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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 08/19/2026 has been entered.
Claim Interpretation
Claim 1 is rejected as being indefinite because it is unclear if the step of;
preparing a mother glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface by curving the mother glass substrate,
the first surface being an inner surface and the second surface being an outer surface;
concavely curving a portion of the first surface toward the second surface of the mother glass substrate, another portion of the first surface being planar”
“wherein the mother glass substrate is immersed in the first ion exchange salt solution or the second ion exchange salt solution after the mother glass substrate is curved”
giving this claim the broadest interpretation in view of the specification it appears that the amended portion of, preparing a mother glass substrate having a first surface and a second surface opposite the first surface by curving the mother glass substrate and the immersion occurring after the curving is interpreted as curving a glass and then submitting it to the ion exchange There is support for this in [0014] of the published specification
“concavely curving a portion of the first surface toward the second surface of the mother glass substrate, another portion of the first surface being planar” only appears to have support in the embodiment of Fig. 6 [0094]
This is the claim interpretation for the present examination.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 1 is rejected for being indefinite because it is unclear if the external cation is the same as the first ion. For the purpose of this examination this is how the claim will be interpreted.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matthew et al. (WO 2015027552) and Kuksenkova et al. (WO 2015164556) as cited in (US 20170036954) and Hashimoto et al. (US 20120270016).
Regarding claim 1, Matthew discloses chemically strengthening thin, flexible glass [0003] for electronic devices comprising;
Preparing a mother glass substrate having first and second surfaces opposite and curving the substrate (See Fig. 4 [0013], [0020]) yielding an inner surface and outer surface.
Matthew discloses immersing the curved mother glass substrate in a salt bath to exchange a cation in the glass with an external cation in the bath to impart compressive stresses. Matthew explains the cations exchangeable in [0032]-[0033] a smaller cation such as lithium will be exchanged with a cation of sodium and a cation of sodium will be exchanged with an external cation of potassium as a skilled artisan will well know [0034].
Matthew discloses immersing the curved glass of Fig. 4 in a salt bath for cation exchange yields the ion exchange to produce at different rates yielding an asymmetric ion exchange depth [0061] Thus yielding an asymmetrical ion exchange glass.
Thus the claimed cation such as lithium is exchanged with an external cation of sodium in a first region yields a first depth (DOL2) of the mother glass substrate from the first surface (28) toward a third region (d) from the first surface (28), and in a second region at a second depth (DOL1) of the mother glass substrate that is greater than the first depth from the second surface (24) toward the third region (d) from the second surface, the third region being between the first region and the second region, to convert the first region and the second region to include the first ion from the salt bath, for example sodium.
Matthew discloses an example of the curved glass being in the salt bath at 380-450 deg Celsius up to 16 hours [0034] which overlap the claimed time of immersion thus it would be obvious to optimize the ion exchange within this time.
Matthew suggests that the asymmetric chemical strengthening can provide a flexible glass with increased durability [0006] and suggests that a skilled artisan understands also understands multiple ion exchange baths may be provided.
In an analogous art of manufacturing Kuksenkova discloses a method of making a glass substrate particularly suited for surfaces of electronic device surfaces [0003] comprising;
Preparing a mother glass substrate ([0007]-[0008])
Immersing the glass in a potassium nitrate salt bath and heating in the salt bath at 380-460 deg. Celsius, the first ion of potassium [0007]
Immersing in a second salt bath, second ion exchange salt bath, comprising a second ion of silver and or poisoning ions of sodium different from the first ion of potassium and
Secondarily heating in in the second bath of 300-400 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes to 18 hours [0007]-[0012].
Overlapping ranges are prima facie obvious
It would be obvious to add the secondary immersion of Kuksenkova to yield antimicrobial strengthened glass, thus a skilled artisan would modify the asymmetrical strengthening of Matthew with the secondary ion exchange of Kuksenkova be motivated to yield an antimicrobial strengthened glass for an electronic device.
The limitation of claim 1 of concavely curving a portion of the first surface toward a second surface and another portion being planar.
In an analogous art of chemically strengthening a glass substrate for an electronic device (Abstract, [0038], [0089]) Hashimoto discloses etching to form a recess (2, 2a) [0088]-[0092], Fig 5 or 9 for the purpose of aesthetic decoration and/or operation buttons [0085].
It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the method of Kuksenkova with a recess as motivated to provide an aesthetic decoration or placement for an operation button.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 5 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. Examiner appreciates Applicant’s amendments to clarify the claimed invention and overcome the previous rejection. Upon further search and consideration Matthews discloses the claimed feature of curving the glass and immersing the curved glass an ion exchange bath to yield symmetric strengthening which is beneficial to yielding a thin glass that is still strengthened particularly for an electronic device where one side does not need the depth of compression to the extent of the over side that will not be exposed to daily use of touchscreen or prone to being exposed to dropping or being hit or scratched.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hasegawa (US 20160224824) etching concave prior to IOX
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JODI COHEN FRANKLIN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1741
/JODI C FRANKLIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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