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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Nakatani (US 2025/0108760).
As to claim 1, Nakatani discloses in figures 3 and 6, a vehicle mirror device 1L, comprising: a mirror 14 provided at a vehicle; and a covering section 11 that covers a peripheral face of the mirror, that is disposed at least at a portion of a combined range of a left side and a right side of the mirror, and that is also not disposed at least at a portion of a combined range of an upper side and a lower side of the mirror (the covering section 11 is not disposed on a portion of the lower side of the mirror 14 where the light-transmitting member 17 is disposed as shown in figure 6).
As to claim 3, Nakatani discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Nakatani further discloses in figure 6, wherein a perimeter body 17 is disposed at a perimeter of the mirror and projects toward a front-face side of the mirror at a peripheral direction position of the mirror where the covering section 11 is not disposed.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shi (CN 106740485 A).
As to claim 1, Shi discloses in figures 1 and 3-4, a vehicle mirror device, comprising: a mirror 8 provided at a vehicle; and a covering section 1 that covers a peripheral face of the mirror, that is disposed at least at a portion of a combined range of a left side and a right side of the mirror, and that is also not disposed at least at a portion of a combined range of an upper side and a lower side of the mirror (the covering section 1 is not disposed on a portion of the upper and lower side of the mirror 8 where the card block 11 is disposed as shown in figures 1 and 3).
As to claim 2, Shi discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Shi further discloses in figures 1 and 3, wherein the covering section 1 is disposed at an entirety of the left side and the right side of the mirror 8 and is not disposed at an entirety of the upper side and the lower side of the mirror.
As to claim 3, Shi discloses all of the elements of the claimed invention discussed above regarding claim 1. Shi further discloses in figures 1 and 3, wherein a perimeter body 11 is disposed at a perimeter of the mirror 8 and projects toward a front-face side of the mirror at a peripheral direction position of the mirror where the covering section 1 is not disposed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-10 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to David Chung whose telephone number is (571)272-2288. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 8:30 am - 5:00 pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Caley can be reached at (571)272-2286. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/DAVID Y CHUNG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871