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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ito et al. (US 20160264178 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Ito discloses a vehicle structure (Fig. 1 and 8) comprising: a first engagement portion (Fig. 1 and 8, portion of 40 engaging with side frame 12) that is formed at an end portion (Fig. 1 and 8, laterally right end) of a bumper reinforcement (Fig. 1 and 8, 40 is a bumper reinforcement as it increases front bumper contact surface and shares impact load with the bumper during a collision as shown in Fig. 3B); and a second engagement portion (Fig. 1 and 8, portion of 12 engaging with 40) that is provided at a side member (12 in Fig. 1 and 8) and that engages with the first engagement portion, wherein, the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion engage with each other in both directions of a plan view (Fig. 8 and 4B, engaged with the stepped geometry and the bolts) and a side view (Fig. 1, engaged with the bolts) of a vehicle (10 in Fig. 1 and 8).
Regarding claim 2, Ito discloses the vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion engage with each other by concavo-convex shapes (Fig. 8, the stepped structures of both engagement portions have concavo-convex shapes that match with each other in order to engage).
Regarding claim 3, Ito discloses the vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein, in the plan view, the first engagement portion has a plurality of shoulder portions in a stepped shape (see annotated Fig. 8), and the second engagement portion has a stepped portion (see annotated Fig. 8) that engages with at least a portion of the plurality of shoulder portions.
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Figure 1 Annotated Fig. 8 from Ito
Regarding claim 4, Ito discloses the vehicle structure according to claim 1, wherein, in the side view, the first engagement portion is formed in a prism shape (Fig. 1 and 8, also shown in other embodiment figures, engagement portion has same upper and bottom base shapes that is matching and not rotated, therefore is a prism shape), and the second engagement portion is formed in a concave shape (Fig. 1 and 8, due to stepped structures).
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.
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.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ito as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Rai et al. (US 20230373563 A1).
Regarding claim 5, Ito discloses the vehicle structure according to claim 1, but fails to disclose the side member is integrally formed by die casting.
Rai teaches the side member is integrally formed by die casting (Rai, abstract and paragraph 29, vehicle body parts can be formed by single unified die casting).
Rai is considered to be analogous art because it is in the same field of vehicle energy absorbing structures as Ito.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vehicle structure as taught by Ito to incorporate the teachings of Rai with a reasonable expectation of success and use die casting. Doing so produces a final product with desired properties including strength, weight, and various resistances (Rai, paragraph 30).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited references that are not relied upon all disclose vehicle bumper reinforcement and side member connections.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Wenwei Zhuo whose telephone number is (571)272-5564. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. EST.
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/WENWEI ZHUO/Examiner, Art Unit 3612