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 § 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 1-12 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 watch” in line 2 without antecedent basis. The limitation has been read as -a watch-.
Claim 4 doubly recites “a fastening element” in the third-to-last line. Whether this recitation refers to a new structure or the earlier recited structure is unclear. The limitation has been read as -the fastening element-.
Claim 4 recites “the side wall” in line 6 without antecedent basis. The limitation has been read as -a side wall-. Claim 6 recites the same limitation in the final line and is similarly rejected.
Claim 5 recites “the upper face” without antecedent basis in the final line. The limitation has been read as -an upper face-.
Claim 6 recites “the thickness” without antecedent basis in the penultimate line. The limitation has been read as -a thickness-.
Claim 9 recites “the end” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation. The limitation has been read as -an end-.
Claim 9 recites “the support element” in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation. The limitation has been read as -a support element-.
Claim 9 recites “its recess” in line 3. What structure “its” refers to is ambiguous. The limitation has been read as -a recess of the peripheral wall-.
Claim 11 recites “it” in the penultimate line. What “it” refers to is unclear. The limitation has been read as -the display component-.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ozawa et al. (US 20090073816).
Regarding claim 1, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-3) a horological assembly (Fig. 3) comprising a watch display module (3-4, F4) and a plate (2, 6) of a horological movement (1) of a watch (Fig. 1, [0060]), the display module (4) being provided with at least one display component (3) and with a protective element (3-4) including an open recess (through-hole of 4) in which is arranged said at least one display component (3) provided with a visible face (3) positioned facing a completely or partially transparent bottom of the recess (Fig. 3), said protective element (3) comprising tabs (F4) helping to arrange the element (3-4, F4) in the plate (2, 6).
Regarding claim 2, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-4) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plate (2, 6) comprises a cavity (214) for each tab (F4), the cavity (214) including an enclosure (groove of 214) emerging through an opening (214) on an upper face (21 in Fig. 4) of the plate (2), said enclosure being configured to receive the tab (F4) of the protective element (3-4).
Regarding claim 3, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-4) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plate (2, 6) comprises a cavity (214) for each tab (F4) provided with an enclosure (groove of 214) capable of receiving the tab (F4) and in which enclosure a fastening element (F4) is capable of being in contact with the tab (F4) in order to fasten the tab (F4) within the enclosure (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-4) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plate (2, 6) comprises a cavity (214) for each tab (F4) provided with an enclosure (groove of 214) capable of receiving the tab (F4) and in which enclosure a fastening element (F4) is capable of being in contact with the tab (F4) in order to fasten the tab (F4) within the enclosure (Fig. 2), the plate (2, 6) comprising a through-hole (hole of 214 in Fig. 4) extending from the side wall (21) of the plate (2) into the enclosure of each cavity (Fig. 4), said hole being configured to receive a fastening element (F4) for fastening the tab (F4) in order to help fasten the tab (F4) within said enclosure (Figs. 2, 4).
Regarding claim 5, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-4) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plate (2, 6) comprises a cavity (214) for each tab (F4), the cavity including an enclosure (groove of 214) emerging through an opening on an upper face (21) of the plate (2, 6), said enclosure being configured to receive the tab (F4) of the protective element (3-4), each cavity (214) extends through a thickness (Fig. 2) of the plate in a direction perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the upper face (21) of the plate (2). See Fig. 2: the cavities 214 have a circular shape such that they extend radially (in the plane of the page) into a thickness of 21 that is perpendicular to the upper face (the direction inwards/outwards of the page) 21.
Regarding claim 6, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-4) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plate (2, 6) comprises a cavity (214) for each tab (F4) provided with an enclosure (groove of 214) capable of receiving the tab (F4) and in which enclosure a fastening element (F4) is capable of being in contact with the tab (F4) in order to fasten the tab (F4) within the enclosure, the cavity (214) extending through a thickness of the plate (2) in a direction parallel or substantially parallel to a side wall (21 in Fig. 2) of the plate (2).The cavities 214 have vertical depth to them such that they are parallel to the vertical direction of 21 shown in Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 7, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-3) the assembly (10) according to claim 1, wherein the protective element (3-4) comprises a support element (F4 and 4) provided with a contact surface (bottom surface of 4) intended to bear against the plate (2) when the display module (F4) is arranged in the plate (2, 6). See Fig. 2.
Regarding claim 8, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-3) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the protective element (3-4) comprises a support element (4) provided with a contact surface (bottom surface of 4) intended to bear against the plate (2, 6) when the display module (F4) is arranged in the plate (2, 6), the support element further comprising an element (F4) for positioning the module (4) relative to the plate (2, 6). As seen in Fig. 3, the elements F4 set the position of 4 relative to 2.
Regarding claim 9, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-3) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the tabs (F4) and the support element (4) are an extension of an end of a peripheral wall (4 in Fig. 2) of the protective element (3-4) delimiting an opening in a recess (where F4 screws into 4) of the peripheral wall.
Regarding claim 10, Ozawa teaches (Fig. 4) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plate (2) comprises an orifice (214) on its upper face (21) configured to receive said positioning element (F4 in Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 11, Ozawa teaches (Figs. 2-3) the assembly according to claim 1, wherein the display module comprises a pivoting element (central pivot arbor of 7) kinematically linked to a mechanism (1) of the horological movement (1) of the watch and which is configured to cooperate with the display component (7) of the module to cause the display component to move ([0059]).
Regarding claim 12, Ozawa teaches a watch comprising the horological assembly according to claim 1 ([0060] and Fig. 1: the watch band attaches to Fig. 1 to form a watch).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Pavinato (US 20240036519) discloses a timepiece dial with a screw mounted perpendicular to a vertical foot of the dial (Fig. 2).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew Hwang whose telephone number is (571)272-1191. The examiner can normally be reached M-F from 9:30-5:30 PT.
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/MATTHEW DANIEL HWANG/Examiner, Art Unit 2831
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