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 of Species 1 in the reply filed on October 30, 2025 is acknowledged. In view of the claim amendments which further define the direction of window glass as a front-rear direction, the restriction has been withdrawn.
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 2, 4, 6 and 10-12 is 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 2 contains the limitation “an extending direction.” It is unclear as to the precise requirement for extending direction since the part extends in multiple directions. In effort to further the prosecution the limitation will be interpreted as the front-rear direction.
Claim 4 contains the limitations “first skin,” “edge skin” and third, fourth, fifth and sixth directions and threads. It is unclear if the “first skin” and third and fourth directions are equivalent to the skin of claim 1 and the corresponding first and second directions or if each of these elements . Applicant’s specification appears to support that the first, third and fifth directions and threads are equivalent and the second, fourth and sixth directions and threads are equivalent, wherein the designations of skin, first skin and edge skin refer to the relative position of arbitrary portions of the fabric (Applicant’s Specification, paragraph [0030]-[0032]). In efforts to further the prosecution the limitations will be interpreted as referring to regions of a singular skin layer woven fabric wherein the odd number directions and threads are equivalent and the even number directions and threads are equivalent.
Claim 11 contains the limitation “an edge of a window glass.” It is unclear if this limitation is drawn to an end use of the product, or if the window glass is included as part of the base component. In effort to further the prosecution the limitation will be interpreted as an applied use of the interior component.
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) 1-4, 6 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pub No. 2020/0079189 to Kito.
Regarding Claims 1
Kito teaches a vehicular interior component comprising a base extending in an “extending direction” including a body portion and a structural portion that includes a projection portion and a recessed portion and a skin portion on the vehicular interior side of the base which may be a woven fabric in which necessarily due to the nature of woven fabrics includes first threads extending in a first direction and second threads extending in a second direction that crosses the first direction (Kito, abstract, fig 1-12, paragraph [0167]). Kito teaches that the skin provides a design surface and therefore the fibers must reflect some amount of light in order to be visible and a design to be achieved (Id., paragraph [0165]). In the event it is shown that Kito does not disclose the claimed invention, with sufficient specificity, the invention is obvious because Kito discloses the claimed constituents and discloses that they may be used alternatively or in combination, to successfully practice the invention of Kito based on the totality of the teachings of Kito.
Regarding Claims 2-3, 6 and 11-12
Kito teaches the skin may be placed adjacent to an edge of window glass extending in the front-rear direction (Id.). Kito does not specifically teach the orientation of the woven fabric. However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to orient the skin layer woven fabric in any desired manner such as wherein the first threads extend in an upper-bottom direction and the second threads extend in a front-rear (extending) direction, motivated by the desire to form a conventional interior fabric for an automobile having any desired aesthetic design qualities. Furthermore, a woven fabric typically necessarily includes a 90 degree angle between first and second (weft and warp) fiber types and thus this orientation is achieved by simple rotation of the fabric.
Regarding Claims 4 and 10
Kito teaches that the skin includes portions which may cover various components of a vehicular interior which would necessarily include arbitrary edge skin and first skin components (third to sixth threads/directions) oriented in the direction of the skin layer (Id).
Claim(s) 5 and 7-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kito as applied to claims 1-4, 6 and 10-12 above, in view of WO-2019/225304 to Ueda.
Regarding Claims 5 and 7-9
Kito does not appear to teach that the first threads have a triangular cross section. However, Ueda teaches a skin material for an automotive interior which may comprise a woven fabric containing fibers having a triangular cross section to improve reflectivity (Ueda, abstract, background, paragraphs [0033] and [0051]). Ueda teaches that the diameter of the triangular fiber is between 1 and 5 micrometers (Id.). Ueda taches that additional fibers may be included which comprise diameters greater than 5 micrometers and possess lower light reflectivity than the smaller fibers but provide structural properties (Id., paragraph [0026]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to form the vehicular interior component of Kito, and to utilize as the warp and weft yarns the triangular reflective yarns and structural “other yarns” of Ueda, motivated by the desire to form a conventional vehicular interior component having improved light reflectivity without sacrificing durability and longevity of the interior trim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VINCENT A TATESURE whose telephone number is (571)272-5198. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30AM-4PM EST.
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/VINCENT TATESURE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1786