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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/12/2024, and 09/27/2024 are being considered by the examiner.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election of Group II, claims 14-19, drawn to a coated magnetic material, without traverse in the reply filed on 08/03/2026 is acknowledged.
Group I, claims 1-13, to a method of producing a coated magnetic material are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group I, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim 20 and 21 are newly added and belongs to elected Group II.
Therefore, claims 14-21 are currently under examination on the merits.
Claim Objections
Claim 15 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 15 recites “in the coating the oxygen is present in a larger amount than the phosphorus is” in line 1, without using any unit of the amount of oxygen and phosphorus, however, the paragraph [0062] in the specification of the instant disclosure, describes “%” or times, but it is not clear whether this “%” is an atomic percent or mass percent or based on which basis the times are measured. Another paragraph [0062] and FIG. 3 in the specification of the instant disclosure, shows the amount as an “atom %”. Therefore, according to the present claim language, any unit of amount will be interpreted to meet the claimed limitations.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
Claims 14-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Takehiro Shimoyama, et.al. [US20130057371A1] (Shimoyama hereafter).
Regarding claim 14, Shimoyama discloses a coated magnetic material, comprising: a soft magnetic material (a coated metal powder containing iron as a main component, and an insulating layer that is formed on a surface of the metal powder, see Shimoyama’s [0044]); and
a coating containing a rare earth metal element, phosphorus, and oxygen provided on a surface of the soft magnetic material (insulating layer is formed from calcium phosphate (contains phosphorus, and oxygen) and a metal oxide (oxygen), (see Shimoyama’s [0044]), a preferred example is hydroxyapatite of the calcium phosphate, expressed by a chemical formula: Ca10(PO4)6(OH)2 (contains phosphorus, and oxygen) (see Shimoyama’s [0060]), in addition, a part of ions in a structure of the hydroxyapatite is substituted with other elements satisfying the following general formula (I), M10(ZO4)X2, with various combinations, through substitution of M2+, ZO4-, and X-, wherein the ion of metal enters a position of M2+ that gives a cation ion, some specific examples comprising rare earth metal element (scandium, iron, cobalt, nickel, strontium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium etc.) and the like, see Shimoyama’s [0061]-[0062]). In addition, Shimoyama further teaches the metal oxide including cerium oxide, yttrium oxide, holmium oxide, etc., and the like (i.e. oxides containing rare-earth element) (see Shimoyama’s [0075]).
Shimoyama further teaches the soft magnetic material is an Fe-X alloy wherein X is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ni, Co, V, Cr, and Si (metal powder containing iron as a main component include a silicon steel (Fe-Si, Mn, Al etc.), a Sendust (Fe-Si-Al), a permendur (Fe-Co-V), Fe-Si-B-based, permalloy (Fe-Ni). Generally, the metal powder includes Fe-Si as a main component, with modifying elements such as Al, Ni, and Co that are added to improve magnetic characteristics, few other elements are Cr, Mn, etc. and/or Co, Ni, Si, and the like, see Shimoyama’s [0047]-[0048]).
Regarding claim 15, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 15, Shimoyama discloses insulating layer is formed from calcium phosphate (contains phosphorus, and oxygen) and a metal oxide (oxygen), (see Shimoyama’s [0044]), and a preferred example is the hydroxyapatite is expressed by a chemical formula: Ca10(PO4)6 (OH)2 (see Shimoyama’s [0060]), which contains phosphorus, and oxygen, i.e. therefore based on the stoichiometry of the formula and the atomic composition of the compound Ca₁₀(PO₄)₆(OH)₂ (hydroxyapatite), amounts of oxygen and phosphorous have been calculated:
Element
Symbol
Atomic weight
Atomic percent in composition
Atoms
Mass percent in composition
Calcium
Ca
40.078
22.73
10
39.8936
Oxygen
O
15.9994
59.09
26
41.407
Hydrogen
H
1.00794
4.55
2
0.2007
Phosphorus
P
30.973762
13.64
6
18.4987
Therefore, in terms of number of atoms, atomic percentage as well as mass percentage, the amount of oxygen is larger than the phosphorous in Shimoyama’s disclosed insulating layer comprising calcium phosphate (contains phosphorus, and oxygen). Additionally, Shimoyama’s disclosed insulating layer comprises a metal oxide (oxygen), (see Shimoyama’s [0044]), which is an additional source of the oxygen, therefore, it is anticipatory that Shimoyama’s disclosed insulating layer comprising an amount of oxygen larger than an amount of phosphorous.
Regarding claim 16, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 16, Shimoyama discloses the coating further contains iron (in addition, a part of ions in a structure of the hydroxyapatite in the coating is substituted with other elements and represented by the general formula (I), M10(ZO4)X2, through substitution of M2+, ZO4-, and X- wherein the ion of metal is substituted with calcium, enters a position of M2+ that gives a cation ion, and specifically examples ions comprising iron (iron, cobalt, nickel etc.), see Shimoyama’s [0061]-[0062]).
Regarding claim 19, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 19, Shimoyama discloses a molded product, comprising the coated magnetic material (soft magnetic powders are compression-molded, see Shimoyama’s [0050], to have the powder magnetic core to be molded, see Shimoyama’s [0053]).
Regarding claim 20, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 16 and 20, Shimoyama discloses the coating further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of Cr, W, Mn, Mo, Nb, and V (in addition, a part of ions in a structure of the hydroxyapatite in the coating is substituted with other elements represented by the general formula (I), M10(ZO4)X2, through substitution of M2+, ZO4-, and X- wherein the ion of metal is substituted with calcium, enters a position of M2+ that gives a cation ion, and specifically examples ions comprising rare earth metal element (chromium, manganese, etc. VO43-), see Shimoyama’s [0061]-[0062]).
Claims 14-16, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Tomoyuki Ishimine et.al. [US8123874B2] (Ishimine hereafter).
Regarding claim 14, Ishimine discloses a coated magnetic material, comprising: a soft magnetic material (a soft magnetic material as shown in FIG. 1, includes a metal magnetic particle 10, see Ishimine’s Col. 5, line 30-35, FIG. 1); and
a coating containing a rare earth metal element, phosphorus, and oxygen provided on a surface of the soft magnetic material (soft magnetic material shown in FIG. 1 further include the insulating coated film 20 that surrounds a surface of the metal magnetic particle 10, (see Ishimine’s Col. 6, line 66-67, Col. 7, line 1-9, FIG. 1, and 2), in particular, a coating layer that coats a surface of the metal magnetic particle is a phosphate-containing metal oxide used as the insulating coated film 20, and the insulating coated film 20 composed of a metal such as Fe (iron), Y (yttrium), Ba (barium), or Sr (strontium), a metal oxide of a rare-earth element, a metal oxide, a metal phosphate compound, etc. or the like (see Ishimine’s Col. 7, line 40-51),
wherein the soft magnetic material is an Fe-X alloy wherein X is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ni, Co, Cr, and Si (Examples of the soft magnetic metal particle 10 include iron (Fe )-silicon (Si) alloys, iron (Fe )-nickel (Ni) alloys, iron (Fe )-cobalt (Co) alloys, iron (Fe )-nickel (Ni)-cobalt (Co) alloys, iron (Fe)-aluminum (Al)-silicon (Si) alloys, iron (Fe)-aluminum (Al)-chromium(Cr) alloys, iron (Fe )-aluminum (Al)-manganese (Mn) alloys, iron (Fe )-aluminum (Al)-nickel (Ni) alloys, iron (Fe)-silicon (Si)-chromium(Cr) alloys, iron (Fe)-silicon (Si)-manganese (Mn) alloys, and iron (Fe )-silicon (Si)-nickel (Ni) alloys etc. see Ishimine’s Col. 6, line 53-65, FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 15, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 15, Ishimine discloses insulating layer is formed from a metal phosphate compound, etc. or the like ((contains phosphorus, and oxygen) and a metal oxide (oxygen), see Ishimine’s Col. 7, line 40-51), and a preferred example is the iron phosphate was then formed by conducting phosphating treatment (see Ishimine’s Col. 12, line 24-25), which contains phosphorus, and oxygen, i.e. therefore based on the stoichiometry of the formula and the atomic composition of the compound iron phosphate, amounts of oxygen and phosphorous have been calculated:
Element
Symbol
Atomic weight
Atoms
Mass percent
Iron
Fe
55.845
3
46.8659
Phosphorus
P
30.973762
2
17.3291
Oxygen
O
15.9994
8
35.8051
Therefore, in terms of number of atoms, atomic percentage as well as mass percentage, the amount of oxygen is larger than the phosphorous in Shimoyama’s disclosed insulating layer comprising calcium phosphate (contains phosphorus, and oxygen). Additionally, Shimoyama’s disclosed insulating layer comprises a metal oxide (oxygen), (see Shimoyama’s [0044]), which is an additional source of the oxygen, therefore, it is anticipatory that Shimoyama’s disclosed insulating layer comprising an amount of oxygen larger than an amount of phosphorous.
Regarding claim 16, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 16 and 20, Ishimine discloses the coating further contains iron (the insulating coated film 20 composed of a metal, such as Fe (iron), see Ishimine’s Col. 7, line 46-57).
Regarding claim 19, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 19, Ishimine discloses a molded product, comprising the coated magnetic material (the dust core (molded product) obtained after compacting the soft magnetic material see Ishimine’s Col. 7, line 20-21).
Regarding claim 20, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 16 and 20, Ishimine discloses the coating further contains at least one selected from the group consisting of Cr, W, Mn, Mo, Nb, and V (the insulating coated film 20 composed of a metal, such as Fe (iron), Mn (manganese), Zn (zinc), Mg (magnesium), V (vanadium), Cr (chromium), Zr (zirco-nium), see Ishimine’s Col. 7, line 46-57).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over, Takehiro Shimoyama, et.al. [US20130057371A1] (Shimoyama hereafter) as applied to claim 14, and further in view of Wangchang Li et.al. [“Structure and magnetic properties of iron-based soft magnetic composite with Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite–silicone insulation coating”, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 456 (2018) 333–340] (Li hereafter).
Regarding claim 17, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 17, Shimoyama discloses the coating contains the non-rare earth metal element that is different from phosphorus or oxygen, and the non-rare earth metal element and the rare earth metal element are present in the coating such that, in a direction from a surface of the coating toward the magnetic material (insulating layer is formed from calcium phosphate and a metal oxide on the surface of the metal particle, and in which an organosilicon compound (non-rare earth metal element, as does not contain rare earth) is contained on a surface of the insulating layer, see Shimoyama’s [0044]), i.e. Shimoyama’s insulating coating that is different from phosphorus or oxygen, is present in the coating such that, in a direction from a surface of the coating toward the magnetic material, i.e. Shimoyama’s organosilicon compound coating → phosphate and oxide coating → soft magnetic particle.
Although Shimoyama is silent about that from a surface of the coating toward the magnetic material, the non-rare earth metal element shows a maximum amount, and then the rare earth metal element shows a maximum amount, as shown above, i.e. Shimoyama’s organosilicon compound coating (comprising non-rare earth metal element) → phosphate and oxide coating (comprising the rare earth metal element) → soft magnetic particle, therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the present invention that, the Shimoyama’s organosilicon compound would be maximum amount at the surface as the outer coating layer is composed of the organosilicon compound coating layer, and then the middle coating of phosphate and oxide coating would be maximum as the middle insulation layer as the coating is composed of a phosphate and oxide coating comprising rare-earth metal element.
But Shimoyama is silent about the non-rare earth metal element includes Fe.
However, Li teaches addition of non-magnetic electrical insulating materials decreases the proportion of soft magnetic phase as well as the permeability and saturation flux density and to improve the properties of soft magnetic composite (SMCs), magnetic insulators, ferrites have been used. Therefore, Li teaches high temperature resistant silicone resin to disperse Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite powders which evenly distributed on the surface of iron powders (as shown in Fig. 1), see Li’s page 334, Introduction and Filg.1.), wherein Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite (12.5% Ni, 4.5% Cu, 19% Zn, and Fe for balance see Li’s page 334, Experimental), i.e. Li’s coating comprises epoxy silicon and non-rare earth metal element includes Fe. Li further teaches iron-based soft magnetic composites with Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite–silicone insulation coating are uniformly coated on the surface of the iron powder and there is no defects are observed in the cross-section SEM images. The synergistic effect of silicone resin and Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite improves the insulating property of the composite cores, increased resistivity, relatively high permeability and good magnetic characteristics over a wide range of frequencies. The addition of silicone resin improves the mechanical properties of insulating coating, which is crucial in the molding process (see Li’s page 339, Conclusions).
Li is directed to a coated soft magnetic particle therefore, analogous to the instant claim and Shimoyama.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the present invention to have Li’s teachings of silicone resin and Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite together to modify Shimoyama’s organosilicon coatings to improves the insulating property of the coated powder to have composite cores with increased resistivity, relatively high permeability and good magnetic characteristics over a wide range of frequencies.
Regarding claim 18, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 17, Shimoyama discloses after the non-rare earth metal element shows the maximum amount, its amount decreases and then turns into an increase in the direction from the surface of the coating toward the magnetic material (insulating layer is formed from calcium phosphate and a metal oxide on the surface of the metal particle, and in which an organosilicon compound is contained on a surface of the insulating layer or inside the insulating layer (see Shimoyama’s [0044]), i.e. with these teachings of Shimoyama, as the organosilicon compound is contained on a surface of the insulating layer or organosilicon compound is contained inside the insulating layer, therefore it would have been obvious that, as elements of organosilicon compound coating contained on a surface, would show maximum amount at the surface, then would decrease in the phosphate coating layer and after that again increase in inside the insulating organosilicon compound coating layer.
Claims 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over, Takehiro Shimoyama, et.al. [US20130057371A1] (Shimoyama hereafter) as applied to claim 14, and further in view of Masaya Hagiwara, et.al. [US20220298613A1] (Hagiwara hereafter).
Regarding claim 21, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 21, wherein Shimoyama discloses the soft magnetic material is an Fe-X alloy wherein X is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ni, Co, V, Cr, and Si (metal powder containing iron as a main component include a silicon steel (Fe-Si, Mn, Al etc.), a Sendust (Fe-Si-Al), a permendur (Fe-Co-V), Fe-Si-B-based, permalloy (Fe-Ni), Fe-Si with modifying elements such as Al, Ni, and Co to improve magnetic characteristics, see Shimoyama’s [0047]-[0048]).
But Shimoyama is silent about wherein the Fe-X alloy contains a first phase containing Fe and X and a second phase containing X and having an X content that, when the sum of Fe and X in the second phase is taken as 100 atom%, is higher than the X content of the first phase when the sum of Fe and X in the first phase is taken as 100 atom%.
However, Hagiwara discloses an Fe-X alloy contains a first phase containing Fe and X and a second phase containing X and having an X content that when the sum of Fe and X in the second phase is taken as 100 atom%, is higher than the X content of the first phase when the sum of Fe and X in the first phase is taken as 100 atom% (a pressed powder material having excellent magnetic characteristics for a rotating electric machine, includes at least two kinds of magnetic metal particles having different Co contents, wherein first magnetic metal particles having a first magnetic metal phase containing Fe and Co; and second magnetic metal particles having a second magnetic metal phase containing Fe, in which when the amounts of Co with respect to the total amounts of Fe and Co of the first and second magnetic metal particles are designated as Co1 and Co2, respectively, the ratio of Co2 to Col (Co2/Co1) is from 0 to 0.5, (see Hagiwara’s [0014], [0028]), the first magnetic metal particles have a magnetic metal phase (similar to claimed second phase) containing Fe, Co, and Si, containing Co content Co1 is preferably from 5 at % to 80 at %, with respect to the entire amount of the magnetic metal phase (see Hagiwara’s [0029] and FIG.1) is higher than the Co content of the second phase Co2 (similar to claimed first phase) is preferably from 0 at% to 2.5 at%, with respect to the total amount of the magnetic metal phase (see Hagiwara’s [0029] and FIG.1).
Hagiwara further teaches the ratio of Co2 to Co1 (Co2/Col) is preferably from 0 to 0.5, to achieve both high saturation magnetization and low losses (particularly, low vortex loss), thus the metal powders are configured to include at least two kinds of magnetic metal particles having different Co contents. First magnetic metal particles having a large Co content have a higher temperature at which sintering proceeds, as compared to second magnetic metal particles having a small Co content. Therefore, a state in which sintering proceeds in the second magnetic metal particles while sintering does not proceed in the first magnetic metal particles, can be realized by selecting an adequate sintering temperature. Furthermore, as the first magnetic metal particles inhibit sintering of the second magnetic metal particles, excessive coarsening of the second magnetic metal particles can be suppressed. Densification of the pressed powder material and suppression of coarsening of the magnetic metal particles are simultaneously realized, and both high saturation magnetization and low losses can be achieved in a well-balanced manner (see Hagiwara’s [0031]).
Hagiwara is directed to a coated soft magnetic particle therefore, analogous to the instant claim and Shimoyama.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the present invention to have Hagiwara’s teachings of having least two kinds of magnetic metal particles with two different phases for having different Co contents to modify Shimoyama’s soft magnetic particle to achieve both high saturation magnetization and low losses.
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over, Tomoyuki Ishimine et.al. [US8123874B2] (Ishimine hereafter) as applied to claim 14, and further in view of Wangchang Li et.al. [“Structure and magnetic properties of iron-based soft magnetic composite with Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite–silicone insulation coating”, Journal of Magnetism and Magnetic Materials 456 (2018) 333–340] (Li hereafter).
Regarding claim 17, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 17, Ishimine discloses the coating contains a non-rare earth metal element different from phosphorus or oxygen, the non-rare earth metal element and the rare earth metal element are present in the coating such that, in a direction from a surface of the coating toward the magnetic material, (as shown in FIG. 5, the insulating coated film 20 includes one insulating coated film 20a and another insulating coated film 20b, wherein the insulating coated film 20a surrounds a surface of the metal magnetic particle 10 and the other insulating coated film 20b surrounds a surface of the one insulating coated film 20a (see Ishimine’s Col. 8, line 4-9, FIG. 5) and a silicone resin, a thermoplastic resin, a non-thermoplastic resin, or a metal salt of higher fatty acid is preferably used as the other insulating coated film 20b is preferably used (see Ishimine’s Col. 8, line 13-25), i.e. non-rare earth metal element).
Although Ishimine is silent about that from a surface of the coating toward the magnetic material, the non-rare earth metal element shows a maximum amount, and then the rare earth metal element shows a maximum amount, with above teachings and FIG. 5 of Ishimine’s, coating 20b (comprising non-rare earth metal element) → coating 2a (comprising the rare earth metal element) → soft magnetic particle, therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the present invention that, the Ishimine’s coating 20b (comprising non-rare earth metal element) would be maximum amount at the surface, and as this is the outer coating layer, the content of the coating would be maximum in this layer, and then Ishimine’s coating 20a (comprising the rare earth metal element) would be maximum as this layer contains the coating elements of the coating layer 20a (comprising rare-earth metal element).
But Ishimine is silent about the non-rare earth metal element includes Fe.
However, Li teaches addition of non-magnetic electrical insulating materials decreases the proportion of soft magnetic phase as well as the permeability and saturation flux density and to improve the properties of soft magnetic composite (SMCs), magnetic insulators, ferrites have been used. Therefore, Li teaches high temperature resistant silicone resin to disperse Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite powders which evenly distributed on the surface of iron powders (as shown in Fig. 1), see Li’s page 334, Introduction and Filg.1.), wherein Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite is non-rare earth metal element includes Fe (12.5% Ni, 4.5% Cu, 19% Zn), and Fe for balance see Li’s page 334, Experimental) and to prevent the agglomeration of nanoparticles, Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite powders are dispersed evenly in high temperature resistant silicone resin, and then the silicone resin was coated on the surface of iron powders by means of mechanical stirring, see Li’s page 334, Experimental).
Li further teaches iron-based soft magnetic composites with Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite–silicone insulation coating are uniformly coated on the surface of the iron powder and there is no defects are observed in the cross-section SEM images. The synergistic effect of silicone resin and Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite improves the insulating property of the composite cores, increased resistivity, relatively high permeability and good magnetic characteristics over a wide range of frequencies. The addition of silicone resin improves the mechanical properties of insulating coating, which is crucial in the molding process (see Li’s page 339, Conclusions).
Li is directed to a coated soft magnetic particle therefore, analogous to the instant claim and Ishimine.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the present invention to have Li’s teachings of silicone resin and Ni-Cu-Zn ferrite together to modify Ishimine’s insulating coated film 20b to improves the insulating property of the coated powder to have composite cores with increased resistivity, relatively high permeability and good magnetic characteristics over a wide range of frequencies.
Regarding claim 18, all the discussions above claim 14 and 17 are applicable for claim 18, Ishimine discloses each of the one insulating coated film 20a and the other insulating coated film 20b is not necessarily constituted by a single layer. Each of the one insulating coated film 20a and the other insulating coated film 20b may be constituted by a plurality of layers (see Ishimine’s Col. 8, line 30-35).
Although Ishimine is silent about after the non-rare earth metal element shows the maximum amount, its amount decreases and then turns into an increase in the direction from the surface of the coating toward the magnetic material, with above teachings of Ishimine’s it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the present invention that, one could have make a plurality of coating 20b, including a structure like, coating 20b (comprising non-rare earth metal element) → coating 2a (comprising the rare earth metal element) → coating 20b (comprising non-rare earth metal element) → soft magnetic particle through routine experimentation, "[W]here the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation." In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955) [see MPEP 2144.05.II]. Therefore, in this variation of routine experimentation, Ishimine’s coating 20b (comprising non-rare earth metal element) would be maximum amount at the surface (the non-rare earth metal element shows the maximum amount), and then in Ishimine’s coating 20a (comprising the rare earth metal element) would be maximum as this layer contains the coating elements of the coating layer 20a (comprising rare-earth metal element), i.e. coating 20b (comprising non-rare earth metal element) element will be decreased and then again another coating 20b in between 20a and the soft magnetic material, wherein elements of coating 20b (comprising non-rare earth metal element) would be increased again.
Claims 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over, Tomoyuki Ishimine et.al. [US8123874B2] (Ishimine hereafter) as applied to claim 14, and further in view of Masaya Hagiwara, et.al. [US20220298613A1] (Hagiwara hereafter).
Regarding claim 21, all the discussions above claim 14 are applicable for claim 21, wherein Ishimine discloses the soft magnetic material is an Fe-X alloy wherein X is at least one selected from the group consisting of Mn, Ni, Co, Cr, and Si (see Ishimine’s Col. 6, line 53-65, FIG. 1).
But Ishimine is silent about wherein the Fe-X alloy contains a first phase containing Fe and X and a second phase containing X and having an X content that, when the sum of Fe and X in the second phase is taken as 100 atom%, is higher than the X content of the first phase when the sum of Fe and X in the first phase is taken as 100 atom%.
However, Hagiwara discloses an Fe-X alloy contains a first phase containing Fe and X and a second phase containing X and having an X content that when the sum of Fe and X in the second phase is taken as 100 atom%, is higher than the X content of the first phase when the sum of Fe and X in the first phase is taken as 100 atom% (a pressed powder material having excellent magnetic characteristics for a rotating electric machine, includes at least two kinds of magnetic metal particles having different Co contents, wherein first magnetic metal particles having a first magnetic metal phase containing Fe and Co; and second magnetic metal particles having a second magnetic metal phase containing Fe, in which when the amounts of Co with respect to the total amounts of Fe and Co of the first and second magnetic metal particles are designated as Co1 and Co2, respectively, the ratio of Co2 to Col (Co2/Co1) is from 0 to 0.5, (see Hagiwara’s [0014], [0028]), the first magnetic metal particles have a magnetic metal phase (similar to claimed second phase) containing Fe, Co, and Si, containing Co content Co1 is preferably from 5 at % to 80 at %, with respect to the entire amount of the magnetic metal phase (see Hagiwara’s [0029] and FIG.1) is higher than the Co content of the second phase Co2 (similar to claimed first phase) is preferably from 0 at% to 2.5 at%, with respect to the total amount of the magnetic metal phase (see Hagiwara’s [0029] and FIG.1).
Hagiwara further teaches the ratio of Co2 to Co1 (Co2/Col) is preferably from 0 to 0.5, to achieve both high saturation magnetization and low losses (particularly, low vortex loss), thus the metal powders are configured to include at least two kinds of magnetic metal particles having different Co contents. First magnetic metal particles having a large Co content have a higher temperature at which sintering proceeds, as compared to second magnetic metal particles having a small Co content. Therefore, a state in which sintering proceeds in the second magnetic metal particles while sintering does not proceed in the first magnetic metal particles, can be realized by selecting an adequate sintering temperature. Furthermore, as the first magnetic metal particles inhibit sintering of the second magnetic metal particles, excessive coarsening of the second magnetic metal particles can be suppressed. Densification of the pressed powder material and suppression of coarsening of the magnetic metal particles are simultaneously realized, and both high saturation magnetization and low losses can be achieved in a well-balanced manner (see Hagiwara’s [0031]).
Hagiwara is directed to a coated soft magnetic particle therefore, analogous to the instant claim and Ishimine.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the present invention to have Hagiwara’s teachings of having least two kinds of magnetic metal particles with two different phases for having different Co contents to modify Ishimine’s soft magnetic particle to achieve both high saturation magnetization and low losses.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Sugiyama Masaki, et.al. [WO2006006545A1] (machine translation, original provided in the IDS, used for the restriction requirement, Masaki hereafter), discloses compacted magnetic core made by pressure molding a magnetic powder, in which a magnetic powder mainly composed of iron (Fe) is coated with an insulating film (see Masaki’s claim 1) wherein the insulating coating comprises a first insulating layer made of a phosphate coating and a second insulating layer made of silicone resin covering the first insulating layer (see Masaki’s claim 8). Masaki’s first insulating layer is an amorphous phosphate-based glass coating, but the glassy insulating layer, formed by a network-forming body composed of the first group of elements with a network-modifying second element having a large ionic radius, is difficult to crystallize, has high viscosity, and is less prone to sintering and aggregation (see Masaki’s [0119]) and requires a second groups of elements, for instance, alkaline earth metal elements and rare earth elements (R.E.), while rare earth elements include scandium (Sc), y, lanthanide elements, and actinide elements, y is preferred, similarly considering ease of handling and other factors. Other elements that can be the second element include lanthanides (La to Lu) (see Masaki’s [0121]). Masaki’s first coating solution is prepared by mixing phosphoric acid into these solvents and dissolving compounds or salts of alkaline earth metal elements or rare earth elements (see Masaki’s [0168]). Masaki teaches the presence of this second insulating layer results in an insulating coating of the present invention that exhibits higher heat resistance than the first insulating layer alone, and the heat resistance of the insulating coating was not simply improved by the overlapping of insulating layers, but rather by the synergistic effect of the first insulating layer and the second insulating layer (Masaki’s [0123]). Masaki’s second insulating layer is mainly composed of the silicone resin (see Masaki’s [0125]-[0129]) and in the case of a second insulating layer in which oxide particles are dispersed, the heat resistance of the insulating film is further improved, such examples are considering availability, cost, etc., oxide particles made from one or more of the following oxides are preferred: Si, Zr, Mg, or A1 (see Masaki’s [0142]). Masaki further teaches if the magnetic powder is a powder mainly composed of Fe and the higher fatty acid-based lubricant is lithium stearate, a metallic soap film made of iron stearate with excellent lubricity will be formed on the outer surface of the compacted magnetic core that comes into contact with the inner surface of the mold (see Masaki’s [0194]).
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/NAZMUN NAHAR SHAMS/Examiner, Art Unit 1738
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