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 § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhu CN 209776314 (IDS Reference).
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Regarding claim 1, Zhu teaches teaches a blind spot indicator assembly for a motor vehicle, the assembly comprising: a housing (base 402) including a first side having an aperture (see fig.2) defined by a longitudinal dimension, the housing also having an interior cavity defined by an interior surface; a lens assembly (transparent cover 401) arranged to close the aperture of the housing; and a printed circuit board (circuit board 404) having a longitudinal dimension and including at least two connection pins (fig. 2 labeled below)extending laterally on a first side of the printed circuit board; wherein when the connection pins do not protrude outward an edge of the printed circuit board, the longitudinal dimension of the aperture is equal to or greater than the longitudinal dimension of the printed circuit board , and when the connection pins protrude outward an edge of the printed circuit board, the longitudinal dimension of the aperture is equal to or greater than a total dimension that comprises the longitudinal dimension of the printed circuit board plus a projecting distance the connection pins project beyond the longitudinal dimension of the printed circuit board (pins protrude outward see fig. 2 above).
Regarding claim 2, Zhu teaches the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a first portion (401 side) where the printed circuit board is placed, and a second portion (lamp module mounting 4) side extending laterally from the first portion and being configured to receive at least a first portion of a connector (inside 4) to be plugged into the connection pins.
Regarding claim 3, Zhu teaches the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the housing is configured to receive at least a length of the connector when plugged into the connection pins (see above).
Regarding claim 4, Zhu teaches the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 3, wherein the housing includes a projection extending from the interior surface towards the aperture, the projection being formed at a length apart from the second portion of the housing for acting as an end stop for insertion of the connector. (see above).
Regarding claim 5, Zhu teaches the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1, Zhu does not explicitly teach wherein the length of the connector that can be inserted within the first portion of the housing is at least 3 mm however with respect to a typical display mirror this would appear to be met or if not than a specific dimension of 3 mm would be considered obvious via official notice of allow a robust connector. Therefore, it would have been obvious to an ordinarily skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhu to provide the length of the connector that can be inserted within the first portion of the housing is at least 3 mm to provide a robust connection
Regarding claim 6, Zhu teaches the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the printed circuit board (printed circuit board 404)is arranged between the connection pins and the lens assembly (transparent cover 401).
Regarding claim 7, Zhu teaches the blind spot indicator of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the housing (near part 4) is arranged spaced apart from the lens assembly (transparent cover 401).
Regarding claim 8, Zhu teaches the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1, wherein the second portion of the housing includes a sealing means (projection labeled above) receiving portion for receiving a sealing means provided in the connector, the sealing means receiving portion extending along a length on an interior surface of the second portion of the housing to contact the connector when inserted within the second portion of the housing.
Regarding claim 9, Zhu teaches the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 8, wherein the length of the sealing portion would be at least is at least 2 mm (see fig. 2 above when scaled relative to a typical rearview mirror).
Regarding claim 10, Zhu teaches tear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles, the mirror assembly comprising the blind spot indicator assembly of claim 1 and a connector to be inserted into the second portion of the housing of the blind spot indicator assembly for electrical connection to the connection pins of the printed circuit board for powering supply to at least one or more light sources in the printed circuit board (see fig. 2 above).
Regarding claim 11, Zhu teaches the rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 10, Zhu teaches a mirror glass sub-assembly (mirror 1) and a mirror glass regulator for adjusting the orientation of said mirror glass, the mirror glass sub-assembly further comprising a mirror glass, and a back plate (supporting plate 3) to which the mirror glass is attached (via adhesive 2). Zhu does not explicitly teach the mirror glass comprises a mirror head and a support arm for the attachment of the rear-view mirror to the vehicle, wherein the mirror head comprises a mirror housing for receiving therein a mirror frame however each of these elements recite basic structure of existing mirror assemblies and forming these elements would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art and examiner takes official notice of this to form a basic structure and mounting for a mirror. Therefore, it would have been obvious to an ordinarily skilled artisan before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Zhu to mirror glass comprises a mirror head and a support arm for the attachment of the rear-view mirror to the vehicle, wherein the mirror head comprises a mirror housing for receiving therein a mirror frame to support the mirror elements.
Regarding claim 12, Zhu teaches the rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 11, wherein the back plate is shaped for allowing the blind spot indicator assembly to be placed flush with the back plate in relation to the mirror glass (see fig. 1-2).
Regarding claim 13, Zhu teaches the rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 10, wherein the mirror glass sub-assembly further includes reflective mirror (mirror 1) and wherein no portion of the back plate is between the blind spot indicator assembly (401 overlaps mounting hole 301) and the reflective mirror.
Regarding claim 14, Zhu teaches the rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 13, wherein a gap is defined between the second portion of the housing and the back plate towards the reflective mirror (see fig. 2 defines a gap near 4).
Regarding claim 15, Zhu teaches the rear-view mirror assembly for motor vehicles of claim 10, wherein the connector is at least 10 mm long (see fig. 2 when scaled to a traditional automotive size mirror this would be met).
Conclusion
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/PHU VU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2871
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