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 .
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 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Togo Seisakusho Corp (JP 2593725, hereinafter JP’725).
The JP’725 reference discloses a motor vehicle with a glass trim arrangement (see Figures 5 and 6) comprising a first exterior component 31, a second exterior component 38 and a locator assembly having an opening 33 and a projection 32, wherein once the first and second exterior component are connected movement in a forward, rearward, first side and second side directions are restricted.
In regard to claim 14, the method as claimed would be inherent during normal use and operation of the glass trim arrangement (supra).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The Gordon et al., Benedetti, Dunn and Shinozaki et al. references pertain to various trim connecting arrangements with similarities to that of Applicant’s.
Claims 2-13 and 15-20 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: none of the prior art of record, with the applied JP’725 reference being the closest prior art device, alone or in combination, teach Applicant’s invention of a vehicle with a locator assembly inclusive of details regarding a first exterior component having an opening with an end cap attached thereto or a first and second exterior component being a glass trim and a pillar belt applique respectively, as claimed. To modify the applied closest prior art device to have such features would involve teachings gleaned only from the instant application for patent.
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/STEVEN O DOUGLAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612