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 .
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
1. Claims 1-3, 5, 7-10 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Daniel et al. (WO 2016058652A1), hereinafter Daniel in view of Pilgaard Havemann Marcel (EP 3509318A1), hereinafter Pilgaard.
As to Claim 1, Daniel teaches an interior component for a vehicle( a dashboard of a motor vehicle 1, Figures 1 and 2), comprising: a loudspeaker cover (Figure 2) that includes a carrier (speaker grille 13) with a plurality of through-openings for sound transmission through the carrier( loudspeaker grating 13, page 3, line 20) and a sound-permeable compensation layer that includes an altered light outlet is applied on the carrier, and a loudspeaker( speaker 15) is optically covered by the loudspeaker cover, Daniel teaches between the speaker 15 and the speaker grille 13, a light or white web 17 is positioned, which is flat and covers the speaker 15. This web 17 is attached to a fixing ring 19, wherein the ends of the web 7 are glued to the fixing ring 19, for example. The fixing ring 19 is fastened on the side of the fleece 17 which is directed towards the loudspeaker grille 13. The fixing ring 19 encloses an annular light ladder 21 which illuminates the web 17. Since the nonwoven 17 has a reflecting surface in the direction of the loudspeaker grille 13, the light radiated from the annular light guide 21 is reflected on the nonwoven 17 and the reflected rays are supplied to the loudspeaker grating 13. See at least page 3, lines 13-24. Daniel does not explicitly teach: a sound-permeable compensation layer that includes an altered light outlet is applied on the carrier, and a loudspeaker is optically covered by the loudspeaker cover. However, Pilgaard in related field (speaker grill) teaches a grille, in particular for a loudspeaker in a vehicle, the grille comprising a sandwich structure, the structure comprising at least an acrylic layer and one or more openings, in particular cut-outs forming a pattern on a top surface of the sandwich structure. The sandwich structure comprises a top layer disposed on a first side of the acrylic layer, thereby forming a top surface of the grille and/or a bottom layer disposed on a second side of the acrylic layer, thereby forming a bottom surface of the grille. The top layer may be formed by a wide range of materials providing different visual or tactile properties. The bottom layer may serve to stabilize or to connect the sandwich structure to other devices. See at least page 2, [0002]- [0006]. The grille 304 is formed by a sandwich structure 308. The sandwich structure comprises a top layer 310 and an acrylic layer 312. The acrylic layer 312 conducts the light emitted by LEDs (not shown) to the cut-outs 314 of the sandwich structure 308. The LEDs thereby illuminate the grille 304. The acrylic layer 312 serves as a light conductor, illuminating the openings formed by the cut-outs 314. The shape of the openings is thereby made visible to a user. The LEDs may be connected to a programmable controller (not shown), operable to change the illumination to be displayed in the grille 304. This may allow for creating movements of the illumination, such as pulsating, circular and color effects on the grille 304.See at least Pilgaard on page 4, [0002], Figure 3. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the grill structure such that it includes a sandwich structure comprising multiple layers with one or more openings or cut-outs, the acrylic layer serving as a light conductor to illuminate the grille and provide color effects.
As to Claim 2, Daniel in view of Pilgaard teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein the carrier is connected with a light source, and the light emitted from the light source is introduced into the carrier, Daniel teaches the annular light guide 21 is contacted with an LED coupling element 23, which couples the light generated by an LED 25 in the annular light guide 21 and thus allows irradiation of the web 17. The LED 25 is electrically connected to a power supply 27. See at least page 3, lines 26-29.
As to Claim 3, Daniel in view of Pilgaard teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein the sound-permeable cladding includes at least one of a light-permeable perforation and a light-permeable section that is backlit by the carrier, Pilgaard teaches on page 4, [0002] The acrylic layer 312 conducts the light emitted by LEDs (not shown) to the cut-outs 314 of the sandwich structure 308. The LEDs thereby illuminate the grille 304. The acrylic layer 312 serves as a light conductor, illuminating the openings formed by the cut-outs 314. The shape of the openings is thereby made visible to a user.
As to Claim 5, Daniel in view of Pilgaard teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and regarding the following: wherein the sound-permeable cladding covers the plurality of through-openings of the carrier, Pilgaard teaches the grille comprising a sandwich structure, the structure comprising at least an acrylic layer and one or more openings, in particular cut-outs forming a pattern on a top surface of the sandwich structure. See at least page 2, [0002]- [0006] and Daniel teaches loudspeaker grating 13 implicitly including through holes. Daniel in view of Pilgaard does not explicitly teaches the sound-permeable cladding covers the plurality of through-openings of the carrier, however, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention to cover the acrylic layer to cover the plurality of through openings on the carrier because the acrylic layer serves as a light conductor, illuminating the openings formed by the cut-outs.
As to Claim 7, Daniel in view of Pilgaard teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein the sound-permeable cladding is connected with the carrier by a transparent and UV-stable adhesive layer, Pilgaard teaches on Figure 4, the top layer 402 may be attached to a first (upper) silver-colored-vinyl layer 404. The silver-colored vinyl layer 404 may further improve the visual effects of the grille 304. The silver-colored vinyl layer 404 may reflect the light emitted by the LEDs (not shown) and thereby increase the light distribution within the grille 304. An acrylic layer 406 is attached to the silver-colored vinyl layer 404. The acrylic layer 406 serves as a light distributor/conductor from a light source (e.g. LEDs) to the cut-outs 314 in the sandwich structure 400. A second (lower) silver-colored vinyl layer 410 is attached to the acrylic layer 406 on a lower side of the acrylic layer 406. Acrylic layer 406 is sandwiched by the first and second silver-colored vinyl layers 404,408. Silver-colored vinyl layers 404,408 form a pair of reflectors on the upper and the lower sides of the light conducting acrylic layer 406. Silver-colored vinyl layers 404,408 thereby guide light emitted from the light source to the cut-outs 314 and enhance the light distribution within the acrylic layer 406. Metallic bottom layer 410 may be attached to the second silver-colored vinyl layer 408. Bottom layer 410 may be made of copper, but may also be made of any other suitable metal or material. See at least Pilgaard on page 4, [0001].
As to Claim 8, Daniel in view of Pilgaard teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein a sound-permeable optical separating element is provided between the loudspeaker and the carrier, Daniel teaches the nonwoven 17 has a reflecting surface in the direction of the loudspeaker grille 13, the light radiated from the annular light guide 21 is reflected on the nonwoven 17 and the reflected rays are supplied to the loudspeaker grating 13. See at least page 3, lines 13-24
As to Claim 9, Daniel in view of Pilgaard teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein the sound-permeable compensation layer is configured to result in a light-contrast balancing, Pilgaard teaches the acrylic layer 312 conducts the light emitted by LEDs (not shown) to the cut-outs 314 of the sandwich structure 308. The LEDs thereby illuminate the grille 304. The acrylic layer 312 serves as a light conductor, illuminating the openings formed by the cut-outs 314. The shape of the openings is thereby made visible to a user. The LEDs may be connected to a programmable controller (not shown), operable to change the illumination to be displayed in the grille 304. This may allow for creating movements of the illumination, such as pulsating, circular and color effects on the grille 304.See at least Pilgaard on page 4, [0002], Figure 3.
As to Claim 10, Daniel in view of Pilgaard teaches the limitations of Claim 1, and wherein the sound-permeable compensation layer is configured to reduce reflections, Pilgaard teaches on Figure 4 silver-colored vinyl layers 404,408 form a pair of reflectors on the upper and the lower sides of the light conducting acrylic layer 406. Silver-colored vinyl layers 404,408 thereby guide light emitted from the light source to the cut-outs 314 and enhance the light distribution within the acrylic layer 406. See at least page 4, [0001].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 6 are 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
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/SUNITA JOSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691