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 without traverse of Species 1 in the reply filed on March 16, 2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 19-20 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on March 16, 2026.
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) 9 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hwang (US 8,678,423). Hwang discloses a vehicle (column 1, lines 14-15) comprising a body structure (110) including a front side member support (120) having an end portion; a bumper beam (130) mounted to the end portion of the front side member support (See Figure 3); a front side member plate (150) mounted to the end portion of the front side member support; and a towing bracket adapter (140) attached to the front side member plate (See Figure 3), the towing bracket adapter defines a bore that is forward facing (See Figure 2), and the bore is configured to receive a towing bracket for flat towing the vehicle (See Figure 2).
Regarding claim 14, Hwang discloses wherein the towing bracket adapter is welded to the front side member plate (column 4, line 31+).
Regarding claim 15, Hwang inherently discloses a vehicle panel and an aperture disposed in the vehicle panel, and the aperture is aligned with the towing bracket adapter (See Figure 3).
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, 7-8 and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hwang (US 8,678,423) in view of Kim et al. (US 2023/0158846).
Regarding claim 1, Hwang discloses a vehicle (column 1, lines 14-15) comprising a body structure (110) including a front side member support (120) having an end portion; a bumper beam (130) mounted to the end portion of the front side member support (See Figure 3); a front side member plate (150) mounted to the end portion of the front side member support; and a towing bracket adapter (140) that defines a bore that is forward-facing when the towing bracket adapter is attached and the bore is configured to receive a towing bracket for flat towing the vehicle. Hwang does not disclose a nut fastener mounted to the front side member plate. Kim et al. discloses a nut fastener (120,132) mounted to the front side member plate (See Figure 10 of Kim et al.) At the time of the filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in this art to provide a nut fastener mounted to the front side member plate in Hwang as taught by Kim et al. in a manner that allows the towing bracket adapter to be threadingly coupled to the nut fastener. The motivation for providing a nut fastener in Hwang would be to allow the towing bracket adapter to be screwed into the towing hook assembly of Hwang to allow the towing bracket adapter to be removed when not in use to tow the vehicle.
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Hwang and Kim et al. discloses wherein the nut fastener is welded to the front side member plate (See Hwang, column 4, line 31+).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Hwang and Kim et al. discloses a vehicle panel and an aperture disposed in the vehicle panel, and the aperture is aligned with the towing bracket adapter (See Figure 3 of Hwang).
Regarding claim 16, Hwang discloses a vehicle (column 1, lines 14-15) comprising a body structure (110) including a front side member support (120) having an end portion; a bumper beam (130) mounted to the end portion of the front side member support (See Figure 3); a front side member plate (150) mounted to the end portion of the front side member support; and a vehicle panel having an aperture disposed in the vehicle panel. Hwang does not disclose a nut fastener mounted to the front side member plate. Kim et al. discloses a nut fastener (120,132) mounted to the front side member plate (See Figure 10 of Kim et al.) At the time of the filing, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in this art to provide a nut fastener mounted to the front side member plate in Hwang as taught by Kim et al. in a manner that allows vehicle panel aperture to align with the nut fastener. The motivation for providing a nut fastener in Hwang would be to allow the towing bracket adapter to be screwed into the towing hook assembly of Hwang and removed when not in use.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2-6, 10-13 and 17-18 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to James A Shriver II whose telephone number is (303)297-4337. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, J. Allen Shriver II can be reached at (303) 297-4337. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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J. ALLEN SHRIVER II
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3613
/JAMES A SHRIVER II/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3613
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