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 .
This communication is in response to application No. 18/283,063, filed on 9/20/2023. Claims 1-7 are currently pending and have been examined. Claims 1-7 have been rejected as follows.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1-3 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegar (US 2019/0054877) in view of DePottey et al (US 2004/0046403).
Regarding claim 1, Rastegar discloses an impact attenuation apparatus ([0003], Fig. 5) mounted as a module on a frame (38, Fig. 5) of a vehicle (11, Fig. 1-2 & 5; [0025], lines 1-2), the impact attenuation apparatus comprising a speed sensor ([0026], lines 2-6) configured to detect a driving speed (vehicle speedometer) of the vehicle; a distance sensor (14, Fig. 1-2; [0025], lines 10-12; [0030], lines 1-4) configured to measure a distance between the vehicle and an object in front of or behind the vehicle; a collision detection and determination unit (control unit; [0025], line 19; [0026], lines13-17; [0027]) configured to determine a possibility of collision between the vehicle and the object based on information about the driving speed of the vehicle and the distance to the object; a buffer cylinder (base of 33, 34, Fig. 5); a piston (33, 34, Fig. 5) installed to be movable inside the buffer cylinder (base of 33, 34, Fig. 5) and connected to a bumper (32, Fig. 5) for shock absorption at a front thereof; and a gas generator ([0043], lines 5-15; [0044]). However, Rastegar does not expressly disclose that the gas generator is installed inside the buffer cylinder at a position adjacent to a head of the piston in a rear of the buffer cylinder.
DePottey et al teaches a gas generator (42, 43, Fig. 8; [0054], line 3) installed inside the buffer cylinder (46, Fig. 8; [0054], lines 5-7) at a position adjacent to a head (62, Fig. 8) of the piston in a rear of the buffer cylinder (46, Fig. 8) in the analogous field of the claimed invention of vehicle deployable bumpers.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the gas generator of Rastegar by substituting the type of gas generator as taught by DePottey et al. Doing so would provide fast acting force to the bumper to cause it to move rapidly into the activated position ([0056], lines 8-9) and the gas generating materials will occupy minimal volume with minimal weight.
Regarding claim 2, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al discloses all of the claimed limitations of the invention as claimed in claim 1 above, and DePottey et al further discloses wherein the gas generator (43, Fig. 8) comprises gunpowder (58, Fig. 8; [0055], line 11) and generates moving force intended to push the piston ([0056], lines 5-6) through an explosion of the gunpowder ([0056], lines 3-9).
Regarding claim 3, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al discloses all of the claimed limitations of the invention as claimed in claim 2 above, and Rastegar in view of DePottey et al further discloses wherein the bumper is any one of a front bumper (Rastegar -12, Fig. 1), a hybrid bumper configured such that it forms a portion of the front bumper and only a portion connected to the piston moves (Rastegar -18, 19; Fig. 2), and a separate guard (DePottey et al – 14, Fig. 1 & 7) configured to cover a front or rear of the front bumper (18, 40; Fig. 7, [0052], lines 4-7).
Regarding claim 7, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al discloses all of the claimed limitations of the invention as claimed in claim 3 above, and Rastegar further discloses wherein the collision detection and determination unit (control unit; [0025], line 19; [0026], lines13-17; [0027]) includes braking distance information in memory to accurately determine the possibility of collision (the sensor only determines if there is an obstacle and the control unit would need to compare that information with braking information to determine if an impact might occur) with a forward or rearward object, and determines the possibility of collision by taking into consideration a relative speed between the vehicle and the object or a change rate in the relative speed when the object is a moving object ([0045]).
Claims 4-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegar (US 2019/0054877) in view of DePottey et al (US 2004/0046403) further in view of van Wonderen et al (US 2004/0094376).
Regarding claim 4, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al discloses all of the claimed limitations of the invention as claimed in claim 3 above, and Rastegar further discloses the use of orifices to discharge the deploying gas to absorb energy during the impact and to provide the desired level of resisting force at different deformation rates during the impact (variable damping, see [0047]). Additionally, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al disclose that an exterior of the buffer cylinder (DePottey et al – 46, Fig. 8) is formed of a long circular casing (46, Fig. 8) that is closed at one end (near 48, Fig. 8) and open at a remaining end (near 44, Fig. 8); and inherently discloses a leak valve installed in a closed portion (43, Fig. 8) since explosive piston actuators rely on internal sealing to prevent gas leakage during and after actuation and must reset by discharging residual gas after being deployed (i.e. Larsen et al US 2005/0035608, vent hole 160, Fig. 4-6, [0090]). However, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al does not expressly disclose that a piston pivot configured to guide the piston through its movement is installed around an open inlet of the buffer cylinder, and a plurality of pinholes are formed in a range from a center of the casing to the inlet.
van Wonderen et al (US 2004/0094376) teaches wherein an exterior of the buffer cylinder (34, Fig. 1; [0032]) is formed of a long circular casing that is closed at one end (near 14 and gas chamber 30, Fig. 1) and open at a remaining end, a piston pivot (see annotated figure below) configured to guide the piston through its movement is installed around an open inlet of the buffer cylinder (34, Fig. 1), and a plurality of pinholes (36, Fig. 1) are formed in a range from a center of the casing to the inlet in the analogous field of the claimed invention of vehicle shock absorbers.
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the cylinder of Rastegar in view of DePottey et al by including the type of pivot and pinholes as taught by van Wonderen et al. Doing so would achieve variable damping by reducing the pressure of gas inside the cylinder.
Regarding claim 5, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al further in view of van Wonderen et al discloses all of the claimed limitations of the invention as claimed in claim 4 above, and Rastegar in view of DePottey et al further in view of van Wonderen et al further discloses wherein the pinholes (orifices 36, Fig. 1) assist the movement of the piston by discharging air inside the buffer cylinder when the piston begins to move, sequentially reduce a pressure of explosive gas immediately before the piston reaches a top dead center, which is a maximum forward movement distance, and attenuate impact by performing damping so that the pressure of the explosive gas inside the buffer cylinder is sequentially lowered when the piston receives an impact of a vehicle collision and is pushed into a vehicle body (function is met by having the pinholes/orifice structure of claim 4; Rastegar, [0047] – [0048]).
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Rastegar (US 2019/0054877) in view of DePottey et al (US 2004/0046403) further in view of van Wonderen et al (US 2004/0094376) further in view of Hsu (US 2004/0211631).
Regarding claim 6, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al further in view of van Wonderen et al discloses all of the claimed limitations of the invention as claimed in claim 5 above. However, Rastegar in view of DePottey et al further in view of van Wonderen et al does not expressly disclose wherein the piston includes the head having a large diameter and a rod extending long from the head, a compression ring, a guide, and a buffer spring are mounted in the head sequentially from a position close to the closed portion of the buffer cylinder, the buffer spring protects the buffer cylinder from damage when the piston is moved rapidly by a pressure of explosive gas, and the piston compression ring increases airtightness to prevent explosive gas generated inside the buffer cylinder from escaping.
Hsu teaches wherein the piston (104, Fig. 1A/B) includes the head (104, Fig. 1A/B; [0031], lines 14-15) having a large diameter and a rod (112, Fig. 1A/B) extending long from the head, a compression ring (piston head ring seal on 104a, Fig. 1A/B; [0031], lines 14-17), a guide (piston skirt on 104, Fig. 1A/B; [0031], lines 14-15), and a buffer spring (105, Fig. 1A/B; [0034], lines 4-6) are mounted in the head (104, Fig. 1A/B) sequentially from a position close to the closed portion (near 102a, Fig. 1A/B) of the buffer cylinder (102, Fig. 1A/B), the buffer spring (105, Fig. 1A/B) protects the buffer cylinder (102, Fig. 1A/B) from damage when the piston (104, Fig. 1A/B) is moved rapidly by a pressure of gas, and the piston compression ring (ring seal on 104a, Fig. 1A/B) increases airtightness (seal) to prevent gas generated inside the buffer cylinder (102, Fig. 1A/B) from escaping in the in the analogous field of the claimed invention of vehicle deployable bumpers.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the piston head of Rastegar in view of DePottey et al further in view of van Wonderen et al by substituting the type of piston head with buffer spring as taught by Hsu. Doing so would seal gases in the cylinder and protect the cylinder from impact by the piston when activated for mitigating forces during vehicle collisions ([0029]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Moncrief Brown et al (US Patent No. 12,370,966) discloses a control system using data collected by sensors to predict vehicle collisions and deploy protective structures. Larsen et al (US 2005/0035608) discloses a gas generator installed inside a cylinder to push a piston. Bertrand et al (US 2004/0020729) discloses progressive force orifices on a piston cylinder circular casing. Xue et al (US 2022/0281397) discloses a bumper with energy absorption mechanism using a hydraulic cylinder system. Namuduri et al (US Patent No. 6,709,035) discloses an extendible bumper system for a vehicle including a controller system for extending and retracting the bumper structure for absorbing energy.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Denise L Esquivel whose telephone number is (703)756-5825. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Thursday 7:30 am-5:00 pm, alternate Fridays 7:30 am-4:00 pm.
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/DLE/
/AMY R WEISBERG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612