DETAILED ACTION
Receipt is acknowledged of a request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) and a submission, filed on 08/01/2025. In virtue of this request:
Claims 1-5 were previously canceled;
Claims 6, 10-13 are currently amended; and thus,
Claims 6-17 are pending;
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 § 103
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.
Claims 6-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US2020/0144693A1 hereinafter “Pujadas” in view of US5,945,955 hereinafter “Glover” in view of US2020/0072970A1 hereinafter “Hereza” in view of US2017/0250464A1 hereinafter “Kawano”
Regarding claim 6, Pujadas discloses a radome structure for vehicle-mounted radar devices (¶23L1: the radome for vehicle), wherein
a planar heating element (¶23L2: a heating element) is laminated and fixed onto a radome substrate (¶25L1-3: the heating element is integrated in the radome between frontal and rear surface),
a local recess is provided by a member (¶24L2: a power source; as shown in Fig.1 the power source is a box)
Pujadas does not expclitly disclose:
the local recess is provided by the member protruding from the radome substrate;
a connecting body for electrically connecting exposed electrodes of the planar heating element and exposed terminals of a power supply line to the planar heating element is accommodated in the local recess
an insulating resin is filled inside the local recess so as to embed and seal the connecting body,
the local recess is formed in a pocket shape such that a bottom side is closed by a bottom portion and the local recess is surrounded by a peripheral wall and the radome substrate, and
the connecting body, the exposed electrodes of the planar heating element fixed and electrically connected to the connecting body, the exposed terminals of the power supply line electrically connected to the connecting body are all embedded and sealed in the insulating resin, and the power supply line is covered with a waterproof insulating coating.
Glover discloses a heating system for an antenna reflector wherein
the local recess is provided by the member protruding from the radome substrate (Col.3 L20-23: a junction box which is mounted directly to the back side of the antenna);
the local recess is formed in a pocket shape such that a bottom side is closed by a bottom portion and the local recess is surrounded by a peripheral wall and the radome substrate (as shown in Fig.1-2 for example)
a connecting body (Col.4 L66: a connecting plate) for electrically connecting exposed electrodes of the planar heating element (Col.4 L65-66: each lead wire is soldered to the top side of a connecting plate) and exposed terminals of a power supply line (Col.3 L17-19: two lead wires configured to electrically connect heating element to a power supply) to the planar heating element is accommodated in the local recess (Col.3 L23-25: the junction box contains the electrical connections between heating element) the connecting body
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to modify the radome disclosed by Pujadas to have power source be mounted on the back and inside the junction box as disclosed by Glover.
One of ordinary skill in the art would’ve been motivated because mounting the power supply in the junction box that on the device itself secures all the components within one location and it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japiske, 86 USPQ 70.
Pujadas in view of Glover hereinafter “Pujadas/Glover” does not disclose;
an insulating resin is filled inside the local recess so as to embed and seal the connecting body,
the connecting body, the exposed electrodes of the planar heating element fixed and electrically connected to the connecting body, the exposed terminals of the power supply line electrically connected to the connecting body are all embedded and sealed in the insulating resin
Hereza discloses an heated radome structure wherein a resin fills the space for the conductive element and pins of a connecting member. (¶82L1-4: resin fills the case space where both conductive element and pin will be located)
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to modify the radome disclosed by Pujadas/Glover to have the junction box filled with a resin as disclosed by Hereza.
One of ordinary skill in the art would’ve been motivated because the resin removes air and decrease the possibility of water ingress on the case. (Hereza ¶82L1-4)
Pujadas/Glover in view of Hereza hereinafter “Pujadas/Glover/Hereza” does not disclose:
the power supply line is covered with a waterproof insulating coating.
Kawano discloses an antenna module wherein the wires are coated with a coating that provides waterproofing. (¶28L1-4: the electric wire include conductors and coating layers coating the conductor; the coating layer has both insulation properties and waterproof properties.)
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to modify the radome disclosed by Pujadas/Glover/Hereza to have the lead wire disclose by Glover to be coated with the coating layer as disclosed by Kawano.
One of ordinary skill in the art would’ve been motivated because the coating provides waterproofing which prevents moisture and corrosion of the wire, extending the life of the wire.
Regarding claim 7, Pujadas/Glover/Hereza in view of Kawano hereinafter “Pujadas/Glover/Hereza/Kawano” discloses the radome structure for vehicle-mounted radar devices according to claim 6, wherein
the planar heating element is laminated and fixed onto a back surface on an opposite side of a viewing side of the radome substrate (Pujadas ¶25L1-3: the heating element is integrate in the radome between the frontal surface and the rear surface) (Note; the frontal surface is matches to the view side, and the heating element is on the back side), and
the member of the local recess is provided so as to protrude from the back surface of the radome substrate toward the opposite side of the viewing side, or is provided so as to protrude sideways from a side end surface of the radome substrate. (Glover Col.3 L20-23: a junction box which is mounted directly to the back side of the antenna)
Regarding claim 8, Pujadas/Glover/Hereza/Kawano discloses the radome structure for vehicle-mounted radar devices according to claim 6, wherein
Pujadas/Glover/Hereza/Kawano does not explicitly disclose
the local recess is arranged at a position outside an electromagnetic wave irradiation region of the radome substrate irradiated by a vehicle-mounted radar device.
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to ensure the case is placed outside the range of the range of the wave.
One of ordinary skill in the art would’ve been motivated because this avoids any potential interference and it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japiske, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 9, Pujadas/Glover/Hereza/Kawano discloses the radome structure for vehicle-mounted radar devices according to claim 7, wherein
Pujadas/Glover/Hereza/Kawano does not explicitly disclose
the local recess is arranged at a position outside an electromagnetic wave irradiation region of the radome substrate irradiated by a vehicle-mounted radar device.
It would have been obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art prior to the effective filing date of the application to ensure the case is placed outside the range of the range of the wave.
One of ordinary skill in the art would’ve been motivated because this avoids any potential interference and it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japiske, 86 USPQ 70.
Regarding claim 10-13, Pujadas/Glover/Hereza/Kawano disclose a method for manufacturing the radome structure for vehicle-mounted radar devices according to claims 6-9, respectively (as rejected in claims 6-9 above), comprising:
a first step of accommodating the connecting body for electrically connecting the electrode of the planar heating element laminated and fixed onto the radome substrate and the power supply line to the planar heating element in the local recess provided by the member protruding from the radome substrate (Hereza ¶27-33: forming frontal layer; placing conductive element in the heating element; forming the rear layer; assembling the frontal and rear layer); and
a second step of conveying the radome substrate with an open side of the recess accommodating the connecting body facing upward and filling the local recess with the insulating resin while being conveyed in this state to embed and seal the connecting body. (Hereza ¶81L1-11: once the frontal and rear layers have been manufactured; the pin area is immersed in resin or can be filled with an elastic foam or any other suitable means)
Regarding claim 14-17, Pujadas/Glover/Hereza/Kawano disclose the method for manufacturing the radome structure for vehicle-mounted radar devices according to claims 10-13 respectively, wherein
the first step involves using an intermediate structure including the planar heating element, the power supply line to the planar heating element, and the connecting body for electrically connecting the electrode of the planar heating element and the power supply line to laminate and fix the planar heating element of the intermediate structure onto the radome substrate and accommodating the connecting body of the intermediate structure in the local recess provided by the member protruding from the radome substrate. (Hereza ¶66-83: once molding of the first part of the radome is finished, electrically conductive element are placed over the recess and welded)
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 6 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAYMOND R CHAI whose telephone number is (571)270-0576. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:30AM-5:00PM.
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/Raymond R Chai/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2844