CTFR 18/461,195 CTFR 77003 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-23-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 6, 10, 12-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Do Hoi Kim US 11161552 in view of Imajyo et al. US 4973103 . Claim 6, Do Hoi Kim lacks multiple pillar parts and lower reinforcement to the body, taught by Imajyo et al. at pillars 3-5 and lower reinforcement 12 connecting the pillars at a lower portion thereof and lower than the side rail 13. It would have been obvious at the time of filing to provide in Do Hoi Kim the multiple pillars and lower reinforcement of Imajyo et al. to provide an extended reinforced body structure. Claim 10, Imajyo et al. has side outer support bracket 17 connecting upper reinforcement 6 and lower reinforcement 12. It would have been obvious at the time of filing to provide in Do Hoi Kim the support bracket of Imajyo et al. to strengthen the assembly. Claim 12, the upper flange 57 is connected to the roof 14b and upper flange bracket is connected to side outer 54a. Claim 13, bracket at top of 54a is connected to exterior surface of 13. Claim 14, a hole for a component is an obvious expedient to one or ordinary skill in the art to secure a fastener. Claim 15, upper connecting flange 57 and upper flange bracket are connected to both side outer 54a and roof 14b via the intervening reinforcement 13, (paragraph 47) . 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Do Hoi Kim in view of Imajyo et al. and further in view of Jaekel et al. US 6412857 . Do Hoi Kim as modified lacks a side outer support bracket surrounding the upper reinforcement of Do Hoi Kim as modified, taught by Jaekel et al. at 454, figure 13, known as a fish mount bracket. It would have been obvious at the time of filing to provide in the combination above a fish mount bracket as taught by Jaekel et al. to secure a connection in surrounding manner to increase connection . Allowable Subject Matter 12-151-08 AIA 07-43 12-51-08 Claim 9 is 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. 12-151-07 AIA 07-97 12-51-07 Claim s 7, 8 and 21-30 are allowed. 13-03-01 AIA The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record lacks the limitation of claims 7-9 applied to the limitations of claim 6 . Response to Arguments 07-37 AIA Applicant's arguments filed March 9, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Imajyo does not disclose a quarter pillar lower reinforcement. Applicant argues that the element 12 of Imajyo cannot be relied upon as a teaching of a quarter pillar lower reinforcement because it is not mounted on a lower portion of the quarter pillar upper reinforcement. The examiner disagrees. PNG media_image1.png 498 718 media_image1.png Greyscale Applicant further argues that Imajyo does not disclose the upper tubular closed cross section, the test for obviousness is not whether the features of a secondary reference may be bodily incorporated into the structure of the primary reference; nor is it that the claimed invention must be expressly suggested in any one or all of the references. Rather, the test is what the combined teachings of the references would have suggested to those of ordinary skill in the art. See In re Keller , 642 F.2d 413, 208 USPQ 871 (CCPA 1981). Imajyo teaches that when the vehicle is extended to include C and D pillars that it is known to include upper pillar parts which are connected at the lower ends by a lower reinforcement. Conclusion 07-39 AIA 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 PATRICIA L ENGLE whose telephone number is (571)272-6660. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Friday 7:30 am-4 pm. 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, Fenn Matthew can be reached at 571-272-4978. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /PATRICIA L ENGLE/ Primary Examiner Art Unit 3993 Application/Control Number: 18/461,195 Page 2 Art Unit: 3991 Application/Control Number: 18/461,195 Page 3 Art Unit: 3991 Application/Control Number: 18/461,195 Page 5 Art Unit: 3991 Application/Control Number: 18/461,195 Page 6 Art Unit: 3991
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