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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claim(s) 9-10, and 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Wada et al. (US 6,229,687 B1).
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Regarding claim 9, Wada et al. disclose in fig. 7, an electronic component (title) characterized by comprising an electric element (11), and plate-shaped lead terminals (12) extending from the electric element (11), wherein
recesses and protrusions (C: 2, L: 63-67 – sand blasting) are randomly formed by surface roughening (C:2, L: 63-67 – sand blasting) on plate faces of the lead terminals (12).
Regarding claim 10, Wada et al. disclose the lead terminals have a tin plating film (18 – C: 4, L: 48-50) .
Regarding claim 12, Wada et al. disclose an arithmetic mean surface roughness of the plate faces of the lead terminals is 1.1 to 2.0 µm (C: 4, L: 35-41).
Regarding claim 13, Wada et al. disclose a 10-point average surface roughness of the plate faces of the lead terminals is 7.0 to 15.0 µm (C:4, L: 35-41 – Ra is greater than 0.9 micrometer, which aligns with a 10-point average roughness (Rz) of 7-15 µm (Rz ~ 4-10 x Ra)).
Regarding claim 14, Wada et al. disclose the electric element (11) is a capacitor element (C: 2, L: 60).
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 8, and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamazaki et al. (JP 2018-061015 A) in view of Uematsu et al. (JP 2018-061015A).
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Regarding claim 1, Yamazaki et al. disclose in fig. 2 and 5, a method for manufacturing an electronic component (1),
characterized by including a pressing step (fig. 5a, 5b) in which a lead terminal (411) extending from an electric element (3) is placed between a set of press dies (110, 120) along a length direction and processed into a plate shape (Fig. 5b),
wherein a surface (412) contacting the lead terminal, of at least one of the set of press dies has recesses and protrusions on a plate face (110, 120).
Yamazaki et al. disclose the claimed invention except for a surface contacting the lead terminal, of at least one of the set of press dies, has been blasted to form recesses and protrusions randomly.
Uematsu et al. disclose a method of forming lead frames wherein the lead frames are formed by pressing a lead terminal between dies, wherein a surface contacting the lead terminal, of at least one of the set of press dies, has been blasted to form recesses and protrusions randomly [0017] on a plate face of the plate-shaped lead terminal (sandblasting).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the die art to form Yamazaki et al. so that a surface contacting the lead terminal, of at least one of the set of press dies, has been blasted to form recesses and protrusions randomly on a plate face of the plate-shaped lead terminal, since such a modification would produce a die that, in use, reduces the risk of deep dents (and resulting substrate exposure) on the surface of the lead terminal.
Regarding claim 2, Yamazaki et al. disclose the lead terminal has a tin plating film [0016].
Regarding claim 8, Yamazaki et al. disclose the electric element is a capacitor element (abstract).
Regarding claim 15, Yamazaki et al. disclose 1a method for manufacturing an electronic component, comprising: providing or offering an electric element (1) having a lead terminal (411) extending therefrom;
placing the lead terminal (411) between a set of press dies along a length direction, wherein at least a surface of the set of press dies (110, 120) contacting the lead terminal (411) has been surface-roughening treated; and processing the lead terminal into a plate shape using the surface-roughened press dies (110, 120).
Yamazaki et al. disclose the claimed invention except for the surface of the set of press dies has been surface-roughening treated and the process forms recesses and protrusions randomly on a plate face of the plate-shaped lead terminal.
Uematsu et al. disclose a method of forming lead frames wherein the lead frames are formed by pressing a lead terminal between dies, wherein a surface contacting the lead terminal, of at least one of the set of press dies, has been blasted to form recesses and protrusions randomly [0017] on a plate face of the plate-shaped lead terminal (sandblasting), the process forms recesses and protrusions randomly on a plate face of the plate-shaped lead terminal.
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the die art to form Yamazaki et al. so that a surface contacting the lead terminal, of at least one of the set of press dies, has been blasted to form recesses and protrusions randomly on a plate face of the plate-shaped lead terminal, since such a modification would produce a die that, in use, reduces the risk of deep dents (and resulting substrate exposure) on the surface of the lead terminal.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamazaki et al. (JP 2018-061015 A) and Uematsu et al. (JP 2018-061015A), as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Shibata et al. (JP 2000-012386A).
Regarding claim 3, Yamazaki et al. disclose the claimed invention except for bismuth has been added to the tin plating film.
Shibata et al. disclose a tin plating film where bismuth has been added (abstract).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the tin plating art to form the tin plating film of Yamazaki et al. to include bismuth, since such a modification would prevent generations of tin whiskers and prevent the increase of leakage currents.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wada et al. (US 6,229,687 B1) in view of Shibata et al. (JP 2000-012386 A).
Regarding claim 11, Wada et al. disclose the claimed invention except for bismuth has been added to the tin plating film.
Shibata et al. disclose a tin plating film where bismuth has been added (abstract).
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the tin plating art to form the tin plating film of Wada et al. to include bismuth, since such a modification would prevent generations of tin whiskers and prevent the increase of leakage currents.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 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: In combination with the other claim limitations, the prior art does not teach or suggest a method for manufacturing an electronic component:
wherein an arithmetic mean surface roughness of the surface contacting the lead terminal, of at least one of the set of press dies, is 1.0 to 3.5 µm (claim 4); and
an arithmetic mean surface roughness of the surface contacting the lead terminal, of at least one of the set of press dies, is about 1.6 µm (claim 5).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2002/0080559 A1 – capacitor having a roughened lead
US 2009/0303664 A1 – electrolytic capacitor having a roughened lead
US 2015/0194262 A1 – solid electrolytic capacitor having roughened lead frame
JP 56-112931 – capacitor having roughened lead
17. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERIC THOMAS whose telephone number is (571)272-1985. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 6:00 AM-2:30 PM.
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/ERIC W THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2847
ERIC THOMAS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2847
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