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 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.
Claims 1-2, 4-8, and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yun et al. (CN 218785916) in view of Ishitobi et al. (US 2010/0084888) and Tanaka (US 2018/0208029).
Regarding claim 1, Yun et al. discloses a side crash beam assembly for a vehicle (Fig. 3) comprising: a first reinforcement beam (2), the first reinforcement beam spanning a door for attachment to an inner panel (101); and a second beam (3) having a first terminal end and a second terminal end (Fig. 6), the first and second terminal ends being fixed to the inner panel (paragraph [n0057] teaches the second beam being attached to the inner panel).
Yun et al. does not explicitly disclose the first reinforcement beam is formed from a sheet material, and the second beam is an elongated cylindrical tube fixed to the inner panel by a respective reinforcement member, wherein each reinforcement member includes an attachment portion that is fixed to the inner panel and a cradle portion unitary with the attachment portion and defining an arcuate seat that is configured for receipt of one of either the first terminal end or the second terminal end of the elongated cylindrical tube.
Ishitobi et al., like Yun et al., teaches a side crash beam assembly, and teaches a first reinforcement beam formed from a sheet material (paragraph [0140], beam can be made from a steel sheet).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the side crash beam of Yun et al. to form the first reinforcement beam from a steel sheet as taught by Ishitobi et al., with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide a material in a sheet format that is strong enough to provide reinforcement of the vehicle door.
Tanaka, like Yun et al., teaches a side crash beam assembly, and further teaches a beam (30) is an elongated cylindrical tube (Figs. 1-2) having a first terminal end (P) and a second terminal end (P) fixed to the inner panel (20) by a respective reinforcement member ((40), paragraph [0065] teaches (40) can be used at both ends), wherein each reinforcement member includes an attachment portion that is fixed to the inner panel (Figs. 1-2 show (40) attached to (20) by welding) and a cradle portion (41) unitary with the attachment portion and defining an arcuate seat that is configured for receipt of one of either the first terminal end or the second terminal end of the elongated cylindrical tube (Fig. 4, paragraph [0034]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the assembly of Yun et al. modified by Ishitobi et al., to provide the second beam as an elongated cylindrical tube fixed to the inner panel by reinforcement members as taught by Tanaka, with a reasonable expectation of success, since providing a standard bracket connection for the beam may allow for an impact to break the bracket and have the end of the beam come off the inner panel, which would decrease the effect of the impact the beam can receive (Tanaka; paragraph [0004]).
Regarding claim 2, Yun et al. as modified by Ishitobi et al. and Tanaka teaches the assembly of claim 1, and teaches (references to Tanaka) wherein the elongated cylindrical tube (30) is arc welded to the reinforcement members ((40), paragraph [0036] mentions arc- welding of (30) to (40)).
Regarding claim 4, Yun et al. as modified by Ishitobi et al. and Tanaka teaches the assembly of claim 1, and teaches (references to Yun et al.) wherein the first reinforcement beam is an upper beam on the door (Fig. 3, upper anti-collision beam (2) is positioned as an upper beam on the door).
Regarding claim 5, Yun et al. as modified by Ishitobi et al. and Tanaka teaches the assembly of claim 1, and teaches (references to Yun et al.) wherein the first reinforcement beam and the second beam are spaced parallel to one another (Fig. 3, (2) and (3) are parallel to each other).
Regarding claim 6, Yun et al. as modified by Ishitobi et al. and Tanaka teaches the assembly of claim 5, and teaches (references to Yun et al.) wherein the first reinforcement beam and the second beam are angled with respect to a horizontal plane (Fig. 3, (2) and (3) are angled to a horizontal plane).
Regarding claim 7, Yun et al. discloses a vehicle door (Fig. 3) comprising: an inner panel (101), an outer panel (102) and a side crash beam assembly (Fig. 3); the side crash beam assembly includes a first reinforcement beam (2), the first reinforcement beam spanning the vehicle door for attachment to the inner panel (101); and a second beam (3) having a first terminal end and a second terminal end (Fig. 6), the first and second terminal ends being fixed to the inner panel (paragraph [n0057] teaches the second beam being attached to the inner panel).
Yun et al. does not explicitly disclose the first reinforcement beam is formed from a sheet of material, and the second beam is an elongated cylindrical tube fixed to the inner panel by a respective reinforcement member, wherein each reinforcement member includes an attachment portion that is fixed to the inner panel and a cradle portion unitary with the attachment portion and defining an arcuate seat that is configured for receipt of one of either the first terminal end or the second terminal end of the elongated cylindrical tube.
Ishitobi et al., like Yun et al., teaches a vehicle door, and teaches a first reinforcement beam formed from a sheet material (paragraph [0140], beam can be made from a steel sheet).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vehicle door of Yun et al. to form the first reinforcement beam from a steel sheet as taught by Ishitobi et al., with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide a material in a sheet format that is strong enough to provide reinforcement of the vehicle door.
Tanaka, like Yun et al., teaches a vehicle door, and further teaches a beam (30) is an elongated cylindrical tube (Figs. 1-2) having a first terminal end (P) and a second terminal end (P) fixed to the inner panel (20) by a respective reinforcement member ((40), paragraph [0065] teaches (40) can be used at both ends), wherein each reinforcement member includes an attachment portion that is fixed to the inner panel (Figs. 1-2 show (40) attached to (20) by welding) and a cradle portion (41) unitary with the attachment portion and defining an arcuate seat that is configured for receipt of one of either the first terminal end or the second terminal end of the elongated cylindrical tube (Fig. 4, paragraph [0034]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the vehicle door of Yun et al. modified by Ishitobi et al., to provide the second beam as an elongated cylindrical tube fixed to the inner panel by reinforcement members as taught by Tanaka, with a reasonable expectation of success, since providing a standard bracket connection for the beam may allow for an impact to break the bracket and have the end of the beam come off the inner panel, which would decrease the effect of the impact the beam can receive (Tanaka; paragraph [0004]).
Regarding claim 8, Yun et al. as modified by Ishitobi et al. and Tanaka teaches the vehicle door of claim 7, and teaches (references to Tanaka) wherein the cylindrical tube (30) is arc welded to the reinforcement members ((40), paragraph [0036] mentions arc- welding of (30) to (40)).
Regarding claim 10, Yun et al. as modified by Ishitobi et al. and Tanaka teaches the vehicle door of claim 7, and teaches (references to Yun et al.) wherein the first reinforcement beam is an upper beam on the door (Fig. 3, upper anti-collision beam (2) is positioned as an upper beam on the door).
Regarding claim 11, Yun et al. as modified by Ishitobi et al. and Tanaka teaches the vehicle door of claim 7, and teaches (references to Yun et al.) wherein the first reinforcement beam and the second beam are spaced parallel to one another (Fig. 3, (2) and (3) are parallel to each other).
Regarding claim 12, Yun et al. as modified by Ishitobi et al. and Tanaka teaches the vehicle door of claim 11, and teaches (references to Yun et al.) wherein the first reinforcement beam and the second beam are angled with respect to a horizontal plane (Fig. 3, (2) and (3) are angled to a horizontal plane).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-12 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure.
Teshima et al. (US 12172502) and Liu (US 2023/0271650) teach a vehicle door with reinforcement beams.
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.
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/CARLY W. LYNCH/Examiner, Art Unit 3643