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 § 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 1-5, 11-2, and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun, et al. (CN 209795613 U).
Regarding claim 1, Sun discloses a vehicle body structure, comprising: a front crossbeam upper plate (1, Fig. 7); a cowl panel (12, Fig. 7), at least a portion of the cowl panel being disposed on a rear side of the front crossbeam upper plate (as shown in Fig. 7); and a front crossbeam lower plate(4, Fig. 7), at least a portion of the front crossbeam lower plate being disposed below the front crossbeam upper plate and the cowl panel (as shown in Fig. 7), wherein the front crossbeam lower plate, the front crossbeam upper plate, and the cowl panel define a first cavity (as shown in Fig. 7), and the front crossbeam lower plate, the front crossbeam upper plate, and a portion of the cowl panel that defines the first cavity form a front crossbeam (as shown in Fig. 7).
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Regarding claim 2, Sun discloses a central channel (6, Fig. 7) extending in a front-rear direction of a vehicle body, the central channel being connected to the cowl panel (12, Fig. 7) at a connection location, and the connection location being disposed opposite to the first cavity (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 3, Sun discloses the connection location corresponds to a middle location of the first cavity (as shown in Fig. 7) in an up-down direction of the vehicle body (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 4, Sun discloses a front longitudinal beam (2, Fig. 3), the front longitudinal beam comprising a left front longitudinal beam and a right front longitudinal beam spaced apart along a left-right direction of the vehicle body (as shown in Fig. 3), the left front longitudinal beam connected to a left end portion of the first cavity disposed at a first location in the first cavity and close to the left front longitudinal beam (as shown in Fig. 3), the right front longitudinal beam connected to a right end portion of the first cavity disposed at a second location in the first cavity and close to the right front longitudinal beam (as shown in Fig. 3), and the first location and the second location in the front-rear direction being located in front of an intermediate portion of the first cavity in the left-right direction of the vehicle body (as shown in Fig. 3).
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Regarding claim 5, Sun discloses the right end portion and the left end portion are spaced apart along the left-right direction of the vehicle body (as shown in Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 11, Sun discloses the front crossbeam lower plate (4, Fig. 7) and the cowl panel (12, Fig. 7) define a second cavity (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 12, Sun discloses at least a portion of a lower side surface of the front crossbeam lower plate is parallel to a bottom surface of a vehicle body (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 17, Sun discloses a vehicle, comprising a vehicle body structure, the vehicle body structure comprising: a front crossbeam upper plate (1, Fig. 7); a cowl panel (12, Fig. 7), at least a portion of the cowl panel being disposed on a rear side of the front crossbeam upper plate (as shown in Fig. 7); and a front crossbeam lower plate(4, Fig. 7), at least a portion of the front crossbeam lower plate being disposed below the front crossbeam upper plate and the cowl panel (as shown in Fig. 7), wherein the front crossbeam lower plate, the front crossbeam upper plate, and the cowl panel define a first cavity (as shown in Fig. 7), and the front crossbeam lower plate, the front crossbeam upper plate, and a portion of the cowl panel that defines the first cavity form a front crossbeam (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 18, Sun discloses the vehicle body structure further comprises a central channel (6, Fig. 7) extending in a front-rear direction of a vehicle body, the central channel being connected to the cowl panel (12, Fig. 7) at a connection location, and the connection location being disposed opposite to the first cavity (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 19, Sun discloses the connection location corresponds to a middle location of the first cavity (as shown in Fig. 7) in an up-down direction of the vehicle body (as shown in Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 20, Sun discloses a front longitudinal beam (2, Fig. 3), the front longitudinal beam comprising a left front longitudinal beam and a right front longitudinal beam spaced apart along a left-right direction of the vehicle body (as shown in Fig. 3), the left front longitudinal beam connected to a left end portion of the first cavity disposed at a first location in the first cavity and close to the left front longitudinal beam (as shown in Fig. 3), the right front longitudinal beam connected to a right end portion of the first cavity disposed at a second location in the first cavity and close to the right front longitudinal beam (as shown in Fig. 3), and the first location and the second location in the front-rear direction being located in front of an intermediate portion of the first cavity in the left-right direction of the vehicle body (as shown in Fig. 3).
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.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun, et al. (CN 209795613 U) in further view of Yamaguchi, et al. (US 20190300055 A1).
Regarding claim 10, Sun discloses a vehicle body structure with a first cavity (Sun, Fig. 7 above). However, does not disclose a bracing plate disposed at the intermediate portion of the first cavity. However, Yamaguchi discloses a bracing plate (Yamaguchi, 18(12), Fig. 4) disposed at the intermediate portion of the first cavity (Yamaguchi, as shown in Fig. 4 below). Therefore, it would have been obvious before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed pertains to construct a first cavity of the vehicle body structure of Sun to include a bracing plate taught by Yamaguchi with a reasonable expectation of success to have the bracing plate reinforce the cowl cavity structure.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-9 and 13-16 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:
“…form a V-shaped structure with the intermediate portion of the first cavity” in claim 6 is not taught in the prior art. For example, Sun discloses a vehicle body structure with a first cavity however not a V-shaped structure. It would not be obvious to incorporate forming a V-shaped structure with the intermediate portion of the first cavity.
“…a cross-section area of the intermediate portion of the first cavity is less than a cross-section area of the right end portion and the left end portion, and the cross-section area of the intermediate portion of the first cavity is a cross-section area of the first cavity along an up-down direction of the vehicle body” in claim 7 is not taught in the prior art. For example, Sun discloses a first cavity however not a cross-section area of the first cavity being less than a cross-section area of the left and right portion in an up-down direction. It would not be obvious to incorporate a cross-section area of the first cavity being less than a cross-section area of the left and right portion in an up-down direction. Claim 8 due to their dependency on claim 7 also contain allowable subject matter.
“…along a direction from the intermediate portion of the first cavity towards the right end portion and the left end portion, a cross-section area of the first cavity gradually increases” in claim 9 is not taught in the prior art. For example, Sun discloses a first cavity however not a cross-section area of the first cavity increasing at the right and left end portions. It would not be obvious to incorporate a cross-section area of the first cavity increasing at the right and left end portions.
“…the mounting portion being disposed on a lower side of the front crossbeam lower plate and between the left front longitudinal beam and the right front longitudinal beam, and the mounting portion being configured for mounting a front subframe” in claim 13 is not taught in the prior art. For example, Sun discloses longitudinal beams however not a mounting portion. It would not be obvious to incorporate a mounting portion.
“…the left reinforcing plate, the right reinforcing plate, and the front crossbeam lower plate form a third cavity” in claim 14 is not taught in the prior art. For example, Sun discloses the reinforcing plate however not a third cavity. It would not be obvious to incorporate a third cavity from reinforcing plates.
“…form a fourth cavity and a fifth cavity, the fourth cavity” in claim 15 is not taught in the prior art. For example, Sun discloses vehicle body structure comprising longitudinal beams however not a fourth and fifth cavities. It would not be obvious to incorporate fourth and fifth cavities of the vehicle structure. Claim 16 due to their dependency on claim 15 also contain allowable subject matter.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kim, et al. (US 20200180700 A1) discloses a front vehicle body structure with a cowl member.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Alma D Schuster whose telephone number is (571)272-8938. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 8:30am-6:30pm and Fri 7am-11am.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amy R Weisberg can be reached at (571)270-5500. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Alma D. Schuster/Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/AMY R WEISBERG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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