DETAILED ACTION
This action is in response to the applicant’s reply filed on January 6, 2026. Claims 1-9 and 11-21 are pending and addressed below.
Response to Amendment
Claims 1-2 are amended. Claim 10 is cancelled. Claims 16--21 are newly added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed January 6, 2026., with respect to claims 1-9 and 11-15 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 1-9 and 11-15 has been withdrawn.
Specifically, the applicant’s amendments to claim 1 have overcome the rejection as anticipated by Hipshier et al., European Patent No. EP 2,943,372 (hereinafter Hipshier).
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed January 6, 2026 have been considered by the Examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claim(s) 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Goldbeck et al., German Patent No. DE 10 2021 004 344 (hereinafter Goldbeck) (all citations are to the English translation dated 2026).
Claim 21: Goldbeck vehicle interior assembly (container for a center console of a motor vehicle 1, see abstract), comprising:
a storage compartment (housing pot 2); and
a cover (housing cover 5) attached to the storage compartment (2) for movement between open (open in Figs 2-3) and closed conditions (closed in Fig 1), the cover comprising a plurality of slats (four cover segments 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) spanning an opening (housing opening 4) of the compartment,
wherein each slat (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) is pivotable (around pivot axes S1 to S3) away from the storage compartment about a hinge joint (respective film hinge 17a, 17b, 17c) independently from an adjacent slat on an opposite side of the hinge joint (see Fig 1-3, pg 6),
wherein the cover (5) is configured to support (third cover segment 6c can form a support surface 12) a portable electronic device (electronic device 8 or for the mobile phone 9) directly over the opening (4) in both the open (shown in Figs 3 and 4) and closed conditions (housing cover 5 completely closes the housing open 4, cover 5 would necessarily support electronic device 8 or for the mobile phone 9 when closed) and with the portable electronic device (8, 9) in an inclined orientation when the cover is in the open condition (see Fig 3 and 4), and
wherein the cover (5) forms an apex pointing away from the storage compartment (2) in the open condition (as shown in Fig 4), the apex being located above an upper surface (housing plate 16) of the storage compartment (2) (as shown in Fig 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims 1-9 and 11-20 are allowable over the closest prior art “herein Hipshier et al., European Patent No. EP 2,943,372 (hereinafter Hipshier)” and “herein Goldbeck et al., German Patent No. DE 10 2021 004 344 (hereinafter Goldbeck)”, for the following reasons:
Hipshier discloses a vehicle interior assembly (floor console 16, Fig 5-9), comprising:
a storage compartment (floor console 16 my include a storage compartments 74, 76, in trough 47, par Fig 5, [0016]);
a cover (cover panel 24) attached to the storage compartment (above 74, 76 in trough 47) for movement between open (see Fig 5A, 6, 6A and 7) and closed (Fig 5) conditions (par [0016]), the cover (24) comprising a plurality of slats (first, second, third, fourth, and fifth segments, 48, 50, 52, 54, 55, respectively) spanning an opening of the compartment (74, 76 in storage trough 47) (Fig 5, 5A, 6, 6A, 7, par [0016]) such that a storage volume of the storage compartment (above 74, 76 in trough 47) is accessible through the opening (opening of storage compartments 74, 76) when the cover (cover panel 24) is in the open condition (as shown in Fig 7, 7A, 8) and not accessible through the opening when the cover is in the closed condition (as shown in Fig 5, 5A),
wherein each slat (48, 50, 52, 54, 55) is pivotable away from the storage compartment (74, 76, 47) about a hinge joint (hinge 30) independently from an adjacent slat on an opposite side of the hinge joint (30) (see Fig 5, 5A, 6, 6A, 7, par [0016]);
a ledge (area located around storage compartment 74 and storage compartment 76) along a perimeter of the opening (74, 76) that supports the cover (24) over the opening (74, 76); and
a guide extending from the ledge (walls of trough 47) to constrain the cover (24) in a direction of extension of the hinge joint (30) (shown in Fig 5, 5A, 6, 6A, and 7, par [0020]);
wherein the cover (cover panel 24) is configured to support a portable electronic device above the opening in both the open and closed conditions (cover panel 24 necessarily supports a portable electronic device above the opening 74, 76 in the open configuration shown in Fig 6A and the closed configuration shown in Fig 5, 5A).
Hipshier fails to disclose the guide extends vertically between the ledge and an upper surface of the storage compartment to provide a recess in the upper surface of the storage compartment in which the ledge supports the cover.
Goldbeck vehicle interior assembly (container for a center console of a motor vehicle 1, see abstract), comprising:
a storage compartment (housing pot 2); and
a cover (housing cover 5) attached to the storage compartment (2) for movement between open (open in Figs 2-3) and closed conditions (closed in Fig 1), t cover comprising a plurality of slats (four cover segments 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) spanning an opening (housing opening 4) of the compartment (2) such that a storage volume (housing interior 3) of the storage compartment (2) is accessible through the opening (4) when the cover (5) is in the open condition (open is shown in Fig 3-4) and not accessible through the opening (4) when the cover (5) is in the closed condition (as shown in Fig 1),
wherein each slat (6a, 6b, 6c, 6d) is pivotable (around pivot axes S1 to S3) away from the storage compartment about a hinge joint (respective film hinge 17a, 17b, 17c) independently from an adjacent slat on an opposite side of the hinge joint (see Fig 1-3, pg 6),
a ledge (housing plate 16) along a perimeter of the opening (4) that supports the cover (5) over the opening (4), the ledge at least partly defining the opening (as shown in Fig 3-4); and
a guide extending from the ledge (inside edge or lip of housing plate 16, not labeled, but shown supporting cover in Fig 3-4) to constrain the cover (5) in a direction of extension of the hinge joint (inside edge or lip of housing plate 16 would necessarily prevent the cover 5 from extending into the housing interior 3, see Fig 1-4),
wherein the cover (5) is configured to support a portable electronic device above the opening in both the open and closed conditions.
wherein the cover (5) is configured to support (third cover segment 6c can form a support surface 12) a portable electronic device (electronic device 8 or for the mobile phone 9) directly over the opening (4) in both the open (shown in Figs 3 and 4) and closed conditions (housing cover 5 completely closes the housing open 4, cover 5 would necessarily support electronic device 8 or for the mobile phone 9 when closed, see Fig 1).
Goldbeck fails to disclose wherein the guide extends vertically between the ledge and an upper surface of the storage compartment to provide a recess in the upper surface of the storage compartment in which the ledge supports the cover.
Hipshier and Goldbeck fail to suggest alone, or in combination, the limitations of “wherein the guide extends vertically between the ledge and an upper surface of the storage compartment to provide a recess in the upper surface of the storage compartment in which the ledge supports the cover” as recited in claim 1.
The Examiner is unaware of prior art which reasonably suggests alone, or in combination, the limitations of claims 1-9 and 11-20.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 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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