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
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 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 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishikawa et al. (US Pat 5,501,289) in view of Campbell et al. (US PG Pub 2011/0006562) and Luo et al. (CN 111845959) .
Regarding claim 1, Nishikawa et al. disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a bracket 9, 20 fastened to a floor panel 14 (see Figures 1-3; Col. 4, lines 15-22); a hard cover 2 positioned on a top surface of the bracket 9, 20, the hard cover 2 exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figures 1-3; Col. 3, lines 52-63). The bracket is comprised of an upper portion 9 and a lower portion 20 (see Figure 2; Col. 4, lines 23-28).
Nishikawa et al. fail to disclose the hard cover comprises cover cells that are plate-shaped and a sound-absorbing material disposed between the bracket and the floor panel.
Campbell et al. disclose a floor structure 100 for a vehicle having a hard cover 20 comprised of cover cells that are plate-shaped to allow for easier manipulation during assembly and exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 22-23)
Luo et al. disclose a floor panel for a vehicle having a layer 6 that is both thermally insulating and sound insulating in order to improve the overall driving experience (see Page 3, lines 38-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the hard cover of Nishikawa et al. from cover cells that are plate-shaped, with a reasonable expectation of success, to allow for easier manipulation during assembly, as taught by Campbell et al..
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to position a sound absorbing material between the bracket of Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al., and floor panel, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to improve the overall driving experience by reducing the total amount of noise in the vehicle, as taught by Luo et al..
Regarding claim 4, Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1, further comprising a flange, or “handle”, disposed on the first end 9 and the second end 20 of the bracket (see Figure 2; Col. 3, lines 51-58; Col. 4, lines 16-21).
Claims 1 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ohtake et al. (US Pat 11,541,942) in view of Luo et al..
Regarding claim 1, Ohtake et al. disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a bracket 42 fastened to a floor panel 76 by way of a slope cover 45 (see Figures 2 and 4; Col. 5, lines 32-39, 46-60); and a hard cover 30 positioned on a top surface of the bracket 42, the hard cover 30 comprising cover cells 32 that are plate-shaped and exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figures 4 and 8; Col. 5, lines 40-45; Col. 6, lines 40-61; Col. 7, lines 22-33).
Ohtake et al. fail to disclose a sound-absorbing material disposed between the bracket and the floor panel.
Luo et al. disclose a floor panel for a vehicle having a layer 6 that is both thermally insulating and sound insulating in order to improve the overall driving experience (see Page 3, lines 38-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to position a sound absorbing material between the bracket of Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al., and floor panel, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to improve the overall driving experience by reducing the total amount of noise in the vehicle, as taught by Luo et al..
Regarding claim 8, Ohtake et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1, further comprising a ramp 40 disposed between the bracket 42 and the floor panel 76 (see Figure 5; Col. 5, lines 52-60), the ramp 40 being extendable out of the vehicle (see Figures 2-3; Col. 4, lines 29-35). The ramp 40 is disposed between an upper surface (shown at 43 in Figure 5) of the bracket 42 and the floor panel 76.
Claims 1 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al. (DE 102006052601) in view of Luo et al. (CN 111845959).
Regarding claim 1, Forytta et al. disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a bracket 3 fastened to a floor panel 1 (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 8-9); a hard cover 11 positioned on a top surface of the bracket 3, the hard cover 11 comprises cover cells that are plate-shaped and exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 17-20); and an insulating material 5 disposed between the bracket 3 and the floor panel 1 (see Figure 1; Paragraph 9).
Forytta et al. fail to disclose that the insulating material is sound-absorbing.
Luo et al. disclose a floor panel for a vehicle having a layer 6 that is both thermally insulating and sound insulating in order to improve the overall driving experience (see Page 3, lines 38-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the insulating layer of Forytta et al. as a sound-absorbing material, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to improve the overall driving experience by reducing the total amount of noise in the vehicle, as taught by Luo et al..
Regarding claim 4, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1, further comprising a handle 13 disposed on first and second ends of the bracket 3 (see Figure 1; Paragraph 20).
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., in view of Toyota (US Pat 10,967,912).
Regarding claim 2, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1 comprising a bracket 2 (see Figure 1).
Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., fail to disclose a clipping device positioned on a region of a door scuff that the bracket faces.
Toyota discloses a vehicle lower section structure comprising a floor panel 12 having a cover 14 (see Figure 1; Col. 4, lines 25-27). A door scuff 46 is provided at an end of the floor panel 12 and a clipping device 47 is positioned on a region of the door scuff 46 facing a bracket 44 that is fastened to the floor panel 12 (see Figure 1; Col. 5, line 65-Col. 6, line 4; Col. 6, lines 17-31).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to position the floor structure of Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., in a vehicle having a door scuff, with a reasonable expectation of success, to provide a secure means of allowing passengers to enter and exit the vehicle without concern for a gap between the floor and side sill, as taught by Toyota.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to position the bracket of Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., facing a region of the door scuff having a clipping device, with a reasonable expectation of success, to secure the door scuff in position while supporting a passenger, as taught by Toyota.
Regarding claim 3, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al. and Toyota, disclose the structure of claim 2.
Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al. and Toyota, fail to disclose the door scuff includes a soft portion surrounding a portion of an upper surface of the hard cover.
Toyota discloses a vehicle lower section structure comprising a floor panel 12 having a cover 14 (see Figure 1; Col. 4, lines 25-27). A door scuff 46 is provided at an end of the floor panel 12 and a clipping device 47 is positioned on a region of the door scuff 46 facing a bracket 44 that is fastened to the floor panel 12 (see Figure 1; Col. 5, line 65-Col. 6, line 4; Col. 6, lines 17-31). A resin scuff plate 45, or “soft portion”, surrounds an upper surface of the floor cover 14 (see Figure 1; Col. 6, lines 43-48).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the door scuff of Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al. and Toyota, with a soft portion, with a reasonable expectation of success, as taught by Toyota, to protect an edge portion of the hard cover from wear caused by passengers entering and exiting the vehicle.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., in view of Tada et al. (US Pat 8,424,463).
Regarding claim 5, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1, wherein the floor panel 1 and bracket 3 are coupled to each other (see Figure 1; Paragraph 8).
Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., fail to disclose that the floor panel and bracket are coupled using a hook-and-loop fastening manner.
Tada et al. disclose a structure for a cabin of a vehicle having a base panel F4 connected to a bracket F3 and the bracket F3 coupled to an interior panel 1 of the vehicle by a hook-and-loop fastening manner 41A, 41B which is also used as a support means 5 (see Figure 6; Col. 9, lines 8-22). The hook and loop fastener 41 is used because trash and dust do not easily collect on the fastener when they enter through a gap between the interior panels 1 (see Col. 9, lines 16-22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to couple the floor panel of Forytta et al, as modified by Luo et al, to the bracket using a hook-and-loop fastening manner, with a reasonable expectation of success, to enable the bracket and floor panel to be easily separated for the removal of dust and debris, as taught by Tada et al..
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., in view of Ohnishi et al. (US Pat 5,979,684).
Regarding claim 6, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1 having a sound absorbing material.
Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., fail to disclose that the sound absorbing material comprises expanded polypropylene.
Ohnishi et al. disclose a floor structure 14 having a bracket 27 fastened to a floor panel 25b and a hard cover 25a positioned on a top surface 26 of the bracket 27 (see Figure 3). A sound absorbing material 28 is positioned between the top surface 26 of the bracket 27 and the floor panel 25b (see Figure 3; Col. 8, line 56-Col. 9, line 15). The sound absorbing material 28 can be a polypropylene foam, or “expanded”, resin because of its insulating properties and light weight (see Col. 6, lines 6-16).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to use expanded polypropylene as the sound absorbing material of Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., with a reasonable expectation of success, to provide a light weight and insulating material, as taught by Ohnishi et al..
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., in view of Bejin et al. (US Pat 7,017,980).
Regarding claim 7, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1 having a recess portion 14 disposed in a lower portion of the hard cover 11 (see Figure 1; Paragraph 24).
Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., fail to disclose an opening portion positioned in the hard cover on a top of the recess portion.
Bejin et al. disclose a load floor structure for a vehicle having a hard cover 44 with a recess portion 58 disposed in a lower portion of the hard cover 44 and an opening portion 48 positioned in the hard cover on a top of the recess portion 58 (see Figures 1A-2; Col. 3, lines 32-41; Col. 4, lines 32-36).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to include an opening portion in the hard cover of Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., on a top of the recess portion, with a reasonable expectation of success, as taught by Bejin et al., to provide access to the media lines positioned in the recess portion without having to disassemble the floor structure.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., in view of Bejin et al. (US Pat 7,017,980).
Regarding claim 7, Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1 having a recess portion 4 disposed in a lower portion of the hard cover 2 for positioning a spare tire (see Figure 3; Col. 3, lines 9-16).
Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., fail to disclose an opening portion positioned in the hard cover on a top of the recess portion.
Bejin et al. disclose a load floor structure for a vehicle having a hard cover 44 with a recess portion 58 disposed in a lower portion of the hard cover 44 and an opening portion 48 positioned in the hard cover on a top of the recess portion 58 (see Figures 1A-2; Col. 3, lines 32-41; Col. 4, lines 32-36).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to include an opening portion in the hard cover of Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., on a top of the recess portion, with a reasonable expectation of success, as taught by Bejin et al., to provide access to the spare tire positioned in the recess portion while providing space in the rear portion of the vehicle for storing items above the spare tire.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., in view of Vance et al. (US PG Pub 2009/0243322).
Regarding claim 9, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 1 having a seat, a hard cover 11 and a bracket 3 (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 8, 14, and 18-20).
Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., fail to disclose a luggage tray disposed under the seat and the hard cover is disposed between the luggage tray and the bracket by insertion therebetween.
Vance et al. disclose a vehicle having a hard cover 102, 124, a seat 106, and a luggage tray 108, 126. The luggage tray 126 is positioned under the seat 106 on a top surface of the hard cover 124 (see Figures 1-2 ; Paragraphs 28-29). The luggage tray 108, 126 is used to protect the cargo space hard cover 102 from spilled fluid and the like (see Paragraph 28).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to position a luggage tray under the seat of Forytta et al, as modified by Luo et al., with the hard cover between the luggage tray and the bracket, with a reasonable expectation of success, to provide a means of protecting the hard cover from spilled fluids and the like, as taught by Vance et al..
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al. in view of Hasshi et al. (US Pat 6,039,386) and Luo et al..
Regarding claim 10, Forytta et al. disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a bracket device 3 fastened to a floor panel 1 having a first bracket 31, a second bracket 32, a third bracket 33, and fourth bracket 34 (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 8-9); a hard cover 11 positioned on a top surface of the bracket device 3, the hard cover 11 comprises cover cells that are plate-shaped and exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 17-20); and an insulating material 5 disposed between the bracket 3 and the floor panel 1 (see Figure 1; Paragraph 9). Each bracket 3 has a rail 9 integrated into the bracket 3 to allow for a seat to be mounted (see Figure 1; Paragraph 14).
Forytta et al. fail to disclose that each of the brackets are disposed above a region corresponding to a specific seat configuration and the insulating material is sound-absorbing.
Hasshi et al. disclose a floor structure for a vehicle having a front floor panel 2 and rear floor panel 22 (see Figure 3; Col. 3, lines 8-21; Col. 4, lines 16-26). The driver seat 24 and passenger seat 24 are positioned on the front floor panel 2 and a seat 23 between the driver seat 24 and a seat 23 behind the passenger seat 24 are positioned on the rear floor panel 22 (see Figure 3; Col. 4, lines 26-32). The placement of the seats in such a manner improves convenience in the vehicle (see Col. 4, lines 34-39).
Luo et al. disclose a floor panel for a vehicle having a layer 6 that is both thermally insulating and sound insulating in order to improve the overall driving experience (see Page 3, lines 38-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to position the first bracket of Forytta et al. on a first region corresponding to a driver seat, the second bracket on a second region corresponding to a passenger seat, the third bracket disposed on a third region corresponding to a seat in back of the driver seat, and the fourth bracket disposed on a fourth region corresponding to a seat in back of the passenger seat, with a reasonable expectation of success, to ensure that each seat has a rail on which to be mounted that also provides convenience in the vehicle, as taught by Hasshi et al..
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the insulating layer of Forytta et al., as modified by Hasshi et al., as a sound-absorbing material, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to improve the overall driving experience by reducing the total amount of noise in the vehicle, as taught by Luo et al..
Claims 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishikawa et al. in view of Campbell et al. and Luo et al..
Regarding claim 10, Nishikawa et al. disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a bracket 9, 20 fastened to a floor panel 14 (see Figures 1-3; Col. 4, lines 15-22); a hard cover 2 positioned on a top surface of the bracket 9, 20, the hard cover 2 exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figures 1-3; Col. 3, lines 52-63). A first bracket 9 is disposed on a first region corresponding to a driver seat; a second bracket 9 is disposed on a second region corresponding to a passenger seat; a third bracket 9 is disposed on a third region corresponding to a seat in back of the driver seat; and a fourth bracket 9 disposed on a fourth region corresponding to a seat in back of the passenger seat (see Figure 3 and annotated Figure 3 below; Col. 3, lines 52-63). The bracket is comprised of an upper portion 9 and a lower portion 20 (see Figure 2; Col. 4, lines 23-28).
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Nishikawa et al. fail to disclose that each of the brackets are disposed above a region corresponding to a specific seat configuration, the hard cover comprises cover cells that are plate-shaped, and a sound-absorbing material is disposed between the bracket and the floor panel.
Campbell et al. disclose a floor structure 100 for a vehicle having a hard cover 20 comprised of cover cells that are plate-shaped to allow for easier manipulation during assembly and exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 22-23).
Luo et al. disclose a floor panel for a vehicle having a layer 6 that is both thermally insulating and sound insulating in order to improve the overall driving experience (see Page 3, lines 38-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the hard cover of Nishikawa et al. from cover cells that are plate-shaped, with a reasonable expectation of success, to allow for easier manipulation during assembly, as taught by Campbell et al..
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to position a sound absorbing material between the bracket of Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al., and floor panel, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to improve the overall driving experience by reducing the total amount of noise in the vehicle, as taught by Luo et al..
Regarding claim 11, Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 10.
Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., fail to disclose the hard cover comprises a center molding portion 2a inserted in a center groove 19, the center groove being disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket and between the third bracket and the fourth bracket.
A second embodiment of Nishikawa et al. discloses a floor structure 200 having a hard cover 2 wherein the hard cover 2 comprises a center molding portion 2a inserted in a center groove 19, the center groove 19 being disposed between a first bracket 2b and a second bracket 2b and between a third bracket 2b and a fourth bracket 2b (see Figures 6, 11 and annotated Figure 11 below; Col. 5, lines 26-30; Col. 6, lines 3-20).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the hard cover of Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., having a center molding portion inserted in a center groove positioned between the first and second brackets and the third and fourth brackets, with a reasonable expectation of success, as taught by the second embodiment of Nishikawa et al., to provide a tunnel in which wires and ducts may be positioned and protected while extending along a longitudinal direction of the vehicle.
Regarding claim 12, Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 11.
Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., fail to disclose the hard cover further comprises an end cover inserted in an end groove, the end groove being disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket that are disposed under the driver seat and the passenger seat and disposed between the third bracket and the fourth bracket that are disposed under the seat in back of the driver seat and the seat in back of the passenger seat.
Campbell et al. disclose a floor structure 100 for a vehicle having a hard cover 20 comprised of cover cells that are plate-shaped to allow for easier manipulation during assembly and exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 22-23). The hard cover 20 has an end cover inserted in an end groove, the end groove being disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket that are disposed under the driver seat and the passenger seat and disposed between the third bracket and the fourth bracket that are disposed under the seat in back of the driver seat and the seat in back of the passenger seat (see annotated Figure 1 below; Paragraphs 23 and 33). The end groove and the end cover are part of the interlocking mechanism(see Paragraph 23).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the hard cover of Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., with an end cover inserted in an end groove, the end groove being disposed between the first bracket and disposed between the third bracket and the fourth bracket, with a reasonable expectation of success, to provide a means of interlocking the panels of the hard cover to prevent sliding, as taught by Campbell et al..
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al. in view of Brown et al. (US Pat 7,520,554) and Luo et al..
Regarding claim 19, Forytta et al. disclose a vehicle comprising: a vehicle body comprising a floor panel 1 (see Paragraph 4); a plurality of brackets 3 fastened to the floor panel 1 (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 8-9); a hard cover 11 positioned on a top surface of the bracket 3, the hard cover 11 comprises cover cells that are plate-shaped and exposed to an interior of the vehicle (see Figure 1; Paragraphs 17-20); an insulating material 5 disposed between the bracket 3 and the floor panel 1 (see Figure 1; Paragraph 9); and a vehicle seat disposed in the interior or the vehicle above the brackets 3 (see Paragraph 14).
Forytta et al. fail to disclose vehicle doors coupled to the vehicle body at lateral sides of the vehicle body; that the insulating material is sound-absorbing; and that there is more than one seat.
Brown et al. disclose a vehicle having a vehicle body 10, a plurality of doors coupled to the vehicle body 10 at lateral sides of the vehicle body 10 (see Figures 1a-2c), and a plurality of seats disposed in an interior 12 of the vehicle (see Figures 1a-2c; Col. 6, lines 17-24, 41-60).
Luo et al. disclose a floor panel for a vehicle having a layer 6 that is both thermally insulating and sound insulating in order to improve the overall driving experience (see Page 3, lines 38-50).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the vehicle body of Forytta et al. with a plurality of vehicle doors coupled to the vehicle body at lateral sides of the vehicle body, with a reasonable expectation of success, as taught by Brown et al., to provide a convenient means for passengers to enter and exit the vehicle.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the insulating layer of Forytta et al., as modified by Brown et al., as a sound-absorbing material, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to improve the overall driving experience by reducing the total amount of noise in the vehicle, as taught by Luo et al..
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to construct the vehicle of Forytta et al., as modified by Brown et al. and Luo et al., having a plurality of seats, with a reasonable expectation of success, as taught by Brown et al., to provide enough seats for multiple passengers to safely occupy the vehicle.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forytta et al., as modified by Brown et al. twice and Luo et al., in view of Tada et al. (US Pat 8,424,463).
Regarding claim 20, Forytta et al., as modified by Brown et al. twice and Luo et al., disclose the structure of claim 19, wherein the floor panel 1 and bracket 3 are coupled to each other (see Figure 1; Paragraph 8).
Forytta et al., as modified by Brown et al. twice and Luo et al., fail to disclose that the floor panel and bracket are coupled using a hook-and-loop fastening manner.
Tada et al. disclose a structure for a cabin of a vehicle having a base panel F4 connected to a bracket F3 and the bracket F3 coupled to an interior panel 1 of the vehicle by a hook-and-loop fastening manner 41A, 41B which is also used as a support means 5 (see Figure 6; Col. 9, lines 8-22). The hook and loop fastener 41 is used because trash and dust do not easily collect on the fastener when they enter through a gap between the interior panels 1 (see Col. 9, lines 16-22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to couple the floor panel of Forytta et al, as modified by Brown et al. twice and Luo et al, to the bracket using a hook-and-loop fastening manner, with a reasonable expectation of success, to enable the bracket and floor panel to be easily separated for the removal of dust and debris, as taught by Tada et al..
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 13-18 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:
Claim 13 recites a hard floor structure for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a bracket device fastened to a floor panel, wherein the bracket device comprises: a first bracket disposed on a first region corresponding to a driver seat; a second bracket disposed on a second region corresponding to a passenger seat; a third bracket disposed on a third region corresponding to a seat in back of the driver seat; and a fourth bracket disposed on a fourth region corresponding to a seat in back of the passenger seat; a hard cover positioned on a top surface of the bracket device, the hard cover comprising cover cells that are plate-shaped and exposed to a vehicle interior; and a sound-absorbing material disposed between the bracket device and the floor panel. The hard cover comprises a center molding portion inserted in a center groove, the center groove being disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket and between the third bracket and the fourth bracket. The hard cover further comprises an end cover inserted in an end groove, the end groove being disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket that are disposed under the driver seat and the passenger seat and disposed between the third bracket and the fourth bracket that are disposed under the seat in back of the driver seat and the seat in back of the passenger seat; and a watertight portion, wherein the end cover is disposed on both end portions of the watertight portion facing the bracket device in such a manner as to be disposed adjacent lateral surfaces of the bracket device. Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a plurality of brackets, a hard cover and a sound-absorbing material; however, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., fail to disclose a center molding portion inserted in a center groove disposed between the first and second brackets and the third and fourth brackets. Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a plurality of brackets, a hard cover, a sound-absorbing material, a center molding, an end cover, and an end groove; however, Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., fail to disclose a watertight portion facing the bracket device. Toyota (US Pat 10,967,912) discloses a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a bracket, a floor panel, a hard cover, a door scuff, and a door; however, Toyota fails to disclose a plurality of brackets and that the brackets are disposed in a region of the vehicle corresponding to a seat. Katayama et al. (US Pat 9,227,582) disclose a vehicle having a hard floor structure comprising a bracket, a floor panel, a fixation rod, and a hard cover; however, Katayama et al. fail to disclose that a sound absorbing material and an end cover inserted in an end groove. Kenmochi et al. (US Pat 5,849,122) disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a bracket, a sound-absorbing material, and a hard cover comprising cover cells; however, Kenmochi et al. fail to disclose that the bracket is positioned between the floor panel and the hard cover. The prior art does not properly teach or suggest the recited configuration, making claim 13 allowable.
Claim 14 recites a hard floor structure for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a bracket device fastened to a floor panel, wherein the bracket device comprises: a first bracket disposed on a first region corresponding to a driver seat; a second bracket disposed on a second region corresponding to a passenger seat; a third bracket disposed on a third region corresponding to a seat in back of the driver seat; and a fourth bracket disposed on a fourth region corresponding to a seat in back of the passenger seat; a hard cover positioned on a top surface of the bracket device, the hard cover comprising cover cells that are plate-shaped and exposed to a vehicle interior; and a sound-absorbing material disposed between the bracket device and the floor panel. The hard cover comprises a center molding portion inserted in a center groove, the center groove being disposed between the first bracket and the second bracket and between the third bracket and the fourth bracket. The center molding portion is disposed on both end portions of a watertight portion facing the bracket device in such a manner as to be disposed adjacent lateral surfaces of the bracket device. Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a plurality of brackets, a hard cover and a sound-absorbing material; however, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., fail to disclose a center molding portion inserted in a center groove disposed between the first and second brackets and the third and fourth brackets. Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a plurality of brackets, a hard cover, a sound-absorbing material, and a center molding; however, Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., fail to disclose a watertight portion facing the bracket device. Toyota (US Pat 10,967,912) discloses a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a bracket, a floor panel, a hard cover, a door scuff, and a door; however, Toyota fails to disclose a plurality of brackets and that the brackets are disposed in a region of the vehicle corresponding to a seat. Katayama et al. (US Pat 9,227,582) disclose a vehicle having a hard floor structure comprising a bracket, a floor panel, a fixation rod, and a hard cover; however, Katayama et al. fail to disclose that a sound absorbing material and a watertight portion positioned near a center molding. Kenmochi et al. (US Pat 5,849,122) disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a bracket, a sound-absorbing material, and a hard cover comprising cover cells; however, Kenmochi et al. fail to disclose that the bracket is positioned between the floor panel and the hard cover. The prior art does not properly teach or suggest the recited configuration, making claim 14 allowable.
Claim 15 recites a hard floor structure for a vehicle, the structure comprising: a bracket device fastened to a floor panel, wherein the bracket device comprises: a first bracket disposed on a first region corresponding to a driver seat; a second bracket disposed on a second region corresponding to a passenger seat; a third bracket disposed on a third region corresponding to a seat in back of the driver seat; and a fourth bracket disposed on a fourth region corresponding to a seat in back of the passenger seat; a hard cover positioned on a top surface of the bracket device, the hard cover comprising cover cells that are plate-shaped and exposed to a vehicle interior; and a sound-absorbing material disposed between the bracket device and the floor panel. A first position fixation rod is disposed on the floor panel facing the bracket device; a second position fixation rod is disposed on the floor panel at a position at which the bracket device faces a door scuff; and position regulation portions are disposed on the brackets of the bracket device fastened to the first position fixation rod and the second position fixation rod. Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a plurality of brackets, a hard cover and a sound-absorbing material; however, Forytta et al., as modified by Luo et al., fail to disclose fixation rods positioned on the floor panel and bracket device. Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a plurality of brackets, a hard cover, a sound-absorbing material, and a center molding; however, Nishikawa et al., as modified by Campbell et al. and Luo et al., fail to disclose fixation rods positioned on the floor panel and the bracket device. Toyota (US Pat 10,967,912) discloses a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a bracket, a floor panel, a hard cover, a door scuff, and a door; however, Toyota fails to disclose a plurality of brackets and that the brackets are disposed in a region of the vehicle corresponding to a seat. Katayama et al. (US Pat 9,227,582) disclose a vehicle having a hard floor structure comprising a bracket, a floor panel, a fixation rod, and a hard cover; however, Katayama et al. fail to disclose that a sound absorbing material and a watertight portion positioned near a center molding. Kenmochi et al. (US Pat 5,849,122) disclose a hard floor structure for a vehicle having a floor panel, a bracket, a sound-absorbing material, and a hard cover comprising cover cells; however, Kenmochi et al. fail to disclose that the bracket is positioned between the floor panel and the hard cover. The prior art does not properly teach or suggest the recited configuration, making claim 15 allowable.
Claims 16-18 would be allowable because they are dependent claim 15.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Thoman (US Pat 6,138,580) discloses a vehicle floor structure having a hard cover with cover cells that are plate-shaped and a sound absorbing material. Matecki et al. (US Pat 10,661,646) disclose a vehicle floor structure having a hard cover with cover cells that are plate-shaped and a bracket. Nabuchi et al. (US Pat 11,975,601) disclose a hard floor structure having a bracket, a floor panel, and a hard cover. Lee (US Pat 11,524,606) disclose a hard floor structure having a floor panel, a bracket, a hard cover, and a seat rail. Kwon et al. (US Pat 10,166,737) disclose a load floor for a vehicle having a sound absorbing material, a floor panel, and a luggage tray.
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/VERONICA M CONDO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/AMY R WEISBERG/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612