DETAILED ACTION
The following Final Office Action is in response to the amendment filed 5/18/2026.
Status of the claims: Claims 1-2,4-8, 12-15 and 20-21 are hereby examined below.
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.
Claims 1,2,4,5, 12 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hansen US 2009/0020236.
In regard to claim 1, with reference to Figures 5-7, Hansen ‘236 disclose a manually deployable vehicle door curtain assembly, the assembly comprising: a curtain (40, Fig. 5) capable of being retracted into a vehicle door and of being deployed to cover a door window glass; a rod (251, Fig. 5) configured to be mounted on the vehicle door and to be simultaneously movable with the curtain (40) to support the curtain (40); a slider (71, Fig. 5) slidably coupled with the rod (251) and movable up and down together with the rod (251); and a support member (72, Fig. 5) configured to allow or prevent a descending movement of the slider, wherein in a deployed state of the curtain, the support member (207) is positioned at a first position to support a bottommost surface of the slider (71) so that the curtain remains in the deployed state (shown in Figure 5) , wherein the support member comprises a stopper (72,76 Fig. 5) elastically biased via (via 74) toward an ascending/descending trajectory of the slider (71), wherein the stopper (72,76) comprises an upper surface (top half) with a stop surface (invented v-shape) and a lower end rotatably mountable to the vehicle door (shown to pivot in Fig. 6) and wherein in the deployed state of the curtain, the stop surface is positioned in contact with the bottommost surface of the slider (71) so that that stopper (72) supports the slider (71) to prevent the descending movement of the slider.
In regard to claim 2, Hansen ‘236 discloses wherein in a state in which the support member (207) is moved away from the first position (shown in Fig. 5) when the cloth is pushed down, the slider (71) is movable so as to retract the curtain (40) into an interior of the vehicle door.
In regard to claim 4, Hansen ‘236 discloses wherein the stopper (72) comprises: an inclined surface (vertical left side of 72, shown in Fig. 7) configured to come into contact with the slider (71) during an ascending movement of the slider wherein the stop surface ( inverted v-shape) extending from an upper end of the inclined surface in a direction (left to right in Fig. 7) perpendicular to the ascending/descending (up/down) trajectory of the slider.
In regard to claim 5, Hansen ‘236 discloses wherein the stopper (72) comprises, on the opposite side of the inclined surface (vertical left side of 72), an engaging protrusion (76) extending from the stop surface.
In regard to claim 12, Hansen ‘236 discloses a shade bar (250, Fig. 5) mounted on an upper portion of the curtain (40 along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle door, the shade bar being coupled to an upper end portion of the rod (251) and movable together with the rod (251).
In regard to claim 20, Hansen ‘236 disclose a door (20, Fig. 4) of a vehicle, the door comprising: a door glass ( window,not shown paragraph [0033]) for light-admission and ventilation; and a door curtain assembly comprising: a curtain (40, Fig. 5) retractable into the door and deployable to cover the door glass; a rod (251, Fig. 5) mounted on the door and simultaneously movable with the curtain to support the curtain; a slider (71, Fig. 5) slidably coupled with the rod (32) and movable up and down together with the rod; and a support member (270, Fig 2) configured to allow or prevent descending movement of the slider.
wherein in a deployed state of the curtain, the support member (207) is positioned at a first position to support a bottommost surface of the slider (71) so that the curtain remains in the deployed state (shown in Figure 5) , wherein the support member comprises a stopper (72,76 Fig. 5) elastically biased via (via 74) toward an ascending/descending trajectory of the slider (71), wherein the stopper (72,76) comprises an upper surface (top half) with a stop surface (invented v-shape) and a lower end rotatably mountable to the vehicle door (shown to pivot in Fig. 6) and wherein in the deployed state of the curtain, the stop surface is positioned in contact with the bottommost surface of the slider (71) so that that stopper (72) supports the slider (71) to prevent the descending movement of the slider.
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 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansen US 2009/0020236.
In regard to claim 6, Hansen ‘236 discloses wherein the stopper (72) is rotatably mounted) on the vehicle door and is elastically supported (via 74) toward the ascending/descending trajectory of the slider by a spring (74). Hansen ‘236 fails to specifically disclose that the spring is a torsion spring. However, the Examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known to use a torsion spring as an alternative to a compression spring for the purpose of having a compact design and enhanced durability.
Examiner acknowledges applicant’s acceptance of examiner’s Official Notice that it is well known in the art to use a torsion spring as an alternative to a compression spring. Applicant’s lack of arguments or traversal results in the Official Notice being acknowledged as admitted prior art. Per MPEP 2144.03 [R-1] (C) (emphasis by examiner):
If applicant does not traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or applicant’s traverse is not adequate, the examiner should clearly indicate in the next Office action that the common knowledge or well-known in the art statement is taken to be admitted prior art because applicant either failed to traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or that the traverse was inadequate. If the traverse was inadequate, the examiner should include an explanation as to why it was inadequate.
Thus the issues are considered admitted prior art.
Claims 7-8 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hansen US 2009/0020236 in view of DE20112948.
In regard to claims 7 and 21, Hansen ‘236 fails to disclose a button on one side of the vehicle door, wherein the button is configured to operate the stopper, and wherein in a state in which the button is operated, the stopper is configured to move away from the ascending/descending trajectory of the slider.
With reference to Figures 2-4 DE ‘948 discloses a button (8, Fig 2) on one side of the vehicle door, wherein the button (8) is configured to operate the stopper (11, Figs 3-4) , and wherein in a state in which the button is operated, the stopper is configured to move away (Fig. 4) from the ascending/descending trajectory of the slide (12)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the device of Lin ‘058 to include a button configured to operate the stopper as taught by DE ‘948 for the purpose of providing the user and easy means to unlock the device to allow movement.
In regard to claim 8 , Hansen ‘236 as modified by DE ‘948 disclose wherein the button (8, DE ‘948) is connected to the stopper (72) by a first cable (9, DE ‘948), and in the state in which the button is operated, the first cable is configured to be pulled to move the stopper away from the ascending/descending trajectory of the slider (as taught by DE ‘948).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-15 allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 20 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 JEREMY C RAMSEY whose telephone number is (571)270-3133. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Wed 7:00-3:30.
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/JEREMY C RAMSEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/DANIEL P CAHN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3634
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