DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The Art Unit location of your application in the PTO has changed. To aid in correlating any papers for this application, all further correspondence regarding this application should be directed to Group Art Unit 2691.
This communication is responsive to the claims filed 07/19/2024.
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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.
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.
Claims 1-4, 7 and 9-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Iwata et al. (U. S. Pat. No. – 4,807,294).
Regarding claim 1, Iwata et al. disclose an apparatus (1), comprising: a vibration member (12, 8); and a vibration apparatus (3) configured to vibrate the vibration member, wherein the vibration member includes an inner member (12a/b) and an outer member (8) surrounding the inner member (Fig. 3(A).
Regarding claim 2, Iwata et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the outer member (8) covers all surfaces of the inner member (12).
Regarding claim 3, Iwata et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the inner member (12) is embedded inside the outer member (8).
Regarding claim 4, Iwata et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the inner member and the outer member are different materials (col. 2, lines 57-61; col. 3, lines 47-50).
Regarding claim 7, Iwata et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the inner member and the outer member differ from each other in at least one of a stiffness, a density, and a Young’s modulus (col. 2, lines 57-61; col. 3, lines 47-50) as claimed.
Regarding claim 9, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein a thickness of the inner member (12a/b) is greater than a thickness of the outer member (18) in a region where the inner member and the outer member overlap vertically (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 10, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the outer member (8) comprises: a first outer member at a first surface of the inner member (upper portion); and a second outer member at a second surface of the inner member (bottom portion) opposite to the first surface of the inner member (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 11, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the first outer member accommodates the entire first surface of the inner member and a first portion of a side surface of the inner member, and wherein the second outer member accommodates the entire second surface of the inner member and a second portion of a side surface of the inner member (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 12, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the first outer member and the second outer member are a same material (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 13, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the first outer member and the second outer member have a same thickness (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 14, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the vibration apparatus (3) comprises: a vibration part including a piezoelectric material (4); and a cover member (5) covering at least one of a first surface of the vibration part and a second surface of the vibration part opposite to the first surface of the vibration part (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 15, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the vibration apparatus further includes a signal supply member (7) electrically connected to the vibration part, and wherein a portion of the signal supply member is accommodated between the cover member and the vibration part (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 16, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the vibration apparatus (3) comprises: a first vibration generating part(4a); a second vibration generating part (4b) stacked on the first vibration generating part; and an intermediate member (9) between the first vibration generating part and the second vibration generating part, and wherein one of the first vibration generating part and the second vibration generating part is connected to the vibration member (Fig. 3A).
Regarding claim 17, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein each of the first and second vibration generating parts includes: a vibration part including a piezoelectric material (4a); and a cover member (13) covering at least one of a first surface of the vibration part and a second surface of the vibration part opposite to the first surface of the vibration part (Figs. 3A/B).
Regarding claim 18, Fukuoka et al. disclose an apparatus (1), comprising: a vibration plate (2, 8); a piezoelectric layer (4) disposed on the vibration plate; and a signal supply line (7) electrically connected between the piezoelectric layer and the vibration plate, the piezoelectric layer configured to vibrate the vibration plate via a signal provided by the signal supply line, wherein the vibration plate includes an inner member (2) and an outer member (10-11) surrounding the inner member (Figs. 1-3).
Regarding claim 19, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the piezoelectric layer includes a first piezoelectric layer (4a) and a second piezoelectric layer (4b), the apparatus further comprising: an intermediate layer (9) between the first piezoelectric layer and the second piezoelectric layer (Figs. 2B and 3A).
Regarding claim 20, Fukuoka et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein one of the first piezoelectric layer (4a) and the second piezoelectric layer (4b) is connected to the vibration plate (Figs 1-3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103(a) 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.
Claims 5-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Iwata et al. (U. S. Pat. No. – 4,807,294).
Regarding claims 5-6, Iwata et al. further disclose the apparatus, wherein the outer member is a plastic material ([0030]) as claimed. But Iwata et al. may not specially teach that said the inner member is a metal material as claimed. Since Iwata et al. do disclose that the inner member (12) is a weighting means (col. 3, lines 47-50), and providing suitable weighting means for piezoelectric apparatus is very well known in the art (Official Notice), it therefore would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to provide suitable inner member/weighting means, such as made of aluminum, for the piezoelectric apparatus taught by Iwata et al., in order to effectively manufacture the piezoelectric apparatus.
Regarding claim 8, Iwata et al. may not specially teach that the density of the inner member is in a range of 1.7g/cm3 to 2.8g/cm3, or wherein the modulus of the inner member is in a range of 1GPa to 100GPa, or wherein the density of the outer member is in a range of 1.2g/cm3 to 1.4g/cm3, or wherein the modulus of the outer member is in a range of 2GPa to 10GPa as claimed. Since Iwata et al. do disclose that the inner member (12) is a weighting means (col. 3, lines 47-50), the outer member is an insulating means (col. 2, lines 57-60) and providing suitable weighting/insulating means for piezoelectric apparatus is very well known in the art (Official Notice), it therefore would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to be motivated to provide suitable inner/outer member, or weighting/insulating means, such as the density of the inner member is in a range of 1.7g/cm3 to 2.8g/cm3, or wherein the modulus of the inner member is in a range of 1GPa to 100GPa, or wherein the density of the outer member is in a range of 1.2g/cm3 to 1.4g/cm3, or wherein the modulus of the outer member is in a range of 2GPa to 10GPa, for the piezoelectric apparatus taught by Iwata et al., in order to effectively manufacture the piezoelectric apparatus, for certain applications.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SUHAN NI whose telephone number is (571)272-7505. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 10:00 am to 6:30 pm.
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/SUHAN NI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691