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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claim 12 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on March 2, 2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the rate" in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the desired thickness" in line 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The Examiner suggests deleting “desired” and inserting “predetermined” if supported by the specification.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "a thin layer" which is indefinite because it lacks a basis for comparison. The Examiner suggests deleting “thin”.
Claim 1 recites “0.5 atom% to 10 atom% reactive gas” which isn’t understood because a reactive gas doesn’t present an element for calculation of the range of 0.5 -10 atomic percent. The Examiner suggests “aluminum doped with oxygen or nitrogen in the range of 0.5 atom% to 10 atomic %”.
Claims 1 and 8 recite the limitation "pure aluminum" which is indefinite because the metes and bounds of purity are unknown. The Examiner suggests deleting “pure” and inserting “consisting of”.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Schiller (DE 10312658) teaches depositing sub-stoichiometric aluminum oxide by sputtering and subsequently providing an aluminum layer onto the layer of aluminum oxide using PVD to increase adhesion of the aluminum layer.
Matthey (CH 709 669 as cited on IDS) teaches sputtering a layer of aluminum onto a substrate and providing a layer of Al2O3 onto the aluminum layer by Atomic layer deposition.
Jeanneret (EP 2 434 031 as cited on IDS) teaches a white multilayer coating for decorating a watch or jewelry. It teaches sputtering the following layers: Al2O3/Aluminum/Silver/Al2O3 onto the component.
No prior art nor combination of prior art teaches a process of decorating a watch component with a white coating comprising the following steps: depositing a diffusing layer of aluminum over the entire component, under a flow of reactive gas, that is maintained to obtain a layer of aluminum doped with oxygen or nitrogen in the range of 0.5 atom% to 10 atomic %, so that the aluminum layer crystallizes in the form of a faceted crystalline structure, via physical vapor deposition;
reducing or cutting off the flow of reactive gas when the diffusing layer has reached the desired thickness in order to terminate the diffusing layer with a layer consisting of aluminum.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOHN J BRAYTON whose telephone number is (571)270-3084. The examiner can normally be reached 9AM-5PM EST M-F.
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JOHN J. BRAYTON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1794
/JOHN J BRAYTON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1794
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