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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph 0043, line 2, “such the actuator” should be changed to --such an actuator--.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 12 is objected to because of the following informalities: The word “pivotable” in line 1 should be changed to --pivotably--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-12 and 15-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ide et al. (US 4,485,882, hereinafter Ide) in view of Palmer et al. (US 2018/0226861, hereinafter Palmer).
With regard to claim 1, Ide discloses (see Fig. 1, provided below) a vehicle component access method, comprising:
unlatching a hood latch of a vehicle (“the front end of the hood 12 is adapted to be locked to the automobile body 1 by a known latch mechanism (not shown), which is manually released or remotely controlled from the interior of the automobile”);
opening a hood to access a compartment of the vehicle (see Fig. 1 below, showing the hood 12 open for access to the engine compartment);
detaching a grille latch from within the compartment (the “connecting members 16” must be removed for the grille 14 to be opened); and
moving a grille to access a component aft of the grille (Fig. 1 below shows the grille 14 in the position where it has been moved for access to a component behind it).
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Ide teaches removing the connecting members 16 to detach the grill, rather than unlatching the grill.
Palmer teaches the functional equivalence of various connection mechanisms by stating that “fasteners 74 preferably comprise bolts, though it is foreseen that any one or more of a variety of fasteners or other connection types—for example, buckles, clamps, clasps, clips, latches, nails, pins, rings, straps, welds and/or friction fits” (paragraph 0044).
Thus, It would have been considered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to have modified Ide by utilizing a latch in place of the connection members 16, with a reasonable expectation of success given that Palmer shows that such a modification would have amounted to the simple substitution of one known fastening means for another to achieve a predictable result. Furthermore, a latch would provide a more convenient method of unlocking the grille, rather than removing multiple “connecting members.”
With regard to claim 2, Ide teaches that moving the grille comprises pulling the grille forward from the vehicle (compare Figs. 1 and 2 showing the open and closed positions, respectively).
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With regard to claim 3, Ide teaches that unlatching of the hood latch is from within a passenger compartment of the vehicle (“the front end of the hood 12 is adapted to be locked to the automobile body 1 by a known latch mechanism (not shown), which is manually released or remotely controlled from the interior of the automobile”).
With regard to claim 4, Ide teaches that moving the grille (14) comprises pivoting the grille from an operational position to an access position (note the phantom lines in Fig. 2 above, which show the grille pivoted away from the operational position to the access position).
With regard to claim 5, Ide teaches that moving the grille comprises pivoting the grille about a bottom lower edge of the grille (via hinges 15—see Fig. 2 above).
With regard to claim 6, Ide teaches that the grille guides a flow of air to the component (note the horizontal airflow fins shown in grille 14 in Fig. 2 above).
With regard to claim 7, Ide, as modified by Palmer, teaches that the grille latch is inaccessible from outside the compartment (the “connection members 16,” which have been replaced by a latch due to the modification in claim 1, are inaccessible from outside the compartment, at least when the hood 12 is closed—see Fig. 2 of Ide, which shows the hood 12 covering elements 16).
With regard to claim 8, Ide teaches that the compartment is an engine compartment (see Fig. 1).
With regard to claim 9, Ide teaches that the component is a radiator (6).
With regard to claim 10, Ide teaches that the component is a Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning component (engine 5 can be considered a heating component, since it provides heat to the vehicle, and powers all the other heating system components).
With regard to claim 11, Ide teaches a vehicle component access system, comprising:
a hood (12) that can move between a closed position (Fig. 2) and an open position (Fig. 1), the hood in the closed position covering an opening to an engine compartment of a vehicle such that the engine compartment (see engine 5, positioned within the compartment) is inaccessible through the opening (Fig. 2), the engine compartment accessible through the opening when the hood is in the open position (Fig. 1 position);
a grille (14) that can move between a operational position (Fig. 2) and an access position (Fig. 1); and
a grille fastener (16) that holds the grille in the operational position when the grille fastener is engaged, the grille movable from the operational position to the access position when the grille fastener is disengaged (“the upper end of the ventilating grill 14 is detachably fastened to the front frame 1a with connecting members 16”), the grille fastener accessible from within the engine compartment (the grille fasteners 16 are only accessible when the hood 12 is open, which uncovers the engine compartment).
Ide fails to teach a grille latch. Instead, Ide teaches connecting members 16 which have to be removed in order to move the grille 14.
Palmer teaches the functional equivalence of various connection mechanisms by stating that “fasteners 74 preferably comprise bolts, though it is foreseen that any one or more of a variety of fasteners or other connection types—for example, buckles, clamps, clasps, clips, latches, nails, pins, rings, straps, welds and/or friction fits” (paragraph 0044).
Thus, It would have been considered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to have modified Ide by utilizing a latch in place of the connection members 16, with a reasonable expectation of success given that Palmer shows that such a modification would have amounted to the simple substitution of one known fastening means for another to achieve a predictable result. Furthermore, a latch would provide a more convenient method of unlocking the grille with a single motion, rather than having to remove multiple “connecting members.”
With regard to claim 12, Ide teaches that the grille (14) is pivotably coupled to another portion of the vehicle (via hinges 15).
With regard to claim 15, Ide, as modified by Palmer, teaches that the grille latch (members 16 have been replaced with a latch according to the modification in claim 11 above) is accessible from within the engine compartment when the hood is in the open position (members 16 of Ide are blocked by the hood 12 when it is in the closed position shown in Fig. 2, and this would be the same when members 16 are replaced by a latch).
With regard to claim 16, the grille (14) is at a front end of the vehicle (Figs. 1 and 2).
With regard to claim 17, Ide teaches a component (engine 5 and radiator 6) aft of the grille, the component accessible when the grille is in the access position (see Fig. 1).
With regard to claim 18, Ide teaches that the component is a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning component (engine 5 can be considered a heating component, since it generates heat, and because it powers the heating system of the vehicle).
With regard to claim 19, Ide teaches that the component is a radiator (6).
With regard to claim 20, Ide teaches an actuator for a hood latch, the actuator disposed within a passenger compartment of the vehicle (“the front end of the hood 12 is adapted to be locked to the automobile body 1 by a known latch mechanism (not shown), which is manually released or remotely controlled from the interior of the automobile”).
Claim(s) 13 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ide in view of Palmer as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Siedlecki et al. (US 2008/0088155, hereinafter Siedlecki).
With regard to claim 13, Ide in view of Palmer fails to teach at least one damper connected to the grille and the other portion of the vehicle.
Siedlecki teaches a hood / grille assembly, where a damper (16) is provided between a grille (40) and other portions of the vehicle (i.e. 14, 20, and 18).
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It would have been considered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to have modified Ide in view of Palmer by providing the damper of Siedlecki, in order to “prevent slamming of the grille against the radiator,” and to “prevent vibration of grille 40” “during movement of the vehicle” (Siedlecki, paragraph 0032).
With regard to claim 14, Ide in view of Palmer fails to teach an actuator of the grille latch, the actuator within the engine compartment. However, it is noted that the connection members 16 of Ide, which have been replaced by a latch according to the modification in claim 11, are located in the engine compartment, i.e. under the hood 12.
Siedlecki teaches a vehicle latch (14) that has an actuator handle (20).
It would have been considered obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to have modified the latch of Ide in view of Palmer by providing an actuator handle as shown by Siedlecki, with a reasonable expectation of success, given that it is necessary to provide some means for the user to interact with the latch.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E FULLER whose telephone number is (571)272-6300. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM - 5:30PM.
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/ROBERT E FULLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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