DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of group II in the reply filed on July 28, 2026 is acknowledged. Applicant notes claims 1-20 correspond to group II. It is believe this is a typographical error, as group II comprises claims 11-20 and not 1-20.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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.
Claim 20 is 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 20 recites the protective film is attached to the seating surface (of the jig). However, claim 20 depends on claim 19, which recites the protective film is attached to the base glass. If the protective film is already attached to base glass, it is unclear how it can also be attached to the seating surface of the jig. Please clarify.
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 11-16, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by EO (US2023/0071528). EO teaches a window manufacturing method using a window manufacturing device comprising a fixing jig JG with a seating surface comprising an inclined or curved surface and an etching solution ET supply part disposed below the fixing jig with a storage part defined therein to accommodate at least a portion of the seating surface, the method comprising bending a base glass to include a bending portion corresponding to the seating surface, fixing the bent base glass to the seating surface of the fixing jig, supplying an etching solution to the storage part of the etching solution supply part, and exposing the base glass, which is fixed to correspond to the curved or inclined surface, to the etching solution ([0062]).
Regarding claim 12, EO teaches etching one exposed surface of the base glass to form a window, in which a recessed portion comprising a curved surface or an inclined surface is defined on a surface provided with the etching solution without a discontinuity (see figs 5-9, [0065]).
Regarding claim 13, EO teaches controlling the exposure time to the etching solution depending on a position of the base glass ([0063]).
Regarding claim 14, EO teaches when the bending portion is fixed to the seating surface, remaining portions of the base glass spaced apart from each other (upper ends of the glass) with the bending portion interposed therebetween (bottom bent portion of the glass) are positioned in a direction in which the remaining portions are spaced apart from the storage part (see fig.12).
Regarding claim 15, EO teaches the seating surface, on which the base glass is fixed, has a shape protruding toward the storage part, and the exposing the base glass to the etching solution comprises immersing one surface of the base glass in the etching solution of the storage part (see fig. 12).
Regarding claim 16, EO teaches the exposing of the base glass to the etching solution, a thickness of the base glass immersed in the etching solution gradually decreases from a central portion of the fixing jig towards an outer edge of the fixing jig ([0063]-[0065], [0069]).
Regarding claims 19 and 20, EO teaches attaching a protective film to one surface of the base glass prior to the bending of the glass, wherein the surface is facing the seating surface of the jig ([0063]).
Claims 11-12, 14, 16 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lai et al. (CN 111453984 machine translation provided). Lai teaches a glass manufacturing method using a glass manufacturing device comprising a fixing jig with a seating surface comprising an inclined or curved surface and an etching solution supply part disposed below the fixing jig with a storage part defined therein to accommodate at least a portion of the seating surface (fig. 1, p.3 2nd-3rd ¶), the method comprising bending a base glass to include a bending portion corresponding to the seating surface (fig. 1), fixing the bent base glass to the seating surface of the fixing jig, supplying an etching solution to the storage part of the etching solution supply part, and exposing the base glass, which is fixed to correspond to the curved or inclined surface, to the etching solution (step 4 onp.4, 2nd to last passage on p.4).
Regarding claim 12, Lai teaches etching one exposed surface of the base glass to form a window, in which a recessed portion comprising a curved surface or an inclined surface is defined on a surface provided with the etching solution without a discontinuity (see figs 2-4, p.6).
Regarding claim 14, Lai teaches when the bending portion is fixed to the seating surface, remaining portions of the base glass spaced apart from each other (upper ends of the glass) with the bending portion interposed therebetween (bottom bent portion of the glass) are positioned in a direction in which the remaining portions are spaced apart from the storage part (see fig.1).
Regarding claim 16, Lai teaches the exposing of the base glass to the etching solution, a thickness of the base glass immersed in the etching solution gradually decreases from a central portion (i.e. concave section of glass in figs 2-4) of the fixing jig towards an outer edge of the fixing jig (4th passage on p.5), especially when the jig provides for clamping of the two ends of the glass for smaller bends than 180° (2nd to last passage on p.4).
Regarding claims 19 and 20, Lai teaches attaching a protective film to one surface of the base glass prior to the bending of the glass, wherein the surface is facing the seating surface of the jig (passage bridging pages 4-5).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jiang et al. (CN 111204983 machine translation provided). Jiang teaches a glass manufacturing method using a glass manufacturing device comprising a fixing jig with a seating surface comprising an inclined or curved surface (surface 313 in grooves 306 in figs. 4-5, p.9 1st ¶) and an etching solution supply part disposed below the fixing jig with a storage part defined therein to accommodate at least a portion of the seating surface (fig. 1, p.6 3rd ¶), the method comprising bending a base glass to include a bending portion corresponding to the seating surface (306 in fig. 4), fixing the bent base glass to the seating surface of the fixing jig (p.8 1st – 3rd ¶), supplying an etching solution to the storage part of the etching solution supply part, and exposing the base glass, which is fixed to correspond to the curved or inclined surface, to the etching solution (p.8 2nd ¶, p.9 4th ¶).
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.
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jiang et al. (CN 111204983 machine translation provided) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Kim (KR 101373306 machine translation provided). Jiang teaches the jig is configured to provide a bend to the base glass (1st passage on p.5), but doesn’t specify a groove on the seating surface of the jig. In a similar field of endeavor, Kim teaches a method for etching glass substrates, the method comprising fixing a bent base glass to a fixing jig and exposing the base glass to the etching solution (abstract). Kim further teaches the fixing jig comprises a seating surface with a groove portion concave in a downward direction, on which the glass is fixed (fig.3C, 4th - 6th passages on p.4). Kim teaches the arrangement of the grooves allows for the bent base glass to be stably accommodated during etching (bottom passage on p.4, top passage on p.5). It would appear the fixing jig of Jiang allows for the accommodation of glass sheets having varying widths, whereas the fixing jig of Kim accommodates glass sheets of the same size and curvature. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have alternatively utilized the fixing jig of Kim, as it can accommodate multiple glass sheets of the same size and curvature for the etching process. Naturally, in modifying Jiang with the fixing jig of Kim, the step of exposing the base glass to the etching solution would comprise of accommodating the fixing jig to the storage part to provide the etching solution to at least a portion of the base glass, as can be seen in figure 1 of Jiang.
Regarding claim 18, Jiang teaches the storage part is filled with the etching solution such that the base glass is completely immersed (2nd passage on p.7). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have provided for the step of controlling a level of the etching solution supplied to the storage part so that full immersion of the base glass is achieved.
Conclusion
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/QUEENIE S DEHGHAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1741
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