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 .
In response to applicant’s filing dated October 15, 2025. The following action is taken:Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-4, 8-10, 12-17 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP Pat# 2010182394.
The reference (English version) discloses . a write head comprising (thermally assisted head see the abstract): a main pole (with reference to fig 4 paragraph 20 elements 6A, 6B and 6C) ; a waveguide core (paragraph 26 element 4); a bilayer transducer disposed between the main pole and the waveguide core (any elements within heat assisted head such as NFT and paragraph 28 showing trilayer elements such as CL1, CL2, OC…etc); an insulator disposed adjacent to the waveguide core (see paragraph 36 disclosing an insulator to the waveguide also any of elements CL1 and CL2 can be interpreted an insulator layer) ; a parabolic waveguide blocker (PWB) comprising a parabolic shape (see paragraph 29 disclosing a parabolic shaped element); and a metallic coating disposed over at least a surface of the PWB (such is interpreted as a reflecting elements (blocking elements) within the parabolic element such as elements 20A and 20B and paragraph 29 showing parabolic shaped elements 20A and 20B.
With respect to the limitations of claims 2 and 15. The “thermos mechanical material” is merely a probe element 8 within element 4 made of Ir, Pt..etc as in paragraph 43.
With respect to the limitations of claims 3 and 16. The cavity element 4 in fig 3 showing a parabolic blocker 20A and 20B having a height that is less than the width of the element 4 as illustrated and best interpreted by the examiner.
With respect to the limitations of claims 4 and 17. Such limitation read on the focusing light within the cavity 4 as showing fig 17a-c.
With respect to the limitation of claim 8, the claim read on the functionality of the NFT as in fig 4 showing the focusing point NF.
With respect to the limitation of claim 9 see paragraph 29 showing a material made of SIOx.
With respect to the limitation of claim 10, the reference discloses a metal made of Al as in paragraph 29.
With respect to the limitations of claims 12 and 13 see paragraph 43 showing materials Au, Ir, Pt …etc.
With respect to the limitation of claim 20. The claims read on the elements making the heat assisted magnetic head as shown in fig 4.
Claim Objections
Claims 5-7, 11, 18 and 19 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 cited prior art does not show or teach a curvature equation as in claims 5 and 18, the tapered angle range as in claim 6, the offset shape as in claims 7 and 19, the thickness of the metal coating as in claim 11,
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NABIL Z HINDI whose telephone number is (571)272-7618. The examiner can normally be reached on MON-FRI from 5:30 AM to 1:30 PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Steven Lim, can be reached at telephone number 571-270-1210. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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Examiner interviews are available via a variety of formats. See MPEP § 713.01. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/InterviewPractice.
/NABIL Z HINDI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2688
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