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 § 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) 1, 2 and 6-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (US 2017/0241623 A1) in view of Bretschneider et al. (US 2023/0313958 A1) and Hyun-Jo (US 5,806,956) and Ma (CN 210088692 U).
Regarding claim 1, Zhang teaches an optical device with a flowing effect, comprising:
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a light bead (62; see at least figure 2);
a first cover body (1; see at least figure 2), having a first internal space (see at least figure 2), wherein the light bead (62) is located in the first internal space (see at least figure 2);
a second cover body (5; see at least figure 2), located outside the first cover body (see 1 in at least figure 2), wherein textures are provided on a surface of the second cover body (refractive lens 5 is interpreted as the second cover body; see refractive convex lenses 51 on a top surface of 5 in at least figure 8);
a driving mechanism (motor 7; see at least figure 2), wherein the first cover body (1) and the second cover (5) body undergo relative motion under the driving of the driving mechanism (motor 7); and
a stand body (71), wherein the light bead (62) and the driving mechanism (7) are both fixed on the stand body (71; see at least figure 2) and a relative motion that is axial relative motion and the driving mechanism (7) is connected to the second cover body (5) and is configured to drive the second cover body (5) to perform rotation motion by using a vertical line (see figure 2), where a center line of the second cover body (5) is located, as a rotation axis.
Zhang does not explicitly teach wherein textures are provided on a surface of the first cover body . However, Zhang does disclose textures on an inner surface of the first cover body (1; see figure 2 where refractive convex lenses 111 are inside of lens 1 which is interpreted as the first cover body).
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Bretschneider et al. teaches textures are provided on a surface of the first cover body (figure 6F; paragraph [0071] which discloses protective cover 602 may be produced with a variety of decorative textures. Decorative textures may be smooth or made of a composition of different shapes) are provided on a surface of the first cover body (protective cover 602; figure 6F). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the first cover of Zhang to have textures on a surface thereof as taught by Bretschneider et al. so that the light escaping the lighting device may produce a desired decorative effect (paragraph [0071] of Bretschneider et al.).
Zhang modified by Bretschneider et al. does not explicitly teach wherein the [driving mechanism] is connected to the [first cover body] and is configured to drive the [first cover body] to perform rotation motion by using an axial horizontal line as a rotation axis.
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Hyun-Jo teaches a relative motion that is axial relative motion and the driving mechanism (right and left driving motor 22; see figures 1 and 2 and column 2, lines 1-16) is connected to the first cover body (20) to perform rotation motion by using an axial horizontal line as a rotation axis (column 2, lines 1-16 where right and left rotation of the searchlight cover 20 upon the operation of the right and left driving motor 22 is disclosed).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the first cover of Zhang to rotate along an horizontal axis as taught by Hyun-Jo to illuminate multiple areas surrounding the optical device (see column 2, lines 1-16 of Hyun-Jo).
Zhang further silent about wherein the driving mechanism comprises a first driving structure and a second driving structure;
the first driving structure is connected to the first cover body and is configured to drive the first cover body to perform rotation motion by using [an axial horizontal line] as a rotation axis; and the second driving structure is connected to the second cover body and is configured to drive the second cover body to perform rotation motion by using a vertical line, where a center line of the second cover body is located, as a rotation axis.
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Ma teaches a driving mechanism comprising a first driving structure (motor 24; figure 2) that is connected to the first cover body (first projection cover 3; figure 1-3) configured to drive the cover body (3) to perform rotation motion and the second driving structure (second motor 25) is connected to the second cover body (4) and is configured to drive the second cover body (4) to perform rotation motion by using a vertical line (second cover body 4 rotates about a vertical line; figure 2), where a center line of the second cover body (4) is located, as a rotation axis. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the Zhang to include a first and second driving structure as taught by to have a reasonable structure and realize dynamic change of the projection image (see abstract of Ma).
Regarding claim 2, Zhang further teaches the optical device with the flowing effect wherein the first cover body (1) is in any of a cylindrical shape, a columnar shape, an olive shape, a drum shape, a cone shape, a step shape, and a spherical shape (see shape of 1 in at least figure 2).
Regarding claim 7, Zhang further teaches the optical device with the flowing effect wherein the second cover body (5) is a cambered cover body (see at least figure 2).
Regarding claim 8, Zhang further teaches the optical device with the flowing effect further comprising an interferometer plate (2), wherein the interferometer plate (2; see at least figure 2) is located between the first cover body (1) and the second cover body (5), or is arranged between the light bead and the first cover body.
Regarding claim 9, Zhang further teaches the optical device with the flowing effect wherein the second cover body (5; see at least figures 2 and 8) is a sheetlike cover body (see shape of 5 in at least figures 2 and 8 ); and a condensing lens (lens 1; see at least figure 2) is arranged on an upper side (see at least figure 2) or a lower side of the second cover body.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1, 2, and 7-9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection necessitated by applicant’s amendment of independent claim 1. Applicant amended claim 1 to include the limitations from dependent claim 6. A new reference, Ma (CN 210088692 U), teaches the limitation, “wherein the driving mechanism comprises a first driving structure and a second driving structure; the first driving structure is connected to the first cover body and is configured to drive the first cover body to perform rotation motion by using an axial horizontal line as a rotation axis; and the second driving structure is connected to the second cover body and is configured to drive the second cover body to perform rotation motion by using a vertical line, where a center line of the second cover body is located, as a rotation axis.”. See rejection above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA MCMILLAN APENTENG whose telephone number is (571)272-5510. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 am-5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDULMAJEED AZIZ can be reached at 571-270-5046. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JESSICA M APENTENG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/ABDULMAJEED AZIZ/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875