CTNF 18/633,065 CTNF 93545 DETAILED ACTION Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claim 15 is 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. In claim 15, line 8, the applicant recites “the stowed curtain airbag”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this feature in the claims. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-14 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mills et al. (US 20040066056A1) and Dolisy (US 20140091592) . Regarding claim 1, Mills discloses a vehicle sunvisor assembly (10) comprising: a panel body (body of 10, fig 1) including a first panel portion (annotated fig 2) and a second panel portion (annotated fig 2) (figs 1-2), the panel body having a first side (annotated fig 1) and a second side (annotated fig 1) spaced from the first side (figs 1-2); a first vehicle attachment (16, 18) movably coupled to a first end (right end, annotated fig 1) of the first side ([0039], figs 1-2), and configured to be attached to a vehicle body structure (figs 1-2, [0039]); and a second vehicle attachment (44) coupled adjacent a second end (left end, annotated fig 1) of the first side (figs 1-2), and configured to be releasably coupled to the vehicle body structure ([0052]-[0053]); the panel body further including at least one of a frangible connection (38) and a living hinge connection (24) that connects the first panel portion to the second panel portion (FIGS 1-2, [0038]), and the living hinge connection being configured to bend in response to a force greater than a predetermined amount being applied to the first panel portion ([0037]-[0039], figs 1-2). Mills discloses that the connection (38) represents a weakened portion ([0038]) but Mills is silent regarding the fact that the connection is configured to break in response to a force greater than a predetermined amount being applied to the first panel portion. Dolisy teaches weakened portions (7, 8) that are configured to break in response to a force greater than a predetermined amount being applied to the first panel portion ([0016]). Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Mills and Dolisy before him or her, to modify the apparatus/method disclosed by Mills to include a weakened portion break in response to a force greater than a predetermined amount being applied to the first panel portion as taught by Dolisy in order to prevent an uncontrolled splitting of the sun visor into a plurality for individual parts having possibly dangerously sharp broken edges ([0016]). PNG media_image1.png 389 834 media_image1.png Greyscale PNG media_image2.png 675 911 media_image2.png Greyscale Regarding claim 2, Mills further discloses that the panel body includes a first panel part (annotated fig 2) at least partly defining the first panel portion and the second panel portion and a second panel part (annotated fig 2) at least partly defining the first panel portion and the second panel portion (annotated fig 2). Regarding claim 3, Mills further discloses that the first panel part of the panel body and the second panel part of the panel body are a unitary (annotated fig 2). Regarding claim 4, Mills further discloses that the first panel part includes a first exterior surface (exterior surface of first panel part, annotated fig 2) and a first interior surface (interior surface of first panel part, annotated fig 2), the second panel part includes a second exterior surface (exterior surface of second panel part, annotated fig 2) and a second interior surface (interior surface of second panel part, annotated fig 2), and one of the first interior surface and the second interior surface includes a plurality of projections (80) and the other of the first interior surface and the second interior surface includes a plurality of catches (90) for receiving the projections to form a snap-fit connection (figs 1-4, [0046]). Regarding claim 5, Mills further discloses that the frangible connection includes a first frangible section (portion of 38 @ top, fig 2) in the first panel part (figs 1-2). Regarding claim 6, Mills further discloses that the frangible connection includes a second frangible section (portion of 38 @ bottom, fig 2) in the second panel part (figs 1-2). Regarding claim 7, Mills further discloses that the first frangible section and the second frangible section are laterally offset (annotated fig 2). Regarding claim 8, Mills further discloses that the second panel part includes a mirror assembly on the second exterior surface ([0035], figs 11-14). Regarding claim 9, Mills further discloses that he mirror assembly having a first end (left end of mirror, fig 11) and a second end (right end of mirror, fig 11), the second end of the mirror assembly is spaced from the first frangible section by a first lateral distance (fig 11), the second end of the mirror assembly is spaced from the second frangible section by a second lateral distance (fig 11), the first lateral distance is greater than the second lateral distance (fig 11). Regarding claim 10, Mills further discloses that the first panel part includes a first exterior surface (exterior surface of first panel part, figs 1-2) and a first interior surface (interior surface of first panel part, figs 1-2), the first frangible section includes a channel (annotated fig 2) on the first interior surface of the first panel part (annotated fig 1). Regarding claim 11, Mills further discloses that a cross section of the channel taken transversely to the channel has a V shape or a U shape (fig 1). Regarding claim 12, Mills further discloses that the first vehicle attachment includes an L-shaped shaft member having a first end portion (annotated fig 1) and a second end portion (annotated fig 1), the second end portion of the L-shaped shaft member extends into an opening (opening shown in fig 8 on 166) extending along the first side of the panel body (annotated fig 1, ), the panel body is configured to pivot about the first end portion of the L-shaped shaft member (figs 1-8). Regarding claim 13, Mills further discloses that the second vehicle attachment includes an attachment rod (annotated fig 1) extending parallel to the first side of the panel body (annotated fig 1). Regarding claim 14, Mills further discloses that the first panel part includes a first exterior surface and a first interior surface (annotated fig 2), the second panel part includes a second exterior surface and a second interior surface (annotated fig 2), the frangible section or the living hinge section is provided to at least one of the first interior surface and the second interior surface (annotated fig 1-2), at least one of the first interior surface of the first panel part and the second interior surface of the second panel part includes at least one interior reinforcement wall (72, 76) extending transverse to the frangible section or the living hinge section (annotated fig 2), the at least one interior reinforcement wall is discontinuous adjacent to the frangible section or the living hinge section (annotated fig 2). Regarding claim 16, Mills further discloses that a sleeve (14) surrounds the first panel part and the second panel part, the sleeve includes a flexible material ([0035], [0043], fig 15). Regarding claim 17, Mills further discloses that one of the first panel part and the second panel part includes a frangible section (section around 38, figs 1-2) and the other of the first panel part and the second panel part includes a living hinge section (section around 24, figs 1-2). Regarding claim 18, Mills further discloses that the living hinge connection includes a first living hinge section (section of shaft 16, 18, around first panel part, annotated figs 1-2) in the first panel part and a second living hinge section (section of shaft 16, 18, around second panel part, annotated figs 1-2) in the second panel part (annotated figs 1-2) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mills et al. (US 20040066056A1) and Dolisy (US 20140091592) as applied to claim 2 above, and further in view of Kollegen (DE202004019790U1) Regarding claim 15, Mills further discloses that the first panel part includes a first exterior surface and a first interior surface (annotated figs 1-2), the second panel part includes a second exterior surface and a second interior surface (annotated figs 1-2), the frangible section or a living hinge section is provided to at least one of the first interior surface and the second interior surface (annotated figs 1-2), The combination of Mills and Dolisy is silent regarding the fact the frangible section or the living hinge section extends in a direction that is approximately parallel to a medial line of a section of the stowed curtain airbag that is adjacent to the sunvisor panel where the sunvisor panel is in a panel body stored configuration. Kollegen teaches that the frangible section or the living hinge section extends in a direction that is approximately parallel to a medial line (21) of a section of the stowed curtain airbag (16) that is adjacent to the sunvisor panel (24) where the sunvisor panel is in a panel body stored configuration (figs 1-5, page 2, 1 st paragraph). Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Mills, Kollegen and Dolisy before him or her, to modify the apparatus/method disclosed by the combination of Mills and to include a living hinge section extends in a direction that is approximately parallel to a medial line of a section of the stowed curtain airbag as taught by Kollegen in order to prevent the need of additional bracket ( page 2, third paragraph) 07-22-aia AIA Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mills et al. (US 20040066056A1) and Dolisy (US 20140091592) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Ikeda et al. (US 20060175861) Regarding claim 19, Mills and Dolisy disclose a vehicle comprising the vehicle sunvisor panel according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above The combination of Mills and Dolisy is silent regarding the fact that the vehicle body structure including a roof structure; a curtain airbag attached to an area adjacent to the roof structure; and a headliner attached below the curtain airbag, the curtain airbag having a stowed configuration concealed above the headliner and an expanded configuration extending below the headliner, the curtain airbag being configured to apply at least the predetermined force to the first panel portion as the curtain airbag transitions from the stowed configuration to the expanded configuration. Ikeda teaches that the vehicle body structure including a roof structure (91) (figs 1-11); a curtain airbag (113) attached to an area adjacent to the roof structure (figs 1, 11); and a headliner attached below the curtain airbag ([0005] discloses that curtain 113 is stored in a side portion of a vehicle roof), the curtain airbag having a stowed configuration concealed above the headliner ([0005] discloses that curtain 113 is stored in a side portion of a vehicle roof) and an expanded configuration extending below the headliner (see fig 11 show airbarg below the roof side portion), the curtain airbag being configured to apply at least the predetermined force to the first panel portion as the curtain airbag transitions from the stowed configuration to the expanded configuration ([0005]). Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Mills, Ikeda and Dolisy before him or her, to modify the apparatus/method disclosed by the combination of Mills and Dolisy to include the airbag as taught by Ikeda in order to achieve a distributed impact over time ([0011]). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANY E AKAKPO whose telephone number is (469)295-9255. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Coy can be reached on (571) 272-5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /DANY E AKAKPO/Examiner, Art Unit 3672 03/18/2026 Application/Control Number: 18/633,065 Page 2 Art Unit: 3672 Application/Control Number: 18/633,065 Page 4 Art Unit: 3672 Application/Control Number: 18/633,065 Page 5 Art Unit: 3672 Application/Control Number: 18/633,065 Page 6 Art Unit: 3672 Application/Control Number: 18/633,065 Page 7 Art Unit: 3672 Application/Control Number: 18/633,065 Page 8 Art Unit: 3672 Application/Control Number: 18/633,065 Page 9 Art Unit: 3672 Application/Control Number: 18/633,065 Page 10 Art Unit: 3672
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