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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Nakada (JP 2002052548).
As concerns claim 1, Nakada (JP 2002052548) discloses a vehicle instrument panel, comprising:
a base material (12) extending in a vehicle width direction, at a front part of a vehicle cabin interior of a vehicle;
a skin (14, 16) provided with a pair of skin materials, each of the skin materials having an end part thereof joined together at a skin joining part, and the skin forming a design face at the vehicle cabin interior; and
a cushion part (18) provided between the base material and the skin and formed of a foamed resin,
wherein the base material is provided with a rib (38) at a position facing the skin joining part of the skin. (See at least Figures 1 and 4-7)
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As concerns claim 5, Nakada discloses a method of manufacturing a vehicle instrument panel, the method comprising:
molding a skin (14, 16) having a pair of skin materials each having an end part thereof joined together at a skin joining part;
molding a base material (12) provided with a plurality of ribs (38; see Figure 4) at positions corresponding to the skin joining part;
setting the base material in one die and setting the skin in another die, and closing the one die and the other die; and
molding a cushion part (18) by injecting a foaming crude liquid between the base material and the skin. (See at least Figures 1 and 4-7)
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 of this title, 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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakada in view of Matsumoto et al (US 6,328,924).
As concerns claim 4, Nakada discloses the vehicle instrument panel of claim 1, wherein at least one skin material of the pair of skin materials is configured by polyethelyne or polypropelene.
Nakada fails to specify the use of PVC.
Matsumoto et al (US 6,328,924) however teaches wherein at least one skin material of an instrument panel is configured by polyvinyl chloride for the purpose of providing a stronger, integral style of construction of the skin to the foam core beneath. (At least Column 2, Line 26 to Column 3, Line 4, and Column 4, Lines 30-36)
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify Nakada as taught by Matsumoto to include the PVC-based skin for the expected benefit of providing a more integrally laminated instrument panel, to obtain the invention as specified in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As concerns claim 2, prior art reference Nakada discloses the claimed base material, and wherein a foaming crude liquid of the foamed resin configuring the cushion part is injected from the base material toward the rib part. (At least the Abstract)
Nakada however fails to specify or anticipate the separate upper part, lower part and concave parts as claimed in combination.
Neither Nakada nor any additionally cited art of record teaches or fairly suggests, alone or in combination, inter alia, wherein a vehicle instrument panel would comprise a base material as claimed in claim 2, comprising the upper part, lower part and concave part.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/AARON L LEMBO/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3679
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