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 .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inuzuka et al. (PG Pub 2018/0119340) or in the alternative over Inuzuka et al. (PG Pub 2018/0119340) in view of Tezuka et al. (PG Pub. 2020/0278477).
Regarding claims 1-2, Inuzuka et al. teaches a dyeing system that dyes a resin body [Abstract, 0045]. Inuzuka et al. teaches a transport unit (tray) including a resin body [0045]. Inuzuka et al. teaches in paragraph 0115, “According to the present embodiment, various operations performed after printing (for example, at least one of a transporting operation and a drying operation of the substrate 2 and the like) are performed for each substrate piece 29 including the plurality of units of the dye sections 3. Accordingly, the dye-attached substrate 1 is efficiently manufactured.” Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use a transport device configured to transport the transport unit including a resin body as Inuzuka et al. teaches a transportation operation and efficient manufacturing. Using a transporting device therefore would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use in Inuzuka et al. given the teachings of Inuzuka et al. and the level of skill of one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention. Therefore the laser-applied transport path through which the transport unit including the resin body, to which the transfer device completes the transfer of the dye and on which the dye is to be fixed by the laser fixing device, is transported (including automatically for efficiency) is also obvious over Inuzuka et al. given the teachings of Inuzuka et al. stated above. Further, an oven-applied transport path through which the transport unit including the resin body, to which the transfer device completes the transfer of the dye and on which the dye is to be fixed by the oven fixing device, is transported is also obvious over Inuzuka et al. given the teachings of Inuzuka et al. stated above.
Inuzuka et al. teaches a transfer device configured to transfer a dye to the resin body of the transport unit transported by the transport device in a state where a base body (substrate) to which the dye is adhered faces the resin body [0036 and 0039-0041]. Inuzuka et al. teaches a laser fixing device configured to heat the resin body to which the dye is transferred by the transfer device by irradiating a surface of the resin body with laser light (from the laser) to fix the dye adhered on the surface of the resin body on the resin body [0042].
Inuzuka et al. teaches an oven fixing device configured to heat a whole of the resin body to which the dye is transferred by the transfer device to fix the dye adhered to the surface of the resin body on the resin body [0042].
In the alternative, Tezuka et al. teaches used the oven in combination with the laser or as alternative to the laser to fix the dyes in order to improve stability and permanence of the dyes and improve color fastness. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the combination of oven and laser fixation as taught by Tezuka et al. in Inuzuka et al. in order to improve stability and permanence of the dyes and improve color fastness and arrive at the claimed invention.
Regarding claim 3, Inuzuka et al. teach using an oven for dye fixation and laser for dye fixation which the decision model being based upon if whole object fixation is needed or localized fixation is needed. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to include a distribution unit configured to distribute the transport unit, for which the transfer of the dye by the transfer device is completed, to either the laser applied transport path or the oven applied transport path to improve manufacturing efficiency based upon if whole object fixation is needed or localized fixation is needed and arrive at the claimed invention.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inuzuka et al. (PG Pub 2018/0119340) in view of Inuzuka et al. (PG Pub. 2003/0063256 which is hereinafter referred to as ‘256) or in the alternative over Inuzuka et al. (PG Pub 2018/0119340) in view of Tezuka et al. (PG Pub. 2020/0278477) Inuzuka et al. (PG Pub. 2003/0063256 which is hereinafter referred to as ‘256).
Regarding claim 9, Inuzuka et al. and the previous combination is silent regarding the claimed color information measuring unit. However, ‘256 teaches a color information measuring instrument configured measure color information of the resin body on which dye is fixed in order to obtain color data. The color information measuring instrument of ‘256 is configured to measure color information of both resin body on which dye is fixed by laser fixing device and the resin body on which dye is fixed by oven fixing device. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the color information measuring instrument of ‘256 in Inuzuka et al. in order to obtain color date and arrive at the claimed invention.
Prior Art Not Used but Relevant
PG Pub. 20040006835 teaches a dyeing system for lens.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHAWN MCKINNON whose telephone number is (571)272-6116. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday generally 8:00am-5:00pm EST.
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, Marla McConnell can be reached at 571-270-7692. 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.
/Shawn Mckinnon/Examiner, Art Unit 1789