DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Applicant’s response dated 07/21/2026 has been received and entered. Claims 1-7 are remaining pending in the application.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-7 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(A)(1)/102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Horiuchi et al., US 2016/0349475 A1, as stated in the previous office action.
Claim 1 is anticipated by Horiuchi et al. figures 1A-1B, 2 and accompanying text which discloses a lens unit 1 comprising:
. a lens barrel 7 made of a resin (Abstract)
. a first lens 15 held on an inner peripheral side of the lens barrel 7
. wherein when a direction along an optical axis L of the first lens 15 is defined as an optical axis direction, the first lens is supported from an image side L2 at a predetermined first position in the optical axis direction L
. on an inner peripheral surface 73 of the lens barrel 7, a first inner peripheral-surface 737 portion located on an outer side in a radial direction of the first lens 7 is a tapered surface (corresponding to part 77/78 reducing thickness of the tube wall 73 from upper wall 73a to end side 730) which is inclined to an outer peripheral side toward an object side (fig. 2).
. the first inner peripheral-surface portion 737 comprises first fitting protrusions 77 which are pressure-joined to the first lens at a plurality of spots separated in a circumferential direction ([0019])
. the plurality of first fitting protrusions 77 position the first lens in the radial direction (fig 2).
Re claim 2, wherein each of the first fitting protrusions comprises a pressure-joining surface parallel to the optical axis of the first lens ([0019], [0041])
Re claims 3 and 6, wherein each of the first fitting protrusions comprises a curved surface which is curved toward the outer peripheral side from the pressure-joining surface toward the object side. It is noted that the fitting protrusions are formed on the inner tube part 73, as so the fitting protrusion would be curved as curved along with the inner tube.
Re claim 4, Horiuchi et al. also disclose a second lens 13 held on an inner peripheral side of the lens barrel 7, wherein the second lens 13 is supported from the image side L2 at a second position closer to an object side L1 in the optical axis direction L than the first position (corresponding to the first lens 15) on the inner peripheral surface of the lens barrel 7, a second inner peripheral-surface portion located on an outer side in a radial direction of the second lens is a tapered surface (corresponding to part 78) inclined to the outer peripheral side toward the object side; the second inner peripheral-surface portion comprises second fitting protrusions 78 pressure-joined to the second lens at a plurality of spots separated in the circumferential direction; the plurality of second fitting protrusions position the second lens in the radial direction; and a first inclination angle at which the first inner peripheral-surface portion is inclined with respect to the optical axis and a second inclination angle at which the second inner peripheral-surface portion is inclined with respect to the optical axis are different from each other (fig 2).
Re claims 5 and 7, wherein the lens barrel 7 comprises an annular facing surface (e.g., tube) which faces an outer peripheral-edge portion of the first lens 15 from the image side, the annular facing surface comprises positioning protrusions which are brought into contact with the first lens and position the first lens in the optical axis direction, at a plurality of spots 18 in the circumferential direction, and the positioning protrusions overlap the first fitting protrusions when viewed from the optical axis direction (fig. 2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/21/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s only argument is that Horiuchi fails to disclose “a first inner peripheral-surface portion located on an outer side in a radial direction of the first lens is a tapered surface which is inclined to an outer peripheral side toward an object side” (e.g., Horiuchi's portion 737 is not a tapered surface, nor is the press-fitted portion 77 a tapered surface). The Examiner is not convinced by this argument since the same is true of the Horiuchi et al. tapered surface which is inclined to an outer peripheral side toward an object side. Particularly, as stated above, the inner peripheral surface portion 73 having a diameter that reduced thickness (i.e., tapered) from the top to the bottom (e.g., object side) and having an inclined part(e.g., 78 between 73a and 737 and/or inclined part corresponding to 77 between wall 737 and bottom end wall)(fig 1A). In other words, the Horiuchi et al. inner peripheral surface would be the same as claimed as well.
Accordingly, claims 1-7 stand rejection as stated above.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/DUNG T NGUYEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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