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 § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-7, 11-12 and 15-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2008/0062715, hereafter referred to as ‘Park ‘715.’ Regarding claim 1, Park ‘715 discloses a light fixture (figures 1-17) comprising: a heat sink (heat sink is the metal core base of the printed circuit board 110 as described in para. # 49); a printed circuit board 110 is supported by the heat sink (metal core base supports the circuit board including the printed circuitry on its upper surface as described in para. # 49); a number of LEDs 120 electrically connected to the printed circuit board 110 (para. #’s 47-51); a number of lenses 130 located over said number of LEDs 120 (see figures 1-2, 4-6 and 11-16B); and a transmission member (transmission member is a silicon member 123, see para. # 51 and figures 4-5 and 14-15 OR transmission member is a transmissive silicon material, gel, injected into internal space between LEDs 120 and lens 130, see para. #’s 55 and 86-88) disposed between the number of lenses 130 and the LEDs 120 (transmission silicone member 123 OR transmissive silicon material injected into internal space disposed between LEDs 120 and lens 130 so as to contact and hold LEDs and lens together, para. #’s 55 and 86-88).
Regarding claim 2, the light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the transmission member comprises silicone (para. #’s 51, 55 and 87-88).
Regarding claim 3, the light fixture according to claim 2, wherein the silicone comprises a gel and/or a resin (see para. #’s 55 and 87-88, silicone is a liquid gel injected into a space between LEDs and lenses), and wherein the gel and/or the resin is located in a body 121 that fits between the number of LEDs and a bottom of the number of lenses (figures 2, 4-6, 11-12, 14, 15 and 16B and para. #’s 51, 55 and 87-88).
Regarding claim 4, the light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the transmission member is disposed between the lenses and the LEDs such that there is no air gap therebetween (para. #’s 55 and 87-88 and figures 4-6, 11-12, 14, 15 and 16B).
Regarding claim 5, the light fixture according to claim 4, wherein the transmission member contacts each of the LEDs and the number of lenses (para. #’s 51, 55 and 86-88 and figures 2, 4-6, 11-12, 14, 15 and 16B).
Regarding claim 6, the light fixture according to claim 1, wherein the number of LEDs 120 comprises at least one array of LEDs 120 (para. # 50 and figures 1-7, 9-15 and 17).
Regarding claim 7, the light fixture according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the number of LEDs is configured to emanate light at a wavelength between at least 380 and 700 nanometers (see para. # 50, LEDs emit red, green or blue light, so at least one LED that emits blue light would emit light in a wavelength range of 450 to 495 nanometers and the at least one LED which emits green light would emit light in a wavelength range between 495 to 570 nanometers).
Regarding claim 11, Park ‘715 discloses a method of manufacturing a light fixture (figures 1-17 and para. #’s 47-58 and 85-88), comprising: providing a printed circuit board 110 (para. #’s 47-51); electrically connecting a number of LEDs 120 to the printed circuit board 110; coupling a heat sink (metal core base is the heat sink of PCB 110) and the printed circuit board (metal core base is coupled to PCB creating a MCPCB, see para. # 49); locating a number of lenses 130 over the LEDs; and providing a transmission member between the lenses 130 and the LEDs 120 (transmission member is a silicon member 123, see para. # 51 and figures 4-5 and 14-15 OR transmission member is a transmissive silicon material, gel, injected into internal space between LEDs 120 and lens 130, see para. #’s 55 and 86-88) such that the transmission member contacts each of the LEDs 120 and the lenses 130 (transmission silicone member 123 OR transmissive silicon material injected into internal space disposed between LEDs 120 and lens 130 so as to contact and hold LEDs and lens together, para. #’s 55 and 86-88).
Regarding claim 12, the method according to claim 11, wherein providing the transmission member comprises injecting the transmission member in liquid or gel (see para. #’s 55 and 86-88, transmission member is a silicone gel which is injected in space and solidified) form into a space between the lenses 130 and the LEDs 120 such that air in the space escapes therefrom (see para. #’s 55 and 86-88, air in the space escapes as the silicon gel is injected in the space).
Regarding claim 15, the method according to claim 11, wherein the transmission member comprises silicone (see para. #’s 51, 55 and 86-88).
Regarding claim 16, the method according to claim 15, wherein providing the transmission member between the lenses 130 and the LEDs 120 comprises injecting the transmission member between the lenses and the LEDs such that there is no air gap therebetween (para. #’s 51, 55 and 86-88).
Regarding claim 17, the method according to claim 16, wherein the LEDs comprises at least one array of LEDs 120 (para. # 50 and figures 1-7, 9-15 and 17).
Regarding claim 18, the method according to claim 11, wherein at least one of the number of LEDs is configured to emanate light at a wavelength between at least 380 and 700 nanometers (see para. # 50, LEDs emit red, green or blue light, so at least one LED that emits blue light would emit light in a wavelength range of 450 to 495 nanometers and the at least one LED which emits green light would emit light in a wavelength range between 495 to 570 nanometers).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 9-10 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park ‘715 in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2009/0219713, hereafter referred to as ‘Siemiet ‘713’. Regarding claims 9-10 and 19-20, Park ‘715 discloses the claimed invention except for the teaching that the heat sink comprises a base portion and a plurality of fins extending from the base portion, wherein the plurality of fins each have a distal portion disposed opposite the base portion and spaced a distance therefrom, and wherein the distance each of the plurality of fins are spaced from the base portion tapers from a center of the base portion outwardly to opposing sides of the base portion and/or wherein the plurality of fins comprises a first side fin, a second side fin, and a plurality of linear fins disposed parallel to one another and each disposed between the first and second side fins, and wherein the first and second side fins are each C-shaped and are concave facing away from one another.
Siemiet ‘713 discloses a light fixture 10 (figures 1-6) comprising a heat sink (14, 30) which includes a base portion and a plurality of fins 30 extending from the base portion (figures 1-4), wherein the plurality of fins 30 each have a distal portion disposed opposite the base portion and spaced a distance therefrom (figures1-4), and wherein the distance each of the plurality of fins 30 are spaced from the base portion tapers from a center of the base portion outwardly to opposing sides of the base portion (figures 1-4) and/or wherein the plurality of fins 30 comprises a first side fin (first side fin is the right side fin of the fixture where detail 14 is located in figures 1-4), a second side fin (second side fin is the left side fin of the fixture, opposite the right side fin where detail 14 is located in figures 1-4), and a plurality of linear fins 30 disposed parallel to one another and each disposed between the first and second side fins (figures 1-4), and wherein the first and second side fins are each C-shaped 36 and are concave 36 facing away from one another (figures 2-3).
It would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective filing date of applicant’s claimed invention to modify the light fixture of Park ‘715 to include the heat sink of Siemiet ‘713 in order to efficiently dissipate heat from the light fixture of Park ‘715.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 13-14 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Moon ‘327, Peiler ‘773, Jang ‘620, Lin ‘934 and Shin ‘552 disclose light fixtures which are similar to applicant’s invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS M SEMBER whose telephone number is (571)272-2381. The examiner can normally be reached flexing generally from 7 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. M-F.
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.
/THOMAS M SEMBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875