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 § 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(s) 1-8, 10 and 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Asaoka et al. (WO 2013-035778).
Regarding claims 1 and 3, Asaoka discloses a laminated glass, i.e. composite panel, (0002) comprising an upper glass plate 16, i.e. an outer pane, (0024), lower glass pate 11, i.e. inner pane, (0024), intermediate film 17, i.e. acoustic intermediate layer, (0030) arranged between the inner pane and the outer pane (fig. 2) and a heating element (0006, 0015), wherein the acoustic intermediate layer comprises, in this order, a thicker layer 13, functional layer 14, and a thinner layer 15 and the heating element is arranged within the thicker layer (0001, 0015, 0026, fig. 2, claim 1) wherein the thickness of the thinner layer is 0.2 mm and the thickness of thicker layer is 0.39 mm or more, specifically, 0.58 mm (0026, 0027)) which meets the claimed limitation of the thickness of the thicker layer is at least 10% greater than the layer thickness of the thinner layer.
Regarding claims 2 and 16, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the intermediate layer is 1.9 mm or less (0060, claim 4).
Regarding claims 4 and 18, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the functional layer is 0.1 mm (0026).
Regarding claim 5, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein the thickness of the thinner layer is 0.2 mm and the thickness of thicker layer is 0.58 mm (0026) which meets the claimed limitation of the thickness of the thicker layer is at least 15% greater than the layer thickness of the thinner layer.
Regarding claims 6-7, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein the heating element is in the form of wires, i.e. electrically conductive foil, (0001, 0023).
Regarding claim 8, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein the thicker and/or thicker layer contains polyvinyl butyral (0026).
Regarding claim 10, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein the thicker and/or thinner layer are wedge shaped (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, Asaoka discloses a method for producing a composite pane of claim 1 wherein the method comprising providing a layer stack with the outer pane, the acoustic intermediate layer, the heating element and the inner pane, arranging the heating element within the thicker layer and laminating the layer stack to form the composite pane (0001, 0006, 0023, fig. 2).
Claims 15 and 20, Asaoka discloses a method comprising providing a composite pane of claim 1 in a windshield of trains and airplanes (0066).
Regarding claim 17, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 3, wherein the layer thickness of the thicker layer is 0.39 mm or more (0027).
Regarding claim 19, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 5, wherein the thickness of the thinner layer is 0.2 mm and the thickness of thicker layer is 0.58 mm (0026) which meets the claimed limitation of the thickness of the thicker layer is at least 25% greater than the layer thickness of the thinner layer.
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) 9 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asaoka et al. (WO 2013/035778).
Regarding claim 9, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein Asaoka discloses that the functional layer is softer than the thicker and the thinner layer (0008, 0028, 0029). Therefore, it is clear that the functional layer of Asaoka would have higher amount of plasticizer than the thicker and the thinner layers. Alternatively, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use higher amount of plasticizer in the functional layer of Asaoka to obtain softer layer, i.e. higher flexibility, compare to the layers that does not have plasticizer or have lesser amount of plasticizer.
Regarding claim 11, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein Asaoka does not specifically disclose that the heating element extends over at least 80% of the area of the composite pane. Given that the heating element of Asaoka provides heat to the windshield, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use maximum coverage including that presently claimed to provide quick heating to meet end users requirements.
Claim(s) 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asaoka et al. (WO 2013/035778) in view of Gima et al. (US 2021/0162716).
Regarding claims 12-13, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein Asaoka discloses bas bar but does not specifically teach two bus bars with voltage source.
Gima discloses a laminated glass comprising heating material connected to two bus bars in two opposite direction wherein the bus bars are connected to a voltage source to generate heat (abstract, fig. 7, 0045, 0046, 0098).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the two bus bars connected to a voltage source of Gima in the composite pane of Asaoka to generate heat.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asaoka et al. (WO 2013/035778) in view of Weber et al. (US 2020/0070478).
Regarding claim 6, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, wherein Asaoka discloses the heating element is in the form of wires but fails to disclose electrically conductive foil.
Weber discloses composite pane discloses equivalence and interchangeability of using electrically conductive wire and electrically conductive foil (claim 17).
Given that Weber discloses the equivalence and interchangeability of using electrically conductive foil as presently claimed with using electrically conductive wire as disclosed by Asaoka, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use electrically conductive foil in the composite pane of Asaoka to meet end users requirements.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asaoka et al. (WO 2013/035778) in view of Droge et al. (US 2020/0061974).
Regarding claim 9, Asaoka discloses the composite pane of claim 1, but Asaoka fails to disclose plasticizer in the functional layer.
Droge discloses composite pane comprises intermediate layer containing polyvinyl butyral and plasticizer to obtain softer, more flexible and elastic plastic film (0031, 0032, 0033).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use plasticizer of Droge in the intermediate layer of Asaoka to obtain softer, more flexible and elastic plastic film.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMIR SHAH whose telephone number is (571)270-1143. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am - 5:00pm.
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/SAMIR SHAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1787
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