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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1 and 4-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chin (USPG Pub No. 2015/0205144) in view of Chen (USPG Pub No. 2024/0004217).
Regarding claim 1, Chin discloses a pair of detachable nose pads (see Fig. 1), which is fitted to a glasses (1) (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 21, Lines 1-2), wherein a side facing a face of a wearer is defined as an inner surface and a side facing outside is defined as an outer surface (see Figs. 1, 2), the pair of detachable nose pads (see Figs. 1, 2) comprising: a nose bridge (12) holder having a spanning section and mounting sections (121) extending downwardly from both ends of the spanning section and disposed correspondingly along both sides of a nose bridge (12) of the wearer (see Fig. 4), wherein each of the mounting sections (121) is provided with a slot (123/124) (Paragraph 22, Lines 1-11), the slot (123/124) has a retaining surface, and an inner surface of each of the mounting sections (121) is provided with an insertion hole (122) connected to the slot (123/124) (Paragraph 22, Lines 1-11); and two nose pads (2) detachably embedded in each of the insertion holes (122) (see Fig. 4, Paragraph 25, Lines 1-7), wherein each of the nose pads has a body (21) that contacts with the wearer's nose to form a support (Paragraph 25, lines 1-3), two brackets (22) extend from one side of the body (21) and penetrates through the insertion holes (122) (see Figs. 4-9, Paragraph 25, Lines 1-7), a front end of each of the two brackets is radially projected with a button (24), a bottom of the button (24) is fixed on a retaining surface of the slot (124) (see Fig. 7, Paragraph 25, Lines 8-11), when each of the nose pads (2) is detached or inserted into the insertion hole (122) (Paragraph 29), each of the two brackets such that the button (24) is detached or forced into the slot (123/124) (Paragraph 29). Chin discloses the claimed invention, but does not specify the two brackets form an elastic space, a snap button, is deformed elastically by an external force into the elastic space. In the same field of endeavor, Chen discloses the two brackets form an elastic space (Paragraph 26 – elasticity is inherent/implied where the material is “soft material” and with the detachable nature of the brackets), a snap button (211/221) (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 27), is deformed elastically by an external force into the elastic space (Paragraph 26 – elasticity is inherent/implied where the material is “soft material” and with the detachable nature of the brackets). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the nose pads of Chin with the two brackets form an elastic space, a snap button, is deformed elastically by an external force into the elastic space of Chen for the purpose of providing an improved adjustable nose pad that is more practical and effective (Paragraph 5).
Regarding claim 4, Chin discloses wherein a top of each of the buttons (24) has a guiding surface in a tapered shape (Paragraph 32 – “slanted surface”). Chin and Chen teach the nose pads of claim 1, Chen further discloses snap button (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 27). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the nose pads of Chin with the teachings of Chen for at least the same reasons as those set forth above with respect to claim 1.
Regarding claim 5, Chin and Chen teach the nose pads of claim 1, Chen further discloses wherein each of the slots has an opening through an outer surface of each of the mounting sections (see Figs. 1, 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the nose pads of Chin with the teachings of Chen for at least the same reasons as those set forth above with respect to claim 1.
Regarding claim 6, Chin further discloses wherein each of the insertion holes (122) is in a form of an elongated strip (see Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 7, Chin and Chen teach the nose pads of claim 1, Chen further discloses wherein the retaining surface is formed by one of walls of the slot (see Fig. 1). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the nose pads of Chin with the teachings of Chen for at least the same reasons as those set forth above with respect to claim 1.
Regarding claim 8, Chin further discloses wherein the glasses includes a frame (11), and the nose bridge holder (12) is assembled at a middle section of the frame (11) or integrally molded with the frame (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 21).
Regarding claim 9, Chin further discloses wherein the glasses comprises a lens unit (13), and the nose bridge holder (12) is located at a lower edge of the middle section of the lens unit (13) (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 23).
Regarding claim 10, Chin discloses wherein a recess is provided at a top of each of the buttons of each of the nose pads (see Fig. 5, Paragraph 25 – implied where there is a “hook” shape”). Chin and Chen teach the nose pads of claim 1, Chen further discloses snap button (see Fig. 1, Paragraph 27). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the nose pads of Chin with the teachings of Chen for at least the same reasons as those set forth above with respect to claim 1.
Claims 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chin (USPG Pub No. 2015/0205144) in view of Chen (USPG Pub No. 2024/0004217) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kappler et al. (EP 280855 A), hereinafter “Kappler”.
Regarding claim 2, Chin and Chen disclose the claimed invention, but do not specify wherein each of the nose pads is provided with a reinforcing rib connected between the two brackets, and a stop portion is provided at a center of each of the insertion holes for the reinforcing rib to rest against and limit a position of the body with respect to each of the insertion holes. In the same field of endeavor, Kappler discloses wherein each of the nose pads (11) is provided with a reinforcing rib (15) connected between the two brackets (14/16), and a stop portion (23a) is provided at a center of each of the insertion holes for the reinforcing rib (15) to rest against and limit a position of the body with respect to each of the insertion holes (see Figs. 4-6). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the nose pads of Chin and Chen with wherein each of the nose pads is provided with a reinforcing rib connected between the two brackets, and a stop portion is provided at a center of each of the insertion holes for the reinforcing rib to rest against and limit a position of the body with respect to each of the insertion holes of Kappler for the purpose of providing nose pads that are easy to assembly and strongly secured (Abstract).
Regarding claim 3, Chin, Chen and Kappler teach the nose pads set forth above for claim 2, Kappler further discloses wherein when each of the brackets is embedded in each of the insertion holes, each of the reinforcing ribs is at least partially accommodated in each of the insertion holes (see Figs. 4-7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to provide the nose pads of Chin and Chen with the teachings of Kappler for at least the same reasons as those set forth above with respect to claim 2.
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chin (USPG Pub No. 2015/0205144) in view of Chen (USPG Pub No. 2024/0004217) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Rosenfeld et al. (USP No. 7,648,235), hereinafter “Rosenfeld”.
Regarding claim 11, Chin and Chen disclose the claimed invention, but do not specify further comprising two cushions, wherein each of the cushions has a neck extending from one side of each of the cushions, a plug is provided at an end of the neck, a peripheral edge of the plug is larger than a peripheral edge of the neck, the body of each of the nose pads has a corresponding through-hole, and each of the cushions is forced through the through-hole by the plug such that the cushions correspond to both sides of the wearer's nose. In the same field of endeavor, Rosenfeld discloses further comprising two cushions (28), wherein each of the cushions (28) has a neck (where 28 engages with 26) extending from one side of each of the cushions (28) (see Figs. 7-8), a plug is provided at an end of the neck (see Fig. 8), a peripheral edge of the plug is larger than a peripheral edge of the neck (see Fig. 8), the body of each of the nose pads has a corresponding through-hole (26), and each of the cushions (28) is forced through the through-hole by the plug such that the cushions correspond to both sides of the wearer's nose (see Figs. 7-10). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the nose pads of Chin and Chen with further comprising two cushions, wherein each of the cushions has a neck extending from one side of each of the cushions, a plug is provided at an end of the neck, a peripheral edge of the plug is larger than a peripheral edge of the neck, the body of each of the nose pads has a corresponding through-hole, and each of the cushions is forced through the through-hole by the plug such that the cushions correspond to both sides of the wearer's nose of Rosenfeld for the purpose of providing a structure that effectively accommodates the different facial characteristics of individual people (Col. 3, Lines 37-42).
Prior Art Citations
Chen (USP No. 6,079,825) is being cited herein to show detachable nose pads relevant to the claimed invention.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MAHIDERE S SAHLE whose telephone number is (571)270-3329. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
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/MAHIDERE S SAHLE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 11/1/2025