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 Amendment
Amendments to the claims, filed on 2/3/26, have been entered in the above-identified application.
Any rejections made in the previous action, and not repeated below, are hereby withdrawn.
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Kumkar (US 2016/0152508 A1) in view of Ortner et al (US 2018/0215647 A1).
Regarding claims 1-2, Kumkar teaches a sheet-like element (e.g., partial segments of plate-like workpiece) made of brittle material (e.g. glass), comprising two opposing side faces; and a peripheral edge face which determines an outer contour of the sheet-like element, wherein the edge face has at least one first region (22) (e.g., outer contour) and at least one second region (30/32) (e.g., connecting & fracture point), wherein the at least one first region differs from the at least one second region in terms of its surface structure, wherein the at least one first region has an etched surface (e.g., laser and solution etched) and the at least one second region constitutes a fractured surface (30/32) (e.g., when fractured into a final product), and wherein a surface area of the at least one first region is larger than a surface area of the at least one second region, wherein the at least one first region and the at least one second region are arranged next to one another in a direction along the edge face (abstract; para 31, 36-39, 61-64, 67-76; figs 3-13).
Kumkar fails to suggest “wherein the etched surface of the at least one first region has calotte-shaped depressions which adjoin one another, with the result that adjacent depressions are separated by ridges, the depressions having a depth of less than 5 µm and/or lateral dimensions on average in a range from 5 µm to 200 µm.” However, Kumkar teaches the first region (22) is formed via laser-induced etching and solution etching (para 58-70; figs 1-4).
Ortner teaches a laser processing apparatus, from which filament-shaped flaws can be introduced into a glass element in order to introduce channels at the positions of the filament-shaped flaws in a subsequent etching process; wherein the channels comprise hemispherical depressions (i.e., calotte-shaped depressions which adjoin one another, with adjacent depressions separated by ridges) that have a depth typically less than 5 μm, at transverse (i.e., lateral) dimensions of typically 5-20 μm (para 50, 72-74, fig 7); wherein the particular structuring of the lateral surface of the channels with substantially hemispherical depressions results in a number of advantages, e.g., the rounded structures may represent a particularly advantageous shape in order to dissipate tensile stresses occurring on the surface down to the lowest point of the surface, namely the lowest points of the substantially hemispherical depressions which effectively suppresses crack growth at possible defects in the surface.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to use the etching (laser and chemical) techniques of Ortner to form the outer contours (i.e., first regions) of the partial segments or plate-like workpieces of Kumkar for resultant partial segments or plate-like workpieces with outer contours comprising rounded structures with a particularly advantageous shape in order to dissipate tensile stresses occurring on the surface down to the lowest point of the surface and suppress crack growth at possible defects in the surface
Ortner teaches the channels comprise hemispherical depressions (i.e., calotte-shaped depressions which adjoin one another, with adjacent depressions separated by ridges) that have a depth typically less than 5 μm, at transverse (i.e., lateral) dimensions of typically 5-20 μm (para 74). These ranges either lie within or overlap (i.e., rendered obvious) the ranges of the instant claim.
Regarding claim 3, Kumkar suggests or would have rendered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention an embodiment wherein the at least one second region of the edge face (30/32) adjoins at least one edge (31/36) at which the edge face merges into the side faces (fig 12).
Regarding claim 4, Kumkar teaches a web width and/or thickness at the connecting point which is less than 50 μm (para 32); so when fractured the at least one second region would have a width of less than 50 μm (i.e., width of at least 20 μm).
Regarding claim 5, Kumkar fails to teach the at least one second region extends along positions on the edge face that are distant from a centroid by at least 2/3 of a maximum distance. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to adjust the spacing and location of the connecting & fracture points (30/32), and therein the at least one second region(s) when fractured, to allow for the temporary connections to properly attach and hold the plate-like workpiece in place until the proper stress is applied to cause fracture or separation.
Regarding claim 6, Kumkar would have suggested or otherwise rendered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention the at least one second region (30/32) is flat when fractured (para 71-75; figs 5-12).
Regarding claims 7 and 8, Kumkar teaches the sheet-like element (e.g., plate-like workpiece) may have one or more additional layers or coatings that are wholly or partially also transparent, glass, glass-like, ceramic and/or crystalline (para 17) which would have suggested or otherwise rendered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention an optically active coating; wherein the optically active coating comprises multiple layers with different refractive indices.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the instant claims have been considered but are moot due to the new grounds of rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103 in view of a new combination of prior art of record. The Applicant is directed to the 35 USC § 103 section above.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 NATHAN L VAN SELL whose telephone number is (571)270-5152. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur, Generally 7am-6pm.
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NATHAN VAN SELL
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1783
/NATHAN L VAN SELL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1783
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