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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 07/10/2026 has been entered. Claims is presented for examination by the examiner. Claims 1-5 remain pending in the application. Claims 2-4 have been amended by the Applicant. Previous claims 2-4 rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph have been withdrawn in light of Applicant’s amendments to claims 2-4. Claims 1-5 are corrected for rejections under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsubakihara et al. (hereafter Tsubakihara, of record see IDS dated 09/05/2025) US 20250085507 A1, therefore correcting the previous rejections subsection title.
Examiner Notes
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Priority
As required by e M.P.E.P. 210, 214.03, acknowledgement is made of applicant’s claim for priority based on application JP 2023-148037 (Japan).
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
However, to overcome a prior art rejection, applicant(s) must submit a translation of the foreign priority papers in order to perfect the claimed foreign priority because said papers has not been made of record in accordance with 37 CFR 1.55. See MPEP § 213.04
Drawings
The applicant’s drawings submitted are acceptable for examination purposes.
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.
Claims 2-4 are 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 2 recites the limitation phrase where “the first assembling portions are fitted to each other when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are assembled if the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned with each other”. However, this limitation is confusing, because it is unclear how it can be understood and treated, given that it recites first conditional/temporal term “when” and followed by the second conditional term “if”, such that it is unclear what condition(s) needs to be met in order for the first assembling portions [to be ] are fitted to each other? Are the first assembling portions fitted to each other when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are assembled, or if the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned, or are the first assembling portions fitted to each other when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are assembled and that happens only if the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned? Moreover, both the above conditional terms “when” and “if” are conditional, meaning that it is unclear how the claim limitations should be treated in the cases when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are not yet assembled, or if the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are not rotationally aligned? For this reasons the above limitations are considered optional. Furthermore, it is unclear what is meant by the phrase that the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned? Are the rotation shaft and the power transmission member aligned along some axis of rotation, or some axes of rotation, permitting rotation of each other, or in some other way. For the purposes of examination the above limitation will be treated broadly, such that the first assembling portions are or can be fitted to each other allowing power transmission and/or rotation. It is suggested to amend the claim and provide explanations in order to remove the indefiniteness issues. Claim 4 depends on claim 2 and therefore inherits the same deficiencies.
Claims 3 and 4, similarly recite the limitations for “the second assembling portions are fitted to each other when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are assembled if the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned with each other”. However, this limitation is confusing, because it is unclear how it can be understood and treated, given that it recites first conditional/temporal term “when” and followed by the second conditional term “if”, such that it is unclear what condition(s) needs to be met in order for the second assembling portions [to be ] are fitted to each other? Are the second assembling portions fitted to each other when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are assembled, or if the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned, or are the second assembling portions fitted to each other when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are assembled and that happens only if the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned? Moreover, both the above conditional terms “when” and “if” are conditional, meaning that it is unclear how the claim limitations should be treated in the cases when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are not yet assembled, or if the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are not rotationally aligned? For this reasons the above limitations are considered optional. Furthermore, it is unclear what is meant by the phrase that the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned? Are the rotation shaft and the power transmission member aligned along some axis of rotation, or some axes of rotation, permitting rotation of each other, or in some other way. For the purposes of examination the above limitation will be treated broadly, such that the first assembling portions are or can be fitted to each other allowing power transmission and/or rotation. It is suggested to amend the claim and provide explanations in order to remove the indefiniteness issues.
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsubakihara et al. (hereafter Tsubakihara, of record see IDS dated 09/05/2025) US 20250085507 A1.
In regard to independent claim 1, Tsubakihara teaches (see Figs. 1-10) a mirror device (i.e. as mirror device 1, part of head-up display device 10 for a vehicle 100, e.g. title, abstract, paragraphs [01, 05-07, 20-28, 34-40, 43-50], e.g. Figs. 1-3) comprising:
a mirror (mirror 2, paragraphs [23-27, 50-51], Figs. 2-3) that includes a main body having a reflective surface that reflects display light (i.e. 2 with mirror main unit 20 with reflective surface 20a that reflects display light from display device 11, paragraphs [22-27, 49-51], Figs. 1-3), and a rotation shaft protruding from a side wall of the main body (i.e. as input shaft 21 from side surface 20b of 20, also support shaft 22 on side surface 20c of 20, paragraphs [23-28, 34-40, 43-50], Figs. 2-4,10);
a motor that includes an output shaft disposed on a rotation axis of the rotation shaft (i.e. motor 4, main unit 40 and with output shaft 41disposed on rotation axis of input shaft 21, paragraphs [23-28, 34-38, 41-52], Figs. 2-4,10); and
a power transmission member that transmits a driving force of the motor to the rotation shaft (transmission member 5 transmits motor 4 force/output torque to 21, abstract, paragraphs [23-28, 34-38, 44-47], Figs. 2-3, 6-10),
wherein first assembling portions to be fitted to each other in a direction along the rotation axis at positions adjacent to the rotation shaft are formed at the power transmission member and the mirror (e.g. as fitting portion 51 of 5 with recessed portion 55 with ribs 55a formed in 5, and fitted to upper/lower surfaces 21b, and 21a formed at shaft 21 of mirror 2, paragraphs [34-35, 25], Figs. 4, 6).
Regarding claim 2, Tsubakihara teaches (see Figs. 1-9) that at the power transmission member and the mirror (at transmission member 5 and mirror 2, (figs. 2-4,6-10), the first assembling portions are fitted to each other when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are assembled if
the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned (i.e. as best understood given that when 5 and 21 assembled if they are rotationally aligned, then fitting portion 51 of 5 with recessed portion 55 and ribs 55a are fitted to upper/lower surfaces 21b, and 21a in a state in which the relative position of 21 and 5 is in regular fitted position, as depicted in Figs. 9-10, paragraphs [34-35, 25,40-46]).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Tsubakihara teaches (see Figs. 1-10) that second assembling portions to be fitted to each other are formed at a distal end portion of the rotation shaft and the power transmission member (i.e. as end slanted surfaces on distal end of shaft 21connecting first and second surfaces 21a, 21b and vertical end surface of 21, and inner vertical surface of fitting portion 55, 51 and inner slanted surfaces of 55 at end of 51, as best depicted in Figs. 3-4, 6, 10, paragraphs [33-36, 40-46]), and
at the distal end portion of the rotation shaft and the power transmission member ( slanted and vertical surfaces of 21, and inner vertical and slanted surfaces of 51 of 5, as best depicted in Figs. 3-4, 6, 10, paragraphs [33-36, 40-46]), the second assembling portions are fitted to each other when the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are assembled if the
the rotation shaft and the power transmission member are rotationally aligned (i.e. as best understood given that when 5 and 21 assembled if they are rotationally aligned, that fitting portion 51 recessed portion 55 inner vertical surface fitted to end vertical surface and slanted end surfaces of 21 at 1st/2nd surfaces 21b, and 21a in a state in which the relative position of 21 and 5 is in regular fitted position, as depicted in Figs. 9-10, paragraphs [33-36, 25]).
In regard to independent claim 5, Tsubakihara teaches (see Figs. 1-10) a vehicle display device (i.e. as head-up display device 10 for a vehicle 100, with mirror device 1 e.g. title, abstract, paragraphs [01, 05-07, 20-28, 34-40, 43-50], e.g. Figs. 1-3) comprising
a casing that has an opening (housing, dashboard 12, 101 with opening e.g. 101, paragraphs [19-28], Figs. 1-3);
an image display device that is provided in the casing and outputs display light for an image (image display device 11 in 12,101, outputting display light DL of an image, e.g. abstract, paragraphs [19-28], Figs. 1-3); and
a mirror device that is provided in the casing (mirror device 1 in 12,101, paragraphs [19-28], Figs. 1-3), wherein the mirror device (1) includes
a mirror (mirror 2, paragraphs [23-27, 50-51], Figs. 2-3) that includes a main body having a reflective surface that reflects the display light from the image display device toward the opening (i.e. mirror main unit 20 with reflective surface 20a that reflects display light DL from display device 11 towards opening in 11, opening 101a in 101, paragraphs [20-27, 49-51], Figs. 1-3), and a rotation shaft protruding from a side wall of the main body (i.e. as input shaft 21 from side surface 20b of 20, also support shaft 22 on side surface 20c of 20, paragraphs [23-28, 34-40, 43-50], Figs. 2-4,10);
a motor that includes an output shaft disposed on a rotation axis of the rotation shaft (i.e. motor 4, main unit 40 and with output shaft 41disposed on rotation axis of input shaft 21, paragraphs [23-28, 34-38, 41-52], Figs. 2-4,10); and
a power transmission member that transmits a driving force of the motor to the rotation shaft (transmission member 5 transmits motor 4 force/output torque to 21, abstract, paragraphs [23-28, 34-38, 44-47], Figs. 2-3, 6-10), and
first assembling portions to be fitted to each other in a direction along the rotation axis at positions adjacent to the rotation shaft are formed at the power transmission member and the mirror (e.g. as fitting portion 51 of 5 with recessed portion 55 with ribs 55a formed in 5, and fitted to upper/lower surfaces 21b, and 21a formed at shaft 21 of mirror, paragraphs [34-35, 25], Figs. 4, 6).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIN PICHLER whose telephone number is (571)272-4015. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am -5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Thomas K Pham can be reached at (571)272-3689. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARIN PICHLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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