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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species A (Figs. 1-5) in the reply filed on 10/17/2025 is acknowledged.
No claim is currently withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 10/17/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the cover layer vehicular exterior side surface" in line 9. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Examiner suggests changing said limitation to --the cover layer vehicular exterior surface-- (see claim 1 line 5).
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.
Claims 1 and 4-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ono et al. (US 7,661,703 B2).
Regarding claims 1 and 4-13, Ono et al. (at least Figs. 1-10) discloses
(claim 1) a vehicular interior component 10 to be mounted on a body panel 91, the vehicular interior component comprising:
a core layer 16, 14d, 14e having a vehicular exterior side surface; and
a cover layer 14a, 14b, 14c covering the vehicular exterior side surface of the core layer and having a cover layer vehicular exterior surface 10a, the cover layer including
a first section (at least 11) having a first vehicular exterior side surface 10a
that is flat and is a portion of the cover layer vehicular exterior surface 10a;
a second section (part of 12 including 30) having a second vehicular
exterior side surface 10a that is an uneven surface (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10) and is another portion of the cover layer vehicular exterior side surface 10a, the second section including projection portions (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10) that are to be contacted with the body panel 91 or a vehicular component 70, 80.
(claim 4) wherein the cover layer 14a, 14b, 14c includes an air blocking layer 14b for restricting movement of air in a thickness direction of the cover layer, and the second section (part of 12 including 30) is included in the air blocking layer (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10);
(claim 5) wherein the second section (part of 12 including 30) of the cover layer 14a, 14b, 14c includes recesses 30, 31 between the projection portions (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10);
(claim 6) wherein the core layer 16, 14d, 14e includes first recesses 30, 31 corresponding to the recesses 30, 31 of the cover layer 14a, 14b, 14c, respectively, and the first recesses are recessed from the vehicular exterior side surface of the core layer 16, 14d, 14e (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10);
(claim 7) wherein the vehicular component 70, 80 is a curtain airbag 80 that extends in a vehicular front-rear direction and the curtain airbag includes at least two curtain airbags, the second section (part of 12 including 30) includes at least two second sections (at least Fig. 3) that extend in the vehicular front-rear direction and the at least two second sections are disposed to sandwich the first section (at least 11) with respect to a vehicular width direction D1, and the at least two second sections are opposite the at least two curtain airbags, respectively;
(claim 8) wherein the vehicular interior component 10 is configured as a ceiling of a vehicle 100 (at least Figs. 1-4, 9);
(claim 9) wherein the second section (part of 12 including 30) of the cover layer 14a, 14b, 14c includes recesses 30, 31 between the projection portions (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10), and the projection portions have contact surfaces that are portions of the second vehicular exterior side surface 10a;
(claim 10) wherein the recesses 30, 31 are in the cover layer 14a, 14b, 14c and recessed toward a vehicular interior side from the second vehicular exterior side surface 10a (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10);
(claim 11) wherein the recesses 30, 31 have bottom surfaces and the bottom surfaces are on the vehicular interior side with respect to the vehicular exterior side surface of the core layer 16, 14d, 14e (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10);
(claim 12) wherein the recesses 30, 31 have bottom surfaces that are away from contact portions of the body panel 91 or the vehicular component 70, 80 that are to be contacted (indirectly) with the projection portions (at least Figs. 6, 7, 10) of the second section (part of 12 including 30);
(claim 13) wherein the vehicular interior component 10 is a plate member, the first section (at least 11) is included in a middle section of the plate member, and the second section (part of 12 including 30) is included in an edge section of the plate member (at least Figs. 1-10).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 2 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ono et al. (US 7,661,703 B2) in view of Nagayama (JP 2003-237492 A), cited by Applicant.
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Ono et al. (at least Figs. 1-10) discloses (claim 3) wherein the cover layer 14a, 14b, 14c includes an air blocking layer 14b, the air blocking layer is for restricting movement of air in a thickness direction of the cover layer.
But Ono et al. (at least Figs. 1-10) does not explicitly disclose
(claim 2) wherein the cover layer 14a, 14b, 14c includes a reflective layer that reflects at least infrared light, and the second section is included in the reflective layer; and
(claim 3) the air blocking layer 14b being between the reflective layer and the core layer 16, 14d, 14e.
Nagayama (at least Figs. 1-4, Abstract) discloses that it is known in the art to provide
(claim 2) wherein a cover layer 1, 9, 7 includes a reflective layer that reflects at least infrared light, and a second section is included in the reflective layer; and
(claim 3) an air blocking layer 1 being between the reflective layer and a core layer 2.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the cover layer of Ono et al. with reflective layer according to the teachings of YYY, in order to achieve the desirable results of increasing attenuation of heat entry and achieving higher heat ray reflection effect.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSELYNN Y SLITERIS whose telephone number is (571)272-6675. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason D. Shanske can be reached at 571-270-5985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSELYNN Y SLITERIS/Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614