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
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.
Claims 1-3 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takewa et al. (JP H07-298392).
Regarding claims 1 and 8, Takewa et al. teaches a speaker device comprising voice coil (21, 51, 61, figures 1-6, 8, 9) comprising a bobbin (22, 23, 23b, 52, 53, 62, 63) formed approximately cylindrically (figures 1-6, 8, 9), a coil (9) wound around the bobbin, and a plurality of protrusions (24, 53, 53a, 53b, 63) projected from an outer peripheral surface of the bobbin (22, 23, 23b, 52, 62) and formed over a whole circumference of the outer peripheral surface (figures 1-6, 8, 9).
Regarding claims 2-3, Takewa et al. teaches the voice coil, wherein a conductive foil (the metal or aluminum sheet 53 with the concave and protruding portions 53a, 53b) having a projected part is attached to an outer peripheral surface of the bobbin (52, figures 6(a), 6(b)), and wherein the projected part of the conductive foil is formed in such a manner that a plurality of protrusions projects from a surface of an outer peripheral side of the conductive foil (figures 6(a), 6(b)).
Regarding claim 7, Takewa et al. teaches a material of the bobbin (22, 23, 52, 53, 62) that is formed of any of metal, polyimide film, glass fiber, meta-aramid fiber, and composites thereof as claimed (see the text for the material of the bobbin in the translation).
Claims 1 and 7-8 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Panasonic (JP S52-064833 as cited in the IDS filed 06/12/2025).
Regarding claims 1 and 8, Panasonic (JP S52-064833) teaches a speaker device comprising a voice coil (figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) comprising a bobbin (13, 27, 28) formed approximately cylindrically (figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7), a coil (14, 29) wound around the bobbin, and a plurality of protrusions (27, figures 4, 5, 6, 7) projected from an outer peripheral surface of the bobbin (figures 4, 5, 6, 7) and formed over a whole circumference of the outer peripheral surface (figures 4, 5).
Regarding claim 7, Panasonic (JP S52-064833) teaches a material of the bobbin (13, 27, 278) that is formed of any of metal, polyimide film, glass fiber, meta-aramid fiber, and composites thereof as claimed (see the text for the material of the bobbin in the translation).
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.
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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takewa et al. (JP H07-298392).
Takewa et al. does not specifically disclose the protrusion (53, 53a, 53b, 63) having a length as claimed.
However, Takewa et al. does not restrict to any size for the protrusion; it therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any size for the protrusion in the system of Takewa et al. such as providing the protrusion having a length of 1 mm or less for providing a better structure depending on the applications and the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Panasonic (JP S52-064833 as cited in the IDS filed 06/12/2025).
Panasonic (JP S52-064833) does not specifically disclose the protrusion (27, figures 4, 5, 6, 7) having a length as claimed.
However, Panasonic (JP S52-064833) does not restrict to any size for the protrusion; it therefore would have been obvious to one skilled in the art to provide any size for the protrusion in the system of Panasonic (JP S52-064833) such as providing the protrusion having a length of 1 mm or less for providing a better structure depending on the applications and the desired frequency characteristics in the system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Babb (US 4,188,711) teaches a loudspeaker including a speaker cone and a voice coil structure comprising a coil (60) that is wound partially on a paper cylinder (62) and partially on a Teflon sleeve (64), wherein the rear end of sleeve (64) is formed into a bearing portion (66), wherein the bearing portion encircles and slides on a magnetic pole of the loudspeaker.
Suzuki (US 7,460,682) teaches a speaker apparatus comprising a voice that is configured so that a lead wire electrically connected to a coil is clamped between an insulating sheet and a bobbin.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUYEN D LE whose telephone number is (571) 272-7502. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 am-6:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen can be reached at (571) 272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUYEN D LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2694 HL
August 21, 2026
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