DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the applicant’s request for continued examination filed on September 4, 2026. Claims 1-17 are pending and addressed below.
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 September 4, 2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
Claim 1 is amended. Claims 1-17 are pending and addressed below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed September 4, 2026 with respect to Iwase et al., US 2016/0339966 (hereinafter Iwase) have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claim 1, the Applicant has argued that the feature of “an adhesion portion formed from an adhesive joining the outer panel member to the inner member or the resin member” is not disclosed by Iwase, however the Examiner disagrees with this position. Specifically, the resin layer 9 is a resin adhesive that is located between the outer layer (outer panel 2) and the inner layer (inner panel 3) (see Iwase, par [0077]-[0079]) and thereby forms an interface with each of the outer layer (2) and the inner layer (3). This interface between the resin layer 9 and the outer layer 2 can be considered the “adhesive portion formed from an adhesive” as claimed and the interface of the resin layer 9 with the outer layer 2 clearly includes resin layer 9 which is an adhesive. As such Iwase clearly discloses the limitations of claim 1.
Regarding claims 2-17, the arguments as presented above with respect to claim 1 are equally applicable to claims 2-17.
Applicant’s arguments filed September 4, 2026 with respect to Masuda et al., Japanese Patent Application No., JP 2009-73406 A (hereinafter Masuda), have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims of 1-4 and 11-13 as anticipated by Masuda have been withdrawn.
Specifically, the adhesion portion of Masuda dies not include an adhesive as the vehicle body panel disclosed by Masuda is manufactured by compressing the layers while heating them, causing the layers to thermally bond, and an adhesion portion is not necessary
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-3, 5-10, 14, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Iwase et al., US 2016/0339966 (hereinafter Iwase).
Claim 1: Iwase discloses a vehicle panel structure comprising:
a sheet-like outer panel member (outer panel/plate 2) (see Fig 3-4);
an inner member (inner panel/plate 3) disposed to face an inner surface of the outer panel member (2) (as shown in Fig 4, par [0003]); and
an adhesion portion formed from an adhesive (interface of outer panel/plate 2 including adhesive layer 9, par [0004]) joining the outer panel member (outer panel/plate 2) to the inner member or the resin member (adhesive layer 9) (par [0077]-[0079]),
a resin member (adhesive layer 9) of which a material is a resin (adhesive layer 9, par [0004], [0079]) and which is joined to the inner surface of the outer panel member (as shown in Fig 9), wherein at least part of the inner member (3) is buried in the resin member (9) (as seen in Fig 4, par [0078]).
Claim 2: Iwase discloses wherein the inner member (3) extends along one direction in an in-plane direction of the outer panel member (2) (portion of inner plate 3 and outer plate 2 that are parallel as shown in Figs 2A, 2B, 4, par [0078]).
Claim 3: Iwase discloses wherein a cross-section portion perpendicular to the extending direction of the inner member (shown in Fig 2A, 2B, 4), in which the inner member (3) is entirely buried in the resin member, is provided (a portion of outer panel/plate 3 is entirely embedded in adhesive layer 9 as shown in Fig 4).
Claim 5: Iwase discloses wherein the inner member (3) has a sheet-like main body portion disposed to face the inner surface of the outer panel member (2) (inner panel/plate 3 is sheet like and faces the inner surface of outer panel 2), the main body portion has a protrusion portion (protruding section 3a) protruding toward the outer panel member (2), and a cross-section portion perpendicular to an in-plane direction of the outer panel member (shown in Fig 4), in which a tip end of the protrusion portion is buried in the resin member (9), is provided (tip of protruding section 3a is buried in resin 9 as shown in Fig 4, par [0064]-[0067]).
Claim 6: Iwase discloses wherein a cross-section portion perpendicular to the in-plane direction of the outer panel member (2) (see Fig 4), in which a surface of the protrusion portion (3a) close to the outer panel member (2) is entirely buried in the resin member (9), is provided (Fig 4, par [0064]-[0066]).
Claim 7: Iwase discloses the inner member (3) has a sheet-like main body portion (inner panel/plate 3, par [0003]) disposed to face the inner surface of the outer panel member (2) (as shown in Fig 4),
the main body portion (of inner plate/panel 3) has a projected portion (protruding section 3a) including a peripheral wall portion (portions of 3a which extend toward outer panel as shown by external shapes of the protruding section 3a, in Figs 5A-5G, par [0065]) which stands up toward the outer panel member (“hat shaped” protruding portion 3a is towards outer panel 2 as shown in Fig 4-5G) and a top portion which is bent (“hat shaped” upper portions of protruding portion 3a, see Fig 5a-5G, par [0065]) and extends from an end edge of the peripheral wall portion on an outer panel member side and has an opening portion formed at a center (protruding section 3a is hollow in the middle and opens towards outer panel 2, see Fig 4, par [0065]) and
a cross-section portion perpendicular to an in-plane direction of the outer panel member (3) (as seen in Fig 4), in which at least part of the top portion is buried in the resin member (9), is provided (Fig 4, par [0064]-[0066]).
Claim 8: Iwase discloses wherein a cross-section portion perpendicular to the in-plane direction of the outer panel member (3) (shown Fig 4), in which the top portion (top of 3a) is entirely buried in the resin member (9), is provided (as shown in Fig 4) (Fig 4, par [0064]-[0066]).
Claim 9: Iwase discloses wherein the resin member is a thermosetting resin (thermosetting resin adhesive, par [0004], [0078]).
Claim 10: Iwase discloses wherein the resin member is a thermoplastic resin (thermoplastic resin adhesive, par [0079]).
Claim 14: Iwase discloses wherein an adhesion portion joining the outer panel member (2) and the resin member (9) and an adhesion portion joining the outer panel member (2) and the inner member (3) are made of the same material (as shown by angled hash marks in Fig 4).
Claim 16: Iwase discloses wherein the outer panel member (2) has a sheet thickness of 0.30 m or greater and 0.55 mm or less (the plate thickness of the aluminum alloy plate for the outer panel 2 is generally selected from thicknesses in the range of 0.5 to 3 mm as appropriate, par [0063]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iwase in view of Nishimura et al., PCT No. WO2021/200860 (hereinafter Nishimura) (all citations are to the English translation dated 11/6/2025).
Claim 15: Iwase is silent as to wherein the outer panel member has a tensile strength of 440 MPa or greater.
Nishimura discloses a vehicle panel including an outer panel (3). The outer panel has a tensile strength of 590 MPa or more (pg 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the tensile strength of the vehicle panel of Iwase to have a tensile strength of greater than 440 MPa as disclosed by Nishimura, since it has been held by the courts that selection of a prior art material on the basis of its suitability for its intended purpose is within the level of ordinary skill. In re Leshing, 125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960) and Sinclair & Carroll Co. v. Interchemical Corp., 65 USPQ 297 (1945).
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iwase.
Claim 17: Iwase is silent as to wherein a part, having a maximum length in a direction perpendicular to an in-plane direction of the outer panel member, of the resin member has a thickness of 3 mm or greater and 60 mm or less.
It would have been an obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify as a matter of design choice to modify the thickness of the resin member to have as a thickness of 3 mm or greater and 60 mm or less, as selecting a given thickness of the resin member would have flown naturally to one of ordinary skill in the art as necessitated by the specific requirements of a given application.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 11-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The claims include allowable subject matter over the prior art as discussed above.
Regarding claim 4, Iwase fails to disclose wherein a plurality of the inner members are provided, and the plurality of inner members are disposed in parallel to be separated from each other in a direction perpendicular to the one direction in the in-plane direction of the outer panel member.
Specifically, the inner member (3) as disclosed by Iwase is formed of a single plate and the edges of the inner member 3 are sandwiched within the bend of the peripheral edge portions of the outer panel 2. As such the inner member 3 is a single plate and does not include a plurality of inner members, nor can it be considered perpendicular to in-plane direction of the outer panel member.
Regarding claim 11, Iwase fails to disclose wherein a plurality of the resin members are provided, and the plurality of resin members are connected to each other along an in-plane direction of the outer panel member.
Specifically, the resin member (adhesive layer 9) as disclosed by Iwase is formed of a single layer that is preformed and used when sandwiching the peripheral edge of the inner panel within the folded peripheral edge portions of the outer panel 2. As such the adhesive layer 9 is a single layer and does not include a plurality resin members.
Conclusion
Claims 1-3, 5-10, and 14-17 are rejected. Claims 4 and 11-13 are objected to. No claims are allowed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CAROLINE N BUTCHER whose telephone number is (571)272-1623. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 10-6 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tara E Schimpf can be reached at (571) 270-7741. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CAROLINE N BUTCHER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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