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
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.
Claims 1-5, 11, 12 and 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schaefer et al (US 2020/0049868 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Schaefer discloses an optical mirror with an elongated shape (Figs. 1-4d), comprising:
a mirror including a substrate and a reflective surface formed on one end surface in a
thickness direction of the substrate (para 102 “mirror substrate 20”);
a reinforcing member (para 102 “support 1”) with an elongated shape bonded to a surface of the mirror opposite to the reflective surface;
an adhesive layer (para 103 “intermediate material 13”; para 108 “an intermediate material 13 may again be used to compensate for remaining inequalities in the surfaces, and optionally also to provide shock absorption during the further processing of the mirror substrate 20. The fixing against lateral displacement of the mirror substrate 20 on the support and also against detachment may be achieved adhesively, by the intermediate material 13”) disposed between the mirror (20) and the reinforcing member (1), wherein the adhesive layer (13) partially covers an adhesive surface between the mirror and the reinforcing member (surface between 20 and 1 as shown in Fig. 4d), and
wherein in a longitudinal direction of the adhesive surface, a sum of a maximum length of
the adhesive layer in the longitudinal direction is 40% or more of a length of the adhesive surface
in the longitudinal direction (more than 50% shown in Fig. 4d).
Regarding claim 2, the optical mirror according to claim 1, wherein on a central axis extending in the longitudinal direction of the adhesive surface, a sum of a length of the adhesive layer in the
longitudinal direction is 60% or more of a length of the mirror in the longitudinal direction (more than 60% shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3, the optical mirror according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer includes a plurality of adhesive members (see Figs. 4c and 4d, plurality of 13).
Regarding claim 4, the optical mirror according to claim 3, wherein the plurality of adhesive members are arranged at equal intervals (para 105 “intermediate material 13 … arranged in a regular pattern, for example a symmetrical or radially symmetrical pattern”).
Regarding claim 5, the optical mirror according to claim 1, wherein in the adhesive layer (13), a plurality of adhesive members are partially connected (see Figs. 4c and 4d).
Regarding claim 11, a scanning optical device comprising the optical mirror according to claim 1 (para 3).
Regarding claim 12, the scanning optical device according to claim 11, further comprising a pressing member (Figs. 4am 4b and 4d “grinding tool 5” a user inherently press the reinforcing member toward the mirror”) for pressing the reinforcing member of the optical mirror toward the mirror.
Regarding claim 14, an image forming device comprising the scanning optical device according to claim 11 (para 3).
Regarding claim 15, Schaefer discloses a manufacturing method for an optical mirror (Figs. 1-4d), comprising:
applying an adhesive (para 103 “intermediate material 13”; para 108 “an intermediate material 13 may again be used to compensate for remaining inequalities in the surfaces, and optionally also to provide shock absorption during the further processing of the mirror substrate 20. The fixing against lateral displacement of the mirror substrate 20 on the support and also against detachment may be achieved adhesively, by the intermediate material 13”) to a plurality of places at intervals on a surface of a mirror including a reflective surface (para 102 “mirror substrate 20”), the surface being opposite to the reflective surface (see Fig. 4d); and
attaching a reinforcing member (para 102 “support 1”) to the surface of the mirror to which the adhesive is applied; and
bonding the mirror and the reinforcing member (see 20 and 1 are bonded as shown in Fig. 4d).
Regarding claim 16, the manufacturing method for the optical mirror according to claim 15, wherein in the applying, the adhesive is applied through dot application (see Fig. 3, 13 are in dots).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 6, 8, 9 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schaefer et al (US 2020/0049868 A1) in view of Liu (US 9,541,683 B2).
Regarding claim 6, Schaefer et al discloses the claimed invention as set forth above except for wherein the reinforcing member is made of glass.
Liu discloses the reinforcing member made of glass (Fig. 1 and column 5, lines 24-25 “flat glass 6, an intermediate adhesive layer 7, and a flat glass mirror 8”).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention before the effective filing date to make the mirror and reinforcing member made of glass as taught by Liu for the purpose of simplifying the manufacturing process by using same material for both the mirror and the reinforcing member.
Regarding claim 8, the optical mirror according to claim 6, wherein the substrate of the mirror (Liu, 8) and the reinforcing member (6) are made of a same type of material (Fig. 1 and column 5, lines 24-25 “flat glass 6, an intermediate adhesive layer 7, and a flat glass mirror 8”).
Regarding claim 9, the optical mirror according to claim 1, wherein the adhesive layer is an adhesive layer formed by curing an ultraviolet curable adhesive (Liu, column 2, lines 49-60 “the present invention provides a curved reflective mirror. The curved reflective mirror includes a flat glass structure, an intermediate adhesive layer, and a flat glass mirror. The intermediate adhesive layer is positioned between the flat glass structure and the flat glass mirror, so that the flat glass structure, the intermediate adhesive layer, and the flat glass mirror are curved and deformed in a mechanical manner with the support of a mold, and then the curved and deformed flat glass structure, intermediate adhesive layer, and flat glass mirror are solidified and bonded together in a heating and/or ultraviolet (UV) light radiation and/or room temperature solidification manner to form a composite curved surface structure”).
Regarding claim 17, the manufacturing method for the optical mirror according to claim 15,
wherein the adhesive is an ultraviolet curable adhesive, and
wherein in the bonding the mirror and the reinforcing member are placed in an ultraviolet irradiation furnace and the adhesive is cured, to bond the mirror and the reinforcing member (Liu, column 2, lines 49-60 “the present invention provides a curved reflective mirror. The curved reflective mirror includes a flat glass structure, an intermediate adhesive layer, and a flat glass mirror. The intermediate adhesive layer is positioned between the flat glass structure and the flat glass mirror, so that the flat glass structure, the intermediate adhesive layer, and the flat glass mirror are curved and deformed in a mechanical manner with the support of a mold, and then the curved and deformed flat glass structure, intermediate adhesive layer, and flat glass mirror are solidified and bonded together in a heating and/or ultraviolet (UV) light radiation and/or room temperature solidification manner to form a composite curved surface structure”).
Claims 7 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schaefer et al (US 2020/0049868 A1) in view of Ventelon et al (US 9,322,575 B2).
Regarding claim 7, Schaefer discloses the claimed invention as set forth above except for, wherein the reinforcing member has an unpolished surface, and has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the mirror.
Ventelon discloses the reinforcing member having an unpolished surface (Figs. 1-4, metallic sheet 7) and a thickness smaller than a thickness of the mirror (see Fig. 1, the thickness of 7 is smaller than the thickness of mirror 5, which includes 2, 3 and 4).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention before the effective filing date to make the reinforcing member having an unpolished surface, and has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the mirror as taught by Ventelon for the purpose of obtaining an energetic reflectance (column 7, lines 11-14)
Regarding claim 13, the scanning optical device according to claim 11, further comprising a support member (Ventelon, Figs 3 and 4, edge protection 8) that is disposed at both ends in the longitudinal direction of the reflective surface of the optical mirror, and supports the mirror from the reflective surface side (see Figs. 3 and 4), wherein the adhesive layer (6) of the optical mirror is disposed such that at least a part of the adhesive layer overlaps a position where the support member is disposed in plan view as viewed from the reflective surface side (see Figs. 3 and 4).
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schaefer et al (US 2020/0049868 A1).
Schaefer discloses the mirror and the reinforcing member have the same lengths, except for same width in the longitudinal direction.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention before the effective filing date make the mirror and the reinforcing member to have the same width for the purpose of providing proper strength of the final mirror device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EUNCHA P CHERRY whose telephone number is (571)272-2310. The examiner can normally be reached M to F 7am to 3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Pinping Sun can be reached at (571) 270-1284. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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6/25/2026
/EUNCHA P CHERRY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2872
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