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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 09/29/2025 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: on line 1 of the claim, “claim 6” should be changed to “claim 1” to correct dependency since claim 6 has been cancelled. For examination purposes, claim 8 depends on independent claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7, 8 and 13-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over On et al. (US 2019/0368667 A1) in view of Chen et al. (US 11,047,532 B1).
Regarding claim 1, On et al. teaches an LED filament arrangement (see at least figures 1-5 and 9) providing LED filament arrangement light, comprising:
a first LED filament (21, see at least figures 3-5) adapted to emit first LED filament light (first filament 21; see at least figures 3-5); and
a second LED filament (second filament 22; see at least figure 3-5) adapted to emit second LED filament light,
wherein the first LED filament and the second LED filament are parallel (see paragraph [0028] where the first and second filaments 21 and 22 are connected in parallel and can work independently), and
wherein the first LED filament and the second LED filament (21, 22; see at least figures 2-5; paragraph [0028]) are separated by a gap (see at least figures 3-5) and mechanically connected to each other by a plurality of spacers (61, 62; see at least figures 3-5) arranged between the first LED filament and the second LED filament (21, 22; see at least figures 3-5), wherein said plurality of spacers includes at least three spacers (see paragraph [0025] where plurality of fixing rings 61 and metal strip 62 combine to form recited spacers; see at least figures 3-5 and 9 where more than three spacers are shown), wherein the first LED filament (21; see at least figures 3-5) comprises a first carrier and the second LED filament (22; see at least figures 3-5) comprises a second carrier, and wherein the first carrier (6), the second carrier (7), and the plurality of spacers (61, 62, see figures 3-5) are made from a single carrier (see at least figure 3).
On et al. does not explicitly teach the second LED filament light being a different color and/or color temperature than the first LED filament light and the [first LED filament] and [second LED filament] are arranged to extend in parallel side-by-side in a helix or spiral configuration, and wherein the [first LED filament] and [second LED filament] are separated by a gap such that the first LED filament does not directly contact the second LED filament and a [plurality of spacers] physically located between the [first LED filament] and the [second LED filament] as the first LED filament and the second LED filament extend in parallel side-by-side in the helix or spiral configuration.
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Chen et al. teaches an LED flexible filament strip and lamp comprising a first and second LED filament light that are different colors (see claim 6 of Chen et al. and at least figure 5) and further teaches and the first LED filament (3’; figure 5 and 5B; see column 6, lines 60-67 where two LED flexible filaments strips 3’ are disclosed) and second LED filament (3’; figure 5 and 5B; see column 6, lines 60-67 where two LED flexible filaments strips 3’ are disclosed) are arranged to extend in parallel side-by-side in a helix or spiral configuration (see figure 5 where first and second LED filaments 3’ are in a spiral configuration), and wherein the first LED filament (3’;figure 5B) and second LED filament (3’; figure 5B) are separated by a gap (see figure 5B where a gap separates filaments 3’) such that the first LED filament does not directly contact the second LED filament (see figure 5B where 3’ top and bottom don’t directly contact each other) and a plurality of spacers (4’; figure 5 and 5B) physically located between the first LED filament (3’ top; see figure 5B) and the second LED filament (3’ bottom; see figure 5B) as the first LED filament and the second LED filament extend in parallel side-by-side in the helix or spiral configuration (see figure 5 and 5B where filaments 3’ extend parallel to each other in a spiral configuration).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify On et al. to include a second filament light being a different color that the first LED filament and the first and second LED filaments arranged to extend in parallel side-by-side and separated by a gap as taught by Chen et al. because filaments of different colors are arranged in different filament strips respectively to provide richer luminous effects and avoid interference between filaments of different colors (see column 6, lines 55-59 of Chen et al.).
Regarding claim 2, On et al. further teaches an LED filament arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spacers (see paragraph [0025] where plurality of fixing rings 61 and metal strip 62 combine to form recited spacers in at least figures 3-5 and 9) are uniformly distributed along the length of the LED filament arrangement (first and second LED filaments 21, 22 combined).
Regarding claim 3, On et al. father teaches the LED filament arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of spacers (61, 62 combined; see at least figures 3-5) are arranged away from the ends of the LED filament arrangement (21, 22 combined).
Regarding claim 4, On et al. further teaches the LED filament arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the first LED filament (21; see at least figures 3-5) and the second LED filament (22; see at least figures 3-5) are mechanically and/or electrically connected to each other by other means than said plurality of spacers at one end or both of the LED filament arrangement (see at least paragraph [0028] where first and second filaments are connected to metal sheet bracket 6).
Regarding claim 5, On et al. further teaches the LED filament arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of spacers (61, 62 combined; see at least figures 1-5) divide said gaps into a plurality of openings each having a length Lopening in the length direction of the LED filament arrangement (first and second filaments 21 and 22; see at least figures 1-5), wherein a width Wspacer of each spacer of the plurality of spacers in the length direction of the LED filament arrangement is smaller than the length Lopening (see at least figure 3-5 where the spacers 61, 62 combined and the filaments 21, 22 are positioned).
Regarding claim 7, On et al. further teaches the LED filament arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of spacers (61, 62 combined; see at least figures 1-5) includes at least one spacer per turn of the helix or spiral configuration (see where 61, 62 combined are positioned in at least figures 1-5), and/or wherein the helix or spiral configuration has at least three neighboring turns, each of the at least three neighboring turns comprising at least one spacer of the plurality of spacers (see position of 61, 62 combined around the spiral of the filament 21, 22 in at least figures 3-5).
Regarding claim 8, On et al. modified by Chen et al. further teaches the LED filament arrangement according to claim 1, and Chen et al. further teaches wherein the first and second LED filaments (see plurality of LED flexible filament strips 3’ in figure 5) have a closest distance CD measured perpendicular to the length of the LED filament arrangement (see at least figure 5B where distance between the plurality of LED filament strips 3’ is shown) and farthest distance FD corresponding to a major groove of the helix or spiral configuration, and wherein FD>2CD (see arrangement of plurality of filaments 3’ in at least figure 5 where the farthest distance between the LED filaments corresponds to the grooves of the spiral configuration.).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify On et al. to space the first and second LED filaments where FD>2CD is met as taught by Chen et al. since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 ((CPA 1955).
Regarding claim 13, On et al. further teaches an LED filament lamp, comprising:
at least one LED filament arrangement (see the embodiment of figures 1-5) according to claim 1; a light transmissive envelope (see bulb shell 1 in at least figure 1; paragraph [0024]) at least partly surrounding the at least one LED filament arrangement (21, 22. See at least figures 1-5); and
a connector (lamp cap 3; see at least figures 1 and 2; paragraph [0024]) for electrically and mechanically connecting the LED filament lamp to a socket.
Regarding claim 14, On et al. modified by Chen et al. teaches the LED filament arrangement according to claim 5, and On et al. further teaches wherein Lopening > 5Wspacer (see at least figures 5 and 6 where 61 is interpreted as spacers).
Claim(s) 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over On et al. (US 2019/0368667 A1) in view of Chen et al. (US 11,047,532 B1) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Ge et al. (US 2015/0036241 A1).
Regarding claim 10, On et al. modified by Chen et al. teaches an LED filament arrangement according to claim 1, but does not explicitly teach wherein the first LED filament comprises white LEDs having a first color temperature, and wherein the second LED filament comprises RGB LEDs or white LEDs having a second color temperature different from said first color temperature.
Ge et al. teaches a LED light comprising a plurality of filaments comprising LED chips (11) that emit white light and RGB LEDs having a color temperature different from a first color temperature (see at least paragraph [0069]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the LED filament arrangement of On et al. to include white light emitting LEDs and RGB LEDs having a color temperature different from each other as taught by Ge et al. as an alternative way of obtaining a desired color temperature and desired color rendering index (see at least paragraph [0069] of Ge et al.).
Regarding claim 11, On et al. modified by Chen et al. teaches an LED filament arrangement according to claim 1, but does not explicitly teach further comprising a third LED filament adapted to emit third LED filament light.
Ge et al. teaches a plurality of LED filaments (23; paragraph [0090] and at least figure 7 where 3 filaments are shown).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the LED filament arrangement of On et al. to include a third LED filament as taught by Ge et al. as an obvious and alternative way of obtaining a desired illumination output..
Regarding claim 12, On et al. modified by Chen et al. and Ge et al. teaches an LED filament arrangement according to claim 10, and Ge et al. further teaches wherein the second LED filament comprises RGB LEDs (see at least paragraph [0069], and wherein the third LED filament comprises white LEDs (see at least paragraph [0069]; see figure 7) having a second color temperature different from said first color temperature (see paragraph [0069]).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the LED filament arrangement of On et al. to include white light emitting LEDs and RGB LEDs having a color temperate different from each other as taught by Ge et al. as an alternative way of obtaining a desired color temperature and desired color rendering index (see at least paragraph [0069]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-5, 7, 8 and 10-13 have been considered but are moot in view of new grounds of rejection necessitated by applicant’s amendment of independent claim 1. Regarding claim 1, applicant argues that prior art of record On et al. (US 2019/0368667) and Chen (US 11,047,532) fail to suggest the limitation, “the first LED filament and the second LED filament are arranged to extend in parallel side-by-side in a helix or spiral configuration, and wherein the first LED filament and the second LED filament are separated by a gap such that the first LED filament does not directly contact the second LED filament and mechanically connected to each other by a plurality of spacers physically located between the first LED filament and the second LED filament as the first LED filament and the second LED filament extend in parallel side- by-side in the helix or spiral configuration,” as recited in amended independent claim 1.
Applicant further provides reasons why On et al. fails to suggest the limitations of amended claim 1 but does not provide reasons or support for why Chen et al. does not suggest the limitation. After further consideration, Chen et al., has been found to teach the newly recited limitation of independent claim 1 and therefore, claim 1 remains rejected. See rejection above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Gibboney, JR. (US 2003/0214212 A1) and Van Bommel et al. (US 2022/0299171 A1) teaches spaced apart spiral filaments.
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/JESSICA M APENTENG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/ABDULMAJEED AZIZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875