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 is accepted.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. The prior art documents submitted by application in the Information Disclosure Statement filed on 12/15/2024 have all been considered and made of record ( note the attached copy of form PTO – 1449).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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) 1,4,5,10,and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Harazono Bunichi et al (JP2009218918 (A)) .
.
Regarding claim 1, Harazono Bunichi (refer to figures 1-8) discloses a lens unit(104) comprising: a lens(102); an optical filter (103) which is a filter in a flat plate shape; and
a lens holder which holds the lens and the optical filter,
wherein the optical filter is disposed on an end face on one side in an optical axis direction of the lens holder; the end face comprises:
an opening part (101c) where a lens face of the lens is exposed, and
a mounting surface which is a flat face part supporting the optical filter (103)
the mounting surface is filled with an adhesive on a lateral side of a side face of the optical filter so that the adhesive adheres to the side face; and
a step part (101d) forming a gap space between a plate face of the optical filter (103) and the end face is provided between the opening part of the end face and the mounting surface.
PNG
media_image1.png
391
556
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 4, Harazono Bunichi wherein the optical filter (103) is a filter whose plate face is in a rectangular shape, and the adhesive adheres to two side faces structuring one of four corners of the optical filter.
Regarding claim 5, Harazono Bunichi wherein the adhesive adheres to respective side faces structuring the four corners of the optical filter.
Regarding claim 10, Harazono Bunichi wherein the step part(101d) comprises a plurality of steps whose face positions become stepwise lower toward a side of the opening part.
Regarding claim 11, Harazono Bunichi wherein the adhesive has an ultraviolet-curing property and a moisture-curing property paragraph 0022-0048).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
4. 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 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) 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harazono Bunichi et al (JP2009218918 (A)) in view of Nomura (6,965,733 B2).
Regarding claim 2, depends on claim 1, Harazono Bunichi et al discloses wherein a periphery of the opening part (101a) in the end face, and the step part (101d) is provided between the slope face and the mounting surface.
Harazono Bunichi et al all of the claimed limitations except with a slope face in a ring shape which is inclined downward toward the opening part.
Nomura discloses end faces is provided with a slope face in a ring shape (claim 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to provide end face with ring shape a slope face in a ring shape which is inclined downward toward the opening part in to the Harazono Bunichi et al lens unit for the purpose of improved an imaging system as taught by Nomura.
Regarding claim 3, combination of Harazono Bunichi et al in view of Nomura discloses wherein the end face comprises a claw part preventing floating of the optical filter, and the claw part is bent to a side of the optical filter by heating and pressurizing and is engaged with an edge part of the optical filter after the optical filter is disposed.
Claim(s) 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Harazono Bunichi et al (JP2009218918 (A)) in view of Imai et al (20100157137 A1.
Regarding claim 7, depends on claim 1, Harazono Bunichi et al discloses all of the claimed limitations except wherein the end face is formed with an air groove and connecting the opening part with outer air, the air groove is extended from an inner side with respect to a peripheral edge of the optical filter to an outer side with respect to the optical filter in a plan view of the end face.
Imai discloses the end face is formed with an air groove extended inner side.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to provide in to the Harazono Bunichi et al lens unit for the purpose of improved an imaging system as taught by Imai et al discloses,.
Regarding claim 8, combination of Harazono Bunichi et al (JP2009218918 (A)) in view of Imai et al discloses wherein the lens unit is an injection molded component, and a pin mark of a metal mold is formed in a portion of the air groove on an outer side with respect to the optical filter.
Regarding claim 9, Harazono Bunichi et al (JP2009218918 (A)) in view of Imai et al discloses wherein the portion where the pin mark is formed is formed thicker than another portion of the air 15 groove.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 6, 12-20 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.
6. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: . wherein the lens comprises a plurality of lenses arranged in the optical axis direction, the optical filter is a filter whose plate face is in a rectangular shape ,the mounting surface is provided at positions corresponding to four corners of the optical filter, the adhesive adheres to respective side faces structuring the four corners of the optical filter, the end face is provided with a plurality of claw parts preventing floating of the optical filter which is placed on the respective mounting parts, of the claw parts is bent to a side of the optical filter by heating and pressurizing and is engaged with an edge part of the optical filter after the optical filter is disposed, the end face is formed with a plurality of air grooves which are grooves connecting the opening part with outer air, each of the air grooves is extended from an inner side with respect to a peripheral edge of the optical filter to an outer side with respect to the optical filter in a plan view of the end face, and the air grooves are respectively provided between the mounting surfaces adjacent to each other wherein the end face comprises a claw part preventing floating of the optical filter, and the claw part is bent to a side of the optical filter by heating and pressurizing and is engaged with an edge part of the optical filter after the optical filter is disposed and wherein the optical filter is a filter whose plate face is in a rectangular shape, and the adhesive adheres to two side faces structuring one of four corners of the optical filter and the adhesive adheres to respective side faces structuring the four corners of the optical filter and wherein the mounting surface is formed so that its face position is lower in a step shape than an outer edge part of the end face ,the mounting surface comprises an expanded part which is formed in a range that the optical filter does not reach, and a step surface between the expanded part and the outer edge part and a side face of the optical filter form an adhesive reservoir which is a recessed space in which the adhesive is held and wherein the end face is formed with an air groove whichis a groove for connecting the opening part with outer air, and the air groove is extended from an inner side with respect to a peripheral edge of the optical filter to an outer side with respect to the optical filter in a plan view of the end face and wherein the lens unit is an injection molded component, and a pin mark of a metal mold is formed in a portion of the air groove on an outer side with respect to the optical filter and wherein the portion where the pin mark is formed is formed thicker than another portion of the air groove and wherein the step part comprises a plurality of steps whose face positions become stepwise lower toward a side of the opening part and wherein the mounting surface is formed so that its face position is lower in a step shape than an outer edge part of the end face, the mounting surface comprises an expanded part which is formed in a range that the optical filter does not reach, and a step surface between the expanded part and the outer edge part and a side face of the optical filter form an adhesive reservoir which is a recessed space in which the adhesive is held.
Conclusion
7. 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.
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, 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.
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.
/MOHAMMED A HASAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872 9/15/2026
Prosecution Insights