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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because it lacks the proper section titles.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vuilleumier, US 4,926,401.
Regarding claim 1, Vuilleumier discloses a timepiece comprising: a case (1), and a glass (25) delimiting an interior volume in which a timepiece movement is arranged, a fixing device (3) for fixing the glass to the case at a periphery of the glass (Fig 3), and a connecting device (21) for connecting the glass comprising at least one support stud, the support stud being arranged in the interior volume so as to be fixed relative to the case (col 3 lines 50-57), and the support stud interacting with the glass, away from the periphery of the glass fixed by the fixing device, through contact of the support stud with a lower surface of the glass (Fig 6 shows support 21 in contact with glass 25).
Claims 1-3, 6 and 12-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kizawa, US 4,711,586.
Regarding claim 1, Kizawa discloses a timepiece comprising: a case (1), and a glass (3) delimiting an interior volume in which a timepiece movement is arranged, a fixing device for fixing the glass to the case at a periphery of the glass (Fig 2, glass is fixed by the case and bezel), and a connecting device (9) for connecting the glass comprising at least one support stud (9), the support stud being arranged in the interior volume so as to be fixed relative to the case (Fig 2, 3), and the support stud interacting with the glass, away from the periphery of the glass fixed by the fixing device, through contact of the support stud with a lower surface of the glass (col. 2 lines 20-28).
Regarding claim 2, Kizawa discloses the at least one support stud is in permanent contact with the lower surface of the glass or is fixed to the lower surface of the glass, so that the glass is held in place (col. 2 lines 36-41).
Regarding claim 3, Kizawa discloses the at least one support stud comprises a lower portion for mounting on the timepiece, so that the support stud is mounted so as to be fixed relative to the case (Fig 2).
Regarding claim 6, Kizawa discloses the at least one support stud is fixed to a bridge of the timepiece movement or to a plate of the timepiece (install plate 1).
Regarding claim 12, Kizawa discloses the at least one support stud is separate from a pin of the timepiece movement or from a moving element of the timepiece movement (Fig 2).
Regarding claim 13, Kizawa discloses a method for fixing a glass of a timepiece, wherein the method comprises: fixing the glass at a periphery of the glass to a case of the timepiece (Fig 2); connecting the glass using at least one support stud that comes into contact with, or is fixed to, the glass over a region away from the periphery of the glass (Fig 2).
Regarding claim 14, Kizawa discloses the at least one support stud interacts with the glass through contact of the support stud with the lower surface of the glass in a central portion of the glass (Fig 1, 2).
Regarding claim 15, Kizawa discloses the at least one support stud interacts with the glass through contact of the support stud with the lower surface of the glass in a central region of the glass (Fig 1, 2).
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 4, 5 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kizawa.
Regarding claim 4, Kizawa discloses the timepiece comprises a plurality of support studs (9), in contact with the glass in a central region of the glass. Kizawa does not explicitly disclose the region is delimited by a circle having a radius of 3R/4, where R is a radius of the circle in which the glass is inscribed. Kizawa does not give any dimensions as to the distance relative to the center of the of watch, however given the fact the support studs are arranged in a circle in a central region of the glass shown in figure 1 it would have been obvious that the shown arrangement is already in the range of 3R/4 as shown in Fig 1.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the support studs in Kizawa in a central region delimited by a circle having a radius of 3R/4 because the figures appear to suggest that and because it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. It would have been well within the skill of the art to arrange the support studs within the claimed circle without interfering with the rotation of the hands.
Regarding claim 5, Kizawa discloses the plurality of support studs are distributed substantially uniformly over the central region of the glass and/or in a vicinity of components of the movement intended to be positioned at a very small distance from the glass (Fig 1, 3).
Regarding claim 17, Kizawa discloses the plurality of support studs are distributed substantially uniformly in a vicinity of a wheel or a hand of the movement positioned at a very small distance from the glass (Fig 1, 3).
Claims 10 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kizawa in view of Ratajski, US 4,497,584.
Kizawa does not explicitly disclose the glass comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.4 mm, and/or wherein the glass comprises a diameter of greater than or equal to 30 mm.
The similar device of Ratajski teaches a glass having a thickness of less than or equal to 0.4mm (col. 2 lines 20-25).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kizawa to use a glass having a thickness of less than or equal to 0.4 mm for the purpose of reducing the overall thickness and size of the watch since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233).
Regarding claim 18, Kizawa and Ratajski disclose the glass comprises a thickness in a range of from 0.2 to 0.4 mm.
Claims 10 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kizawa in view of Yamamoto, US 2021/0091471.
Kizawa does not explicitly disclose the glass comprises a thickness of less than or equal to 0.4 mm, and/or wherein the glass comprises a diameter of greater than or equal to 30 mm.
Yamamoto discloses a cover glass that has a diameter of 31 mm [0028].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kizawa to use a glass having a diameter of greater than or equal to 30 mm for the purpose of having a large display and therefore making the indications more easily visible since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233).
Regarding claim 19, Kizawa and Yamamoto disclose the glass comprises a diameter in a range of 30-45 mm.
Claims 11 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kizawa in view of Grimm, US 4,500,213.
Regarding claim 11, Kizawa does not explicitly disclose the timepiece comprises a total thickness of less than or equal to 2 mm.
Grimm discloses a timepiece having a total thickness of less than or equal to 2 mm (col. 1 lines 51-57).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kizawa to have a total thickness of less than 2mm for the purpose of reducing the overall thickness and size of the watch since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233).
Regarding claim 20, Kizawa and Grimm disclose the thickness of the glass is less than or equal to 1.85mm.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 and 16 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON COLLINS whose telephone number is (571)270-3994. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 AM - 6:00 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Renee Luebke can be reached at 571-272-2009. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JASON M COLLINS/ Examiner, Art Unit 2831
/EDWIN A. LEON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2831
Prosecution Insights