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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/26/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding the applicant’s arguments, the applicant states that Morinaga fails to disclose protrusion portions, since the protrusion portions of Morinaga are not formed on the bottom surface of the mirror unit and protrudes to a magnet unit side. The examiner respectfully disagrees. The claim limitations do not state where the protrusion portions protrude from toward the magnet unit side. In the examiner’s interpretation, element 43 of Morinaga in Figure 3 protrudes from element 44 toward a magnet unit side 51/52/53, and element 63 of Morinaga in Figure 3 protrudes from element 62 toward a magnet unit side 51/52/53. Further, both elements 43 and 63 are formed on a bottom surface 42, as both elements are directly disposed on this surface. For this reason, the arguments are not found persuasive, and the rejection is maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Morinaga et al (US Publication No.: US 2020/0241289 A1 of record, “Morinaga”).
Regarding Claim 1, Morinaga discloses an optical module comprising:
A mirror unit including a mirror device including a movable mirror portion provided with a coil (Figures 1-5, mirror unit 40, moveable mirror portion 10, coil 11/12; Paragraphs 0035-0042); and
A magnet unit including a first magnet, a second magnet, and a third magnet arranged along a first direction, and configured to generate a magnetic field acting on the movable mirror portion (Paragraph 0048; Figures 1-5, first magnet 51, second magnet 52, third magnet 53), wherein
The mirror unit is disposed on the magnet unit in a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, and includes a bottom surface facing the magnet unit (Paragraph 0025),
A protrusion portion protruding to a magnet unit side is formed on the bottom surface (Figure 3, protrusion portion 43/63),
A width of the protrusion portion in the first direction is equal to or less than a width of the first magnet in the first direction (Figure 3, a width of the protrusion portion 43/63 in a first horizontal direction is proportionally less than that of the first magnet 51), and
The mirror unit is fixed to an upper surface of the first magnet at the protrusion portion (Figure 3, the mirror unit 40 is fixed to the first magnet 51 at the protrusion portion 43).
Regarding Claim 2, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein the width of the protrusion portion in the first direction is narrower than the width of the first magnet in the first direction (Figure 3, a width of the protrusion portion 43 in a first horizontal direction is proportionally narrower than that of the first magnet 51).
Regarding Claim 3, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein the mirror unit further includes a base to which the mirror device is fixed (Figure 3, base 42), and the protrusion portion is formed on a surface on the magnet unit side of the base (Figure 3, at least protrusion portion 63 is formed on a magnet unit side of the base 42).
Regarding Claim 4, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 3, wherein the mirror unit further includes a wire connected to the mirror device and the base (Figure 4, wire W), and
The wire is connected to the base at a position overlapping the first magnet when viewed in the second direction (Figures 3-4, the wire W overlaps at least a portion of the first magnet 51).
Regarding Claim 5, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 4, wherein the base is formed with a wiring to which the wire is connected, and the wiring is formed by disposed a metal material in a groove formed in the base (Figure 4 discloses a groove, wiring 70; Paragraph 0056).
Regarding Claim 6, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 3, wherein an outer edge of the mirror unit is located outside an outer edge of the first magnet in the first direction (Figure 3 discloses an outer edge of the mirror unit 40 is located outside an outer edge of the first magnet 51).
Regarding Claim 7, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein the first magnet, the second magnet, and the third magnet are arranged in a Halbach array (Paragraph 0049).
Regarding Claim 8, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein the mirror unit is fixed to the upper surface of the first magnet by an adhesive material, and the adhesive material is not disposed between the mirror unit and both an upper surface of the second magnet and an upper surface of the third magnet (Figures 3-4, adhesive 45/46 bonds the mirror unit to the first magnet via base 42 and is at least not disposed on a portion of second and third magnets; Paragraph 0025).
Regarding Claim 9, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein the first magnet is sandwiched between the second magnet and the third magnet in the first direction (Figure 3, first magnet 51 is sandwiched between second magnet 52 and third magnet 53).
Regarding Claim 10, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the second magnet and an upper surface of the third magnet are spaced apart from the bottom surface (Figure 3, second magnet 52 and third magnet 53 are spaced apart from bottom surface o mirror unit 40).
Regarding Claim 11, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein the width of the first magnet in the first direction is wider than a width of the movable mirror portion in the first direction (Figures 3-4, the width of the first magnet 51 is greater than that of the movable mirror portion 3,4).
Regarding Claim 12, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein the width of the first magnet in the first direction is equal to or more than a width of the second magnet in the first direction and is equal to or more than the width of the third magnet in the first direction (Figure 3, the width of the first magnet 51 is greater than that of the second magnet 52 and the third magnet 53).
Regarding Claim 13, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein an upper surface of the second magnet and an upper surface of the third magnet are located on a mirror unit side with respect to the upper surface of the first magnet (Figure 3, second magnet 52 and third magnet 53 are located on a mirror unit side).
Regarding Claim 14, Morinaga discloses the optical module according to claim 1, wherein the upper surface of the first magnet is located on a mirror unit side with respect to an upper surface of the second magnet and an upper surface of the third magnet (Figure 3, first magnet 51 is located on a mirror unit side).
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 MARIAM QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-4434. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Caley can be reached at 571-272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARIAM QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 2871