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) 1-3 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iwama (JP 2019191259 A) in view of Vasylyev (US 2023/0084891 A1).
PNG
media_image1.png
430
551
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Regarding claim 1, Iwama teaches a light transmission direction control sheet comprising:
first (22) and second (24) louver layers opposing to each other (see figure 3 where first and second louver layers 22 and 24 oppose each other);
an interlayer adhesive layer (adhesive layer formed of silicone rubber disclosed in paragraph [0010] of page 3) bonding the first and second louver layers (22 and 24);
an obverse surface film layer (protective layer 25) opposing to an obverse surface of the first louver layer (22), the obverse surface film layer (25) being light-transmissive;
an obverse surface-side adhesive layer (21) bonding the first louver layer (22) and the obverse surface film layer (25);
a reverse surface film layer (20) opposing to a reverse surface of the second louver layer (24), the reverse surface film layer (20) being light-transmissive; and
a reverse-surface side adhesive layer (23) bonding the second louver layer (24) and the reverse surface film layer (20),
wherein the first and second louver layers (22 and 24) are laminated crosswise (see figure 3),
the first and second louver layers (22 and 24, respectively) are each formed by arranging a plurality of light-transmitting strips (28) and a plurality of light-shielding strips (29), alternately, each light-transmitting strip (28) is formed of a light transmissive silicone rubber (see abstract where light transmission strips are formed of a silicone rubber), each light-shielding strip is formed of a colored silicone rubber (see lines 1-8 of page 4 of translation of Iwama where colored strips are disclosed), the interlayer adhesive layer, the obverse surface-side adhesive layer (25), and the reverse-surface side adhesive layer (23) are each formed of adhesive silicone rubber and at least a thickness of the interlayer adhesive layer is 10 µm or more and 32 µm or less (see page 3 paragraph [0010] where the thickness of the adhesive layer is in a range of 5 µm to 30 µm).
Iwama does not explicitly teach a Shore A hardness of the silicone rubbers is 73 or more and 83 or less when measured with a type A durometer in accordance with JIS K 6253, and a Shore A hardness of 10 or more and 60 or less when measured with a type A durometer in accordance with JIS K 6253.
Vasylyev (US 2023/0084891 A1) teaches a hardness of silicone rubber (see paragraph [0083] where silicone rubber is disclosed) is 73 or more and 83 or less when measured with a type A durometer in accordance with JIS K 6253 (see paragraph [0084] where hardness ranges from 10 Shore A to 90 Shore A), and a Shore A hardness of 10 or more and 60 or less when measured with a type A durometer in accordance with JIS K 6253 (see paragraph [0084] where hardness ranges from 10 Shore A to 90 Shore A).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing dated of the invention to modify Iwama to include a hardness in the recited ranges as taught by as taught by Vasylyev to provide sufficient flexibility, softness and moisture impermeability and resistance to high temperatures (see paragraph [0083] of Vasylyev).
Regarding claim 2, Iwama teaches the light transmission direction control sheet according to claim 1, which is attached to a light source (not shown light source side of 20 is disclosed) of a detection device that radiates light onto an irradiated object to control an optical path (control sheet 10 ) of the light (see paragraph [0008] of page 5 where.
Regarding claim 3, Iwama teaches the light transmission direction control sheet of claim 1, which is fitted to an image display device of an automobile (vehicle instrument panel disclosed on page, paragraph) to control an optical path of light.
Regarding claim 6, Iwama teaches a method for manufacturing the light transmission direction control sheet according to claim 1, comprising the steps of:
stacking a plurality of silicone rubber sheets for light transmitting strips (28: light transmission band) and a plurality of silicone rubber sheets (adhesive layer formed of silicone rubber disclosed in paragraph [0010] of page 3) for light-shielding strips (light shielding band 29) alternately to form a laminate;
pressurizing the laminate and cutting the laminate to form first and second louver layers (22 and 24, respectively);
applying adhesive silicone rubber (adhesive layer formed of silicone rubber disclosed in paragraph [0010] of page 3) to each of opposing surfaces of the first and second louver layers (22 and 24, respectively), an exposed surface of the first louver layer (22), and an exposed reverse surface of the second louver layer (24);
laminating and bonding the first and second louver layers (22 and 24) crosswise to each other (see figure 3;
laminating and bonding an obverse surface film layer (25) to the obverse surface of the first louver layer (22); and
laminating and boding a reverse surface film layer (20) to the reverse surface of the second louver layer (24).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iwama (JP 2019191259 A) in view of Vasylyev (US 2023/0084891 A1) as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Coleman et al. (US 11,640,026 B2).
Regarding claim 4, Iwama teaches the light transmission direction control sheet according to claim 1, but does not explicitly teach wherein a difference in refractive index of the interlayer adhesive layer from the first and second louver layers is 0.02 or lower when measured with a refractometer in accordance with JIS K 7142.
Coleman et al. teaches wherein a difference in refractive index of the interlayer adhesive layer from the first and second louver layers is 0.02 or lower when measured with a refractometer in accordance with JIS K 7142 (see column 3, lines 1-29 where a core layer, adhesive layer having a refractive index of greater than 0.01).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing dated of the invention to modify Iwama to an interlayer adhesive layer having a refractive index from a first and second louver layer that is 0.02 or lower as taught by Coleman et al. to achieve light guide regions and reduce light loss to achieve a desired illumination output (see column 3, lines 1-29 of Coleman et al.).
Claim(s) 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iwama (JP 2019191259 A) in view of Vasylyev (US 2023/0084891 A1) as applied to claim 2 above and further in view of Zhang (WO/2017/070893 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Iwama teaches the light transmission direction control sheet according to claim 2, but does not explicitly teach wherein the silicone rubbers of the first and second louver layers have a tensile strength of 7.5 MPa or more and 13.5 MPa or less when measured in accordance with JIS K 6251, an elongation at break of 270% or more and 490% or less when measured in accordance with JIS K 6251, and a tear strength of 8 kN/m or more and 28 kN/m or less when measured in accordance with JIS K 6252.
Zhang teaches wherein the silicone rubbers of the first and second louver layers have a tensile strength of 7.5 MPa or more and 13.5 MPa or less when measured in accordance with JIS K 6251 (see page 5, lines 32-33 of Zhang translation) where silicone rubber having a tensile strength of up to 7.5 MPa is disclosed), an elongation at break of 270% or more and 490% or less when measured in accordance with JIS K 6251 (see lines 12-14 of page 6 of Zhang translation), and a tear strength of 8 kN/m or more and 28 kN/m or less when measured in accordance with JIS K 6252 see lines 12-14 of page 6 of Zhang translation).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time of the effective filing dated of the invention to modify Iwama to include a silicone rubber having a tensile strength, elongation break, and a tear strength in the recited ranges as taught by Zhang to improve flame retardant performance and processing properties of the silicone layer (see page 5, lines 15-19 of Zhang translation).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA MCMILLAN APENTENG whose telephone number is (571)272-5510. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00 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, ABDULMAJEED AZIZ can be reached at 571-270-5046. 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.
/JESSICA M APENTENG/ Examiner, Art Unit 2875
/ABDULMAJEED AZIZ/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2875
Prosecution Insights