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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 2/27/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1, 3-5, 9-11 and 13-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida (US 2020/0278566 A1) in view of Uchiya et al. (JP 2021-060521), Matsuyama (JP 2019-191481), Akiwa et al. (US 5,972,453) and Shiraishi et al. (US 2025/0010587 A1).
Re claim 1, 11 and 15, Yoshida discloses a device comprising a light control sheet (10); wherein the light control sheet comprises a first hard coat layer (16a) forming a front surface of the light control sheet, and a second hard coat layer (16b) forming a rear surface of the light control sheet. Yoshida does not disclose the device comprising an adhesive layer formed to adhere the light control sheet to a transparent body; a sealing part that seals an edge face of the light control sheet and adheres the edge face of the light control sheet to the transparent body, the adhesive layer adheres to the rear surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body by self-adhesion, wherein the sealing part adheres an edge of the front surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body.
Uchiya et al. discloses a device comprising an adhesive layer (73) formed to adhere the light control sheet (200) to a transparent body (80), the adhesive layer (73) adheres to the rear surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body by self-adhesion.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device comprising an adhesive layer formed to adhere the light control sheet to a transparent body, the adhesive layer adheres to the rear surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body by self-adhesion, since one would be motivated to adhere a light control sheet to a support, such as a window.
Matsuyama discloses a device comprising a sealing part (12) that seals an edge face of the light control sheet (11) and adheres the edge face of the light control sheet to the transparent body (20), wherein the sealing part adheres an edge of the front surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device comprising a sealing part that seals an edge face of the light control sheet and adheres the edge face of the light control sheet to the transparent body, wherein the sealing part adheres an edge of the front surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body since one would be motivated to protect the light control sheet from moisture, acid, UV rays.
Yoshida does not disclose the device wherein the adhesive layer has an adhesive strength of 1 N/25 mm or less.
Akiwa et al. discloses a device wherein an adhesive layer (2) has an adhesive strength of 1 N/25 mm or less (col. 3, lines 47-49).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device wherein the adhesive layer has an adhesive strength of 1 N/25 mm or less since one would be motivated to readily remove the light control sheet without damage to the window (abstract).
Yoshida does not disclose the device wherein the adhesive layer protrudes outward from the edge face of the light control sheet such that the sealing part is in contact with the transparent body via the adhesive layer.
Shiraishi et al. discloses a device wherein the adhesive layer (32) protrudes outward from the edge face of the light control sheet such that the sealing part (31) is in contact with the transparent body (42) via the adhesive layer.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device wherein the adhesive layer protrudes outward from the edge face of the light control sheet such that the sealing part is in contact with the transparent body via the adhesive layer since doing would allow for the adhesive layer to also be disposed between the sealant and the transparent body, allowing for improved uniform adhesivity.
Re claims 3-4, Yoshida does not disclose the device wherein the adhesive layer comprises a self-adhesive formed on the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a release layer forming a rear surface of the light control laminate and covering the self-adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a release layer forming the rear surface of the light control laminate, a substrate layer non-removably bonded to the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a self -adhesive layer formed between the release layer and the substrate layer.
Uchiya et al. discloses a device wherein the adhesive layer comprising a self-adhesive (73) formed on the rear surface of the light control sheet (200), a substrate layer (72) non-removably bonded to the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a self-adhesive layer (73) formed on the substrate layer, and a release layer, as needed. Akiwa et al. discloses a release layer (3) attached to the surface of a self-adhesive layer (2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to employ the device wherein the adhesive layer comprising a self-adhesive formed on the rear surface of the light control sheet, a substrate layer non-removably bonded to the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a self-adhesive layer formed on the substrate layer since one would be motivated to adhere the light control sheet to a support, such as a window. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device comprising a release layer forming a rear surface of the light control laminate and covering the self-adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a release layer forming the rear surface of the light control laminate since one would be motivated to protect the self-adhesive layer.
Re claims 5, Yoshida discloses the device wherein the light control sheet comprises a first substrate (15a) having flexibility, a second substrate having flexibility, and a light control layer sandwiched (12) between the first substrate and the second substrate and comprising an organic polymer layer (12a) having a plurality of voids (12b) therein and a liquid crystal composition filling the voids (12c1).
Re claims 9 and 10, Yoshida discloses the device wherein the light control sheet (10) comprises a first substrate (15a) having flexibility, a second substrate (15b) having flexibility (paragraph 0026); and a light control layer sandwiched (12) between the first substrate and the second substrate and comprising an organic polymer layer (12a) having a plurality of voids (12b) therein and a liquid crystal composition filling the voids (12c1).
Re claim 13, Yoshida does not disclose a transparent body.
Uchiya et al. discloses a device comprising a transparent body (80).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device comprising a transparent body since one would be motivated to adhere a light control sheet to a support, such as a window.
Re claims 14 and 16, Yoshida discloses a device comprising a light control sheet (10), and the light control sheet comprises a first hard coat layer (16a) forming a front surface of the light control sheet, and a second hard coat layer (16b) forming the rear surface of the light control sheet. Yoshida does not disclose the device comprising a transparent body; the light control sheet adhered to the transparent body; and a sealing part adhering an edge face of the light control sheet to the transparent body and sealing the edge face of the light control sheet, wherein the transparent body comprises an adhesive layer adhering a rear surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body by self-adhesion, wherein the sealing part adheres an edge of the front surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body.
Uchiya et al. discloses a device comprising a transparent body (80); the light control sheet (200) adhered to the transparent body, wherein the transparent body comprises an adhesive layer (73) adhering a rear surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body by self-adhesion (73).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device comprising a transparent body; the light control sheet adhered to the transparent body, wherein the transparent body comprises an adhesive layer adhering a rear surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body by self-adhesion since one would be motivated to adhere a light control sheet to a support, such as a window.
Matsuyama discloses a device comprising a sealing part (12) adhering an edge face of the light control sheet (11) to the transparent body (20) and sealing the edge face of the light control sheet, wherein the sealing part adheres and edge of the front surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body (20).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device comprising a sealing part adhering an edge face of the light control sheet to the transparent body and sealing the edge face of the light control sheet, wherein the sealing part adheres an edge of the front surface of the light control sheet to the transparent body since one would be motivated to protect the light control sheet from moisture, acid, UV rays.
Yoshida does not disclose the device wherein the adhesive layer has an adhesive strength of 1 N/25 mm or less.
Akiwa et al. discloses a device wherein an adhesive layer (2) has an adhesive strength of 1 N/25 mm or less (col. 3, lines 47-49).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device wherein the adhesive layer has an adhesive strength of 1 N/25 mm or less since one would be motivated to readily remove the light control sheet without damage to the window (abstract).
Yoshida does not disclose the device wherein the adhesive layer protrudes outward from the edge face of the light control sheet such that the sealing part is in contact with the transparent body via the adhesive layer.
Shiraishi et al. discloses a device wherein the adhesive layer (32) protrudes outward from the edge face of the light control sheet such that the sealing part (31) is in contact with the transparent body (42) via the adhesive layer.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device wherein the adhesive layer protrudes outward from the edge face of the light control sheet such that the sealing part is in contact with the transparent body via the adhesive layer since doing would allow for the adhesive layer to also be disposed between the sealant and the transparent body allowing for improved uniform adhesivity.
Re claims 17 and 18, Yoshida, Uchiya et al., Matsuyama et al., Akiwa et al. and Shiraishi et al. do not disclose the device wherein the sealing part is a cured product of a UV curable resin.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to employ the device wherein the sealing part is a cured product of a UV curable resin since UV curable resin is a well-known and conventional material to be used as a sealing material.
Re claims 19, Yoshida does not disclose the device wherein the transparent body has a flat plate shape.
Uchiya et al. discloses a device wherein the transparent body (80) has a flat shape.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device wherein the transparent body has a flat plate shape since windows are conventionally shaped in a flat plate shape.
Claim(s) 2, 6-8, 12 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida, Uchiya et al., Matsuyama and Akiwa et al., and Shiraishi et al., in view of Nagami (US 2008/0145632 A1).
Re claim 2, Yoshida does not disclose the device wherein the light control sheet is formed such that the first hard coat layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second hard coat layer.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to employ the device wherein the light control sheet is formed such that the first hard coat layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second hard coat layer. Nagami discloses that if a hard coat layer is too thick, cracks may occur, and if the hard coat layer is too thin, sufficient hardness may not be obtained (paragraph 0045). Therefore, determining individually, a thickness of the first hard coat layer to be a certain thickness and a thickness of the second hard coat layer to be a certain thickness, such that the first hard coat layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second hard coat layer by considering appropriate levels of hardness and to minimize cracking, is based on a result effective variable, requiring routine skill in the art.
Re claims 6-7, Yoshida does not disclose the device wherein the adhesive layer comprises a self-adhesive layer formed on the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a release layer forming a rear surface of the light control laminate and covering the self-adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a release layer forming the rear surface of the light control laminate, a substrate layer non-removably bonded to the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a self -adhesive layer formed between the release layer and the substrate layer.
Uchiya et al. discloses a device wherein the adhesive layer comprising a self-adhesive (73) formed on the rear surface of the light control sheet (200), a substrate layer (72) non-removable bonded to the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a self-adhesive layer (73) formed on the substrate layer, and a release layer, as needed. Akiwa et al. discloses a release layer (3) attached to the surface of a self-adhesive layer (2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to employ the device wherein the adhesive layer comprising a self-adhesive formed on the rear surface of the light control sheet, a substrate layer non-removable bonded to the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a self-adhesive layer formed on the substrate layer since one would be motivated to adhere the light control sheet to a support, such as a window. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device comprising a release layer forming a rear surface of the light control laminate and covering the self-adhesive layer, wherein the adhesive layer comprises a release layer forming the rear surface of the light control laminate since one would be motivated to protect the self-adhesive layer.
Re claim 8, Yoshida discloses the device wherein the light control sheet comprises a first substrate (15a) having flexibility, a second substrate having flexibility, and a light control layer sandwiched (12) between the first substrate and the second substrate and comprising an organic polymer layer (12a) having a plurality of voids (12b) therein and a liquid crystal composition filling the voids (12c1).
Re claim 12, Yoshida does not disclose a transparent body.
Uchiya et al. discloses a device comprising a transparent body (80).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device comprising a transparent body since one would be motivated to adhere a light control sheet to a support, such as a window.
Re claim 21, Yoshida et al. does not disclose the device wherein the light control sheet is formed such that the first hard coat layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second hard coat layer.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to employ the device wherein the light control sheet is formed such that the first hard coat layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second hard coat layer. Nagami discloses that if a hard coat layer is too thick, cracks may occur, and if the hard coat layer is too thin, sufficient hardness may not be obtained (paragraph 0045). Therefore, determining individually, a thickness of the first hard coat layer to be a certain thickness and a thickness of the second hard coat layer to be a certain thickness, such that the first hard coat layer has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the second hard coat layer by considering appropriate levels of hardness and to minimize cracking, is based on a result effective variable, requiring routine skill in the art.
Yoshida also does not disclose the device wherein the adhesive layer comprises a self-adhesive layer formed on the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a release layer forming a rear surface of the light control laminate and covering the self-adhesive layer.
Akiwa et al. discloses a device wherein adhesive layer comprising a self-adhesive layer (2) formed on a rear surface of a transparent sheet (1), and a release layer (3) forming a rear surface of the transparent sheet (1) and covering the self-adhesive layer (2).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to employ the device wherein the adhesive layer comprises a self-adhesive layer formed on the rear surface of the light control sheet, and a release layer forming a rear surface of the light control laminate and covering the self-adhesive layer since one would be motivated to protect the surface of the adhesive layer.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/27/2024 have been fully considered.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1, 5, 11 and 14-20 have been considered but are moot due to new grounds of rejection.
In response to Applicant’s argument that the cited references do not disclose the claimed subject matter of claim 21, Examiner submits that claim 21 is obvious over the cited prior art as described in the rejection to claim 21.
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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/RICHARD H KIM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871