DETAILED ACTION
Priority
1. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a) — (d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. Oath/Declaration
Oath/Declaration
2. Oath and declaration filed on 11/5/2024 is accepted.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The prior art documents submitted by application in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 11/5/2024 have all been considered and made of record ( note the attached copy of form PTO – 1449).
Specification
4. The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because “Abstract” should be separate page. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
5. 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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
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(s) 1-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Konica Minolta opto inc(WO 2012/081683 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Konica Minolta opto inc (WO 2012/081683 A1) discloses a lens unit (see figure 3) comprising: multiple lenses (10,20) arranged along an optical axis of the lens unit, the multiple lenses including at least one resin lens (11); a lens barrel (50) housing the multiple lenses, the lens barrel including a fit-receiving portion(52d); and a structure which presses the multiple lenses (10,20) housed in the lens barre (50), wherein: said at least one resin lens (11) including a fit-in portion (11e) fittable into the fit-receiving portion (52d), each of the fit-in portion (11e) and the fit-receiving portion (52d) includes: a tapered cross-sectional shape on the optical axis; and a shape of a circle centered on the optical axis in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, and a diameter of the circle differs with a position on the optical axis (see bottom figure 3).
Regarding claim 2, Konica Minolta opto inc (WO 2012/081683 A1) discloses wherein: said at least one resin lens further includes: a lens portion; and a flange portion outside the lens portion in a radial direction from the optical axis in the plane, and the flange portion includes the fit-in portion (see bottom figure 3).
Regarding claim 3, Konica Minolta opto inc (WO 2012/081683 A1) discloses wherein: the lens barrel (50) includes a first member (52p) , the lens unit further comprises a second member housed in the first member, said at least one resin lens further includes: a first portion (11g) having a ring shape, the first portion at one end of said at least one resin lens on the optical axis and contacting the first member; and a second portion having a ring shape, the second portion at another end of said at least one resin lens [[in]] on the optical axis and contacting the second member, and the second portion is between the fit-in portion and the first portion in a radial direction from the optical axis (see in figure 3).
Regarding claim 4, Konica Minolta opto inc (WO 2012/081683 A1) discloses wherein: the fit-receiving portion has a conical shape, the diameter of which increasing toward the structure which presses along the optical axis (see bottom figure 3).
Regarding claim 5, Konica Minolta opto inc (WO 2012/081683 A1) a lens unit (see in figure 3) comprising: multiple lenses (10,20) arranged along an optical axis of the lens unit, the multiple lenses including at least two resin lenses (11); a lens barrel (50) housing the multiple lenses (10,20) ; and a structure which presses the multiple lenses housed in the lens barrel (50) , wherein: said at least two resin lenses include: a first resin lens; and a second resin lens adjacent to the first resin lens, the first resin lens includes a fit-receiving portion (52d) , the second resin lens includes a fit-in portion fittable into the fit-in portion, and each of the fit-in portion and the fit-receiving portion includes: a tapered cross-sectional shape on the optical axis; and a shape of a circle centered on the optical axis in a plane orthogonal to the optical axis, a diameter of the circle differs with a position on the optical axis (see in figure 3).
Regarding claim 6, Konica Minolta opto inc (WO 2012/081683 A1) discloses wherein: the first resin lens includes: a first lens portion; and a first flange portion outside the first lens portion in a radial direction from the optical axis in the plane, the first flange including the fit-receiving portion, and the second resin lens further includes: a second lens portion; and a second flange portion outside the second lens portion in the radial direction, the second flange portion including the fit-in portion (see in figure 3) .
Regarding claim 8, Konica Minolta opto inc (WO 2012/081683 A1) discloses wherein: the fit-receiving portion (52d) includes a conical shape, the diameter of which increasing toward the structure which presses along the optical axis.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claim 7 is 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.
7. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Regarding claim 7, wherein: the first resin lens is a first member, the lens unit further comprises a second member housed in the lens barrel, the second resin lens further includes: a first portion having a ring shape at one end of the second resin lens along the optical axis and contacting the first member; and a second portion having a ring shape at another end opposite to the first portion along the optical axis and contacting the second member, and the second portion is between the fit-in portion and the first portion in a direction orthogonal to the optical axis.
Conclusion
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED A HASAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2331. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 6 AM -4 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Bumsuk Won can be reached at 571-272-2713. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOHAMMED A HASAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 9/9/2026
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