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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of the species of figures 1-6 in the reply filed on 05/14/26 is acknowledged and claims 3-13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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. 102a1 as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2017/0337821, hereafter referred to as ‘Masuda.’ Regarding claim 1, Masuda teaches a corner reflector installation structure (figure 2) that is applicable to a vehicle ( C )including a lamp 10; a cover member 12 that covers a part of the lamp (fig. 2); and a corner reflector 36, wherein the corner reflector 36 is provided inside a housing 2 constituting the lamp (fig. 2), and the corner reflector installation structure is configured such that the cover member 12 and the corner reflector 36 overlap with each other in a front view of a vehicle body of the vehicle (see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 2, Masuda teaches the corner reflector installation structure according to claim 1. Masuda further teaches wherein the cover member 12 is inclined (fig. 2) such that a vehicle body upper side of the cover member 12 is located backward relative to a vehicle body lower side of the cover member 12 in a side view of the vehicle (fig. 2).
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by JP2000-103283. Regarding claim 1, JP2000-103283 teaches a corner reflector installation structure (figures 1-13) that is applicable to a vehicle 1 including a lamp (4, 4a, 33); a cover member (10, 34) that covers a part of the lamp (figures 3 and 11); and a corner reflector (6, 30), wherein the corner reflector is provided inside a housing (8, 31) constituting the lamp (figures 3 and 11), and the corner reflector installation structure is configured such that the cover member and the corner reflector overlap with each other (see overlap in figures 2 and 11) in a front view of a vehicle body of the vehicle (figures 1-2, 9, 11 and 13).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Maruyama teaches a corner reflector 25 which is overlapped or concealed by cover member 22a which is similar to applicant’s invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS M SEMBER whose telephone number is (571)272-2381. The examiner can normally be reached flexing generally from 7 a.m. to 5.00 p.m. M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ABDULMAJEED Aziz can be reached at 571-270-5046. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THOMAS M SEMBER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2875
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