Although the Japanese Patent Office had an
undesirable reputation for slow examination
heretofore, we have recently experienced surprisingly
speedy examination of cases, which should be regarded
as a fruit of various efforts. Such cases are as shown
below.

Case 1. [Patent 3110736]
Title of the Invention: A frame of rimless eye-
4. glasses, and rimless eye-glasses

    This case was examined most speedily according to
our experience. It took about seven months to
complete an examination procedure from the filing of
the application to the grant of patent. Naturally,
a laid-open official gazette (unexamined patent
publication) has not been issued. The prosecution
history of this case is as described below.

1) A Patent Application: Filed on January 12, 2000
2) A Request for Examination: Filed on January 21, 2000
3) A Notice of Rejection: Issued on May 12, 2000
4) An Amendment: Filed on June 13, 2000
5) A Decision for Grant of Patent: Issued on August 8,
    2000 6) Patent Fees: Paid on September 6, 2000
7) Registration: Made on September 14, 2000
8) A Patent Publication: Issued on November 20, 2000

[Abstract]

[A problem to be solved]
    To provide a frame of rimless eye-glasses and rimless
eye-glasses, which are regardless of whether a face of
a person who wears the eye-glasses is narrow or wide in
width etc., thereby dispensing with adjusting work or
permitting to simplify adjusting work when necessary.

[Means for solving the problem]
    Rimless eye-glasses 100 comprises right and left
lenses 110, a linear frame member 120 which has both ends
and extends to right and left sides, and a pair of lens
holding means 130 disposed at a central portion of the
frame member 120, for holding vicinities of inward edge
portions of the right and left lenses 110, wherein the
frame member 120 is in non-contact with upper edge
portions of the right and left lenses 110.

Case 2. [Patent 3181593]
Title of the Invention: An automatic control
apparatus for a fluid-controlled valve

    This case was speedily examined. It took about
four months to complete a procedure starting from
submission of a written explanation of circumstances
relating to an expedited examination to the grant of
patent. A Patent Publication has not been issued yet.
The prosecution history of this case is as described
below.

1) A Patent Application: Filed on January 21, 1999
2) A Request for Examination: Filed on October 31, 2000
3) A Written Explanation of an Expedited Examination:
    Submitted on November 9, 2000
4) A Notice of Rejection: Issued on January 23, 2001
5) An Amendment: Filed on January 31, 2001
6) A Decision for Grant of Patent: Issued on March 21,
    2001
7) Patent Fees: Paid on April 11, 2001
8) Registration: Made on April 20, 2001
9) A Patent Publication: Not yet issued as of 2001