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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/11/2025 is being considered by the examiner. A signed IDS is hereby attached.
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.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAMADA et al. U.S. Patent Publication Number US 20230154489 A1(hereinafter YAMADA) in view of Inoue et al. U.S. Patent Publication Number US20140368954A1(hereinafter Inoue).
Regarding Claim 1, YAMADA discloses . A disk drive suspension (Fig. 3 i.e., suspension 10 ) comprising: a load beam (Fig. 3 i.e., load beam 22; para. [0055] i.e., The flexure 30 is fixed to ... the load beam 22 ); and a flexure (Fig. 3 i.e., flexure 30), wherein the flexure includes: a metal base (Fig. 3 i.e., metal base 40; para. [0057] i.e., The flexure 30 comprises a metal base 40...); a circuit portion provided along the metal base (para. [0016] and [0017] i.e., The flexure further comprises a connection portion, and the conductor layer may include a plurality of lines arranged in a direction orthogonal to a direction of extension of the wiring portion, and the connection. portion. may be electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of lines. …a flexure of a disk drive suspension comprises a metal base, and a wiring portion provided along the metal base. ; para. [0059] i.e., ...the wiring portion 50 is electrically connected to the element of the slider 11 via a terminal 51... ); and a slider arrangement portion (Fig. 13 i.e., flexure 30) on which a slider is arranged; the slider arrangement portion includes: an aperture portion (Fig. 13 i.e., 47 and 40) formed in the metal base (para. [0057] i.e., The flexure 30 comprises a metal base 40 formed of... a thin stainless steel plate... ); an embedding circuit portion arranged inside the aperture portion in a part of the circuit portion (Fig. 13 i.e., conductor layer 71; para. [0016] i.e., The flexure further comprises a connection portion, and the conductor layer may include a plurality of lines arranged in a direction orthogonal to a direction of extension of the wiring portion, and the connection. portion. may be electrically connected to at least one of the plurality of lines); a slider support portion (Fig. 13, the upper portion of the cover insulating layer 81) formed on the metal base (para. [0057] i.e., The flexure 30 comprises a metal base 40 formed of... a thin stainless steel plate... )and supporting the slider with the embedding circuit portion being arranged in the aperture portion (Fig. 13 i.e., 71; The upper portion of the cover insulating layer 81 supports a slider with the conductor layer 71.); and an abutting portion contacting a protrusion portion formed on the load beam (Fig. 13; The uppermost surface of the flexure on which a dimple is positioned) except the slider.
In an analogous art, Inoue teaches a slider arrangement portion (Fig. 9 i.e., flexure 22) on which a slider is arranged (Fig. 9 i.e., slider 11, The portion of flexure that contacts the dimple and corresponds to the region around P1 shown in a slightly different shading in Fig. 9. ; para. [0070] i.e., “slider 11” and “A dimple 100 is formed on the load beam 21. The dimple 100 is an example of a supporting protrusion, and has a convex surface projecting toward the gimbal portion 30 of the flexure 22...”).
YAMADA teaches that a flexure of a disk drive suspension includes a load beam, a metal base,
and a wiring portion provided along the metal base. However, YAMADA fails to explicitly disclose a gimbal portion including a flexure disposed near the slider, a dimple is formed on the load beam, and a configuration in which a top of a convex surface of the dimple contacts the flexure portion. Inoue teaches a slider is disposed at a flexure, a dimple is formed on the load beam and the dimple contacts the flexure portion. All of the component parts are known in reference YAMADA and reference Inoue. The only difference is the combination of known elements into a single device by mounting the elements on a flexure.
Thus, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the flexure disclosed in YAMADA with the slider arrangement disclosed in Inoue. YAMADA provides a detailed teaching of a flexure structure and functional benefits,
while Inoue teaches a disk drive suspension in which a flexure and a slider are used together. Therefore, given the teachings as a whole, combining these teaching would merely involve incorporating the known
flexure of YAMADA into the slider arrangement of Inoue to achieve the predictable results.
Regarding Claim 2, YAMADA as modified by Inoue teaches the suspension of claim 1 as discussed above. YAMADA further discloses the disk drive suspension wherein the embedding circuit portion includes a base resin layer (Fig. 13 i.e., 61; para. [0072] i.e., The base insulating layer 61 ...are formed of ... resin material..), a conductor along the base resin layer (Fig. 13 i.e., conductor 71; para. [0071] i.e., ...a conductor layer 71 overlapping with the base insulating layer 61...), a cover resin covering the conductor (Fig. 13 i.e., 81; para. [0072] i.e., ...the cover insulating layer 81 are formed of ... resin material..), and the abutting portion (Fig. 13; The uppermost surface of the flexure on which a dimple is positioned).
Regarding Claim 3, YAMADA as modified by Inoue teaches the suspension of claim 1 as discussed above. YAMADA further discloses the disk drive suspension wherein the slider arrangement portion includes a foundation resin overlapping the base resin layer (Fig. 13 i.e., support layer 92; para. [0146] i.e., The support layer 92 is formed of...resin material... ).
Regarding Claim 7, YAMADA as modified by Inoue teaches the suspension of claim 1 as discussed above. YAMADA further discloses the disk drive suspension further comprising: a ground connecting conductor electrically connecting the metal base and a conductor of the embedding circuit portion (Fig. 15 left 93; para. [0160] i.e., The connection portion 93 can be used to ground the conductor layer 71 to the metal base 40... ).
Claim(s) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAMADA in view of Inoue as applied to claims 1-3 and 7 above, and further in view of Deokar et al. U.S. Patent Number US11037589B1(hereinafter Deokar).
Regarding Claim 4, YAMADA as modified by Inoue teaches the suspension of claim 1 as discussed above but fails to explicitly disclose the suspension further comprising: a metal portion provided inside the aperture portion and formed of a part of the metal base, wherein the metal portion includes the slider support portion.
In an analogous art, Deokar teaches the suspension further comprising a metal portion provided inside the aperture portion and formed of a part of the metal base , wherein the metal portion includes the slider support portion (Col. 4 lines 5-18 i.e., slider support region 130 may include .. metal...).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the slider support region of Deokar into a disk drive suspension in order to maintain gimbal compliance, which improves stability of the slider (Deokar, Col. 3 lines 56-64).
Regarding Claim 5, YAMADA as modified by Inoue and Deokar teaches the suspension of claim 4 as discussed above but fails to explicitly disclose the metal portion includes the abutting portion. Deokar further discloses the suspension wherein the metal portion includes the abutting portion (Fig. 5 i.e., 162; Col. 6 lines 3-8 i.e., top surface of slider support region 130 of flexure 127 at locations 162).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the slider support region of Deokar into a disk drive suspension in order to maintain gimbal compliance, which improves stability of the slider (Deokar, Col. 3 lines 56-64).
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAMADA in view of Inoue and further in view of Deokar as applied to claims 4-5 above, and further in view of YAMADA U.S. Patent Number US20230267956A1 (hereinafter ‘956 patent).
Regarding Claim 8, YAMADA as modified by Inoue and Deokar teaches the suspension of claim 4 as discussed above but fails to explicitly disclose the slider support portion includes:an electrically insulating pedestal member provided between the metal portion and the slider.
In an analogous art, ‘956 patent teaches the suspension wherein the slider support portion includes: an electrically insulating pedestal member (Fig. 11 i.e., 90) provided between the metal portion and the slider (Fig. 11 i.e., 11, The metal portion is disposed on the flexure at a location where the concave of the dimple contacts the flexure. ; para. [0073] i.e., The flexure 30 further includes a plurality of pillows 90…, para. [0074] i.e., The pillows 90 are formed … of an electrically insulating … material.. , and para. [0075] i.e., The pillows 90 each include a surface 91 on which the slider 11 is disposed. The slider 11 is placed on the surfaces 91 of pillows 90...).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the pillows between the slider and the cover insulation layer disclosed in ‘956 patent into the disk drive suspension in order to maintain the height of the mounting slider (‘956 patent, para. 73).
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAMADA in view of Inoue as applied to claims 1-3 and 7 above, and further in view of ‘956 patent.
Regarding Claim 9, YAMADA as modified by Inoue teaches the suspension of claim 1 as discussed above but fails to explicitly disclose the slider support portion includes: an electrically insulating first pedestal member covering the aperture portion; and an electrically insulating second pedestal member between the slider and the first pedestal member.
‘956 patent teaches the suspension wherein the slider support portion includes: an electrically insulating first pedestal member (Fig. 11 i.e., base insulation layer 60; para. [0059] i.e., The base insulation layer 60...formed...of an electrically insulating … material... ) covering the aperture portion (Fig. 11 i.e., 36 ; para. [0129] i.e., The base insulation layer 60 in the thin-walled portion …); and an electrically insulating second pedestal member (Fig. 11 i.e., pillows 90) between the slider and the first pedestal member (Fig. 11 i.e., "11", "90", and "60"; para. [0075] i.e., The pillows 90 each include a surface 91 on which the slider 11 is disposed. The slider 11 is placed on the surfaces 91 of pillows 90…; para. [0129] i.e.,The base insulation layer 60 in the thin-walled portion 38 is in contact with a plurality of pillows 90... ).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the pillows between the slider and the cover insulation layer disclosed in ‘956 patent into the disk drive suspension in order to maintain the height of the mounting slider (‘956 patent, para. 73).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over YAMADA in view of Inoue as applied to claims 1-3 and 7 above, and further in view of Kikuchi et al. U.S. Patent Publication Number US20220189505A1(hereinafter Kikuchi).
Regarding Claim 6, YAMADA as modified by Inoue teaches the suspension of claim 1 as discussed above. YAMADA further discloses the suspension, wherein the embedding circuit portion includes: a load beam-side face facing the load beam (Fig. 13, The upper portion of the conductor layer 71); a slider-side face facing the slider (Fig. 13, The lower portion of the conductor layer 71) but fails to explicitly disclose a first conductor including a terminal portion exposed to the load beam-side face; and
a second conductor including a terminal portion exposed to the slider-side face.
In an analogous art, Kikuchi teaches the suspension wherein the embedding circuit portion includes: a first conductor including a terminal portion exposed to the load beam-side face (Fig. 10 i.e., 44 c; para. [0066] i.e., ...a cover insulating layer 44 d is removed from a thin portion 60 of a second bridge portion 47 d. An exposed conductive layer 44 c,...); and a second conductor including a terminal portion exposed to the slider-side face (Fig. 10 i.e., 44 c; para. [0066] i.e., ...a cover insulating layer 44 d is removed from a thin portion 60 of a second bridge portion 47 d. An exposed conductive layer 44 c,...).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date
of the claimed invention to incorporate the thin portion of the conductive layer of Kikuchi into the disk
drive suspension in order to improve the strokes without having to change the characteristics or size of
the drive element(Kikuchi, para. 60, 61, and 68).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE J KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-5571. The examiner can normally be reached Mon.-Fri. 7:30am-4:30/5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Lim can be reached at (571) 270-1210. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MICHELLE J. KIM/Examiner, Art Unit 2688
/STEVEN LIM/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2688