DETAILED ACTION
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 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 453647 C.
Re claim 1, DE ‘647 discloses a leaf spring device comprising: a leaf spring main body (a); a first eye portion provided at a first end portion of the leaf spring main body in a longitudinal direction; a second eye portion (f) provided at a second end portion of the leaf spring main body in the longitudinal direction; and a connection piece (b) connecting the second eye portion and a vehicle body to each other, the connection piece being formed to be elastically deformable in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first eye portion is connected to the vehicle body to be rotatable around a first axis extending in a width direction of the leaf spring main body, the second eye portion is connected to the connection piece to be rotatable around a second axis extending in the width direction, a central region of the leaf spring main body in the longitudinal direction supports an axle, the leaf spring main body is provided to be flexibly deformable upward, and a connection portion of the leaf spring main body, at which the leaf spring main body is connected to the second eye portion, is urged by an elastic restoring force of the connection piece in a direction in which the connection portion is displaced along the longitudinal direction at an initial stage of a process in which the leaf spring main body is flexibly deformed upward.
Re claim 2, DE ‘647 discloses an adjustment member (k) that is connected to the vehicle body to be rotatable around a third axis (e) extending in the width direction, wherein a lower end portion of the connection piece (b) is connected to the second eye portion (f), an upper end portion of the connection piece is fixed to the adjustment member, and a mechanism portion (l) for upward and downward movement of the adjustment member around the third axis is provided at a portion of the adjustment member that is separated from the third axis in the longitudinal direction.
Re claim 3, DE ‘647 discloses wherein the upper end portion of the connection piece (b) is formed in an annular shape and is disposed to be coaxial with the third axis.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 5 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 31, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that DE ‘647 does not teach:
“a connection portion of the leaf spring main body, at which the leaf spring main body is connected to the second eye portion, is urged by an elastic restoring force of the connection piece in a direction in which the connection portion is displaced along the longitudinal direction at an initial stage of a process in which the leaf spring main body is flexibly deformed upward.”
DE ‘647 clearly illustrates wherein the connection portion of the leaf spring main body (a) is connected to the second eye portion (f), is urged by an elastic restoring force of the connection piece (b) in a direction in which the connection portion is displaced along the longitudinal direction at an initial stage of a process in which the leaf spring main body is flexibly deformed upward. See in particular Figure 1 which illustrates loading and displacement from the empty condition to the claimed “initial stage” where the main body is flexibly deformed upward in Figure 2. Between Figures 1 and 2 it can be seen that element g rotates urged by connection piece b along the x direction similarly to Applicant’s invention and meeting the limitation wherein “the connection portion is displaced along the longitudinal direction at an initial stage of a process in which the leaf spring main body is flexibly deformed upward”. The “initial stage” can also be interpreted as the stage illustrated in Figure 3 which illustrates further deformation of the main body upward and further displacement of the connection portion longitudinally.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-7127. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday, 7:00AM-3:00PM.
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/MELANIE TORRES WILLIAMS/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
MTW
September 8, 2026
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