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) 1-3,6 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kumagai et al (2023/0290562A1).
Kumagai discloses a flat coil 1 comprising: a coil main portion 10 having a flat shape; a lead portion 91 drawn out from the coil main portion 10; and a heat-dissipating portion 93 provided to the coil main portion 10 at a location different from where the lead portion 91 is drawn out from the coil main portion 10, the heat-dissipating portion meeting the coil main portion at a predetermined angle (see Fig. 1A).
With regard to claim 2, Kumagai discloses the flat coil of claim 1 having a case 45 accommodating the flat coil; and a heat dissipating resin in the case (para 0015).
With regard to claim 3, Kumagai discloses the coil device of claim 2, comprising: a bobbin 11 provided with the flat coil 1;and a core 31 disposed along an axis of the flat coil, wherein the case has an opening 41 at the side of case 45.
With regard to claim 6, the heat dissipating portion 93 is shown to extend along the side wall of case 45 prior to emerging from the heat dissipating resin of the case.
With regard to claim 7, the heat dissipating resin is recited to fill and thus be in contact with case 45 in para 0022.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 4 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kumagai et al (2023/0290562A1).
Kumagai discloses a flat coil 1 comprising: a coil main portion 10 having a flat shape; a lead portion 91 drawn out from the coil main portion 10; and a heat-dissipating portion 93 provided to the coil main portion 10 at a location different from where the lead portion 91 is drawn out from the coil main portion 10, the heat-dissipating portion meeting the coil main portion at a predetermined angle (see Fig. 1A).
Kumagai differs from the claims by not being said to have an opening at the top of the case recited in claim 2 (limitations of claim 4) and by not being said to have the heat dissipating portions disposed opposite the lead portion, with the coil main portion there between.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to use the teachings of Kumagai to meet the claims because the claims only recite structural variations that would be used by persons of ordinary skill to adjust the coil case and lead configurations to the packaging considerations of a device using the coil device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 8-14 recite additional features, such as the connection of a second flat coil as recited in claim 8, that have not been taught or been fairly suggested by the prior art of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN W JACKSON whose telephone number is (571)272-2051. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30-3:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Monica Lewis can be reached at 571-272-1838. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SWJackson
March 4, 2026
/STEPHEN W JACKSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2838