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
2. 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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 12/11/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
3. The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
4. Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Claims 3 and 4 recite limitations towards the attachment member comprising an expandable gasket and the attachment member comprising a mechanical attachment member, however, claim 1 recites the limitation of the attachment member comprising a compression member. The disclosure does not describe an attachment member that would have a compression member and an expandable gasket or a compression member and a mechanical attachment member.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. Claim(s) 1, 3-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fisher (US 2016/0082705) in view of Akiyama (US 11,472,161) and further in view of Abell (US 4,133,367).
Regarding claim 1, Fisher discloses an apparatus, comprising: at least one glass pane 10 comprising a laminate, (Fig 1), wherein the laminate has a thickness of not greater than 3 mm, wherein the laminate comprises a first glass layer 12 a second glass layer 14, and an interlayer 16 configured between the first glass layer and the second glass layer to attach the first glass layer to the second glass layer, wherein one or more of the first glass layer and the second glass layer has a thickness of less than 1 mm (Fig 1), (Par 0011). Examiner wants to note that Fisher discloses “at least one of the two glass sheets may have a thickness not exceeding 1 mm” and “the thickness of the interlayer may have a thickness in a range from about 0.38 mm to about 2 mm, or from about 0.76 mm to about 0.81 mm” thus the laminate can have a thickness of not greater than 3 mm.
Fisher discloses the apparatus but does not disclose a frame, configured perimetrically around a corresponding perimetrical edge of the at least one glass pane; a seal, configured between the frame and the at least one glass pane. However, Akiyama discloses a fenestration apparatus comprising at least one glass pane 10, a frame 30, configured perimetrically around a corresponding perimetrical edge of the at least one glass pane; a seal 31, configured between the frame and the at least one glass pane (Fig 4, 5a, 5b). Therefore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the apparatus of Fisher to include a frame and a seal as taught by Akiyama in order to provide a fenestration apparatus that can be installed in a building. Such a combination, to one of ordinary skill in the art, would have a reasonable expectation of success, and would be based on ordinary skill and common sense before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Fisher modified by Akiyama does not disclose an attachment member on the frame, wherein the attachment member is configured to be removably fixable to an existing window, wherein the attachment member is configured to define a gap between the frame, the at least one glass pane, and the existing window, and wherein the attachment member comprises a compression member configured to retain the fenestration apparatus on the existing window. However, Abell discloses a fenestration apparatus having at least one glass pane130 and a frame 136, (Fig 1, 6) and an attachment member 164, 165 on the frame (Fig 6), wherein the attachment member is configured to be removably fixable to an existing window, wherein the attachment member is configured to define a gap between the frame, the at least one glass pane, and the existing window, (Fig 1) and wherein the attachment member comprises a compression member 164 configured to retain the fenestration apparatus on the existing window (Fig 1, 6). Examiner wants to note that the attachment member of Abell is an adhesive strip that would be compressed under the weight of the frame thus is considered a compression member. Therefore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the fenestration apparatus of Fisher and Akiyama to include an attachment member as taught by Abell in order to be able to secure the fenestration apparatus into an existing frame when is desired to provide an insulation layer with outstanding post-breakage glass retention properties. Such a combination, to one of ordinary skill in the art, would have a reasonable expectation of success, and would be based on ordinary skill and common sense before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding claims 3 and 4 as best understood, Abell further discloses the attachment member 164, 165 comprises a release member (Fig 6), but does not disclose wherein the attachment member comprises an expandable gasket or wherein the attachment member comprises a mechanical attachment member, wherein the mechanical attachment member is configured to cooperate in mating engagement with a corresponding fenestration assembly. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an expandable gasket and a release member or a mechanical attachment member in place of the compression member because these are equivalent elements both capably serve to fasten the frame, and the selection of known equivalents to attachment members would have been within the level of ordinary skill in the art the time the invention was made.
Regarding claim 5, Akijama further discloses the frame 30 is configured with a base, capable of being configured to retain on an existing window frame and/or alongside an existing window frame assembly (Fig 4, 5a, 5b).
Regarding claim 6, Akijama further discloses the frame 30 is configured with at least two upward extensions along the perimetrical edge of the glass laminate, the at least two upward extensions comprising a first extension configured alongside the first glass layer 11 and a second extension configured alongside the second glass layer 12 (Figure 5b).
Regarding claim 7, Abell further discloses the existing window 10 comprises an adjacent perimetrical ledge/extension (Fig 1).
Regarding claims 8 and 9, Fisher discloses the first glass layer 12 and the second glass layer is less than 1 mm thick (Par 0011), but does not disclose is less than 0.9 mm thick. However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to modify the first and second glass layer to have the thickness as claimed, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the thickness of the first and second glass layers according to the desired structural capabilities of the fenestration apparatus. A change in thickness is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 10, Fisher discloses the interlayer 16 comprises a thickness of not greater than 2.5 mm (Par 0011).
Regarding claim 11, Fisher discloses the interlayer 16 comprises a polymer (Par 0011).
Regarding claim 12, Fisher discloses the interlayer 16 comprises an ionomer (Par 0011).
Regarding claim 13, Fisher discloses the interlayer 16 comprises a polyvinyl butyral (PVB), (Par 0011).
Regarding claim 14, Fisher discloses as discussed in claim 1, but does not disclose the laminate comprises a coating on at least one of: a. a first major surface of the first glass layer, b. a second major surface of the second glass layer, and c. both the first major surface of the first glass layer and the second major surface of the second glass layer. However, Akijama discloses the laminate comprises a coating 21 on at least one of: a. a first major surface of the first glass layer, b. a second major surface of the second glass layer, and c. both the first major surface of the first glass layer and the second major surface of the second glass layer (Fig 3), (Col 9, Lines 63-66). Therefore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the laminate of Fisher to include a coating as taught by Akiyama, in order to provide scratch protection. Such a combination, to one of ordinary skill in the art, would have a reasonable expectation of success, and would be based on ordinary skill and common sense before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 15, Fisher discloses the interlayer is an acoustic dampening polymer configured for noise reduction (Par 0070).
Regarding claim 16, Fisher modified by Akijama and Abell discloses the modified fenestration apparatus is a removable secondary glazing assembly.
Regarding claim 17, Fisher discloses as discussed in claim 1, but does not disclose the interlayer is a tinted polymer. However, Akijama discloses the interlayer 16 is a tinted polymer (Col 9, Lines 24-25). Therefore, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the laminate of Fisher to include a tinted polymer as taught by Akiyama, in order to provide a design pattern or privacy. Such a combination, to one of ordinary skill in the art, would have a reasonable expectation of success, and would be based on ordinary skill and common sense before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 18, Fisher modified by Akijama and Abell discloses the modified fenestration apparatus would pass a safety test as set out in ANSI Z97.1 or EN 12600 standard, when measured in accordance with the standard. Examiner concludes this because the fenestration apparatus of Fisher modified by Akijama and Abell would have the same structure of Applicant’s claimed invention and it will be able to perform in the same manner.
Regarding claim 19, Fisher discloses at least one of the first glass layer and the second glass layer is a chemically strengthened glass (Par 0010).
Regarding claim 20, Fisher modified by Akijama and Abell discloses as discussed in claim 1, but does not disclose a second glass pane is disposed in spaced relation from the at least one glass pane. However, it would have been an obvious matter of design choice to modify the fenestrations apparatus to include a second glass pane since such a modification would have involved a mere duplication of parts and it would enhance the heat and sound insulation properties of the fenestration apparatus.
Response to Arguments
8. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 3-20 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
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See Form 892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADRIANA FIGUEROA whose telephone number is (571)272-8281. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30AM-5PM MONDAY-FRIDAY.
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/ADRIANA FIGUEROA/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3633
01/17/2026