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 .
DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
This is the first Office Action on the merits of Application 18/611,892 filed on 3/21/24. Claims 18-32 are pending. Claims 1-17 have been cancelled due to a preliminary amendment.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 3/21/24 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 18-32 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 18
Lines 8 & 9: “the outside” should be amended as -- an outside --.
Line 13: “the ratio” should be amended as -- a ratio --.
Claim 20
Line 2: “the inside on” should be amended as -- an inside of--.
Claims 19 & 21-32 are also objected to for being dependent upon an objected base claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 18-32 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 18
Lines 20 -22: “which frame portion rests in the end portion…thereto”
It is unclear if the claimed limitation is referring to the frame portion or is unclear which frame portion rests on either of the upper or lower legs.
Line 21: “an upper leg or on a lower leg”
It is unclear if the legs mentioned are the same as mentioned on line 3 of claim 18 or new legs are being claimed.
Claim 20
Lines 1 & 2: “a frame portion rests on the outside and a frame portion rests on the inside…”
It is unclear if the claimed limitation is referring to the previous frame portion in claim 18 or that two additional frame portions are being claimed.
Claims 19 & 21-32 are also rejected to for being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 18-32 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Lutke-Bexten ‘859 teaches a bumper for a motor vehicle.
Karlander ‘006 teaches a bumper beam.
Kamiya ‘429 teaches a process for manufacturing a bumper reinforcement.
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/HUAN LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655