The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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)(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 1-3 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Corynen (US 2024/0031712).
Regarding claim 1, Corynen discloses a speaker 100 (see figs. 1, 2C, and 3A, for example), comprising: a speaker unit 101 including a diaphragm 132, 110, 160; an attachment member 146b attached to an attachment object (e.g., body 142b) of the speaker unit 101; and an elastic body 142a interposed between the speaker unit 101 and the attachment member 146b. The elastic body 142a has a thin plate structure and connects the speaker unit 101 and the attachment member 146b at both ends of the elastic body 142a in a state where a plate thickness direction is aligned with a vibration direction of the diaphragm 132, 110, 160.
Regarding claim 2, the attachment member 146b is connected to at least a speaker baffle 142b of the speaker unit 101. See para. 0210, regarding “the mounting frame suspensions [which includes body 142b] can act as a baffle…”
Regarding claim 3, the elastic body 142a has a bent portion (e.g., dome part of elastic body 142a) which is bent in a plate thickness direction.
Regarding claim 6, an outer shape of the diaphragm 132, 110, 160 is a circular shape. See para. 0043, regarding “the first and second radiating surfaces of the diaphragm [and the elastic body 142a] may have a circular shape”. The elastic body 142a has an inner shape in which one or more inner protrusion shapes (e.g., the shape of inner protrusion which is attached to object 146a) is provided to a circular shape, and an outer shape in which one or more protrusion shapes (e.g., the shape of outer protrusion which is attached to object 146b) is provided to a circular shape larger in diameter than the inner shape.
Regarding claim 7, Corynen discloses a speaker baffle. See fig. 6, for example. The walls of the frame 430 and the mounting frame suspensions 442a, 442b form a sound baffle which inhibits sound traveling between first and second radiating surfaces 412, 414 of a diaphragm 410. See para. 0210, regarding “the mounting frame suspensions can act as a baffle…”, and para. 0247, regarding “the baffle effect of the mounting frame suspensions 442a, 442b is still achieved”. The speaker baffle, comprising: a baffle body 430 having a sound hole (see figs. 1 and 6, and para. 0183 regarding “to allow sound … to propagate out … via one or more gaps 132 in the drive unit frame 130”) and fixed to a speaker frame 430 (and speaker frame attached to suspensions 432a) of a speaker unit 401; an attachment member (see fig. 1, object 146b, and similar object in fig. 6) attached to an attachment object (e.g., object 442a) of the speaker unit 401; and an elastic body (e.g., body 442b) interposed between the baffle body 430 having the sound hole and the attachment member. The elastic body 442b has a thin plate structure and connects the baffle body 430 and the attachment member at both ends of the elastic body 442b in a state where a plate thickness direction is aligned with a vibration direction of a diaphragm 410 of the speaker unit 401.
Regarding claim 8, Corynen discloses a speaker frame (see fig. 1, for example), comprising: a frame body 130 holding a diaphragm 132, 110, 160 of a speaker unit 101; an attachment member 146b attached to an attachment object (e.g., object 142b) of the speaker unit 101; and an elastic body 142a interposed between the frame body 130 and the attachment member 146b. The elastic body 142a has a thin plate structure and connects the frame body 130 and the attachment member 146b at both ends of the elastic body 142a in a state where a plate thickness direction is aligned with a vibration direction of the diaphragm 132, 110, 160.
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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Corynen (US 2024/0031712), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Sumiyama (JP 2870033, in view of the English Language Translation).
Corynen discloses the invention as claimed, including that the attachment member 146b is connected to a speaker frame 130 of the speaker unit 101 by the elastic body 142a (see fig. 1, for example), but fails to specifically teach that the attachment member 146b, the elastic body 142a, and the speaker frame 130 are integrally formed by insert molding. Sumiyama discloses a speaker including a diaphragm 6 and a frame 5 which is constructed by insert molding, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of integrally forming a speaker unit including the diaphragm 6 and the frame 5 which has excellent heat resistance to improve reliability (see fig. 2, and para. 0001).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Corynen, in view of Sumiyama, such that the attachment member 146b, the elastic body 142a, and the speaker frame 130 are integrally formed by insert molding. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of integrally forming a speaker unit including the attachment member 146b, the elastic body 142a, and the speaker frame 130 which has excellent heat resistance to improve reliability.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Corynen (US 2024/0031712), as applied to claim 1 above, in further view of Sumiyama (JP 2870033, in view of the English Language Translation).
Corynen discloses the invention as claimed, including that the attachment member 146b is connected to a speaker frame 130 of the speaker unit 101 by the elastic body 142a (see fig. 1, for example), but fails to specifically teach that the attachment member 146b, the elastic body 142a, and the speaker frame 130 are integrally formed by two-color molding. Sumiyama discloses a speaker including a magnetic circuit insert portion and a frame portion 25b which are integrally molded in two colors, in the same field of endeavor, for the purpose of integrally forming a speaker unit including the magnetic circuit insert portion and the frame portion 25b which has no problems such as thermal deformation, thermal melting, or peeling (see fig. 1, and para. 0001).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Corynen, in view of Sumiyama, such that the attachment member 146b, the elastic body 142a, and the speaker frame 130 are integrally formed by two-color molding. A practitioner in the art would have been motivated to do this for the purpose of integrally forming a speaker unit including the attachment member 146b, the elastic body 142a, and the speaker frame 130 which has no problems such as thermal deformation, thermal melting, or peeling.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL W HUBER whose telephone number is (571)272-7588. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen, can be reached at telephone number 571-272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL W HUBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691
pwh
December 2, 2025