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 .
Status of Claims
This action is in reply to the Applicant’s claims, filed on 04/22/2026.
Claims 3-20 have been added.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 04/22/2026 has been entered. Claims 1-20 remain pending in the application. Applicant’s arguments with respect to the prior art rejections of the claims have been fully considered and found not persuasive; therefore, the rejections have been maintained as previously set forth in the Non-Final Office Action filed 02/24/2026. Applicant’s amendment to the claims has added claims 3-20 and the amendments raise new issues and a new ground(s) of rejection is made.
Applicant’s argument to claim 1 has been considered and found not persuasive. The prior art rejections made in Final Office Action dated 02/24/206 remain and are repeated below. Regarding applicants’ argument that Urano does not teach a cross member front and a cross member rear coupled to each other has been fully considered and found not persuasive. Applicant characterizes the front and rear cross member as two separate distinct structural components that are joined or coupled together. Applicant’s argument is further limiting than the claim language. The term “coupled” is not defined by the specification as joining two separate elements. Under the broadest reasonable interpretation consistent with the specification, the term “coupled” is interpreted as broadly encompassing direct or indirect connection, joining, association, or integral connection between structures, absent an express definition in the specification. As disclosed in Urano, the front facing surface and rear facing surface structural portions of the cross member arrangement are connected and function together as part of the vehicle framework. Therefore, Urano discloses a front member coupled to a rear member as claimed. Accordingly, applicant’s argument is not persuasive and the rejection maintained. Regarding applicants’ argument that Urano does not teach slants extending from inside in the width direction toward outside of a rear part of the vehicle has been fully considered and found not persuasive. Applicant argument further characterizing the slants creating an underfloor space is further limiting than the claim language. The claim recites “a cross member comprising….a side in the width direction…has slants extending from inside in the width direction toward outside of a rear part of the vehicle.” Under the broadest reasonable interpretation, the claim limitation only requires that the side portions included slanted surfaces extending in the recited direction. Urano discloses a cross member (28) with angular sides in the width direction (i.e. slants) extending from the inside to the outside in the direction of the rear of the vehicle as illustrated in Fig. 3-4. These angular side portions satisfy the claim limitation. Urano’s angular side portions do not need to create an underfloor space as that language is not in the claim. Therefore, Urano teaches the claimed slanted configuration and accordingly, applicants’ argument is not persuasive and the rejection maintained.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 5 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 5 recites the limitation: a front wall surface. There is insufficient antecedent basis for “a front wall surface.” It is unclear whether the front wall surface is a component of the vehicle body frame or constitutes a distinct component and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. For examination purposes, the Examiner reads “a front wall surface” as the front wall surface of the front cross member of claim 1.
Claim 19 recites the limitation: does not project toward a vehicle rear side of the cross member. It is unclear how the coupled connection of the upper rear end of the cross member rear and floor pan does not project toward a vehicle rear side of the cross member. As illustrated in Fig. 3, the coupling part, CP2, is angularly projecting in a direction toward the vehicle rear side of the cross member. For examination purposes, the Examiner reads “does not project toward a vehicle rear side of the cross member” as an up-down direction of vehicle V.
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 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Urano et al. (US8469430).
Claim 1. Urano discloses: A vehicle body frame structure for a vehicle (Fig. 3), the vehicle body frame structure comprising:
side sills extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle on respective sides in a width direction of the vehicle (10 frames, Fig. 3);
a cross member extending in the width direction in a central part of the vehicle in the front-rear direction, the cross member being coupled to the side sills at respective ends in the width direction (28 second rear cross member, Figs. 3 and 4); and
a floor pan extending toward a vehicle rear side of the cross member in a lower part of the vehicle (12 rear floor panel which has components 12A-12E, Fig. 2), wherein
the cross member comprises a cross member front (front facing surface of 28, Fig. 5) and a cross member rear (rear facing surface of 28, Fig.5) coupled to each other (surfaces are coupled, Figs. 4 and 5), the cross member front constitutes a wall surface on a vehicle front side of the cross member, and the cross member rear constitutes a wall surface on the vehicle rear side of the cross member (configuration of element 28 as shown on Fig. 5),
a vehicle rear upper end of the cross member rear and a vehicle front lower end of the floor pan are coupled to each other (rear upper end of 28 is coupled to front lower end of 12C, Fig. 5; Column 4, lines 44-55) in an up-down direction of the vehicle (structure of the overlapped coupled connection between 28 and 12C is vertically stacked in an up-down direction of the vehicle as shown on Fig. 5), and
a side in the width direction that constitutes the vehicle rear upper end of the cross member rear has slants extending from inside in the width direction toward outside of a rear part of the vehicle (28 has angular sides extending from the inside to the outside in the direction of the rear of the vehicle where 28 couples to 10, Fig. 3 and 4).
Claim 2. Urano discloses: The vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1, wherein a vehicle rear upper end of the cross member front is coupled to a coupling part (coupling of cross member to floor pan; rear upper end of the cross member front is coupled to coupling, Fig. 5) where the vehicle rear upper end of the cross member rear and the vehicle front lower end of the floor pan are coupled to each other in the up-down direction (see previously rejected claim 1).
Claims 3-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1), under a second reference, as being anticipated by Tsukamoto et al. (US11,091,205).
Examiner note: claims 3-20 all incorporate the claim limitations of claim 1. For ease of presentation, examiner will map the limitation of claim 1 once, as shown below, and then breakout the specific limitations of claims 3-20, as shown below. Examiner notes that claim 1 itself is not being rejected under this newly presented reference.
Tsukamoto et al. (US11,091,205) reference discloses: (Claim 1) A vehicle body frame structure for a vehicle (1 rear vehicle body structure, Fig. 1), the vehicle body frame structure comprising:
side sills extending in a front-rear direction of the vehicle on respective sides in a width direction of the vehicle (20 sills, Fig. 1);
a cross member extending in the width direction in a central part of the vehicle in the front-rear direction, the cross member being coupled to the side silts at respective ends in the width direction (60 cross member comprises 61 upper and 63 lower cross member, Fig. 1); and
a floor pan extending toward a vehicle rear side of the cross member in a lower part of the vehicle (31 rear floor part, Fig. 4), wherein
the cross member comprises a cross member front (61 cross member upper, Fig. 4) and a cross member rear (62 cross member lower, Fig. 4) coupled to each other (coupled proximate 61c rear flange, Fig. 4), the cross member front constitutes a wall surface on a vehicle front side of the cross member (61b front face, Fig. 4), and the cross member rear constitutes a wall surface on the vehicle rear side of the cross member (62a rear face portion, Fig. 4),
a vehicle rear upper end of the cross member rear (flange of 62 opposite of 61c, Fig. 4) and a vehicle front lower end of the floor pan (31b rear floor vertical face, Fig. 4) are coupled to each other in an up-down direction of the vehicle (62 and 31b are coupled in a vertical up-down direction, Fig. 4), and
a side in the width direction that constitutes the vehicle rear upper end of the cross member rear has slants extending from inside in the width direction toward outside of a rear part of the vehicle (60 has angular sides extending from the inside to the outside in the direction of the rear of the vehicle, Fig. 2 [as shown below]).
Fig. 2 of Tsukamoto et al. (US11,091,205):
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Claim 3. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the vehicle rear upper end of the cross member rear and the vehicle front lower end of the floor pan are coupled to each other at a coupling part (structure of the coupling at 61, 62, 96, 31 and 93, Fig. 4), wherein,
a vehicle rear upper end of the cross member front (61C flange, Fig. 4) is also coupled to the coupling part such that the vehicle rear upper end of the cross member front, the vehicle rear upper end of the cross member rear, and the vehicle front tower end of the floor pan overlap each other at the coupling part to form a vertical wall extending in the up-down direction of the vehicle on a vehicle rear side of the cross member (structure of the coupling at 61, 62, and 31 is a vertical up-down direction, Fig. 4), and wherein the slants form a recess in a vehicle rear side of the cross member that is recessed toward a vehicle front side in a central part of the vehicle in the width direction (angular sides of 60 forms a central recess in the vehicle rear side, Fig. 2 [as shown below]).
Fig. 2 of Tsukamoto et al. (US11,091,205):
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Claim 4. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the cross member front and the cross member rear are coupled to each other to form a substantially rectangular closed sectional shape (structure of 61 and 62 form a substantially rectangular cross section, Fig. 4).
Claim 5. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the cross member front forms a front side wall surface and a top surface on a vehicle front side of the cross member (61 forms 61b front face and 61a upper face, Fig. 4) .
Claim 6. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: comprising a floor panel provided in the lower part of the vehicle (11 portion of 10 floor panel, Fig. 4), and wherein a vehicle lower side of the cross member front and a vehicle lower side of the cross member rear are each coupled to the floor panel (11 is coupled to 61 and 62 proximate 61d front flange, Fig. 4).
Claim 7. Tsukamoto discloses: Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein a vehicle front upper side of the cross member front has a first edge line that is substantially straight in the width direction of the vehicle, and a vehicle rear upper side of the cross member rear has a second edge line having the slants (60 has front straight edge and rear edge with slants, Fig. 2).
Claim 8. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 7 (see rejection of claim 7 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the second edge line extends in the width direction of the vehicle between the side sills on the respective sides in the width direction of the vehicle (rear edges extends between the sills, Fig. 2).
Claim 9. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein a width of the cross member in the front-rear direction at respective ends of the cross member in the width direction of the vehicle is larger than a width of the cross member in the front-rear direction at a central part of the cross member in the width direction of the vehicle (60, Fig. 2; ends are wider than middle) .
Claim 10. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the cross member has an arch shape in which a central part of the cross member in the width direction of the vehicle is closest to an upper side of the vehicle (60, Fig. 1; 60 is curved upwardly; Col. 5, line 62-Col. 7, line 7).
Claim 11. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: further comprising rear side frames extending in the front-rear direction on respective sides in the width direction of the vehicle (40 rear frame comprises of 42 parts, Fig. 2), wherein respective ends of the cross member in the width direction of the vehicle are coupled to the side sills at respective coupling parts, and the rear side frames are coupled to the respective coupling parts (implicit coupling structure between 60, 20, and 40, Fig. 1-2).
Claim 12. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: further comprising at least one rear cross member extending in the width direction of the vehicle on a vehicle rear side of the cross member (70 rear cross member, Fig. 2), wherein respective ends of the at least one rear cross member in the width direction of the vehicle are coupled to the rear side frames (70 is coupled to 40, Fig. 2).
Claim 13. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 12 (see rejection of claim 12 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the floor pan is coupled to the cross member on a vehicle front side of the floor pan (31 is coupled to 60 at the vehicle front side of 31, Fig. 4), is coupled to the at least one rear cross member on a vehicle rear side of the floor pan (31 is coupled to 70, Fig. 1), and is coupled to the rear side frames on respective sides of the floor pan in the width direction of the vehicle (31 is coupled to 40, Fig. 1), and wherein an underfloor space is formed on a vehicle lower side of the floor pan (fuel tank is attached to lower side of 31; Col. 6, lines 31-32).
Claim 14. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 13 (see rejection of claim 13 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the slants of the cross member rear form a recess that is recessed toward a vehicle front side in a central part of the crossmember in the width direction of the vehicle, and the recess expands the underfloor space toward the vehicle front side (recess as identified in previously rejected claim 3 is toward the front and expands the space, Fig. 2).
Claim 15. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 13 (see rejection of claim 13 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the underfloor space accommodates at least one of a fuel tank and a battery unit (fuel tank is attached to lower side of 31; Col. 6, lines 31-32).
Claim 16. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: comprising a floor tunnel extending in the front-rear direction of the vehicle in a central part of the vehicle in the width direction, wherein a vehicle rear part of a power unit is fixed to a vehicle front end side of the floor tunnel, and the floor tunnel is coupled to the cross member (11 tunnel portion, Fig. 1-2; implicit rear part of a power unit of automotive vehicle is coupled to front side of tunnel and tunnel is coupled to 60).
Claim 17. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the cross member front and the cross member rear are made of metal, and are coupled to each other by welding (61 is joined to 61 by spot welding, Fig. 4; Col. 7, lines 39-48; metal is inherently disclosed by metal crosshatching).
Claim 19. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein a coupling part where the vehicle rear upper end of the cross member rear and the vehicle front lower end of the floor pan are coupled to each other does not project toward a vehicle rear side of the cross member (structure of the coupling at 61, 62, and 31 is a vertical up-down direction, Fig. 4).
Claim 20. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the cross member is configured to transmit a load received from front side frames coupled to the side sills and the floor pan (40 frames coupled to sills and floor pan, Fig. 1-2), and to disperse the load via the floor pan to rear side frames coupled to respective ends of the cross member in the width direction of the vehicle (right-left load it transmitted through all coupled elements of the vehicle structure; Col. 11, line 35 – Col. 12, line 31) .
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.
Claims 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tsukamoto et al. (US11,091,205), in the second reference, in view of Urano et al. (US8469430).
Claim 17. Tsukamoto discloses the vehicle body frame structure according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 limitations above) and further discloses: wherein the cross member front and the cross member rear are coupled to each other by welding (61 is joined to 61 by spot welding, Fig. 4; Col. 7, lines 39-48; metal is inherently disclosed).
Tsukamoto does not explicitly disclose: made of metal.
Urano discloses an automotive rear body structure comprising of a metal cross member coupled by spot welding.
Urano teaches: made of metal (made of steel and connected by spot welding; Col. 3, lines 41-45).
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 cross member of Tsukamoto to be metal as taught by Urano with a reasonable expectation of success in order to couple the cross member by spot welding as taught by Urano (Col. 3, lines 41-45).
Claim 18. Tsukamoto in view of Urano teach The vehicle body frame structure according to claim 17 (see rejection of claim 17 limitations above) and further teaches: wherein the cross member front and the cross member rear are made of steel plates.
Tsukamoto in view of Urano does not teach: having different thicknesses from each other.
Tsukamoto in view of Urano is silent on the thickness of the plate however does illustrate the plates having a thickness as shown in Fig. 4 ([Tsukamoto]). As shown in the figure, the plates are illustrated with a similar cross sectional thickness wherein the thickness of the plate is recognized as a result effective variable since the thickness of the plate affects known operational characteristics such as strength, stiffness, load carrying, and costs. It would have been considered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have different thickness of plates based upon anticipated loading conditions with a reasonable expectation of success, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable range involves only routine skill in the art. In other words, narrowing a general condition taught by the prior art to a specific numerical value has been held to be an obvious variation thereof. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 and In re Boesch, 205 USPQ 215.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Daniel Craig whose telephone number is (571)270-0747. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thurs 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM CST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tara Schimpf can be reached at (571)270-7741. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL T CRAIG/Examiner, Art Unit 3676
/TARA SCHIMPF/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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