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
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it uses the term “disclosure” in line 1. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 1-3, 14, 15, 22, 23, 32 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et el. (Chinese Patent Publication CN210554581U).
Re claim 1, Huang et al. discloses a vehicle window assembly with a decoration, comprising: a transparent plate (1, figure 1), a seal (2, figure 2) fixed to the transparent plate; and a decoration (3, figure 1) fixed to the seal, wherein an end of the decoration is provided with a first mating portion, the seal is provided with a second mating portion which is in fit connection with the first mating portion, and a continuous transition is formed between an outer sidewall of the first mating portion and an outer sidewall of the second mating portion.
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1069
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Re claim 2, the outer sidewall of the first mating portion and the outer sidewall of the second mating portion are tightly fitted to form a flush surface (as shown by the annotated figure above).
Re claim 3, a bottom wall of the first mating portion is provided with at least one protrusion, and a bottom wall of the second mating portion is provided with at least one groove for accommodating the protrusion. See the annotated figure below.
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Re claim 14, the seal comprises a side edge portion extending to a sidewall of the transparent plate, the decoration extends to the side edge portion of the seal, and both the first mating portion and the second mating portion are disposed opposite to the side edge portion (see the annotated figure below).
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Re claim 15, the side edge portion of the seal is provided with a boss on which the second mating portion is disposed, and a hardness of the boss (the boss is rubber, see claim 7 of Huang) is lower than that of the decoration (plastic which inherently includes plastics harder than rubber). See the annotated figure below.
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Re claim 22, Huang et al. discloses a vehicle window assembly with a decoration, comprising a transparent plate (1, figure 1), a seal (2, figure 1) fixed to the transparent plate, and a decoration (3) fixed to the seal, wherein an end of the decoration is provided with a first mating portion, the seal is provided with a second mating portion which is in fit connection with the first mating portion, the second mating portion comprises a first tongue edge and a second tongue edge, a bottom wall of the first mating portion is pressed against the first tongue edge, and a continuous transition is formed between an outer sidewall of the first mating portion and an outer sidewall of the second tongue edge. See the annotated figure below.
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Re claim 23, the outer sidewall of the first mating portion and the outer sidewall of the second tongue edge are tightly fitted to form a flush surface (see the annotated figure above).
Re claim 32, the seal comprises a side edge portion extending to a sidewall of the transparent plate, the decoration extends to the side edge portion of the seal, and both the first mating portion and the second mating portion are disposed opposite to the side edge portion. See the annotated figure below.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 7, 12, 16, 18, 21, 25, 28, 30, 33, and 36 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 primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claims 4, 5, 7, 12, 21 is the inclusion in the claim of the limitations directed to a second connecting portion being connected to the second groove wall and a second abutting portion being abutted against the protrusion. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
The primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claim 16 is the inclusion in the claim of the limitations directed to a bottom of an inner sidewall of the first mating portion being provided with an oblique notch. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
The primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claim 18 is the inclusion in the claim of the limitations directed to a distance between the limiting portion and the outer sidewall of the second material portion being equal to a wall thickness of the first mating portion. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
The primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claims 25 and 28 is the inclusion in the claim of the limitations directed to a distance between the first tone ege and the first mating portion is smaller than that between the second tongue edge and the first mating portion. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
The primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claim 30 is the inclusion in the claim of the limitations directed to the second mating portion is provided with a hollow portion located between the first tongue edge and the second tongue edge and disposed opposite to the protrusion. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
The primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claims 33 and 36 is the inclusion in the claim of the limitations directed to a bottom of an inner sidewall of the first mating portion is provided with an oblique notch. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited references all disclose vehicle window seals or trim portions.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jason S Morrow whose telephone number is (571)272-6663. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivek Koppikar can be reached at (571) 272-5109. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JASON S MORROW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612
August 21, 2026
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