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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 4/6/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 6-14, and 18-20 under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Go (Pub. No. US 2023/0251550 A1; hereafter Go) 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious in view of Go and Kimura (Pub. No. US 2020/0404183 A1; hereafter Kimura).
Applicant persuasively argues that the prior art of Go does not disclose “a damper that protrudes from an inner bottom surface of the first carrier” as called for in newly amended claims 1 and 14.
However, Kimura discloses such a damper, as the stoppers 105a-105c of Kimura protrude from an inner bottom surface of the first carrier that faces the second carrier in the optical axis direction, as called for in the claims, and the combination of Go in view of Kimura would therefore similarly disclose such a feature. Applicant’s mere conclusory statement that Kimura does not cure the deficiency of Go is not persuasive, as it does not address the proposed combination or provide any specific reasons as to why the teaching of Kimura does not reasonably disclose the newly added claim limitations.
The remainder of Applicant’s arguments rest on the alleged allowability of claims 1 and 14, and are therefore similarly unpersuasive.
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.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103as being unpatentable over Go et al. (Pub. No. US 2023/0251550 A1; hereafter Go) in view of Kimura (Pub. No. US 2020/0404183 A1; hereafter Kimura).
Regarding claims 1 and 14, Go discloses a camera module and actuator, comprising: a lens barrel (see Go Fig. 2, item 170); a housing that accommodates the lens barrel (see Go Fig. 2, item 114); a first carrier configured to move in an optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 120); a second carrier, disposed on the first carrier, and configured to move in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 130); a damper that protrudes from a first surface of the first carrier that faces the second carrier (see Go Figs. 2 and 6, item 190); and a stopper that is disposed on a first surface of the second carrier to face the damper in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 130. Applicant discloses that the “stopper” can be reasonably construed as a “surface of an edge of the second carrier” (see Applicant’s specification paragraph [0027]), Examiner therefore construes the edge of the second carrier which can come into contact with the damper 190 of Go as the stopper disposed on the first surface of the second carrier.), and configured to limit a movement of the second carrier in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see Go paragraph [0073] “the OIS damper 190 may mitigate the impact between the AF carrier 120 and the OIS carrier 130 in a direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction.”).
Go does not disclose a damper that protrudes from an inner bottom surface of the first carrier that faces the second carrier in the optical axis direction; [claims 2 and 15] groove portion is disposed at an edge of the second carrier, and the groove portion is configured to accommodate the damper; [claims 3 and 16] wherein the stopper includes one surface of an edge of the second carrier constituting the groove portion; and [claims 5 and 17] wherein a width of the groove portion along the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction is greater than a width of the damper along the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction; [claims 6 and 18] wherein the first carrier has an outer bottom surface that faces the inner bottom surface of the first carrier in the optical axis direction, and the damper is configured to penetrate the outer bottom surface of the first carrier from the inner bottom surface of the first carrier to protrude from the outer bottom of the first carrier.
Kimura discloses a damper that protrudes from an inner bottom surface of the first carrier that faces the second carrier in the optical axis direction (see Kimura Fig. 3, items 110 and 105a-105c); [claims 2 and 15] a carrier with groove portion that is disposed at an edge of the carrier, and the groove portion is configured to accommodate the damper (see Kimura Fig. 3, carrier 206 has grooves corresponding to spacers 105a-105c, and paragraph [0041] of Kimura discloses that “On the body portions of the main spacers 105a, 105b, and 105c, rubber members that form mechanical end portions, which are stoppers, of the movable members are disposed.”); [claims 3 and 16] wherein the stopper includes one surface of an edge of the second carrier constituting the groove portion (see Kimura Fig. 3, the surfaces of the cutout portions of 206 corresponding to the spacers 105); and [claims 5 and 17] wherein a width of the groove portion along the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction is greater than a width of the damper along the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see Kimura Fig. 3, items 105 and 206) [claims 6 and 18] wherein the first carrier has an outer bottom surface that faces the inner bottom surface of the first carrier in the optical axis direction, and the damper is configured to penetrate the outer bottom surface of the first carrier from the inner bottom surface of the first carrier to protrude from the outer bottom of the first carrier (Kimura does not specifically disclose how the stoppers 105a-105c are attached to the base plate. However, Kimura does disclose that the top portion of the pillar is connected via a screw that penetrates the top plate and connects the stopper with a penetrating portion. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to attach the bottom of the stopper to the base plate in a manner similar to that which the stopper is attached to the top plate, so as to properly secure the stopper to the base plate.).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the spacer and second carrier of Go (which already discloses having both internal dampers 190 and external dampers 181 and 182) as damping pillars and mechanical stop grooves like that in Kimura in order to utilize the corner supports of Go simultaneously as supports, mechanical stops, and dampers, as taught by Kimura, thereby reducing the number of separate components required.
Regarding claim 4, Go as modified discloses the actuator of claim 2, wherein the stopper is configured to have a shape that is complementary to a shape of an edge of the damper facing the stopper (see Go Figs. 2 and 6, items 190 and 130, the damper and carrier have flat faces corresponding to each other).
Regarding claim 7, Go as modified discloses the actuator of claim 1, wherein the damper is disposed at one or more corner regions of the first carrier (see Go Figs. 2 and 3, items 190, the term “corner region” is fairly broad, since each dampener is placed closer to one corner than any other, it can be construed as being placed in a “corner region”).
Regarding claim 8, Go as modified discloses the actuator of claim 1, wherein the stopper is disposed at one or more corner regions of the second carrier (see Go Fig. 2, items 130, the term “corner region” is fairly broad, since each dampener is placed closer to one corner than any other, to associated edge of the second carrier, construed as the stopper, can be construed as being placed in a “corner region”).
Regarding claim 9, Go as modified discloses the actuator of claim 1, wherein each of the damper and the stopper is provided in plural numbers (see Go Fig. 2, item 190, and the associated edge of the second carrier 130).
Regarding claim 10, Go as modified discloses the actuator of claim 1, further comprising a lens holder that accommodates a lens barrel, wherein the lens holder is disposed on the second carrier (see Go Fig. 2, item 170).
Regarding claim 11, Go as modified discloses the actuator of claim 1, wherein the first carrier has a plurality of first guide grooves on a side surface thereof (see Go Fig. 2, item 124), the second carrier has a plurality of second guide grooves on a third surface of the second carrier facing the first carrier (see Go paragraph [0053] “the second ball member 142 may be inserted into a groove part (not shown) provided at a position corresponding to the second guide rail 125 on the bottom surface of the middle guide 160.” The “second carrier” can be construed as being comprised of both the OIS carrier 130 and the middle guide 160), and the actuator further includes a plurality of first rolling members respectively disposed in the plurality of first guide grooves and configured to move the first carrier in the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 141), and a plurality of second rolling members respectively disposed in the plurality of second guide grooves and configured to move the second carrier in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 142).
Regarding claim 12, Go as modified discloses the actuator of claim 11, wherein the second carrier has a plurality of third guide grooves on a fourth surface of the second carrier that faces the third surface of the second carrier in the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 161), and the actuator further includes a plurality of third rolling members respectively disposed in the plurality of third guide grooves, and configured to move the second carrier in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 143).
Regarding claim 13, Go as modified discloses the actuator of claim 1, further comprising: a magnet disposed on a side surface of the first carrier and configured to provide a driving force to the first carrier (se Go Fig. 2, item 123); and a coil disposed to face the magnet, and configured to provide a driving force to the first carrier (see Go Fig. 2, item 122).
Regarding claim 19, Go as modified discloses the camera module of claim 14, wherein the first carrier has a plurality of first guide grooves on a side surface thereof (see Go Fig. 2, item 124), the second carrier has a plurality of second guide grooves on a third surface of the second carrier facing the first carrier (see Go paragraph [0053] “the second ball member 142 may be inserted into a groove part (not shown) provided at a position corresponding to the second guide rail 125 on the bottom surface of the middle guide 160.” The “second carrier” can be construed as being comprised of both the OIS carrier 130 and the middle guide 160), and the camera module further includes a plurality of first rolling members respectively disposed in the plurality of first guide grooves and configured to move the first carrier in the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 141), and a plurality of second rolling members respectively disposed in the plurality of second guide grooves and configured to move the second carrier in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 142).
Regarding claim 20, Go as modified discloses the camera module of claim 19, wherein the second carrier has a plurality of third guide grooves on a fourth surface of the second carrier that faces the third surface of the second carrier in the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 161), and the camera module further includes a plurality of third rolling members respectively disposed in the plurality of third guide grooves and configured to move the second carrier in the direction perpendicular to the optical axis direction (see Go Fig. 2, item 143).
Finality
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NOAM S REISNER whose telephone number is (571)270-7542. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00AM-5:30PM.
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/NOAM REISNER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 6/10/2026
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