DETAILED ACTION
This is a first Non-Final Office Action on the merits in response to the application filed 11/21/23. Claims 1-20 are currently pending yet all are rejected as detailed below. 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 § 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.
Bark
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bark et al. (U.S. Patent Pub. No. 2023/0264534). Bark is directed to a spring pad for a suspension. See Abstract.
Claim 1: Bark discloses a spring isolator pad for a suspension assembly for a vehicle, the spring isolator pad comprising: a rubber isolator pad (1) [see para. 0047] for supporting a coil spring (2) operably coupled to a control arm (3); and a structural insert (30) for supporting a coil spring and the rubber isolator pad, wherein the rubber isolator pad is operably coupled to the structural insert and comprises a first plurality of extensions (13, 18), wherein the structural insert comprises a second plurality of extensions (33, 38) and a base (32), wherein the control arm comprises a spring link with an orifice [see Figs. 3A, 3B, 8], wherein the structural insert engages with the rubber isolator pad and the spring link to limit rotation of the coil spring relative to the control arm responsive to compression cycles via the first plurality of extensions and the second plurality of extensions [see para. 0099-108]. See Figs. 1, 5, 7, 8.
Claim 2: Bark discloses that the second plurality of extensions comprise a first structural insert (38) extension and a second structural insert extension (33), wherein the first structural insert extension protrudes from the base of the structural insert parallel to a longitudinal axis of the coil spring in a first direction away from the coil spring, and wherein the second structural insert extension protrudes from the base of the structural insert parallel to the longitudinal axis of the coil spring in a second direction towards the coil spring. See Figs. 5, 7.
Claim 3: Bark discloses that the first plurality of extensions comprises a first rubber isolator pad extension (18) and a second rubber isolator pad extension (13), wherein the first rubber isolator pad extension protrudes from the rubber isolator pad in the first direction, and wherein the second rubber isolator pad extension protrudes for the rubber isolator pad in the second direction. See Fig. 1.
Claim 4: Bark discloses that the first structural insert extension and the first rubber isolator pad extension engage the orifice of the spring link, and wherein the second structural insert extension and the second rubber isolator pad extension engage an end of the coil spring. See Figs. 1, 8.
Claim 5: Bark discloses that the first structural insert extension and the first rubber isolator pad extension have free movement within the orifice of the spring link. See Fig. 8.
Claim 6: Bark discloses that the structural insert is completely enclosed inside the rubber isolator pad. See Fig. 1.
Claim 7: Bark discloses that the structural insert comprises a guide member (31), wherein the guide member is cylindrical and extends into an interior region of the coil spring. See Fig. 5.
Claim 8: Bark discloses that the base of the structural insert comprises an outer rim with a plurality of apertures, wherein the outer rim and the guide member are operably coupled via a fillet that extends 360 degrees around the guide member. See Figs. 1, 5, 7.
Claim 9: Bark discloses that the first structural insert extension and the second structural insert extension are disposed at an outer edge of the outer rim of the structural insert. See Fig. 5.
Claim 10: Bark discloses that the structural insert limits the coil spring from rotating over 90 degrees from an initial position during operation of the vehicle. See Figs. 1, 5, 7.
Claims 11-20: see claims 1-10 above, respectively.
Conclusion
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VISHAL SAHNI
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3657
/VISHAL R SAHNI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3616 June 3, 2026
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