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 .
Response to Amendment
This office action is in response to the communication filed 11/10/2025.
Amendments to the abstract, to the specification, and to claims 5, 7, and 10, filed 11/10/2025, are acknowledged and accepted.
Due to the amendments, all previous objections to the abstract, to the specification, and to claims 7 and 10 are now withdrawn. Due also to the amendments, the previous rejection of claim 5 under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) is now withdrawn.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/10/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. On pgs. 6-7, and apparently regarding claims 1, 9, and 12, Applicant argues that Lee’s “insulating layer is distinct from a base body material and does not embed a conductor within the base body”. However, in the previous action filed 8/12/2025, Examiner deliberately mapped the base body to include Lee’s front body 700 and their insulation coating; see ¶ 13.B. Examiner thus holds that Lee’s insulation coating corresponds to material of the base body – and that their conductive part 320, which is coated over and “wrap[ped]” (Lee ¶ 109) by the insulating coating, is embedded in it. All previous rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 are thus maintained.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it does not commence on a separate sheet in accordance with 37 CFR 1.52(b)(4) and 1.72(b). A new abstract of the disclosure is required and – as stated in the previous action – must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3, and 5-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lee et al (US 20180239105 A1, hereinafter “Lee”)
Regarding claims 1, 9, and 12, Lee discloses (see FIGs. 1-2, ¶s 77-83, 106-109) a contact sleeve for a camera objective (lens part 10), comprising:
a sleeve-shaped base body (front body 700 with ¶ 109’s “insulation coating”) made of an electrically non-conductive material (¶ 109: “it is preferable that the… front body (700) be formed with plastic, which is an insulation material”, “insulation coating that wraps the conductive part (320) … may further be included”);
at least one electrical conductor (conductive part 320 in the written description, 820 in the figures) embedded in the material of the base body (front body 700 with ¶ 109’s “insulation coating”), which has, at at least one end, an exposed contacting portion (i.e. of first conductive part 821) configured to electrically contact an electrical consumer (heating layer 200) integrated in the camera objective (lens part 10) (see also ¶s 87-95, 110-112 regarding current delivered to heating layer 200 via first/second conductive parts 821/822 (of conductive part 320) and heating wire 400).
(Since Lee does not label, depict, or provide further details on ¶ 109’s “insulation coating”, Examiner omits it in the foregoing claim mapping, but notes this “insulation coating” is to implicitly accompany all references to “front body 700” mapped to the base body below.)
Further regarding claims 9 and 12, Lee also discloses a camera objective (lens part 10) wherein the contact sleeve (front body 700 with conductive part 320/820) is arranged on a shaft (lens barrel 500) of the camera objective (lens part 10) (as shown in FIG. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Lee discloses the contact sleeve as recited in claim 1.
Lee further discloses (see FIGs. 2 and 9, ¶s 106-111) wherein at least two electrical conductors (i.e. opposing portions of (first/second conductive parts 821/822 of) conductive part 320/820) are provided, which furthermore extend in parallel to one another and/or are diametrically opposite to one another on the base body (front body 700).
Regarding claim 5, Lee discloses the contact sleeve as recited in claim 1.
Lee further discloses (see FIG. 2(A), annotated below) wherein a first exposed contacting portion (i.e. of first conductive part 821) is formed by an end portion of the electrical conductor (conductive part 320/820) protruding beyond the base body (front body 700).
[AltContent: textbox (FIG. 2(A): FIG. 2 of Lee is annotated to highlight the first/second exposed contact portions)]
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Regarding claim 6, Lee discloses the contact sleeve as recited in claim 1.
Lee further discloses (see annotated FIG. 2(A) above) wherein a second exposed contacting portion (i.e. of second conductive part 822) is formed by an exposed circumferential region (i.e. by an exposed surface) of the electrical conductor (conductive part 320/820) and is arranged in a region of a material recess of the base body (front body 700).
Regarding claim 7, Lee discloses the contact sleeve as recited in claim 1.
Lee further discloses (see newly annotated FIG. 2(B) below) wherein the base body (front body 700) is a hollow cylinder with an annular collar, wherein the annular collar extends radially outward.
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[AltContent: textbox (FIG. 2(B): Lee’s FIG. 2 is again annotated to highlight the cylinder and collar of front body 700)]
Regarding claim 8, Lee discloses the contact sleeve as recited in claim 1.
Lee further discloses (see newly annotated FIG. 2(C) below) wherein the base body (front body 700) has, in a region of an end face and/or of an inner circumferential surface, at least one latching geometry, which can be brought into engagement with a geometry and/or recess of the camera objective (lens part 10) to secure a position of the contact sleeve (front body 700 with conductive part 320/820) on the camera objective (lens part 10).
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[AltContent: textbox (FIG. 2(C): Lee’s FIG. 2 is again annotated to highlight geometries relevant to claims 8 and 10)]
Regarding claim 10, Lee discloses the camera objective as recited in claim 9.
Lee further discloses (see annotated FIG. 2(C) above) wherein, to secure a position of the contact sleeve (front body 700 with conductive part 320/820) on the shaft (lens barrel 500), at least one geometry is formed in a region of an end face and/or of an inner circumferential surface of the base body (front body 700), the geometry being a latching geometry, in engagement with a geometry and/or recess of the camera objective (lens part 10).
Regarding claim 11, Lee discloses the camera objective as recited in claim 9.
Lee further discloses (see the previously annotated FIG. 2(B) above) wherein the contact sleeve (front body 700 with conductive part 320/820) is supported in an axial direction, via an annular collar of the base body (front body 700), on a radially extending shoulder of the shaft (lens barrel 500).
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.
Claims 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee, as applied to claims 1 and 3 above, in further view of Soshi and Takebayashi (US 5328391, hereinafter “Soshi).
Regarding claim 2 and 4, Lee discloses the contact sleeve as recited in claim 1 and the contact sleeve as recited in claim 3.
Lee does not disclose wherein the electrical conductors are contact pins.
Lee and Soshi are related as being directed towards power delivery circuits for cameras.
Soshi discloses wherein the electrical conductors are contact pins. (contact pins 15). (See FIGs. 1-2; col 2, lines 3-12; col. 3 lines 13-51.)
It would have therefore been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Lee with Soshi’s contact assembly, in order to provide a simple circuit that is easy to assemble (Soshi col. 1, lines 54-57).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WAI-GA D. HO whose telephone number is (571)270-1624. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 10AM - 6PM E.T..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephone Allen can be reached at (571) 272-2434. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/W.D.H./Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872