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.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by RHO et al. (US 2022/0272237).
In Re claim 1, Rho et al. disclose a damper device (240; figs. 8-13), comprising: a damper pin (fig. 13) with a pin body, lengthening part, and damper pin tail part (see 461 and 465); a damper gel groove (435) and damper gel (495), and having a depth part deeper than the pin (see fig. 13); a frame (430, 440) where the damper gel groove is disposed, wherein the frame comprises a protrusion part (see bottom of 440 in fig. 10B) protruding downward from a bottom of the frame; and a case (450) where the frame is disposed.
In Re claims 2 and 4, see pin body parts (461, 465) in fig. 13. The examiner notes that the claim does not require the pin to be formed of separate components.
In Re claim 3, the pin appears to have a similar length and width (see fig. 13).
In Re claim 5 and 6, see damper gel groove (435) in fig. 13. The damper gel groove appears to have similar dimensions to applicant’s invention (see fig. 13).
In Re claim 7, see motion component (movable lens assembly 421; par. 0133).
In Re claim 8, see figs. 11 and 13.
In Re claim 9, the protrusion parts are located directly below the damper gel groove.
In Re claim 10, see figs. 11 and 13.
In Re claim 11, see case (450) and recession parts (459) in fig. 9A and 9B.
In Re claim 12, there are four protrusion parts and four recession parts (see figs. 9A and 9B).
In Re claim 13, see figs. 9A, 9B, and 15.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14 and 15 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS W IRVIN whose telephone number is (571)270-3095. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Siconolfi can be reached at 571-272-7124. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THOMAS W IRVIN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616
