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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 22-23 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/24/2026
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.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 8-9, 13 and 15-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yasokawa et al. (JP 2016004233).
Re claim 1, Yasokawa et al. discloses a device comprising a fixation frame (4); and a lens frame (3) that holds lenses (2) and that is fixed to the fixation frame, wherein the fixation frame includes a plurality of engagement portions (4a, 4b) that are arranged in a direction around an optical axis, and the lens frame includes an engagement target portion (5) that is selectively engaged with the plurality of engagement portion.
Re claim 5, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the lenses include a lens (2) that is part of a plurality of lenses of the lens device and that is disposed on an object side (Fig. 1).
Re claim 8, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the number of engagement portions (5) is smaller than the number of the plurality of engagement portions (4a, 4b).
Re claim 9, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the number of engagement target portions (5) is one.
Re claim 13, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the fixation frame (4) includes a fixation portion (4a, 4b) to which the lens frame (3) is fixed, and the plurality of engagement portions (4a, 4b) are formed at the fixation portion.
Re claim 15, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein each of the engagement portions (4a, 4b) is a recess portion, and the engagement target portion (5) is a protrusion portion.
Re claim 16, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the recess portion (4a, 4b) is formed in a recessed shape that is open on a radially inner side with respect to the fixation frame (4).
Re claim 17, Yasokiawa et al. discloses the device wherein the protrusion (5) is formed in a protruding shape that protrudes toward a radially outer side with respect to the lens frame (3).
Re claim 18, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the recess portion (4a, 4b) is open on one side in an axial direction of the fixation frame (4).
Re claim 19, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the protrusion portion (5) is formed on an outer peripheral portion of the lens frame (3).
Re claim 20, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the lens frame includes a rib (3) that is provided to be adjacent to the protrusion portion (5) in an optical direction.
Re claim 21, Yasokawa et al. discloses the device wherein the fixation frame (4) includes a connection portion, and the lens frame (3) includes a connection target portion that is connected to the connection portion. The connection portion and the connection target portion may correspond to any portion of connection between the fixation frame and the lens frame.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 6-7, 10-12 and 14 objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RICHARD H KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-2294. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 10 am-6:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Caley can be reached at 571-272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICHARD H KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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