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 Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: The term “the partial region of the cross member” in line 6 lacks antecedent basis. It is likely that “the partial region” should be changed to --the portion-- in order to properly correspond to line 7 of claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: The term “the partial region of the cross member” in line 3 lacks antecedent basis. It is likely that “the partial region” should be changed to --the portion-- in order to properly correspond to line 7 of claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
Claim 1 contains the terms “first hollow profile region” and “second hollow profile region.” The word “hollow” is defined as “having a hole or empty space inside” (Cambridge Dictionary online, 2026, retrieved from dictionary.campbridge.org/us/dictionary/English/hollow). Thus, a “hollow profile region” is being interpreted as a region that can be identified as having an empty space within it. Thus, Karlsson is being interpreted to meet this limitation in the manner shown below.
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Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2, 4, 7, 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
With regard to claim 2, the phrase “is designed as a passage opening” in line 2 is unclear. The word “designed” causes confusion. The claim is ambiguous as to whether the second hollow profile region mimics a passage opening, or if it is a passage opening.
With regard to claim 4, it is unclear what “axial directions of the hollow profile regions” means. The hollow profile regions are rectangular, thus they have various axes. It is unclear which “axis” is being referred to. For examination purposes, the claim will be interpreted as if the “axial direction” is aligned with a line passing through the center point of both rectangular openings of the hollow profile regions.
Additionally, in claim 4, the term “the in particular integrally formed connecting device” lacks antecedent basis. Thus, it is unclear whether the connecting device is actually required to be “integrally formed,” as this feature is not positively recited. Furthermore, it is unclear whether the entire connecting device must be integrally formed, or only parts of it. For purposes of examination, the claim will be treated as if it requires the connecting device to be “integrally formed,” meaning that the entire connecting device is formed of one piece of material.
With regard to claim 7, the phrase “a wall of the second hollow profile region facing the end region of the deformation element” is unclear. The wall of the second hollow profile portion does not exist in the region of the deformation element. Essentially, the first hollow region opens directly into the second hollow region. Thus, the wall of the second hollow region cannot “face” the first hollow region or the deformation element. This claim is being examined as best understood, i.e. as if it means that the first hollow region opens directly into the second hollow region without any protrusions extending into the hollow portion.
Claims 11, 12, 14, 16, 17, and 19 are rejected based on their dependence upon a rejected claim.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 4, 6, 8-10, 13, 18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Karlsson (US 2021/0053519).
With regard to claim 1, Karlsson discloses a bumper assembly for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a deformation element (24), which is coupled to a cross member (20) of the bumper assembly, wherein, when the bumper assembly is mounted in the motor vehicle, the deformation element is arranged between a longitudinal member of the motor vehicle (12) and the cross member (20, see annotated Fig. below),
wherein the bumper assembly has a connecting device (26) having a first hollow profile region (see second annotated Fig. provided below, and additionally the Fig. provided above in the “claim interpretation” section) in which an end region of the deformation element (24) is received, wherein the connecting device has a second hollow profile region (see second Fig. below), in which a portion of the cross member (20) is received.
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With regard to claim 3, Karlsson discloses that the connecting device comprises at least one support element, in particular designed as a support wall (see annotated Fig. below), by which the hollow profile regions are supported on one another (see Fig. below).
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With regard to claims 4 and 13, as best understood, Karlsson teaches that axial directions of the hollow profile regions of the in particular integrally formed connecting device (connecting device 26 is one-piece, see especially Fig. 8) are aligned essentially perpendicular to one another (see annotated Fig. provided below).
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With regard to claims 6, 18, and 19, Karlsson teaches that the end region of the deformation element received in the first hollow profile region rests at least partially on the cross member (given that the end of the deformation element directly contacts connecting element 26, which in turn is connected to the cross member, it could be said that the deformation element “at least partially” rests on the cross member) or the end region of the deformation element received in the first hollow profile region is arranged at a distance from the cross member in the axial direction of the first hollow profile region (the distance between the two elements is shown in the annotated Fig. below).
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With regard to claim 8, the first hollow profile region comprises a plurality of walls (i.e. upper wall proximate numeral 44 in Fig. 8, and the unlabeled lower wall), wherein the inner sides of the walls of the first hollow profile region rest at least in regions on outer sides of the end region of the deformation element (see Fig. 8, which shows the deformation element 24 contacting both upper and lower walls of the first hollow profile) and/or the second hollow profile region comprises a plurality of walls (see upper wall proximate numeral 26 in Fig. 8, and opposite unlabeled lower wall), wherein the inner sides of the walls of the second hollow profile region rest at least in regions on outer sides of the partial region of the cross member (Fig. 8 shows the inner surfaces of the upper and lower walls resting on at least the sleeve outside of fastener 60, such sleeve being considered part of the cross member).
With regard to claim 9, Karlsson teaches that the end region of the deformation element is materially connected and/or screwed to the first hollow profile region (paragraph 0026, “the mounting bracket 26 is welded to the front planar surface 40”), wherein the partial region of the cross member is materially connected and/or screwed to the second hollow profile region (paragraph 0027, “the upper and lower bracket members 48 generally define corresponding holes 50 and slots 52 that are configured to receive a pair of bolts that pass through the intervening bumper beam 20, thereby securing the bumper beam 20 to the mounting bracket 26, box structure 24, and associated side rail 12”).
With regard to claim 10, Karlsson teaches that the deformation element (24) is fixed to a longitudinal member (12) of the motor vehicle (see paragraphs 0026 and 0027, as well).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 15, and 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.
Claims 2, 7, 11, 12, 14, 16, and 17 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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:
With regard to claim 2, as best understood, the claim recites that the second hollow profile region is “designed as a passage opening.” This phrase is being interpreted as though the hollow profile region is a passage opening in the connecting device. A “passage opening” is interpreted to require a defined hole or port having a closed rim. The second hollow profile region as defined in Karlsson (see annotated Figs. above) does not constitute a “passage opening” with a defined hole or port with a closed rim.
Claims 11, 12, 14, and 17 also contain allowable subject matter by virtue of their dependence upon claim 2.
With regard to claims 5, 15, and 16, these claims require that “a width of the first hollow profile region in the longitudinal extension direction of the cross member is less than a width of the second hollow profile region in the longitudinal extension direction of the cross member and/or a height of the first hollow profile region in the vertical direction of the cross member is less than a height of the second hollow profile region in the vertical direction of the cross member.” Karlsson, instead, teaches that the width of the first hollow profile region is equivalent to the width of the second hollow profile region, and that the height of the first hollow profile region is greater than the height of the second hollow profile region (see especially Fig. 8).
Claim 20 contains allowable subject matter by virtue of its dependence upon claim 5.
With regard to claim 7, as best understood, Karlsson fails to teach or suggest that a wall of the second hollow profile region facing the end region of the deformation element has a recess, the shape of which corresponds to an inner cross section of the first hollow profile region. The wall of Karlsson’s second hollow profile is also the wall of the first hollow profile, and it does not have a recess as particularly claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited references provide further examples of vehicle front bumper crash mitigation systems.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E FULLER whose telephone number is (571)272-6300. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM - 5:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tara 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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/ROBERT E FULLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676