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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1,3,9,10,13,15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Imai (JP2023045610A).
Regarding claim 1, Imai discloses a lighting device for a motor vehicle(fig. 4), comprising: a light source (4); a light guide with an entry surface and an exit surface(5); an optical component(52,36); and a cover disk(31); wherein the lighting device is arranged such that light generated by the light source enters the light guide at least partially through the entry surface(51) and exits from the exit surface(53,fig. 5), wherein light exiting from the exit surface of the light guide passes at least partially through the optical component(Fig 5, shows a partial view, the light emitted from the light source reflects off the optical component (54) and through the prismatic elements 36) and exits the lighting device through the cover disk((fig. 5,exiting through 34); wherein the lighting device is configured to be installed in the motor vehicle such that a normal of the cover disk forms a first non-zero angle (α) relative to a longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle, and the light guide is arranged in the lighting device such that the exit surface of the light guide encloses a second non-zero angle (β) with the cover disk, such that, when the lighting device is installed in the motor vehicle, a normal of the light guide forms a smaller angle (g) relative to the longitudinal direction than the first non-zero angle (α) (see figures 4 and 5, since both the cover disk and the light guide (lens) 5 each have a curvature ,and are facing the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in parallel, when in use (fig. 4) the limitations regarding the non-zero angle are satisfied).
Regarding claim 3, Imai further discloses the cover disk is flat or curved, and wherein the exit surface of the light guide is flat or curved.(see figs 4 and 5)
Regarding claim 9, Imai further discloses the light guide has a plurality of steps(54, triangular forms, prisms).
Regarding claim 10, Imai further discloses the plurality of steps are spaced apart from one another in the longitudinal direction of the light guide(figs. 4 and 5).
Regarding claim 13, Imai further discloses the optical component is configured as a reflecting surface(54), the reflecting surface being arranged on a side of the light guide facing away from the cover disk (see fig. 5), wherein light emitted from a surface of the light guide facing away from the cover disk strikes the reflecting surface, is reflected by the reflecting surface, and re-enters the light guide.
Regarding claim 15, Imai further discloses, the light source comprises a plurality of light emitting diodes that are arranged on a circuit board next to one another in the longitudinal direction of the light guide ( figs. 4 and 5, the light sources 4 are placed along a longitudinal direction of the light guide).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2,4-8,11,12 and 14 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art cited of record does not anticipate individually or teach in combination the limitations of claims 2,4-8,11,12 and 14.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. DE 102011076621 discloses a light guide with a matt disk scattering element protruding in a curved matter upwardly from the surface of the light guide. .
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/ANABEL TON/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875