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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 10/23/25 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 2, 7, 10, 13-15, and 24-29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application 2011/0101714 to Bator.
Re: claims 1, 13-15, 24-26, 28, and 29. Bator shows in figures 5 and 6 a component configured for energy absorption in response to a force acting on the component, the component comprising: a component structure integrating a first energy absorption mechanism, left element 20 as shown in figure 5, and a second energy absorption mechanism, right element 20 shown at 22’ in figure 5, wherein the first and second energy absorption mechanisms are configured to be activated in response to the force acting on the component and the force exceeding a threshold value, wherein the first and the second energy absorption mechanisms activate in response to a plastic deformation of at least one portion of the component structure under strong enough force leading to plastic deformation, wherein the component structure defines two cutouts, as labeled, wherein the first energy absorption mechanism defines at least one breaking point within the component structure in a bordering area of the component structure formed between the two cutouts, so that, in response to the force exceeding the threshold value and acting on the component, a shear fracture propagates at the at least one breaking point and extends between the two cutouts to permit a connection of the two cutouts, and wherein the second energy absorption mechanisms forms an energy-absorbing connection interface within the component structure in response to the force exceeding the threshold value, wherein the first energy absorption mechanism defines a first contact area including at least one of the breaking points for the shear fracture and configured to, in response to the force exceeding the threshold value and acting on the component, at least partially contact and engage with the energy-absorbing connection interface of the second energy absorption mechanisms and wherein the first contact area, as labeled, is configured and dimensioned in such a way that in response to the force exceeding the threshold value, the at least one shear fracture forms in the first contact area and a shear fracture surface forms and protrudes with respect to an adjacent second contact area so that the shear fracture surface is brought into positive and/or non-positive contact with the second contact area in response to a continued force applied to the component by virtue of the first and second contact surfaces being directly adjacent to each other as shown.
[AltContent: textbox (Breaking point of 1st energy absorption mechanism in the 1st contact area)]
[AltContent: textbox (1 of plurality of 2nd cutouts)][AltContent: textbox (Energy absorbing connection interface Recessed 2nd contact area the surface of which is a shell surface)][AltContent: textbox (1st contact area)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Impact force)][AltContent: rect]
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[AltContent: textbox (1 of plurality of 1st cutouts)]
With regard to claim 29 the first and second patterns of the first and second cutouts are different by virtue of the different sizes of the first and second cutouts as shown in figure 5.
Re: claim 2. Bator shows in figure 6 and discloses in paragraph [0020] the limitation wherein in response to the force acting on the component at element 16 and the force exceeding the threshold value, the first and second energy absorption mechanism as shown in figure 5 are collectively configured to activate successively by means of the component structure so that at least a portion of the energy introduced into the component via the acting force is absorbed via the first energy absorption mechanism before the second energy absorption mechanism is activated as described in order to reduce the severity of impact to a pedestrian hitting element 16.
Re: claims 7 and 27. Bator shows in figures 5 and 6 wherein at least one cut out of the two cutouts is elliptical, circular, hexagonal, honey-combed shaped, or octagonal in cross section or honey-combed shaped as described in paragraph [0015].
Re: claim 10. Bator shows in figures 5 and 6 wherein the energy-absorbing connection interface, as labeled, is formed by a second contact area, as labeled, at least partially recessed with respect to an adjacent area of the component structure wherein the second contact area is configured to engage at least a portion of the first contact area in response to the force exceeding the threshold value and acting on the component and by at least one portion of the component plastically deforming in response to a sufficient force introduced.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MELODY M BURCH whose telephone number is (571)272-7114. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 6:30AM-3PM, generally.
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mmb
January 10, 2026
/MELODY M BURCH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616