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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Osamu (JP 2013157702).
Considering claim 1, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches a vibrator element (11 + paragraphs 0021-0022) comprising: a plate-shaped vibrating substrate including a first surface (11a) and a second surface (11b + paragraphs 0021-0022), which are in a front and back relationship, and including a vibrating portion (paragraph 0023), a support portion (12 + paragraphs 0021-0022), and a coupling portion (12b + paragraphs 0021-0022) that couples the vibrating portion to the support portion and includes a portion having a thickness smaller than that of the support portion (see Figure 1); an electrode layer including a first excitation electrode (21a + paragraphs 0022-0027) disposed at the first surface at the vibrating portion, a second excitation electrode (22a + paragraphs 0022-0027) disposed at the second surface at the vibrating portion, a first pad electrode (21c + paragraphs 0022-0027) disposed at the support portion, a second pad electrode (22c + paragraphs 0022-0027) disposed at the support portion, a first coupling electrode (21b + paragraphs 0022-0027) disposed at the coupling portion and coupling the first excitation electrode to the first pad electrode, and a second coupling electrode (22b + paragraphs 0022-0027) disposed at the coupling portion and coupling the second excitation electrode to the second pad electrode; a first metal film (31c + paragraph 0025) disposed at an upper layer on the first coupling electrode that is located on the coupling portion and having a thickness larger than that of the electrode layer (paragraphs 0033-0035 + 31c is 200 nm while 31a is 60 nm), and a second metal film (32c + paragraph 0028) disposed at an upper layer on the second coupling electrode that is located on the coupling portion and having a thickness larger than that of the electrode layer (paragraphs 0033-0035).
Considering claim 2, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches wherein the first metal film (31c + paragraph 0025) and the second metal film (32c + paragraph 0028) are disposed across the coupling portion (12b) and the support portion (12 + paragraphs 0021-0022).
Considering claim 3, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches wherein the first metal film (31c) and the second metal film (32c) are disposed across the coupling portion (12b + paragraphs 0021-0022) and the vibrating portion (11 + paragraph 0023).
Considering claim 4, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches wherein the coupling portion includes a portion having a thickness smaller than that of the vibrating portion (see Figure 1b).
Considering claim 5, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches wherein the support portion includes a first support portion (12 + (top) paragraphs 0021-0022) at which the first pad electrode (21c + paragraphs 0022-0027) is disposed and a second support portion at which the second pad (22c + paragraphs 0022-0027) electrode is disposed and the coupling portion includes a first partition portion (paragraphs 0022-0027) located between the support portion and the vibrating portion and partitioning the support portion and the vibrating portion, and a second partition portion (paragraphs 0022-0027) located between the first support portion and the second support portion and partitioning the first support portion and the second support portion (12 + (bottom) paragraphs 0021-0022).
Considering claim 6, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches wherein the support portion includes a first support portion (12 + (top) paragraphs 0021-0022) and a second support portion (12 + (bottom) paragraphs 0021-0022), which are spaced apart from each other, the first pad electrode (21c + paragraphs 0022-0027) is disposed at the first support portion and the second pad electrode (22c + paragraphs 0022-0027) is disposed at the second support portion.
Considering claim 7, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches wherein the coupling portion includes a first coupling portion (12b + (top) paragraphs 0021-0022) coupling the first support portion to the vibrating portion and a second coupling portion coupling (12b + (bottom) paragraphs 0021-0022) the second support portion to the vibrating portion.
Considering claim 8, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches wherein the first coupling (12b (top) + paragraphs 0021-0022) portion is narrower than the first support portion (12 + (top) paragraphs 0021-0022) and the second coupling portion (12b + (bottom) paragraphs 0021-0022) is narrower than the second support portion (12 + (bottom) paragraphs 0021-0022).
Considering claim 9, Osamu (Figures 1-3) teaches wherein the second surface at the coupling portion, the second surface at the support portion (12 + (bottom) paragraphs 0021-0022), and the second surface at the vibrating portion form a continuous flat surface and the first metal film (31c + paragraph 0025) and the second metal film (32c + paragraph 0028) are disposed on a second surface side.
Considering claim 10, Osamu (Figure 1-3) teaches a third metal film (31b + paragraph 0025) disposed at an upper layer on the first metal film and a fourth metal film (32b + paragraph 0025) disposed at an upper layer on the second metal film.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRYAN P GORDON whose telephone number is (571)272-5394. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m..
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/BRYAN P GORDON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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