DETAILED ACTION
The following action is in response to application 18/600,224 filed on March 8, 2024.
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 § 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 11-17 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.
With regard to claim 11, on lines 2-3, the limitation of “the outboard surface of the front side member” lacks antecedent basis. Claims 12-17 depend upon claim 11.
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.
Claim(s) 1 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ramoutar (US 9156418). With regard to claim 1, Ramoutar teaches a vehicle front structure, comprising: a first front side member 14; a front bumper beam 18 located in front of the front side member; a bumper beam extension portion 20 extending from an end of the front bumper beam; a deflector 21 mounted on the bumper beam extension portion; and a support 60 located behind the deflector, wherein the support is attached to an outboard surface of the first front side member. With regard to claim 15, Ramoutar teaches the structure, further comprising a crush box 40, wherein the front bumper beam 18 is connected to a front end of the first front side member by the crush box, wherein a crush box width (@14d) of the crush box is greater than a member width of the first front side member (@42a), and wherein the support 60 is mounted on the outboard surface of the first front side member 14 rearward of the crush box 40.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 8, and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakakibara (US 20140361560). With regard to claim 1, Sakakibara teaches a vehicle front structure, comprising: a first front side member 12; a front bumper beam 22 located in front of the front side member; a bumper beam extension portion 22A extending from an end of the front bumper beam; a deflector 26 mounted on the bumper beam extension portion; and a support 50 located behind the deflector, wherein the support is attached to an outboard surface of the first front side member. With regard to claim 6, Sakakibara teaches the structure, wherein a front width of a front end of the support is less than a rear width of a rear end of the support (Fig. 5A). With regard to claim 8, Sakakibara teaches the structure, further comprising: a second front side member 12 (right; paragraph 33); and a crossmember 14 mechanically coupled between the first front side member and the second front side member along a width direction of a vehicle, wherein a first end of the crossmember is fixed to a first inboard surface of the first front side members via a first bracket 16, and wherein a second end of the crossmember is fixed to a second inboard surface of the second front side members via a second bracket 16 (right). With regard to claim 18, Sakakibara teaches a vehicle comprising: a first front side member 12 extending along a first longitudinal direction of the vehicle; a front bumper beam 22 located forward of the first front side member, the front bumper beam being mechanically coupled to the first front side member via a crush box 18; a bumper beam extension portion 22A extending diagonally rearward and outward from the front bumper beam; a deflector 26 mechanically coupled to an inboard surface of the bumper beam extension portion; and a support 50 mechanically coupled to an outboard surface of the first front side member, such that the support is diagonally separated from the deflector by a spaced distance (Fig. 5A), and such that a diagonally-inboard-facing deflector surface of the deflector faces toward a diagonally- outward-facing support surface of the support. With regard to claim 19, Sakakibara teaches the vehicle, further comprising: a second front side member 12 (right; paragraph 33) extending along a second longitudinal direction of the vehicle; and crossmember 14 mechanically coupled between the first front side member and the second front side member along a lateral axis in a width direction of the vehicle, wherein a portion of the support is located on the lateral axis of the crossmember (Fig. 4).
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.
Claim(s) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakakibara ‘560 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kitakata (US 9676416). With regard to claim 7, Sakakibara teaches the structure, but lacks the teaching of the specific structure of the support. Kitakata teaches a similar front structure comprising: a first front side member 16, a front bumper beam 18, a bumper beam extension portion 18A, a support 22 attached to an outboards surface of the first front side member, wherein the support 22 comprises: a plurality of interior ribs 50; and a plurality of interior cavities 52A/52B defined by the plurality of interior ribs. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Sakakibara to employ a support with ribs and cavities in view of Kitakata with reasonable expectation for success in order to reduce weight while maintain structural rigidity.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sakakibara ‘560 as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Hashimoto (US 20140159420). With regard to claim 11, Sakakibara teaches the structure, but lacks the specific teaching how the support is attached to the first front side member. Hashimoto teaches a similar structure comprising: a first front side member 12, a front bumper beam 14, a bumper beam extension portion 14A, a support 30, wherein the support comprises a support rear flange 25 extending toward a rear of the vehicle, wherein the support rear flange is attached to the outboard surface of the first front side member 12. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to modify Sakakibara to employ a support rear flange in view of Hashimoto with reasonable expectation for success in order to provide a mounting means for the support.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 9-10 and 20 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.
Claims 12-14 and 16-17 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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: the prior art of record fails to show or render obvious the vehicle front structure as claimed, and particularly including a first deflector member located outside the bumper beam extension portion; and a second deflector member at least partially inserted into a cavity of the bumper beam extension portion, wherein the first deflector member and the second deflector member are fixed to the bumper beam extension portion, and including the remaining structure of claim 2. Claims 3-5 depend upon claim 2. The present invention also particularly includes the structure, wherein at least a portion of the support is aligned with the crossmember in the width direction of the vehicle, and including the remaining structure of claim 9. The present invention also particularly includes a front subframe; and a front mount of the front subframe configured to be attached to the first front side member, such that the front mount is aligned with at least a portion of the support and at least a portion of the crossmember, and including the remaining structure of claim 10. The present invention also particularly includes the structure, wherein the first bracket comprises a bracket rear flange extending toward the rear of the vehicle, wherein the bracket rear flange of the first bracket is attached to the first inboard surface of the first front side member, and including the remaining structure of claim 12. Claims 13-14 depend upon claim 12. The present invention also particularly includes the structure, wherein the first front side member comprises a plate provided on the front end of the first front side member, and wherein the crush box is fixed to the plate of the first front side member, and including the remaining structure of claim 16. Claim 17 depends on claim 16. The present invention also particularly includes a first front mount of the front subframe mechanically coupled to the first front side member, such that the first front mount is aligned with at least a portion of the support and at least a portion of the crossmember; and a second front mount of the front subframe mechanically coupled to the second front side member, such that a closed loop structure is formed comprising the first front mount, the front subframe, the second front mount, and the crossmember, and including the remaining structure of claim 20.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ramoutar (US 9010845) has been cited to show a similar structure comprising: a bumper 106, a bumper extension 126, a deflector 132 partially inserted into a cavity of the bumper extension, a support 140, a front side member 112, and a crush box (Fig. 7).
Holmstrom (US9669785) has been cited to show a similar structure comprising: a bumper 134, a bumper extension 133, a deflector 160, a support 170, a front side member 112, a front subframe 118 with a mount 180 aligned with support 170 (Figs. 2 and 4).
Shah (US 11292523) has been cited to show a similar structure comprising: a bumper Fig. 3), a bumper extension (Fig. 3), a crush box 305, a support 312, a front side member 302, a plate 304, a cross member 415 and a bracket (Fig. 4).
Park (US 11396331) has been cited to show a similar structure comprising: a bumper 13, a bumper extension 21, a crush box 16, a support 14, a front side member 11, wherein the crush box has a width larger than the width of the front side member, and a cross member 51 aligned with support 14 (Fig. 3).
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/ROGER L PANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
/ROGER L. PANG/
Examiner
Art Unit 3655B
February 26, 2026