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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Pages 2-3, filed 04/14/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claims(s) 1-7 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn; however, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of newfound art.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipating by Inaba (US 2023/0367184 A1).
With respect to Claim 1, Inaba discloses a lens unit comprising: a first lens (13, Figure 1) and a second lens (14, Figure 1) disposed in this order from an object side to an image side (13 is closer to the object side than 14, Figure 1); an elastic member (low-moisture permeable adhesive ad/elastic modulus, ¶[0076]) disposed between (13, which is located closest to the object side, and the second lens 14, which is adjacent to the first lens 13 on the image side, are bonded together with the low-moisture permeable adhesive ad, ¶[0077]) the first lens (13, Figure 1) and the second lens (14, Figure 1) in an optical axis direction (O, Figure 1) when a direction along an optical axis (O, Figure 1) of the first lens (13, Figure 1) is defined as the optical axis direction (O, Figure 1); and a lens barrel (12, Figure 1) which accommodates the first lens (13, Figure 1), the second lens (14, Figure 1), and the elastic member (¶[0076]), wherein the lens barrel (12, Figure 1) comprises an annular caulking portion (23, Figure 1) which is bent from a distal end part on the object side (see section of annotated Figure 1, below) to an inner peripheral side and is brought into contact with an outer peripheral-edge portion (edge of 23, Figure 1) of the first lens (13, Figure 1) from the object side (see annotated Figure 1, below) and comprises a first stepped portion (see full annotated Figure 1, below) on an inner peripheral surface (see annotated Figure 1, below); the first stepped portion (see full annotated Figure 1, below) comprises an annular first seating surface (see full annotated Figure 1, below) facing the object side (see section of annotated Figure 1, below) at a position overlapping the caulking portion (23, Figure 1) when viewed from the optical axis direction (O, Figure 1) and an inner peripheral-surface portion (see full annotated Figure 1, below) extending from an end on an inner peripheral side (inner area, see full annotated Figure 1, below) of the annular first seating surface (see full annotated Figure 1, below) to the image side (see full annotated Figure 1, below); the outer peripheral-edge portion of the first lens (13, Figure 1) is located between the caulking portion (23, Figure 1) and the annular first seating surface (see annotated Figure 1, below); the second lens (14, Figure 1) is supported from the image side (see full annotated Figure 1, below) at a predetermined first position (¶[0047]) in the optical axis direction (O, Figure 1); and the elastic member (¶[0076]) is compressed in the optical axis direction (O, Figure 1) at a position adjacent to the inner peripheral-surface portion (see full annotated Figure 1, below) in a radial direction (epoxy-based adhesive may be used as the radial direction low-moisture permeable adhesive ad, ¶[0071]) and exerts an urging force (¶[0071]-[0073]) to urge the first lens (13, Figure 1) toward the object side (see section of annotated Figure 1, below) and to urge the second lens (14, Figure 1) toward the image side.
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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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 2-4 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable Inaba (US 2023/0367184 A1).
With respect to Claim 2, Inaba discloses the claimed invention except for an O-ring. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have an O-ring, since it has been held that omission of an element and its function in a combination where the remaining elements perform the same functions as before involves only routine skill in the art, ¶[0077]. In re Karlson, 136 USPQ.
With respect to Claim 3, Inaba further discloses a third lens (15, Figure 1) disposed on the image side (see Figure 1) of the second lens (14, Figure 1), wherein the lens barrel (12, Figure 1) accommodates the third lens (15, Figure 1); the second lens (14, Figure 1) comprises a fitting portion (see annotated Figure 1) fitted to the third lens (15, Figure 1), on a surface on the image side (see annotated Figure 1); the third lens (15, Figure 1) is supported from the image side (see annotated Figure 1) at a predetermined second position (¶[0041] and [0047]) in the optical axis direction (O, Figure 1) and comprises a fitted portion (see annotated Figure 1) to which the fitting portion (see annotated Figure 1) is fitted from the object side (see annotated Figure 1), on a surface on the object side (see annotated Figure 1); by fitting of the fitting portion (see annotated Figure 1) and the fitted portion (22, Figure 4), the second lens (14, Figure 1) is positioned in a radial direction (radial direction in Figure 1) with respect to the third lens (15, Figure 1) and is supported at the first position (¶[0047]); and the adhesive (low-moisture permeable adhesive ad, ¶[0077]) exerts an urging force (¶[0071]-[0073]) to urge the second lens (L2, Figure 2) toward the third lens (15, Figure 1).
Inaba discloses the claimed invention except for an O-ring. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have an O-ring, since it has been held that omission of an element and its function in a combination where the remaining elements perform the same functions as before involves only routine skill in the art, ¶[0077]. In re Karlson, 136 USPQ.
With respect to Claim 4, Inaba teaches a laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2) comprising a plurality of lenses (15, 16, and 17, Figure 1; see also ¶[0051]) laminated in the optical axis direction (O, Figure 2); the lens barrel (12, Figure 1) comprises a second stepped portion (see annotated Figure 1) closer to the image side (see annotated Figure 1) than the first stepped portion (see annotated Figure 1) on the inner peripheral surface (see annotated Figure 1); the second stepped portion (see annotated Figure 1) comprises a second seating surface (see annotated Figure 1) facing the object side; the laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2) is accommodated in the lens barrel (12, Figure 1) in a state of being placed on the second seating surface; the second lens is laminated on the object side of the laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2) and is supported at the first position by the laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2); the adhesive (¶[0077]) and the second seating surface (see annotated Figure 1) overlap each other when viewed from the optical axis direction (O, Figure 1); and the adhesive (low-moisture permeable adhesive ad, ¶[0077]) exerts an urging force (¶[0071]-[0073]) to urge the second lens (14, Figure 1) toward the laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2).
Inaba discloses the claimed invention except for an O-ring. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have an O-ring, since it has been held that omission of an element and its function in a combination where the remaining elements perform the same functions as before involves only routine skill in the art, ¶[0077]. In re Karlson, 136 USPQ.
With respect to Claim 6, Inaba teaches a laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2) comprising a plurality of lenses (15, 16, and 17, Figure 1; see also ¶[0051]) laminated in the optical axis direction (O, Figure 2); the lens barrel (12, Figure 1) comprises a second stepped portion (see annotated Figure 1) closer to the image side (see annotated Figure 1) than the first stepped portion (see annotated Figure 1) on the inner peripheral surface (see annotated Figure 1); the second stepped portion (see annotated Figure 1) comprises a second seating surface (see annotated Figure 1) facing the object side; the laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2) is accommodated in the lens barrel (12, Figure 1) in a state of being placed on the second seating surface; the second lens is laminated on the object side of the laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2) and is supported at the first position by the laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2); the adhesive (¶[0077]) and the second seating surface (see annotated Figure 1) overlap each other when viewed from the optical axis direction (O, Figure 1); and the adhesive (low-moisture permeable adhesive ad, ¶[0077]) exerts an urging force (¶[0071]-[0073]) to urge the second lens (14, Figure 1) to the laminated body (area holding 15, 16, and 17, Figure 2).
Inaba discloses the claimed invention except for an O-ring. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have an O-ring, since it has been held that omission of an element and its function in a combination where the remaining elements perform the same functions as before involves only routine skill in the art, ¶[0077]. In re Karlson, 136 USPQ.
Claim(s) 5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Inaba (US 2023/0367184 A1), as applied to Claims 1 and 6, respectively, in further in view of Abe et al., (Abe hereafter) (US 2009/0303620 A1).
With respect to Claim 5, Inaba teaches the lens unit according to claim 1, the first lens (13, Figure 1) and the annular first seating surface (see annotated Figure 1).
Inaba fails to teach a light shielding sheet made of a resin and disposed between the first lens and the annular first seating surface.
Inaba teaches the lens unit and Abe teaches a lens tube (Figure 2) which can be used with the lens unit.
Abe teach a light shielding resin (12, Figure 2) made of a resin (12 is a light-shielding resin, Figure 2) and disposed between the first lens (2, Figure 2) and the annular first seating surface (see annotated Figure 2, below).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Inaba having the lens unit with the teachings of Abe having the light shielding sheet made of a resin and disposed between the first lens and the annular first seating surface for the purpose to prevent stray light, ¶[0128].
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With respect to Claim 7, Inaba teaches the lens unit according to claim 6, the first lens (13, Figure 1) and the annular first seating surface (see annotated Figure 1).
Inaba fails to teach a light shielding sheet made of a resin and disposed between the first lens and the annular first seating surface.
Inaba teaches the lens unit and Abe teaches a lens tube (Figure 2) which can be used with the lens unit.
Abe teach a light shielding resin (12, Figure 2) made of a resin (12 is a light-shielding resin, Figure 2) and disposed between the first lens (2, Figure 2) and the annular first seating surface (see annotated Figure 2, below).
Therefore it would have been obvious to one skilled in the art before the effective date of the invention to modify the teachings of Inaba having the lens unit with the teachings of Abe having the light shielding sheet made of a resin and disposed between the first lens and the annular first seating surface for the purpose to prevent stray light, ¶[0128].
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TAMARA Y WASHINGTON whose telephone number is (571)270-3887. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur 730-530 EST.
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/TYW/Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/STEPHONE B ALLEN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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