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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claim 7 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 03/09/2026.
Applicant's election with traverse of Group I, Claims 1-6, in the reply filed on 03/09/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that the claim of Group II (claim 7) is directed to a method of making the product of elected Group I (claims 1-6). This is not found persuasive because the groups lack a same or corresponding special technical feature (see paragraphs 8-12 of the office action filed 01/07/2026).
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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.
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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oshima et al. (JP 2012/177183 A).
Regarding Claim 1, Oshima discloses an electromagnetic steel sheet with an insulating coating (para 0001). The coating comprises a Zr compound, a resin, and nitrite ions (para 0008). The steel sheet is non-oriented (para 0035). The Zr compound may be Zr phosphate (para 0014) (i.e. metal phosphate). The resin may be an organic resin (para 0017).
There is no disclosure in Oshima of the nitrogen content. However, given the broad molar ratio of nitrite to zirconium disclosed by Oshima, i.e. molar ratio of 0.01 – 10 (para 0008), it is clear that the nitrogen content of the insulating coating treatment of Oshima would necessarily overlap that presently claimed.
Alternatively, Oshima discloses that the amount of nitrite affects the corrosion resistance and powdering resistance (para 0022). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use amount of nitrite that would produce of amount of nitrogen, including that presently claimed, to produce insulating coating treatment with desired corrosion resistance and powdering resistance.
In light of the overlap between the claimed coating and that disclosed by Oshima, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a coating that is both disclosed by Oshima and is encompassed within the scope of the present claims, and thereby arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 2, Oshima discloses all the limitations of the present invention according to Claim 1 above. Oshima further discloses the coating may further comprise phosphate compounds such as aluminum phosphate or zinc phosphate (para 0028-0029).
Regarding Claim 3, Oshima discloses all the limitations of the present invention according to Claim 1 above. Oshima further discloses the resin may be acrylic resin, epoxy resin, or melamine resin (para 0017).
Regarding Claim 4, Oshima discloses all the limitations of the present invention according to Claim 1 above. Oshima further discloses the nitrite ions may be obtained by dissolving sodium nitrite, potassium nitrite, calcium nitrite, or ammonium nitrite in the coating composition (para 0019).
Regarding Claim 5, Oshima discloses all the limitations of the present invention according to Claim 1 above. Oshima further discloses the content of the resin is 20 to 60 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the Zr compound (which may be Zr phosphate) (para 0018).
Alternatively:
Oshima discloses the coating may further comprise phosphate compounds such as aluminum phosphate or zinc phosphate, in a content of 20 to 70 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the Zr compound (para 0028-0029).
When this optional phosphate compound is present and the Zr compound is Zr phosphate, the content of the resin would then be 12 to 50 parts relative to 100 parts metal phosphate ((20/170)*100 to (60/120)*100).
When this optional phosphate compound is present and the Zr compound is a Zr compound other than Zr phosphate, the content of the resin would then be 29 to 300 parts relative to 100 parts metal phosphate ((20/70)*100 to (60/20)*100).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Oshima as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Takeda et al. (US 2018/0033529 A1).
Regarding Claim 6, Oshima discloses all the limitations of the present invention according to Claim 1 above. Oshima further discloses the electromagnetic steel sheet is not limited and may be a non-oriented electromagnetic steel sheet containing Si or Al (para 0035).
Oshima does not disclose the electromagnetic steel sheet comprising amounts of Si, Al, and Mn as claimed.
Takeda discloses an electrical steel sheet having an insulation coating, wherein the coating comprises a metal phosphate and an organic resin (Abstract; paras 0029-0030). Takeda discloses the electrical steel sheet on which the insulation coating is formed may be a non-oriented electrical steel sheet that at least contains, by mass, 0.1% to 4.0% Si, 0.05% to 3.0% Al, and 0.01% to 2.0% Mn. Si, Al, and Mn increase the electrical resistance of the electrical steel sheet and improve its magnetic properties with the increase in their contents, but higher amounts decrease the workability (para 0047).
Therefore it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Oshima to incorporate the teachings of Takeda and use a non-oriented electrical steel sheet that at least contains, by mass, 0.1% to 4.0% Si, 0.05% to 3.0% Al, and 0.01% to 2.0% Mn as the electromagnetic steel sheet. Doing so would increase the electrical resistance of the electrical steel sheet and improve its magnetic properties with the increase in their contents, while maintaining workability.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BETHANY M MILLER whose telephone number is (571)272-2109. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-4:00.
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/BETHANY M MILLER/Examiner, Art Unit 1787
/CALLIE E SHOSHO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1787
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