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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed in parent Application No. 17/398,439, filed on 8/10/2021.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed on 11/15/2024 has been considered.
Preliminary Amendment
The preliminary Amendment filed on 10/24/2024 has been considered. In the preliminary Amendment, Applicant amended the specification, cancelled claims 1-12 and added claims 13-32.
DETAILED ACTION
The instant application having Application No. 18/924,250 filed on 10/24/2024 is presented for examination by the Examiner.
Examiner cites particular columns and line numbers in the references as applied to the claims below for the convenience of the Applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, the Applicant fully consider the references in entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Drawings
New corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in this application because the lines are not clear (almost faint) and they do not disclose the claimed features with enough clarity.
Applicant is advised to employ the services of a competent patent draftsperson outside the Office, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office no longer prepares new drawings. The corrected drawings are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The requirement for corrected drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 13-32 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 13 recites “an additionally frame element” which should be changed to “an additional frame element”, for better clarity.
Claims 14-32 depend on claim 13 and are objected for the reason given above.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 13-32 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.
Regarding claim 13, said claim recites “A self-locking eyeglass system (1), comprising a frame element and an additionally frame element and also a nose bridge (9), where the nose bridge (9) connects the frame elements (2)…frame element (2)…” . There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation “ the frame elements (2)” and “frame element (2)” in the claim. For examination purposes, it will be taken that the quoted term refers to “the frame element and the additional frame element”.
Regarding claim 23, 32, said claim recites “the frame element (2)” in lines 3, 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation “ the frame element (2)” , as claims 13, 14 on which claims 23, 32 depend, respectively, recite “frame elements (2)”. For examination purposes, it will be taken that the quoted term refers to “the frame element and the additional frame element”.
Regarding claims 13, 15-19, 24-28, said claims recite “intended for …”. This phrase renders the claims indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d). For examination purposes, the limitation(s) following the phrase "intended for…" will not be considered.
Regarding claims 18, 27, said claim recite “essentially located…”. The term “essentially” is a relative term which renders the claims indefinite. The term “essentially” is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. For examination purposes, it will be taken that the above phrase means “located…”.
Claims 14-32 depend on claim 13 and are rejected for the reasons given above.
Allowable subject matter
Claims 13-32 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 an Examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance.
The prior art taken either singularly or in combination fails to anticipate or fairly suggest
the limitations of the independent claim in such a manner that a rejection under 35 U.S.C. §102 or §103 would be proper, which include: (claim 13) “A self-locking eyeglass system (1), comprising…wherein the nose bridge (9) comprises adapter elements (19) of the nose bridge (9), which are complementary to at least one first recess for the nose bridge (17) in each of the frame element and the additional frame element, wherein the adapter elements (19) of the nose bridge (9) are mounted in the first recess (17) for the nose bridge (9) and where the adapter elements (19) of the nose bridge (9) are locked onto each its own frame element and the additional frame by the eyeglass lens (3)…”.
Claims 14-32 are dependent on claim 13 and are allowable for the same reason given above.
The self-locking eyeglass system of claim 13 comprises a frame 2 and a nose bridge 9 that connects the two separate left and right parts of the frame (Fig. 11). The left and right parts of the frame include respective recesses 17. The bridge 9 includes two adapter elements 19 at each end, which are mounted to the respective recesses 17 of the frames and are locked therein by the lens 3 (Fig. 4B). In the self-locking eyeglass system of claim 13, the nose bridge is mounted to the frame by mounting adapter elements of the bridge to respective recesses of the frame of the eyeglass and it is locked therein.
Strenz (US 2015/0378170, hereinafter, “Strenz”) discloses an eyeglass (Fig. 1). The eyeglass includes a nose bridge 3.3 which is mounted to two respective recesses 6’ and 6” in the lenses 2 and 2’ (Fig. 1). However, Strenz does not disclose the bridge being mounted to respective recesses in the frame, such that the bridge is locked therein.
Cohen (US 2007/0263168, hereinafter, “Cohen”) discloses an eyeglass (Fig. 1). The eyeglass includes a nose bridge 16 which is mounted to two respective recesses in the lenses 12 and 14 (Fig. 1). However, Cohen does not disclose the bridge being mounted to respective recesses in the frame, such that the bridge is locked therein.
Zeng (US 2007/0052916, hereinafter, “Zeng”) discloses an eyeglass (Fig. 1). The eyeglass includes a nose bridge 20 which is mounted to two respective recesses 30 in the lenses 10 (Fig. 1). However, Zeng does not disclose the bridge being mounted to respective recesses in the frame, such that the bridge is locked therein.
Allione (US 2018/0129068, hereinafter, “Allione”) discloses an eyeglass (Fig. 1). The eyeglass includes a nose bridge 131 which is mounted to two respective parts 113, 123 of the frame (Fig. 1, 3). The mounting is achieved by coupling protrusions 113A, 123A of the frames to respective recesses 1311, 1321 of the bridge. However, Allione does not disclose the bridge being mounted to respective recesses in the frame, such that the bridge is locked therein.
Jannard (US 6,929,364, hereinafter, “Jannard”) discloses an eyeglass (Fig. 1). The eyeglass includes a nose bridge 110 which is mounted to two respective parts 102, 104 of the frame (Fig. 11). The mounting is achieved by screwing portions of the bridge to respective recesses of the frames (Fig. 12B). However, Jannard does not disclose adaptor elements of the bridge being mounted to respective recesses in the frame, such that the bridge is locked therein.
Miller (US 2018/0259790, hereinafter, “Miller”) discloses an eyeglass (Fig. 1). The eyeglass includes a nose bridge 302 which is mounted to two respective parts 102 of the frame (Fig. 11). The mounting is achieved by screwing the bridge to the respective frames (Fig. 6). However, Miller does not disclose adaptor elements of the bridge being mounted to respective recesses in the frame, such that the bridge is locked therein.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEONIDAS BOUTSIKARIS whose telephone number is (703)756-4529. The Examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fr. 9.00-5.00.
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If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s
supervisor, Stephone Allen, can be reached on 571-272-2434. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/L.B./
Patent Examiner, AU 2872
/BRANDI N THOMAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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