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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the second side surface" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination “the second side surface” will be interpreted as “a second side surface”. Claim 8 is rejected as being indefinite.
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.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iwase et al (US 2022/0317469; hereinafter referred to as Iwase) in view of Yu et al (US 2011/0135257; hereinafter referred to as Yu).
Regarding Claim 1, Iwase discloses a projection light machine (Figure 4), comprising:
a body (Figure 4; Holder 20); and
a prism (Figure 4; Optical Element 10);
wherein the body (Figure 4; Holder 20) is provided with a slot (Figure 4; Holder 21) and a first positioning surface (Figures 4 and 5A; Surface 21a), and the prism (Figure 4; Optical Element 10) comprises a first side edge (Figure 4; Surface 13), a second side edge (Figure 4; Surface 11) and a bevel edge (Figure 4; Surface 12) connected end to end (see Figure 4);
the second side edge (Figure 4; Surface 11) and the bevel edge (Figure 4; Surface 12) are enclosed to form a bevel end (see Figure 4; wherein the bevel end corresponds to the end formed between the surface 12 and surface 11), and the first side edge (Figure 4; Surface 13) is attached to the first positioning surface (see Figure 4 and Paragraph [0045]);
the bevel end is clamped in the slot (see Figures 4 and 5A), and the body (Figure 4; Holder 20) is provided with a through hole (Figure 4; Concave Portion 225) at a bottom surface of the prism (see Figures 4 and 5A);
the through hole (Figure 4; Concave Portion 225) is filled with adhesive (see Paragraph [0053]), and the adhesive is bonded to the prism (see Paragraph [0053]).
Iwase does not expressly disclose that a size of the through hole is configured to gradually increase from a side close to the prism to a side away from the prism.
Yu discloses a through hole (Figures 3 and 4; Hole 30) which is configured to gradually increase (see Figures 3 and 4; wherein the hole 30 is conical and thereby gradually increases in size).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the through hole of Iwase such that the through hole is configured to gradually increase, based upon the teachings of Yu, wherein upon combination the through hole would be configured to gradually increase from a side close to the prism to a side away from the prism, because doing so would allow for the adhesive to be quickly and easily injected into hole and thereby achieve strong adhesion (see Yu Paragraph [0017]).
Regarding Claim 2, Iwase as modified by Yu disclose the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Yu further discloses the through hole (Figures 3 and 4; Hole 30) is a tapered hole (see Figures 3 and 4; wherein the hole 30 is conical and thereby gradually increases in size).
Regarding Claim 3, Iwase as modified by Yu disclose the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Iwase further discloses a number of the through hole (Figure 4; Concave Portion 225) is one (see Figure 4).
Regarding Claim 4, Iwase as modified by Yu discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Iwase further discloses the first positioning surface (Figures 4 and 5A; Surface 21a) comprises at least two sub-positioning surfaces (Figure 4; Side Surface Portions 22) arranged at intervals (see Figure 4); one of the two sub-positioning surfaces (Figure 4; Side Surface Portions 22) is attached to the first side edge (see Figure 4; wherein the side surface portions 22 are both in contact with the surface 13 via their implementation with holder body 21), and the other of the two sub-positioning surfaces is attached to the first side edge (see Figure 4; wherein the side surface portions 22 are both in contact with the surface 13 via their implementation with holder body 21).
Regarding Claim 5, Iwase as modified by Yu discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Iwase further discloses the slot (Figure 4; Holder 21) comprises a bottom wall (Figure 4; Support Surface 21a), a first sidewall (Figure 4; Side Surface Portions 22) and a second sidewall (Figure 4; Side Surface Portions 22); the first sidewall (Figure 4; Leftmost Side Surface Portions 22) is connected to one side of the bottom wall (see Figure 4), and the second sidewall (Figure 4; Rightmost Side Surface Portions 22) is connected to the other side of the bottom wall (see Figure 4); a width of the slot (Figure 4; Holder 21) is configured to gradually increase from the bottom wall (Figure 4; Support Surface 21a) to an opening of the slot (see Figure 4), and the first sidewall (Figure 4; Side Surface Portions 22) is attached to the second side edge (see Figure 4). Regarding Claim 6, Iwase as modified by Yu discloses the limitations of claim 5 as detailed above.
Iwase further discloses the second sidewall (Figure 4; Side Surface Portions 22) is parallel to the bevel edge (see Figure 4; wherein the side surface portion 22 is parallel to the surface 12).
Regarding Claim 7, Iwase as modified by Yu discloses the limitations of claim 5 as detailed above.
Iwase further discloses a second positioning surface (Figure 4; Preload Portion 40) is provided at the body (see Figure 4); the second positioning surface (Figure 4; Preload Portion 40) and the first sidewall (Figure 4; Side Surface Portions 22) are provided at a same plane (see Figure 4), and the second positioning surface (Figure 4; Preload Portion 40) is attached to the second side edge (see Figure 4).
Regarding Claim 8, Iwase as modified by Yu discloses the limitations of claim 7 as detailed above.
Iwase further discloses the second positioning surface (Figure 4; Preload Portion 40) is provided at one end of the second side surface (see Figure 4; wherein the leftmost preload portion 40 is provided at one end of the magnet 111), and the first sidewall (Figure 4; Side Surface Portions 22) is provided at the other end of the second side surface (see Figure 4; wherein the rightmost side surface portion 22 is provided at the other side of the magnet 111).
Regarding Claim 9, Iwase as modified by Yu discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Iwase further discloses the prism (Figure 4; Optical Element 10) is a right-angle prism (see Figure 4), and the first side edge (Figure 4; Surface 13) is perpendicular to the second side edge (see Figure 4; wherein the surface 13 is perpendicular to the surface 11).
Regarding Claim 10, Iwase as modified by Yu discloses the limitations of claim 1 as detailed above.
Iwase further discloses at least two bosses (Figure 4; Convex Portion 45) are provided at the body (see Figure 4), and heights of at least two of the bosses (Figure 4; Convex Portion 45) are the same (see Figure 4).
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER A LAMB II whose telephone number is (571)270-0648. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10am - 5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minh-Toan Ton can be reached at (571) 272-2303. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER A LAMB II/Examiner, Art Unit 2882
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