DETAILED ACTION
This action is a first action on the merits. The claims filed on October 27, 2023 have been entered. Claims 1-20 have been entered.
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
This application claims foreign priority to Republic of Korean Application No. KR10-2023-0092614 filed on July 17, 2023.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed on October 27, 2023 has been considered by the Examiner.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because the recitation of “An embodiment” in line 1 is considered an implied phrase. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Shimizu, Japanese Patent Application No. 2008/247364 (hereinafter Shimizu) (all citations are to the English translation dated 2026).
Claim 1: Shimizu discloses a vehicle reinforcing member (partition front bar 10) comprising:
a first extension portion (one of the pair of metal round pipes 12) extending to a predetermined length (as shown in Fig 1-2);
a second extension (the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12) portion spaced apart from the first extension portion (12);
a first upper mounting portion disposed at a top end of the first extension portion (left upper mounting portion 42 located at the upper end of one of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2) and a second upper mounting portion disposed at a top end of the second extension portion (right upper mounting portion 42 located at the upper end of the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2); and
a first lower mounting portion disposed at a bottom end of the first extension portion (left lower attachment portion 52 located at the lower end of one of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2) and a second lower mounting portion disposed at a bottom end of the second extension portion (right lower attachment portion 52 located at the lower end of the other one of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claim 14: Shimizu discloses a vehicle comprising:
a vehicle body comprising a partition (partition front panel 5 and partition board 8) disposed between compartments of the vehicle (rear surface of the back seat 3 and luggage compartment side), wherein the partition (5/8) comprises an upper portion (partition front panel 5) extending in a width direction (left to right) of the vehicle body and a pair of side portions (sides of partition board 8) disposed at each end of the upper portion (5) (sides of partition board 8 are attached at the ends of partition front panel 5 as shown in Fig 1);
a first extension portion (one of the pair of metal round pipes 12) extending to a predetermined length (as shown in Fig 1-2);
a second extension (the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12) portion spaced apart from the first extension portion (12);
a first upper mounting portion disposed at a top end of the first extension portion (left upper mounting portion 42 located at the upper end of one of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2) and mounted on the upper portion (5) of the partition (5/8) (as shown in Fig 1-2);
a second upper mounting portion disposed at a top end of the second extension portion (right upper mounting portion 42 located at the upper end of the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2) and mounted on the upper portion (5) of the partition (5/8) (as shown in Fig 1-2);
first upper connection portion (left upper mounting portion 22 located at the upper end of one of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2) connecting the top end of the first extension portion (22) to the first upper mounting portion (left upper mounting portion 42) (see Fig 1-2);
a second upper connection portion (right upper mounting portion 22 located at the upper end of the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2) connecting the top end of the second extension portion (22) to the second upper mounting portion (right upper mounting portion 42) (see Fig 1-2);
a first lower mounting portion (left lower attachment portion 52) disposed at a bottom end of the first extension portion (12) and mounted on a first side portion (left side of partition board 8) of the pair of side portions of the partition (5/8) (as shown in Fig 1-2); and
a second lower mounting portion (right lower attachment portion 52) disposed at a bottom end of the second extension portion (12) and mounted on a second side portion (right side of partition board 8) of the pair of side portions of the partition (5/8) (as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claims 2 and 15: Shimizu discloses wherein the first extension portion (one of the pair of metal round pipes 12) is spaced apart from the second extension portion (the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12) along a longitudinal axis of a vehicle body (axis extending from the front to the rear of vehicle) (one metal round pipe 12 is placed on top of the other metal round pipe 12, as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claims 3 and 16: Shimizu discloses wherein the first extension portion (one of the pair of metal round pipes 12) is spaced apart from the second extension portion (the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12) along a width axis of a vehicle body (axis extending from the left to the right of vehicle) (top end of one of the pair of metal round pipes 12 is located above the bottom end of the other one of the round metal pipes 12, as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claims 4 and 17: Shimizu discloses wherein the first extension portion (one of the pair of metal round pipes 12) is spaced apart from the second extension portion (the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12) along a height axis of a vehicle body (axis extending from the top to the bottom of the vehicle) (top end of one of the pair of metal round pipes 12 is spaced from the top end of the other one of the round metal pipes 12, as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claims 5 and 18: Shimizu discloses further comprising a middle connection portion (point at which round metal pipes 12 intersect, a bolt/ fastener hole appears to be present as shown in Fig 1-2) connecting the first extension portion (one of the pair of metal round pipes 12) and the second extension portion (the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12, Fig 1-2).
Claim 6: Shimizu discloses wherein: the first upper mounting portion (left upper mounting portion 42) is offset with respect to the top end of the first extension portion (top of 12) (42 is offset or spaced from 12 by left upper mounting portion 22 as shown in Fig 1-2); and
the second upper mounting portion (right upper mounting portion 42) is offset with respect to the top end of the second extension portion (top of 12) (42 is offset or spaced from 12 by right upper mounting portion 22 as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claim 7: Shimizu discloses wherein further comprising: a first upper connection portion (left upper mounting portion 22 located at the upper end of one of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2) connecting the top end of the first extension portion (22) to the first upper mounting portion (left upper mounting portion 42) (see Fig 1-2); and
a second upper connection portion (right upper mounting portion 22 located at the upper end of the other of the pair of metal round pipes 12 as shown in Fig 1-2) connecting the top end of the second extension portion (22) to the second upper mounting portion (right upper mounting portion 42) (see Fig 1-2).
Claim 8: Shimizu discloses wherein: a cross section of the first upper connection portion (left upper mounting portion 22) gradually changes from the top end of the first extension portion (12) toward the first upper mounting portion (42) (as shown in Fig 1-2); and
a cross section of the second upper connection portion (right upper mounting portion 22) gradually changes from the top end of the second extension portion (12) toward the second upper mounting portion (42) (as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claim 9: Shimizu discloses wherein: the first lower mounting portion (left lower attachment portion 52) is offset with respect to the bottom end of the first extension portion (metal pole 12) (52 is offset or spaced from 12 by left lower mounting portion 32 as shown in Fig 1-2); and
the second lower mounting portion (right lower attachment portion 52) is offset with respect to the bottom end of the second extension portion (metal pole 12) (52 is offset or spaced from 12 by left lower mounting portion 32 as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claim 10: Shimizu discloses further comprising: a first lower connection portion (left lower mounting portion 32) connecting the bottom end of the first extension portion (12) to the first lower mounting portion (left lower attachment portion 52) (as shown in Fig 1-2); and
a second lower connection portion (right lower mounting portion 32) connecting the bottom end of the second extension portion (12) to the second lower mounting portion (right lower attachment portion 52) (as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claim 11: Shimizu discloses wherein: a cross section of the first lower connection portion (left lower mounting portion 32) gradually changes from the bottom end of the first extension portion (12) toward the first lower mounting portion (left lower attachment portion 52) (as shown in Figs 1-2, best shown in Fig 2); and
a cross section of the second lower connection portion (right lower mounting portion 32) gradually changes from the bottom end of the second extension portion (12) toward the second lower mounting portion (right lower attachment portion 52) (as shown in Figs 1-2, best shown in Fig 2).
Claim 12: Shimizu disclose wherein: the first upper mounting portion (left upper mounting portion 42) and the second upper mounting portion (right upper mounting portion 42) are mounted on an upper portion (left an right upper mounting portions 42 of the front panel 5) of a partition (front panel 5 with partition board 8) of a vehicle body (as shown in Fig 1-2, pg 6); and
the first lower mounting portion (left lower attachment portion 52) and the second lower mounting portion (right lower attachment portion 52) are mounted on respective side portions of the partition of the vehicle body (left and right lower attachment portions 52 are connected to partition 8, as shown in Fig 1-2, pg 6).
Claim 13: Shimizu discloses wherein: each of the first upper mounting portion (left upper mounting portion 42) and the second upper mounting portion (right upper mounting portion 42) comprises first cylindrical hardware through which a first fastener extends (bolts or fasteners are shown extending through upper mounting portions 22 into 42 in Fig 1); and
each of the first lower mounting portion (left lower attachment portion 52) and the second lower mounting portion (right lower attachment portion 52) comprises second cylindrical hardware through which a second fastener extends (bolts or fasteners are shown extending through lower mounting portions 32 into 52 in Fig 1).
Claim 19: Shimizu discloses wherein: the first upper mounting portion (left upper mounting portion 42) is offset with respect to the top end of the first extension portion (top of 12) (42 is offset or spaced from 12 by left upper mounting portion 22 as shown in Fig 1-2);
the second upper mounting portion (right upper mounting portion 42) is offset with respect to the top end of the second extension portion (top of 12) (42 is offset or spaced from 12 by right upper mounting portion 22 as shown in Fig 1-2);
a cross section of the first upper connection portion (left upper mounting portion 22) gradually changes from the top end of the first extension portion (12) toward the first upper mounting portion (42) (as shown in Fig 1-2); and
a cross section of the second upper connection portion (right upper mounting portion 22) gradually changes from the top end of the second extension portion (12) toward the second upper mounting portion (42) (as shown in Fig 1-2).
Claim 20: Shimizu discloses further comprising: a first lower connection portion (left lower mounting portion 32) connecting the bottom end of the first extension portion (12) to the first lower mounting portion (left lower attachment portion 52) (as shown in Fig 1-2), wherein a cross section of the first lower connection portion (left lower mounting portion 32) gradually changes from the bottom end of the first extension portion (12) toward the first lower mounting portion (left lower attachment portion 52) (as shown in Figs 1-2, best shown in Fig 2); and
a second lower connection portion (right lower mounting portion 32) connecting the bottom end of the second extension portion (12) to the second lower mounting portion (right lower attachment portion 52) (as shown in Fig 1-2), wherein a cross section of the second lower connection portion (right lower mounting portion 32) gradually changes from the bottom end of the second extension portion (12) toward the second lower mounting portion (right lower attachment portion 52) (as shown in Figs 1-2, best shown in Fig 2).
Conclusion
Claims 1-20 are rejected. No claims are allowed.
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