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 .
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.
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 27 November 2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun (KR 10-1388626) as provided by (KR 10-1388626) machine translation as an English language equivalent in view of Jones (US 2019/0116409 A1).
Claim 1:
Sun discloses a decoration device used to fabricate a metal decoration, the decoration device comprising a plate (20) and a logo (10, 10’) of a base decoration (figs. 2-5, [0019] and [0020]), the logo (10, 10’) includes one or more letters (A C E) and comprising one or more pins (11 11’) formed on a rear surface of the logo (10, 10’) (figs. 2-5, [0020]), and the plate (20) is an intermediate medium provided with a logo accommodation portion and the logo (10, 10’) is inserted and coupled to the logo accommodation portion (figs. 10-11, [0031] and [0032] – see also annotated reproduction of fig. 8, below).
The claim limitation “wherein the plate is configured to fix the logo of the base decoration separated from a protocol decoration manufactured through an injection process” is intended use, functional language. A structure is “configured to” perform a function if it includes the components and relationships necessary to perform that function, and no additional structure or modification is required. In this case, the plate of Sun includes all components and relationships necessary to perform the claimed function.
The claim limitation “the plate is provided with a logo accommodation portion configured to accommodate the logo such that the logo is inserted and coupled to the logo accommodation portion” is intended use, functional language. A structure is “configured to” perform a function if it includes the components and relationships necessary to perform that function, and no additional structure or modification is required. In this case the logo accommodation portion of Sun includes all components and relationships necessary to perform the claimed function.
The claim limitation “the plate is an intermediate medium for transplanting the logo, accommodated in the logo accommodation portion, onto a final fixation target material” is intended use, functional language. A structure is “configured to” perform a function if it includes the components and relationships necessary to perform that function, and no additional structure or modification is required. In this case the plate of Sun includes all components and relationships necessary to perform the claimed function.
The claim limitation “the plate is configured for use with a setting press machine having an upper setting press part and a lower setting worktable and with an assembly including a support mold having respective pin holes to accommodate the pins” is intended use, functional language. A structure is “configured to” perform a function if it includes the components and relationships necessary to perform that function, and no additional structure or modification is required. In this case the plate of Sun includes all components and relationships necessary to perform the claimed function.
The claim limitation “wherein, during operation, with the plate placed with its bottom surface facing upward on the lower setting worktable and with the final fixation target material placed on the bottom surface of the plate, the support mold is positioned between the upper setting press part and the lower setting worktable as the upper setting press part presses the plate so that the logo coupled to the plate is transplanted on the final fixation target material by a reaction force of a lower support portion formed in the lower setting worktable, the lower support portion being embossed with shapes corresponding to the logo; the plate is then separated and removed from the final fixation target material; and the pins protruding through the final fixation target material are finished with silicone to form a flat surface” is intended use, functional language. A structure is “configured to” perform a function if it includes the components and relationships necessary to perform that function, and no additional structure or modification is required. In this case the plate of Sun includes all components and relationships necessary to perform the claimed function.
Sun fails to disclose a pin finished with silicone.
Jones discloses a pin (102) finished with silicone (figs. 1-8, [0009] and [0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to finish the Sun pin with silicone as taught by Jones in order to secure the pin (Jones, [0009]). See MPEP § 2143 A which describes the prima facie obviousness of combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.
Claim 2:
Sun in view of Jones renders obvious the decoration device of claim 1, wherein the logo accommodation portion comprises a first logo accommodation portion for planting or transcription of a first logo formed on the base decoration and a second logo accommodation portion for planting or transcription of a second logo formed on the base decoration (see annotated reproduction of fig. 8, below).
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Claim 3:
Sun discloses a decoration device used to fabricate a metal decoration, the decoration device comprising a plate (20) and a logo (10, 10’) (figs. 2-5, [0019] and [0020]),
wherein the plate has a logo accommodation portion which accommodates the logo which is separated from a base decoration separated from an original protocol decoration, the logo (10, 10’) comprising one or more pins (11, 11’) formed on a rear surface of the logo, the logo accommodation portion being configured such that the logo is inserted and coupled to the logo accommodation portion (figs. 2-5, [0020]),
wherein the plate is an intermediate medium for transplanting the logo, accommodated in the logo accommodation portion, onto a final fixation target material (figs. 10-11, [0031] and [0032] – see also annotated reproduction of fig. 8, below).
The claim limitation “wherein the plate is configured for use with a setting press machine having an upper setting press part and a lower setting worktable and with an assembly including a support mold having respective pin holes to accommodate the pins” is intended use, functional language. A structure is “configured to” perform a function if it includes the components and relationships necessary to perform that function, and no additional structure or modification is required. In this case, the plate of Sun includes all components and relationships necessary to perform the claimed function.
The claim limitation “wherein, during operation, with the plate placed with its bottom surface facing upward on the lower setting worktable and with the final fixation target material placed on the bottom surface of the plate, the support mold is positioned between the upper setting press part and the lower setting worktable as the upper setting press part presses the plate so that the logo coupled to the plate is transplanted on the final fixation target material by a reaction force of a lower support portion formed in the lower setting worktable, the lower support portion being embossed with shapes corresponding to the logo; the plate is then separated and removed from the final fixation target material; and the pins protruding through the final fixation target material are finished with silicone to form a flat surface” is intended use, functional language. A structure is “configured to” perform a function if it includes the components and relationships necessary to perform that function, and no additional structure or modification is required. In this case, the plate of Sun includes all components and relationships necessary to perform the claimed function.
Sun fails to disclose a pin finished with silicone.
Jones discloses a pin (102) finished with silicone (figs. 1-8, [0009] and [0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to finish the Sun pin with silicone as taught by Jones in order to secure the pin (Jones, [0009]). See MPEP § 2143 A which describes the prima facie obviousness of combining prior art elements according to known methods to yield predictable results.
Claim 4:
Sun in view of Jones renders obvious the decoration device of claim 3, wherein the logo accommodation portion comprises a first logo accommodation portion which accommodates a first logo separated from the base decoration and a second logo accommodation portion accommodates a second logo separated from the base decoration (see annotated reproduction of fig. 8, above).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant Arguments/Remarks Made in an Amendment, filed 08 November 2025, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-4 under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection of claims 1-4 under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) has been withdrawn.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Li (CN-217919326-U) discloses parts for the appearance of automobiles including logos.
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/Lee A Holly/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3726