DETAILED ACTION
This communication is a FINAL office action on the merits. Claims 1, 2 and 4-8, as filed are currently pending and have been considered below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2 and 4-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Fishburn et al. (US 2022/0411021).
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, 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).
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 18 December 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant discusses how the handle of Fishburn can be used to “prevent the coupler from moving between the unlocked position to the locked position”. However, as discussed above, its function does not obviate its ability to move and press the clip in a direction that can be interpreted as a fixing direction.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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.
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/M.S.L/Examiner, Art Unit 3677
/JASON W SAN/SPE, Art Unit 3677