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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 01/09/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendments filed 12/17/2025 have been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-3 and 5-7 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.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Komatsu et al. (US 2009/0145549, of record) in view of Iida et al. (US 2021/0189230, of record) in view of Kim et al. (US 2022/0231871).
Regarding claim 1, Komatsu discloses a layered body (Figure 16) comprising: a substrate layer (see annotated Figure A below, which is an annotated Figure 16 of Komatsu); and a resin layer (see annotated Figure A below) disposed on at least one surface of the substrate layer (see annotated Figure A below), and when a surface tension of the substrate layer is indicated by as
σ
s
(mN/m) and a surface tension of the resin layer is indicated by
σ
r
(mN/m), the following formula:
|
σ
s
-
σ
r
|
≤
11.0
([0337] discloses: resin had a surface tension of about 38 mN/m and the substrate had a surface tension of about 37.5 mN/m;
|
σ
s
-
σ
r
|
is calculated to be 0.5, which falls within the claimed range)
is satisfied.
Komatsu fails to disclose an apparatus wherein the resin layer contains a light scattering agent (A). Komatsu and Iida are related because both disclose optical bodies.
Iida teaches an apparatus wherein the resin layer contains a light scattering agent (A) ([0117] teaches: light scattering agent formed into the resin) and quantum dots (B) ([0060] teaches: quantum dot containing resin film).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Komatsu to incorporate the teachings of Iida and provide wherein the resin layer contains a light scattering agent and quantum dots. Doing so would allow for better light diffusion and uniformity across the optical element, thereby improving the overall functionality of the optical system.
The modified Komatsu fails to disclose an apparatus with a content of the light scattering agent (A) in the resin layer is 1% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less based on a total amount of the resin layer; a content of the quantum dots (B) in the resin layer is 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less based on the total amount of the resin layer. Komatsu and Kim are related because both disclose optical systems.
Kim teaches an apparatus with a content of the light scattering agent (A) in the resin layer is 1% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less based on a total amount of the resin layer ([0137] teaches: light diffusing agent, in the amount of 1 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, which includes values in the claimed range); a content of the quantum dots (B) in the resin layer is 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less based on the total amount of the resin layer ([0229] teaches: quantum dot percent of 23 wt.%, which is included in the claimed range; [0229] binder is resin).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Komatsu to incorporate the teachings of Kim and provide an apparatus with a content of the light scattering agent (A) in the resin layer is 1% by mass or more and 30% by mass or less based on a total amount of the resin layer; a content of the quantum dots (B) in the resin layer is 10% by mass or more and 50% by mass or less based on the total amount of the resin layer. Doing so would allow for increased optical density and emission intensity of the cured layers, thereby improving the overall performance and quality of the optical system.
PNG
media_image1.png
390
611
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Figure A
Regarding claim 2, the modified Komatsu discloses the layered body according to claim 1, wherein the following formula:
0.1
≤
|
σ
s
-
σ
r
|
([0337] discloses: resin had a surface tension of about 38 mN/m and the substrate had a surface tension of about 37.5 mN/m;
|
σ
s
-
σ
r
|
is calculated to be 0.5, which falls within the claimed range)
is satisfied.
Regarding claim 3, the modified Komatsu discloses the layered body according to claim 1, wherein the surface tension
σ
s
is 30 mN/m or more ([0337] discloses: substrate had a surface tension of about 37.5 mN/m, which falls within the claimed range).
Regarding claim 7, the modified Komatsu discloses a display device comprising the layered body according to claim 1 (Iida: [0058] teaches: for use in television or smart phone, therefore considered to be used in a display device; Examiner notes that the same motivation to combine applied to an earlier claim, 1, also applies here, and no further analysis is required, consistent with MPEP § 2143, which permits reliance on previously articulated rationale where the combination and reasonings remain unchanged).
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Komatsu et al. (US 2009/0145549, of record) in view of Iida et al. (US 2021/0189230, of record) in view of Kim et al. (US 2022/0231871), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Murakami et al. (US 2014/0363767, of record).
Regarding claim 5, the modified Komatsu discloses the layered body according to claim 1.
Komatsu fails to disclose an apparatus wherein the resin layer is a cured material layer of a resin composition containing a resin (C), a photopolymerizable compound (D), and a photopolymerization initiator (E). Komatsu and Murakami are related because both disclose optical bodies.
Murakami teaches an apparatus wherein the resin layer is a cured material layer of a resin composition containing a resin (C), a photopolymerizable compound (D), and a photopolymerization initiator (E) ([0032] teaches: resin composition formed with, binder polymer with a carboxyl group, photopolymerizable compound and photopolymerization indication).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Komatsu to incorporate the teachings of Murakami and provide wherein the resin layer is a cured material layer of a resin composition containing a resin (C), a photopolymerizable compound (D), and a photopolymerization initiator (E). Doing so would allow for better spatially controlled curing of resin and adhesion properties, thereby improving the overall durability and quality of the optical system.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over Komatsu et al. (US 2009/0145549, of record) in view of Iida et al. (US 2021/0189230, of record) in view of Kim et al. (US 2022/0231871), as applied to claim 1 above, in view of Sung et al. (US 2021/0043873, of record).
Regarding claim 6, the modified Komatsu discloses the layered body according to claim 1.
Komatsu fails to disclose an apparatus wherein the light scattering agent (A) contains TiO2 particles. Komatsu and Sung are related because both disclose optical bodies.
Sung teaches an apparatus wherein the light scattering agent (A) contains TiO2 particles.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the invention of Komatsu to incorporate the teachings of Sung and provide wherein the light scattering agent (A) contains TiO2 particles. Doing so would allow for improved control of light diffusion, reducing glare and increasing uniformity of illumination, thereby improving the overall quality and efficiency of the optical system.
Conclusion
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/J.C.S./Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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