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.
Claims 1-5, 7-8, 14, 18-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lenssens et al (U.S.Pat. 12,124,171) in view of Yang et al (U.S.Pat. 11,796,917).
With respect to claim 1, Lenssens discloses an exposure unit for exposing a relief precursor (P), the exposure unit comprising a carrying/support structure (10) for carrying the relief precursor and a plurality of UV radiation sources (20), preferably LEDs (21), arranged in an LED array for irradiating a predetermined surface area of the relief precursor (see figures 1, 1A, 1b, 2A, 2B). Lenssens further that the LEDs may be divided into individually controllable subsets and are controlled by a controller (40)/a light adjustment structure and the irradiation intensity may be adjusted at different locations to compensate for nonuniformity and achieve substantially homogeneous irradiation of the relief precursor. Thus, Lenssens discloses substantially all limitations of the instant claim. Lenssens does not expressly disclose the claimed plurality of light adjustment structures positioned at least partially between the light source area and support area and configured to block and/or reflect a portion of light to render a light intensity measured in the support surface more uniform as recited in the claim.
Yang, however, teaches an exposure/radiation system employing a plurality of individually adjustable reflective facets arranged adjacent one another. Yang’s reflective facets (430A/430B) receive radiation and redirect the radiation toward a desired region. The facets are coupled to actuators permitting adjustment of their position and/or orientation, thereby changing the spatial extent or width of the radiation beam (see figures 2B-4C). Yang further expressly teaches moving the reflective facets so as to adjust or reduce the width of the radiation beam. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to provide the exposure apparatus of Lenssens with the adjustable reflective structures taught by Yang, positioned adjacent the exposure region, in order to selectively redirect and spatially limit radiation reaching the support/exposure region. One of ordinary skill would have been motivated to make such modification to improve control over the illuminated region, reduce irradiation outside the intended exposure area, and further improve irradiation uniformity, which is an objective expressly recognized by Lenssens.
As to claim 2, Lenssens teaches the UV light sources are elongated UV light tubes (see col.1, lines 45-50).
With respect to claim 3, it would have been obvious to a skilled artisan before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to arrange the UV light sources of Lessens to emit light in a main area, in at least one edge area adjacent the main area, as recited in the claim for the purpose of generating a desired intensity onto the precursor as intended by Lessens.
As to claim 7, wherein the light adjustment structure (40) has a grid structure extending between the plurality of UV light sources and the support surface (see col.5, lines 5-10).
As to claim 8, Lenssens discloses the light adjustment has a sheet metal/grid in which apertures have been cut out (see col.10, lines 1-8).
As to claim 14, Yang expressly teaches reflective mirrors/facets configured to receive incident radiation and redirect the reflected radiation towards the target/reticle.
As to claims 4-5, 18, Lenssens expressly discloses measuring irradiation intensity at a plurality of locations and adjusting irradiation intensity of LED subsets to obtain predetermined irradiation characteristics/homogeneity. Importantly, Lenssens provides actual numerical homogeneity criteria. Its disclosure discusses irradiation intensity variation and homogeneous irradiation, including percentage variations over the predetermined surface area. Therefore, selecting and controlling the LED subsets so that variation falls within a desired low percentage range would have been an obvious optimization of Lenssens’ expressly disclosed irradiation-homogeneity parameter.
As to claim 19, Lenssens teaches that the exposure apparatus may be configured to perform a back exposure of the relief plate precursor. For example, Lenssens discloses an irradiation arrangement in which radiation sources are positioned on opposite sides of the relief precursor, thereby permitting exposure of the precursor form the back side (see figures 7b). Therefore, claim 19 would have been obvious over Lenssens in view of Yang for the reasons set forth above with respect to claim 1.
As to claim 20, Lenssens discusses suitable carrying structures and transparent structures/materials in the exposure arrangement. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to a skilled artisan before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to employ a transparent support plate in Lenssens when radiation is supplied from below the precursor since transparency of the intervening support permits the radiation emitted by the lower radiation sources to reach the precursor and thereby perform the disclosed back exposure.
As to claim 21, Lenssens (figure 3) discloses wherein the support structure is a table (10) and wherein the exposure unit has a lid (110) configured to be placed above the table, and wherein the plurality of UV light sources (20) and the light adjustment structure (40) are arranged in the lid, the lid being moveable to a closed position in which the plurality of UV light sources is configured to expose the relief plate precursor on the support surface.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lenssens et al (U.S.Pat. 12,124,171) in view of Yang et al (U.S.Pat. 11,796,917) and further in view of Hammer et al (U.S.Pat. 3,886,396).
As to claim 13, Lenssens as modified by Yand discloses substantially all limitations of the instant claim except for the light adjustment structure having a coating or sticker or foil arranged on the plurality of UV light tube. This feature is well known per se. Hammer teaches an elongated fluorescent lamp tube having a reflector coating (see figure 1) disposed over a major circumference portion of the glass tube with an elongated uncoated aperture through which useful radiation emerges. The reflector coating therefore modifies and controls light emission from the tube itself (see abstract of Hammer and figure 1). It would have been obvious to provide the elongated UV tubes of Lenssens with a known reflector coating as taught by Hammer to control the direction and distribution of radiation emitted by each tube and reduce radiation directed away from the desired exposure region. Such modification merely constitutes use of a known lamp coating light-direction function.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 9-12 and 15-17 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 6 and 15-17 have been found allowable since the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest an exposure unit having elongated UV light tubes arranged in parallel to one another in a tube direction in combination with at least one-cross-tube reflector extending in a cross-tube direction perpendicular to the tube direction as recited in the claims.
Claims 9-12 have been found allowable since the prior art of record fails to teach or suggest a light adjustment structure comprising a plurality of bridge structures respectively arranged over one or more UV light sources, each bridge structure having apertures for transmitting light and bride sections for blocking light, together with the claimed variation in aperture dimensions, bride-section dimensions, and/or amount of light blocking between central and peripheral portions.
Prior Art Made of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Luetke (U.S.Pat. 9,436,090); Moffatt (U.S.Pat. 8,404,499) and Wolterink et al (U.S.Pat. 10,732,507) disclose exposure devices and have been cited for technical background.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HUNG HENRY NGUYEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2124. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:00AM-4:30PM.
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HUNG HENRY NGUYEN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2882
Hvn
9/1/26
/HUNG V NGUYEN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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