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 .
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 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR200454562 in view of LI (US 2009/0237911 A1).
PNG
media_image1.png
683
282
media_image1.png
Greyscale
PNG
media_image2.png
515
618
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, KR200454562 teaches a ring-type lighting device (figures 1, 2 and 6) comprising:
a case member (100) having an annular shape (see shape of 100 in at least figures 2 and 6) and comprising an inner wall portion (120) and an outer wall portion (see outer surface of 100), the inner wall portion (120) defining a hollow portion at a center (see figure 2), the outer wall portion (outer surface of 100) defining an opening portion (150) that has an annular shape and surrounds the hollow portion (see figure 2 where opening 150 has an annular shape and surrounds the hollow portion defined by 120);
one or more LED members (210) provided to face an opening of the opening portion (150);
and a cover member (400) that has an annular shape (see shape of 400 in at least figure 2) and is provided between the opening and the LED members (210) to close the opening portion (figure 6),
wherein the case member (100) is formed with a mounting portion (part of the wall portions comprising the grooves 140) on which a circumferential edge portion of the cover member (400) is mounted and held,
an elastic member (300) having an annular shape (see shape of 300 in at least figure 6) is provided between the mounting portion (part of wall portions comprising grooves 140) and the cover member (400),
a pressing member (500, 600) is provided to press the circumferential edge portion of the cover member (400) from the opening side, and the pressing member (500, 600) is engaged with and fixed to the case member (100; fixed by means of threads 10, paragraph [0028] and [0031]).
KR200454562 does not explicitly teach wherein another annular elastic member is further provided between the pressing member and the cover member, and
wherein a plate-like member for reducing friction is provided between the pressing member and the other annular elastic member.
PNG
media_image3.png
769
555
media_image3.png
Greyscale
LI teaches an annular elastic member (1626) that is further provided between the pressing member (1622) and the cover member (1122) and wherein a plate-like member (140) for reducing friction is provided between the pressing member (1626) and the other annular elastic member (156).
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 KR200454562 to include an annular elastic member and plate light member for reducing friction as taught by LI as an alternative design choice and to enhance a restoration effect (see paragraph [0019] of LI).
Regarding claim 4, KR200454562 teaches the ring-type lighting device (see figures 2 and 6) according to claim 1, wherein the pressing member (500, 600) has an annular shape and is screwed and fixed to the case member (100; paragraphs [0028] and [0031]).
Regarding claim 5, KR200454562 teaches the ring-type lighting device (figures 2 and 6) according to claim , wherein the pressing member (500 and 600 combined) comprises:
an inner pressing member (600) that has an annular shape and is provided on the inner wall portion (120)to press the circumferential edge portion of the cover member (400);
and an outer pressing member (500) that has an annular shape and is provided on the outer wall portion to press the circumferential edge portion of the cover member (400),
the inner pressing member (600) is screwed and fixed to a wall surface of either an inner circumferential surface or an outer circumferential surface of the inner wall portion (120; see paragraphs [0028]-[0029]),
the outer pressing member (500) is screwed and fixed to a wall surface of either an inner circumferential surface or an outer circumferential surface of the outer wall portion (see paragraphs [0028]-[0029]),the mounting portion comprises:
an inner mounting portion on which a circumferential edge portion on an inner circumferential side of the cover member (400) is placed (see detailed view on the upper right portion of figure 6); and
an outer mounting portion on which a circumferential edge portion on an outer circumferential side of the cover member (400) is placed (see detailed view of the upper left portion of figure 6), and
the cover member (400) is placed on the inner mounting portion and the outer mounting portion via respective annular elastic members (see figures 2 and 6 and elastic members 300).
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over KR200454562 in view of LI (US 2009/0237911 A1)as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Zhou (CN 105972517 A).
Regarding claim 6, KR200454562 modified by LI teaches the lighting device according to claim 1, and further teaches wherein the elastic member (300) having a rectangular cross section (see figure 6 showing the rectangular cross section). However, KR200454562 does not explicitly teach that the elastic member is waterproof and dustproof rubber.
Zhou teaches an elastic member that is waterproof and dustproof rubber (see paragraph [0008] where it is disclosed: “At the same time, there is an elastic rubber ring in the wire hole of the power box and the slot hole of the LED module. When the cable passes through the wire hole, the elastic rubber ring seals the wire hole and the slot hole, thereby The entire power box becomes a closed space, which better prevents water or dust from entering the inside of the power box through the power cord. In addition, there is also a lens waterproof ring at the connection between the module lens and the light board.”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify KR200454562 to include an elastic member that is waterproof and dustproof rubber as taught by Zhou to better prevent water and dust from entering the inside of the lighting device (see paragraph [0008] of Zhou).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1and 4-6 have been considered but are moot after further consideration of applicant’s arguments and reconsideration of the prior art of record. Applicant amended claim 1 to include the limitations from cancelled claims 2 and 3. A new reference, LI (US 2009/0237911 A1) ,was found to teach the limitations added to independent claim 1. Claim 1 is now rejected under 103 as being unpatentable over KR200454562 in view of LI (US 2009/0237911 A1).
Dependent claims 4-6 are rejected based on dependency on a rejected base claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA MCMILLAN APENTENG whose telephone number is (571)272-5510. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDULMAJEED AZIZ can be reached at 571-270-5046. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JESSICA M APENTENG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/EVAN P DZIERZYNSKI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights