DETAILED ACTION
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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 26 June 2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed 27 July 2026 fails to comply with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97, 1.98 and MPEP § 609 because the US documents do not appear to have any relevance to the current Application and may have been submitted in error. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered as to the merits. Applicant is advised that the date of any re-submission of any item of information contained in this information disclosure statement or the submission of any missing element(s) will be the date of submission for purposes of determining compliance with the requirements based on the time of filing the statement, including all certification requirements for statements under 37 CFR 1.97(e). See MPEP § 609.05(a).
The information disclosure statement also fails to comply with 37 CFR 1.98(a)(3)(i) because it does not include a concise explanation of the relevance, as it is presently understood by the individual designated in 37 CFR 1.56(c) most knowledgeable about the content of the information, of each reference listed that is not in the English language. It has been placed in the application file, but the information referred to therein has not been considered.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 4-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fishburn et al. (US 2022/0411021) in view of Chang et al. (US 2005/0063776).
Regarding claim 1, Fishburn et al. disclose an apparatus comprising:
a first attachment portion (63) provided in the first member (12’);
a second attachment portion (26) provided in the second member (20); and
a clip (46, 32) configured to fix the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion to each other,
wherein the first attachment portion is formed with an attachment hole (42) into which a tip end side of the clip is inserted,
the second attachment portion is formed with an attachment and detachment hole (48) through which the clip is configured to pass in a fixing direction (wherein the fixing direction is 106 wherein the fixing direction corresponds to the direction pin 46 is pressed in to 44 and 62 and into 42 to fix 44 to 12 as shown in Fig. 9), and a holding hole (54) through which a base end side of the clip is configured not to pass in the fixing direction, the attachment and detachment hole and the holding hole being formed to be continuous with each other (Fig. 3 as shown),
the clip is configured to be moved from the attachment and detachment hole to the holding hole (Figs. 5-7 as shown), and
the second member is formed with a design portion (34) covering the second attachment portion,
the clip includes a grommet (32) serving as a base and a pin (46) inserted into the grommet, and the clip is fastened in a case where the pin is inserted into the grommet (the device shown in Fig. 9 operates in this manner),
the design portion faces the clip at a position where the grommet engages with the holding hole (Fig. 9 as shown), and
wherein the design portion is configured to be pressed to push the clip in the fixing direction (Figs. 6-7 show wherein 34 can be pressed downward to come into contact with the clip), and the clip is pushed in while the design portion is elastically deformed to fix the first member and the second member (the device as shown in Figs. 6-9 operates in this claimed manner).
Fishburn et al. fails to disclose in a case where a shaft portion of the pin is pushed inward with respect to the grommet, a plurality of leg pieces of the grommet are opened outward in a radial direction, the plurality of leg pieces are pressed against an opening edge of the attachment hole, and the first member and the second member are fixed to each other.
Chang et al. teaches a grommet (321) with a plurality of leg pieces (Fig. 1 as shown) that open outward in a radial direction.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize that the securing element 46 takes time for securement. Paragraph 46, lines 7-8 describe wherein the securing element is a threaded type fastener. Replacing the pin grommet structure of Fishburn with the expanding grommet and pin fastener would save time during securement as the arrangement can be secured simply by pressing the pin and grommet within the fastener hole. The time needed to turn the threaded fasteners and the requirement of extra tooling places the fastener Fishburn at a time disadvantage to the arrangement of Chang et al.
Regarding claim 2, Fishburn et al. further disclose wherein a facing distance between the second attachment portion and the design portion is smaller than an entire length, in the fixing direction, of the clip in a temporary fastening state (Fig. 5 as shown).
Regarding claim 4, Fishburn et al. further disclose wherein a width of a communicating portion between the attachment and detachment hole and the holding hole is smaller than an inner diameter of the holding hole (Fig. 6 as shown).
Regarding claim 5, Fishburn et al. further disclose wherein the width of the communicating portion is formed to be smaller than an outer diameter of the tip end side of the clip (Figs. 4 and 6 as shown), and the tip end side of the clip is reduced in diameter by the communicating portion in a case where the clip is moved from the attachment and detachment hole to the holding hole (Fig. 9 shows wherein the central portion of 32 as a reduced diameter), such that the clip is configured to be moved from the attachment and detachment hole to the holding hole.
Regarding claim 6, Fishburn et al. further disclose wherein an opening edge of the holding hole is formed thicker than an opening edge of the attachment and detachment hole (Figs. 3 and 8 as shown).
Regarding claim 7, Fishburn et al. further disclose wherein the first member is a cover of a vehicle (Fig. 1 shows the structures covering portions of vehicle 10).
Regarding claim 8, Fishburn et al. further disclose wherein the clip is configured to be moved from the holding hole to the attachment and detachment hole after the first attachment portion and the second attachment portion are fixed to each other (Figs. 4-7 as shown).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 26 June 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Examiner has addressed the amended language with the modifying reference Chang et al. as shown above. Applicant argues the claim language “the design portion faces the clip at a position where the grommet engages with the holding hole” is not met by Fishburn. Applicant argues the handle of Fishburn does not face the grommet/pin at a second portion that allows pressing of the handle on the pin. However, the view shown in Fig. 7 of Fishburn does indeed show the handle facing the grommet pin wherein pressing is of the handle on the pin is possible. When this action is performed with the modified grommet pin assembly, the final limitation wherein full fixation can be achieved is met.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Inoue (US 2011/0219588) teaches a pin and expanding grommet assembly.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL S LEE whose telephone number is (571)270-5735. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason San can be reached at (571) 272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MICHAEL S LEE/ Examiner, Art Unit 3677
