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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on 08/04/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the JP2023-127624 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP4792059 to Toshiro (“Toshiro”) in view of U.S. Publication No. 2010/0200063 to Djeu (“Djeu”).
Regarding claim 1, Toshiro discloses a roof sheet (10, Fig, 1) that is fixed over a folded-plate roof 21 via fasteners 22, at least comprising: a main body sheet 10 provided with multiple ventilation permeation holes 11, but does not disclose a solar power module having flexibility that is fixed to a position on the surface of the main body sheet that does not block the ventilation permeation holes.
Djeu discloses a solar power module 240 having flexibility that is fixed to a position on the surface of the main body sheet, the flexibility facilitating handling and installation (Djeu par 0036).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the roof sheet of Toshiro to have a solar power module having flexibility that is fixed to a position on the surface of the main body sheet as taught in Djeu with a reasonable expectation of success because it would predictably utilize a surface of a building exposed to sunlight for power generation with a solar power module that can be more easily handled and installed due to its flexibility. Moreover, it would have been obvious to place the solar power modules not to block the ventilation permeation holes because the rearrangement of parts is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art and such placement would not alter the performance of the device. In re Japikse, 181 F.2d 1019, 86 USPQ 70 (CCPA 1950).
Regarding claim 2, Toshiro discloses a roof sheet (10, Fig, 1) fixed over a folded-plate roof 21 via fasteners 22, comprising: the roof sheet comprising multiple ventilation permeation holes 11, but does not disclose that the sheet comprises a solar power module having flexibility.
Djeu discloses a solar power module 240 having flexibility that is fixed to a position on the surface of the main body sheet, the flexibility facilitating handling and installation (Djeu par 0036).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the roof sheet of Toshiro to have a solar power module having flexibility that is fixed to a position on the surface of the main body sheet as taught in Djeu with a reasonable expectation of success because it would predictably utilize a surface of a building exposed to sunlight for power generation with a solar power module that can be more easily handled and installed due to its flexibility.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTINE T CAJILIG whose telephone number is (571)272-8143. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/CHRISTINE T CAJILIG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633
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