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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushita (U.S. 10,969,533) in view of Oku (JP2013222657A, included on IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Matsushita teaches a vehicle lamp comprising:
a light source (leds 51);
an inner lens (lens 60) configured to include a wide region and a narrow region (see fig. 6, wide region near the light sources); and
a light guide body (light guide body 40A) configured to include at least one bar-shaped light guide unit that guides light emitted by the light source, wherein the bar-shaped light guide unit includes a first bar-shaped light guide unit extending in a first direction and a second bar-shaped light guide unit extending in a second direction (see annotated figure 7a below),
Matsushita does not teach that a cross-sectional shape of the first bar-shaped light guide unit and a cross-sectional shape of the second bar-shaped light guide unit are set to different shapes from each other such that an angle range of light which is guided in the first bar-shaped light guide unit and is outputted from a light output surface of the first bar-shaped light guide unit is larger than an angle range of light which is guided in the second bar-shaped light guide unit and is outputted from a light output surface of the second bar-shaped light guide unit,
the first bar-shaped light guide unit is arranged behind the wide region such that light outputted from the light output surface of the first bar-shaped light guide unit is transmitted through the corresponding wide region, and
the second bar-shaped light guide unit is arranged behind the narrow region such that light outputted from the light output surface of the second bar-shaped light guide unit is transmitted through the corresponding narrow region.
Oku teaches that a cross-sectional shape of the first bar-shaped light guide unit (see fig. 5c) and a cross-sectional shape of the second bar-shaped light guide unit (shown in figure 5b) are set to different shapes from each other such that an angle range of light which is guided in the first bar-shaped light guide unit and is outputted from a light output surface of the first bar-shaped light guide unit is larger than an angle range of light which is guided in the second bar-shaped light guide unit and is outputted from a light output surface of the second bar-shaped light guide unit (see fig. 1c, 1b),
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have differed the cross sections of the light guide of Matsushita as taught by Oku to provide a diverging light beam for the wide portion of lens 61 and a narrower beam for the narrower portion of lens 61 to result in a more homogenous illumination of lens 60, as is taught by Oku and a desired result as taught by Matsushita.
The combination of Matsushita and Oku teaches that the first bar-shaped light guide unit (1c of Oku) is arranged behind the wide region (see figure 6 of Matsushita) such that light outputted from the light output surface of the first bar-shaped light guide unit is transmitted through the corresponding wide region, and
the second bar-shaped light guide unit (1b of Oku) is arranged behind the narrow region (see fig. 1 of Matsushita) such that light outputted from the light output surface of the second bar-shaped light guide unit is transmitted through the corresponding narrow region.
The Examiner notes that the “wide region” and “narrow region” as defined on the inner lens are designated regions and do not set forth a structure. To avoid technical rejections, the Examiner suggests reciting the structure of the lens. E. g. “a lens with a first width and a second width, wherein the first width is larger than the second width”.
The Examiner also notes that the first light guide unit and the second light guide unit do not have a structural relationship defined between them. The Examiner has interpreted the light guide units as different portions of a light guide.
Regarding claim 2, Oku teaches that the cross-sectional shape of the first bar-shaped light guide unit is a fan shape (1C).
Matsushita that the cross sectional shape of the second bar shaped light guide unit is a gingko leaf shape (see col. 14 lines 45-50).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used a ginkgo leaf shape as taught by Matsushita to maximize the light divergence of the light guide in the wide region. The Examiner notes that the particular combination set forth uses the ginkgo leaf shape light guide for the wide portion and less divergent shape for the narrow portion as taught by Oku.
Regarding claim 3, Matsushita teaches that the second direction is a direction intersecting the first direction, the light guide body includes a third bar-shaped light guide unit having a curved shape which connects the first bar-shaped light guide unit and the second bar-shaped light guide unit, and a cross-sectional shape of the third bar-shaped light guide unit is a shape which gradually changes from the fan shape to the ginkgo leaf shape as approaching the second bar-shaped light guide unit from the first bar-shaped light guide unit (see annotated figure 7a).
The Examiner notes that the claim does not set forth any relationship between the first and second direction or whether the directions need to be different. The Examiner additionally notes that the disclosure appears to set forth an embodiment in accordance with this interpretation, i.e. figure 9.
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Regarding claim 4, Oku teaches that a diameter of the first bar- shaped light guide unit is substantially equal to a diameter of the second bar-shaped light guide unit (thickness T is substantially equivalent).
Regarding claim 5, Oku teaches that a curvature of the light output surface of the first bar-shaped light guide unit and curvature of the light output surface of the second bar-shaped light guide unit are different from each other (see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Matsushita teaches that the light guide body includes a plurality of the bar-shaped light guide units arranged parallel to each other (see fig. 7a).
Regarding claim 7, Matsushita teaches that the plurality of bar-shaped light guide units join each other on respective proximal end sides thereof to form one joining portion having no boundary therebetween, and the joining portion has, at a distal end thereof, a light incident surface on which light emitted from the light source is incident (joined by 41a).
Regarding claim 8, Matsushita teaches a light guide body (light guide body 40a) comprising at least one bar-shaped light guide unit that guides light emitted by a light source (light source 51), wherein
the bar-shaped light guide unit includes a first bar-shaped light guide unit (right side) extending in a first direction and a second bar-shaped light guide unit (left side) extending in a second direction (see fig. 7a, curves),
Matsushita does not teach that a cross-sectional shape of the first bar-shaped light guide unit and a cross-sectional shape of the second bar-shaped light guide unit are set to different shapes from each other such that an angle range of light which is guided in the first bar-shaped light guide unit and is outputted from a light output surface of the first bar-shaped light guide unit is larger than an angle range of light which is guided in the second bar-shaped light guide unit and is outputted from a light output surface of the second bar-shaped light guide unit,
Oku teaches that a cross-sectional shape of the first bar-shaped light guide unit (see fig. 5c) and a cross-sectional shape of the second bar-shaped light guide unit (shown in figure 5b) are set to different shapes from each other such that an angle range of light which is guided in the first bar-shaped light guide unit and is outputted from a light output surface of the first bar-shaped light guide unit is larger than an angle range of light which is guided in the second bar-shaped light guide unit and is outputted from a light output surface of the second bar-shaped light guide unit (see fig. 1c, 1b),
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have differed the cross sections of the light guide of Matsushita as taught by Oku to provide a diverging light beam for the wide portion of lens 61 and a narrower beam for the narrower portion of lens 61 to result in a more homogenous illumination of lens 60, as is taught by Oku and a desired result as taught by Matsushita.
Matsushita that the cross sectional shape of the second bar shaped light guide unit is a gingko leaf shape (see col. 14 lines 45-50).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used a ginkgo leaf shape as taught by Matsushita to maximize the light divergence of the light guide in the wide region. The Examiner notes that the particular combination set forth uses the ginkgo leaf shape light guide for the wide portion and less divergent shape for the narrow portion as taught by Oku.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 2014/0160779 teaches a multiple light guide structure with different light guide units for different portions of an inner lens.
US10,731,821 teaches multiple light guide units with different optical effects and gradual changes between such.
US 10648633 teaches stacked light guides with narrow and wide regions.
US7946743 teaches a tapered light guide with a changing cross section along its length to result in different light outputs at different locations.
US2014/0321139 teaches the gingko leaf shaped light guide.
US 2010/0254152 teaches a light guide with different cross sections along its length.
US 9188304 teaches a light guide with different cross sections along its length for different portions of a lens.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW J PEERCE whose telephone number is (571)272-6570. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4pm EST.
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, James Greece can be reached on (571) 272-3711. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Matthew J. Peerce/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
