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 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.
DETAILED ACTION
Examiner’s Notes
Regarding Claim(s) 1-20: when reading the preamble in the context of the entire claim, the recitation of the preamble is not limiting because the body of the claim describes a complete invention and the language recited solely in the preamble does not provide any distinct definition of any of the claimed invention’s limitations. Thus, the preamble of the claim(s) is not considered a limitation and is of no significance to claim construction. See MPEP § 2111.02.
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) 1-3, 5-9 and 11-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim Jin Sik (KR 20180003147 A, see reference in its entirety).
With respect to independent Claim 1, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s): An indicator (Fig. 2: 100) comprising:
a medium layer (Fig. 2: 110) having printed thereon an identifier (Fig. 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments”) and at least one color pattern having a plurality of colors applied to different positions the plurality of colors having different sensitivities to a degradation factor (Fig. 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments” plurality of colors 110a in different positions have printed temperature color patterns have different sensitivities based on heat).
Regarding Claim 2, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 1.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): further comprising a protective layer (Fig 2: 130) provided on a side of the medium layer away from the target object (Fig 1: tire 200) and configured to inhibit transmission of at least ultraviolet light (Fig 2: 130 & “Description of Embodiments”).
Regarding Claim 3, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 1.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): further comprising an adhesion layer (Fig 2: 121) provided on a side of the medium layer closer to the target object (Fig 1: tire 200), the adhesion layer comprising an adhesion surface to be adhered to the target object. (Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 5, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 1.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the color pattern is configured to include a plurality of color components that exhibit different changes for one degradation factor (Fig 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments”).
Regarding Claim 6, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 1.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the degradation factor includes at least one of heat, oxygen, water, ultraviolet light, and ozone (Fig 2: 110a different temperatures are due to heat).
Regarding Claim 7, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 1.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the at least one color pattern comprises a plurality of color patterns printed on the medium layer (Fig 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments”).
Regarding Claim 8, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 1.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the target object is a tire (Fig 1: tire 200).
Regarding Claim 9, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 2.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): further comprising an adhesion layer (Fig 2: 121) provided on a side of the medium layer closer to the target object (Fig 1: tire 200), the adhesion layer comprising an adhesion surface to be adhered to the target object. (Fig 1).
Regarding Claim 11, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 2.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the color pattern is configured to include a plurality of color components that exhibit different changes for one degradation factor (Fig 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments”).
Regarding Claim 12, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 2.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the degradation factor includes at least one of heat, oxygen, water, ultraviolet light, and ozone (Fig 2: 110a different temperatures are due to heat).
Regarding Claim 13, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 2.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the at least one color pattern comprises a plurality of color patterns printed on the medium layer (Fig 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments”).
Regarding Claim 14, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 2.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the target object is a tire (Fig 1: tire 200).
Regarding Claim 15, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 3.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the color pattern is configured to include a plurality of color components that exhibit different changes for one degradation factor (Fig 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments”).
Regarding Claim 16, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 3.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the degradation factor includes at least one of heat, oxygen, water, ultraviolet light, and ozone (Fig 2: 110a different temperatures are due to heat).
Regarding Claim 17, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 3.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the at least one color pattern comprises a plurality of color patterns printed on the medium layer (Fig 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments”).
Regarding Claim 18, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 3.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the target object is a tire (Fig 1: tire 200).
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.
Claim(s) 4, 10 and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim Jin Sik in view of Noe (US 9683872 B2, see reference in its entirety).
Regarding Claim(s) 4, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 3.
Kim Jin Sik does not specifically disclose: a penetration prevention layer between medium layer and adhesion layer.
However, Noe teach(es) an indicator (Fig. 3) including: a penetration prevention layer between medium layer and adhesion layer (Fig. 1: 150).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Kim Jin Sik, with the teachings of Noe , for the purpose of preventing leaking of color (col. 5, lines 44-46).
Regarding Claim(s) 10, Kim Jin Sik disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 9.
Kim Jin Sik does not specifically disclose: a penetration prevention layer between medium layer and adhesion layer.
However, Noe teach(es) an indicator (Fig. 3) including: a penetration prevention layer between medium layer and adhesion layer (Fig. 1: 150).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Kim Jin Sik, with the teachings of Noe , for the purpose of preventing leaking of color (col. 5, lines 44-46).
Regarding Claim(s) 19, Kim Jin Sik and Noe disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 4.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the color pattern is configured to include a plurality of color components that exhibit different changes for one degradation factor (Fig 2: 110a & “Description of Embodiments”).
Regarding Claim(s) 20, Kim Jin Sik and Noe disclose(s) the indicator of Claim 4.
Kim Jin Sik further disclose(s): wherein the degradation factor includes at least one of heat, oxygen, water, ultraviolet light, and ozone (Fig 2: 110a different temperatures are due to heat).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
The following reference(s) relate to color indicators: Parias (US 2006/0260533 A1); Kanakkanatt (US 2005/0087725 A1); Edmonds et al. (US 9562998 B2); Qiu et al. (US 6435128 B2); Broszniowski (US 6775877 B1); Conzelmann (US 8757503 B2); Ishida et al. (US 10747974 B2); Prusik et al. (US 5057434); Klots et al. (US 8336481 B2); Tokuda et al. (US 10684177 B2).
The following reference(s) relate to color indicators on tires: Hwa (KR 20100077672 A); Takao (JP 2000075794 A); Ulrich et al. (DE 102019214525 A1).
The following reference(s) relate to same assignee (BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION) and same inventors (Yamamoto et al.): Yamamoto et al. (US 2025/0187380 A1).
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/TC/
04 July 2026
/BRANDI N HOPKINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2855
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