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 .
Preliminary amendments
The preliminary amendment filed 04/02/2025 has been entered.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 04/02/2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement has been considered by the examiner.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shibata et al. (US 2016/0161076 Hereinafter Shibata).
Regarding claim 1, Shibata discloses a drawing lamp configured to form a drawing light distribution pattern on a lamp front road surface by emitting light from a drawing unit to a lamp front via a translucent cover, comprising:
a reflecting mirror (33a, Fig. 7) disposed between the drawing unit (35, Fig, 7) and the translucent cover (3, Fig. 7) to reflect the light from the drawing unit downward (specifically light is shows going downward and part of the reflector is between the array and the cover),
wherein the reflecting mirror is disposed at a position overlapping with a light emitting region of the drawing unit in an up-down direction (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 2, Shibata discloses a reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror is configured such that a plurality of reflecting regions (regions of 33a) is arranged side by side in a lamp front-rear direction (Fig. 7), and
the plurality of reflecting regions is set to have a smaller inclination angle with respect to a horizontal plane as the reflecting region is located on a lamp front side (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 3, Shibata discloses the reflecting surface is formed such that an inclination angle gradually changes in a boundary region between the plurality of reflecting regions (Fig. 4).
Claim(s) 1, 4, and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masuda et al. (US 2017/0337821 Hereinafter Masuda).
Regarding claim 1, Masuda discloses a drawing lamp configured to form a drawing light distribution pattern on a lamp front road surface by emitting light from a drawing unit to a lamp front via a translucent cover, comprising:
a reflecting mirror (36, Fig. 2) disposed between the drawing unit (15-17, Fig. 3a) and the translucent cover (3, Fig. 2) to reflect the light from the drawing unit downward (Fig. 2),
wherein the reflecting mirror is disposed at a position overlapping with a light emitting region of the drawing unit in an up-down direction (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 4, Masuda discloses the reflecting mirror is configured to be turnable about an axis extending in a horizontal direction (Paragraph 0039 or 0046).
Regarding claim 6, Masuda discloses the translucent cover is formed such that a portion (the bottom section of 3 which is recessed towards the read side of the lamp, Fig. 2) located lower than the reflecting mirror is formed as a recessed portion recessed to a lamp rear side (Fig. 2), and is configured to cause reflected light from the reflecting mirror to penetrate an upper region (where the light is shown exiting in Fig. 2) of the recessed portion.
Regarding claim 7, Masuda discloses the upper region is formed in a flat plate shape (Fig. 2 specifically it’s a generally vertical plate).
Regarding claim 8, Masuda discloses an extension panel (12, Fig. 2) is disposed between the reflecting mirror and the translucent cover (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 9, Masuda discloses the reflecting mirror and the extension panel are integrally formed (Fig. 2 specifically all of the elements in the image are considered to be fastened together and are therefore integral).
the applicant is advised that it has been held that the term “integral” is sufficiently broad to embrace construction means such as fastening and welding. In re hotte, 177 USPQ 326, 328 (CCPA 1973). Additionally, it has been held that forming in one piece a structure which has formerly been formed in two, or more pieces, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Larson, 144 USPQ 347, 349 (CCPA 1965).
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) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masuda et al. (US 2017/0337821 Hereinafter Masuda) in view of Kamiya et al. (US 2019/0113197 Hereinafter Kamiya).
Regarding claim 5, Masuda fails to teach a frame for blocking part of reflected light.
Kamiya teaches a frame (40, Fig. 6) for blocking part of reflected light from the reflecting mirror (13a, Fig. 6) to regulate an irradiation area is formed at a front end portion of the reflecting mirror (Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included the frame of Kamiya to control the light emission of Masuda, in order to allow for a specific projected image or shape as desired for a given application.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masuda et al. (US 2017/0337821 Hereinafter Masuda) in view of Sonoda (US 2020/0406845).
Regarding claim 10, Masuda teaches the translucent cover located in the lamp front of the reflecting mirror (Fig. 2).
Masuda fails to teach opaque resin.
Sonoda teaches a region (12, Fig. 2) of the translucent cover (12, 18, and 21) located in the lamp front is formed of a two-color molded article made of opaque resin (Paragraph 0024).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date to have included having the top of the translucent cover of Masuda being formed of two-color molded article made of opaque resin as taught by Sonoda, in order to provide a more aesthetically pleasing lighting device.
Relevant Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Park et al. (US 2022/0402424) and Lim et al. (US 10386043) teaches a light source with reflector. Mochizuki et al. (US 2021/0347294) teaches a reflector directly in from of the lighting device.
Conclusion
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/ERIC T EIDE/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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