 272-1000. /KENNETH WHITTINGTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3992 Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 2 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 3 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 4 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 5 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 6 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 7 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 8 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 9 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action Application/Control Number: 18/461,306 Page 10 Art Unit: 3992 Non-Final Office Action
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