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 .
Status of the Application
Claims 1-20 are pending and Claims 1-11 and 19-20 have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits. As of the date of this application, the Information Disclosure Statement(s) (IDS) filed on 05/08/2024 has/have been taken into account.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Species 1 in the reply filed on 04/13/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “Claim 12 has been amended to include the instrument panel structure of claim 1. Thus, as amended, claim 12 recites all limitations of claim 1, and restriction is therefore not believed to be required.”. This is not found persuasive because the amendment has not changed the fact that the product as claimed can still be made by another and materially different process and as such the inventions remain distinct.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 12-18 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 04/13/2026.
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.
Claims 1, 3-6 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thiebault (WO 2017/198925) in view of Gligor et al. (US 2020/0264267) and Wiedemann et al. (US 2019/0118652).
In regards to Claim 1, Thiebault discloses an instrument panel assembly for motor vehicles, the instrument panel assembly comprising: a main instrument panel substrate (Thiebault: Fig. 1; 112) that is configured to be secured to a motor vehicle body structure adjacent to a driver's space; an intermediate structure (Thiebault: Fig. 1-5; 180) secured to the main instrument panel substrate whereby a rear side of the intermediate structure faces the main instrument panel substrate and a front side of the intermediate structure faces away from the main instrument panel substrate; a module (Thiebault: Fig. 2; 198, 199) positioned in alignment with the opening of the intermediate structure; and an outer panel (Thiebault: Fig. 1; 130) secured to the intermediate structure and extending over at least a portion of the intermediate structure including the opening in the intermediate structure and over the module, the outer panel having an inner surface facing the module and an outer surface facing away from the module, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface comprises a decorative class A surface.
Thiebault fails to disclose an intermediate structure including an opening therethrough and a plurality of barbed connectors extending from the rear side of the intermediate structure around the opening; a module positioned in alignment with the opening of the intermediate structure, wherein the module is retained by the barbed connectors. However, Gligor teaches an intermediate structure (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 2) including an opening (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 8) therethrough and a plurality of barbed connectors (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 14) extending from the rear side of the intermediate structure around the opening; a module positioned in alignment with the opening of the intermediate structure, wherein the module is retained by the barbed connectors.
Thiebault and Gligor are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. mounting brackets; incorporating modules/elements into vehicles. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the intermediate structure in Thiebault with the opening and barbed connectors from Gligor, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide a connection means that does not require any further elements, such as screws or bushes, to secure a module thereby simplifying fitting and removal of the modules (Gligor: [0070]-[0072]).
Additionally, fails to disclose a Near Field Communication (NFC) module. However, Wiedemann teaches a Near Field Communication (NFC) module (Wiedemann: [0017]-[0018]).
Thiebault and Wiedemann are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. incorporating modules/elements into vehicles. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify modules in Thiebault to have nfc capability as taught by Wiedemann, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide the vehicle with a means of receiving data from a mobile device, thereby enabling a user with a convenient means of controlling aspects of the vehicle from a mobile device (Wiedemann: [0017]-[0018]).
In regards to Claim 3, Thiebault, as modified, teaches the instrument panel assembly of claim 1, wherein: the instrument panel assembly comprises a molded polymer structure (Wiedemann: Pg. 7, Ln. 1-3; molded thermoplastic); and the barbed connectors (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 14) comprise barbed snap fit connectors that are integrally formed with polymer material of the intermediate structure.
In regards to Claim 4, Thiebault, as modified, teaches the instrument panel assembly of claim 3, wherein: the barbed snap fit connectors (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 14) comprise flexible post structures having tapered distal end surfaces and retaining surfaces (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 15) that extend transverse from inner edges of the tapered distal end surfaces whereby, during installation of the NFC module, the NFC module initially engages the tapered distal end surfaces and flexes the post structures, followed by the post structures snapping back to an unflexed shape in which the retaining surfaces engage a surface of the NFC module to thereby retain the NFC module to the intermediate structure in the opening.
In regards to Claim 5, Thiebault, as modified, teaches the instrument panel assembly of claim 4, wherein: the NFC module (Thiebault: Fig. 2; 198, 199) has an oblong rectangular shape formed by a perimeter surface extending between front and rear surf aces of the NFC module, the perimeter surface including end segments extending between opposite side segments; and the intermediate structure includes at least two barbed snap fit connectors (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 14) adjacent each side segment of the perimeter surface of the NFC module.
In regards to Claim 6, Thiebault, as modified, teaches the instrument panel assembly of claim 5, wherein: the retaining surfaces (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 15) of the barbed snap fit connectors contact the rear surface of the NFC module.
In regards to Claim 19, Thiebault discloses a motor vehicle comprising: a body structure having an interior space including a driver's space (Thiebault: Background of Invention; discloses motor vehicles); an instrument panel assembly disposed in the interior space in front of the driver's space, the instrument panel assembly including: a main instrument panel substrate (Thiebault: Fig. 1; 112) secured to the body; an intermediate structure (Thiebault: Fig. 1-5; 180) secured to the main instrument panel substrate; a module (Thiebault: Fig. 2; 198, 199) secured to the intermediate structure; and an outer panel (Thiebault: Fig. 1; 130) secured to the intermediate structure and extending over the opening in the intermediate structure and over the module, the outer panel having an inner surface facing the module and an outer surface facing away from the module, wherein at least a portion of the outer surface comprises a decorative class A surface.
Thiebault fails to disclose an intermediate structure having an opening therethrough and at least one resilient snap connector disposed adjacent to the opening. However, Gligor teaches an intermediate structure (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 2) having an opening (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 8) therethrough and at least one resilient snap connector (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 14) disposed adjacent to the opening. [Note: See the rejection of claim 1 for motivation and/or rationale.]
Additionally, fails to disclose a Near Field Communication (NFC) module. However, Wiedemann teaches a Near Field Communication (NFC) module (Wiedemann: [0017]-[0018]). [Note: See the rejection of claim 1 for motivation and/or rationale.]
In regards to Claim 20, Thiebault, as modified, teaches the motor vehicle of claim 19, wherein: the NFC module (Thiebault: Fig. 2; 198, 199) has a rectangular perimeter; the opening is rectangular and the NFC module is closely received in the opening; the intermediate structure comprises polymer (Wiedemann: Pg. 7, Ln. 1-3; molded thermoplastic), and the at least one resilient snap connector (Gligor: Fig. 2-6; 14) comprises a plurality of cantilevered barbed connectors extending from a rear side of the intermediate structure adjacent at least two opposite side edges of the rectangular opening; and the NFC module is connected to an instrument panel wiring harness by an electrical line extending from the NFC module to the instrument panel wiring harness (Thiebault: Pg. 7, Ln. 13-17; discloses connecting module to electrical harness).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thiebault (WO 2017/198925) in view of Gligor et al. (US 2020/0264267) and Wiedemann et al. (US 2019/0118652) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of DeGrote (US 2020/0164795).
In regards to Claim 2, Thiebault, as modified, teaches the instrument panel assembly of claim 1, but fails to disclose the decorative class A surface of the outer panel comprises an in-mold grain.
However, DeGrote teaches a panel surface that comprises an in-mold grain outer panel comprises an in-mold grain (DeGrote: [0083]).
Thiebault and DeGrote are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. incorporating modules into vehicles. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the surface in Thiebault with the in-mold grain from DeGrote, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide an exterior material that has a surface effect emulating natural materials (DeGrote: [0083]), thereby improving the aesthetic appearance.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Thiebault (WO 2017/198925) in view of Gligor et al. (US 2020/0264267) and Wiedemann et al. (US 2019/0118652) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Dole (US 8,726,473).
In regards to Claim 9, Thiebault, as modified, teaches the instrument panel assembly of claim 1, but fails to disclose the main instrument panel substrate includes a plurality of openings and at least one retaining clip structure adjacent each opening; and the intermediate structure includes a plurality of tapered protrusions projecting from the rear side of the intermediate structure, wherein the tapered protrusions are disposed in the openings of the main instrument panel substrate, and engage the retaining clip structures to secure the intermediate structure to the main instrument panel substrate.
However, Dole teaches a plurality of openings and at least one retaining clip structure (Dole: Fig. 4; 10) adjacent each opening; and an intermediate structure including a plurality of tapered protrusions (Dole: Fig. 4; 12, 16) projecting from the rear side of the intermediate structure, wherein the tapered protrusions are disposed in the openings of the main instrument panel substrate, and engage the retaining clip structures to secure the intermediate structure to the main instrument panel substrate.
Thiebault and Dole are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. mounting brackets; incorporating modules/elements into vehicles. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the tapered protrusions and openings in Thiebault with the clip structures and tapered protrusion connection from Dole, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide an initial connection means that secures the two elements together but allows adjustment prior to final fixing (Dole: Col. 1, Ln. 40-44), thereby improving the assembly process.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 and 10-11 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 for cited references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Taylor Morris whose telephone number is (571)272-6367. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10AM-6PM PST / 1PM-9PM EST.
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, Jonathan Liu can be reached at (571) 272-8227. 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.
/Taylor Morris/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
Prosecution Insights