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 .
This office action was made in response to remarks filed 1/9/2026.
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.
Claim(s) 10, 11, and 14-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishline et al (US 2,611,625) in view of Edahiro et al (JP 2005-289167). Kishline discloses:
With regard to claim 10 - A control arm assembly for a vehicle, including:
a control arm 6 having an upper surface, a lower surface (see the marked up figure below), and an opening 168 extending through the upper surface and the lower surface;
a spring seat 160 having an upper surface connected to the lower surface of the control arm 6;
a shock absorber mount 162 connected to the upper surface of the spring seat 160;
a shock absorber 136 having a first end 158 connected to the shock absorber mount 160; and
a spring 128 at least partially surrounding the shock absorber 136.
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Kishline fails to explicitly disclose the spring as having a first end contacting the upper surface of the spring seat.
Edahiro teaches a control arm assembly for a vehicle, including:
a control arm 4 having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening 13 extending through the upper surface and the lower surface;
a spring seat 14 having an upper surface connected to the lower surface of the control arm 4; and
a spring 9 having a first end contacting the upper surface of the spring seat 14 (see Fig. 2).
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Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the control arm assembly of Kishline with the teaching of Edahiro such that the spring seat and opening portion of Kishline be replaced by the corresponding components of Edahiro such that the spring as having a first end contacting the upper surface of the spring seat to improve the attachment and removal performance of the coil spring with a simpler configuration.
With regard to claim 11, Kishline discloses wherein the shock absorber mount 162 further includes a base extending from the upper surface of the spring seat 160 (see Fig. 2).
With regard to claim 14, Kishline discloses wherein the control arm 4 is a lower control arm.
With regard to claim 15, Edahiro teaches wherein the opening 13 in the control arm 4 has an irregular perimeter (see Fig. 3). Applicant has failed to fully define what is meant by the term “irregular perimeter”. As seen in Fig. 3, the opening in Edahiro’s control arm is elliptical, which may be considered irregular compared to the generally widely used circular openings seen throughout the art.
With regard to claim 16, Edahiro teaches a boss extending from the lower surface of the spring seat 14, a bore 18 extending through the boss, and a fastener 20 extending through the bore and into the lower surface of the control arm 4.
With regard to claim 17, Kishline discloses wherein the shock absorber mount 162 and the spring seat 160 are integrally formed.
With regard to claim 18, Kishline discloses wherein the shock absorber 136 extends into the opening in the control arm 4.
With regard to claim 19, Kishline discloses wherein the spring 128 extends into the opening in the control arm 4.
Claim(s) 1-9, 12, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kishline and Edahiro, as applied to claims 10, 11, and 14-19 above, and further in view of Leighton (US 2,123,087).
With regard to claim 1, Kishline discloses a control arm assembly for a vehicle, including:
a control arm 6 having an upper surface, a lower surface, a first side 198, a second side 198, an opening 168 extending through the upper surface and the lower surface, an outboard end 217, and an inboard end, the inboard end having a first arm 204 and a second arm 204;
a spring seat 160 having an upper surface connected to and in contact with the lower surface of the control arm 4 (see Fig. 14), a lower surface, and an opening extending through the upper surface and the lower surface (see Fig. 14);
a shock absorber mount 162 having a base extending from the upper surface of the spring seat 160;
a shock absorber 136 having a first end having a first mounting structure 158 connected to the shock absorber mount 162, and a second end having a second mounting structure 148; and
a spring 128 at least partially surrounding the shock absorber 136, the spring having a first end and a second end.
As taught above, Kishline fails to explicitly disclose the spring as having a first end contacting the upper surface of the spring seat.
Edahiro teaches a control arm assembly for a vehicle, including:
a control arm 4 having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening 13 extending through the upper surface and the lower surface;
a spring seat 14 having an upper surface connected to the lower surface of the control arm 4; and
a spring 9 having a first end contacting the upper surface of the spring seat 14 (see Fig. 2).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the control arm assembly of Kishline with the teaching of Edahiro such that the spring seat and opening portion of Kishline be replaced by the corresponding components of Edahiro such that the spring as having a first end contacting the upper surface of the spring seat to improve the attachment and removal performance of the coil spring with a simpler configuration.
Kishline and Edahiro further fail to explicitly disclose wherein the shock absorber mount further includes a first tab extending from the base, and a second tab extending from the base.
Leighton teaches a control arm 24 having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening;
a spring seat 38 having an upper surface 40 connected to the lower surface of the control arm
24; a shock absorber mount 45 having a base extending from the upper surface of the spring seat, a
first tab extending from the base, and a second tab extending from the base (see Fig. 10); a shock absorber 44 having a first end connected to the shock absorber mount 45; and a spring 34 at least partially surrounding the shock absorber 44 and having a first end contacting the upper surface of the spring seat 38. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the control arm assembly of Kishline and Edahiro with the teaching of Leighton such that the shock absorber mount further includes a first tab extending from the base, and a second tab extending from the base, with a reasonable expectation of success, to allow for damping of the sprung movement of the suspension without requiring more surface area of the suspension components.
With regard to claim 2, Kishline discloses wherein the control arm 4 is a lower control arm (see Fig. 14).
With regard to claim 3, Edahiro teaches wherein the opening 13 in the control arm 4 has an irregular perimeter (see Fig. 3). Applicant has failed to fully define what is meant by the term “irregular perimeter”. As seen in Fig. 3, the opening in Edahiro’s control arm is elliptical, which may be considered irregular compared to the generally widely used circular openings seen throughout the art.
With regard to claim 4, Kishline discloses wherein the control arm 4 includes at least a first member 190 and a second member 190.
With regard to claim 5, Edahiro teaches a boss extending from the lower surface of the spring seat 14, a bore 18 extending through the boss, and a fastener 20 extending through the bore and into the lower surface of the control arm 4.
With regard to claim 6, Leighton teaches further including a first opening in the first tab 45 of the shock absorber mount, a second opening in the second tab 45 of the shock absorber mount, an opening in a first mounting structure 43 of the shock absorber 44, and a fastener 41 extending through the first tab 45 of the shock absorber mount, the second opening in the second tab 45 of the shock absorber mount, and the opening in the first mounting structure 43 of the shock absorber 44 (see Fig. 10).
With regard to claim 7, Kishline discloses wherein the shock absorber mount 162 and the spring seat 160 are integrally formed.
With regard to claim 8, Kishline discloses wherein the shock absorber 136 extends into the opening 168 in the control arm 4.
With regard to claim 9, Kishline discloses wherein the spring 136 extends into the opening 168 in the control arm 4.
With regard to claim 12, as seen above, Kishline and Edahiro fail to explicitly disclose wherein the shock absorber mount further includes a first tab extending from the base, and a second tab extending from the base.
Leighton teaches a control arm 24 having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening;
a spring seat 38 having an upper surface 40 connected to the lower surface of the control arm
24; a shock absorber mount 45 having a base extending from the upper surface of the spring seat, a
first tab extending from the base, and a second tab extending from the base (see Fig. 10); a shock absorber 44 having a first end connected to the shock absorber mount 45; and a spring 34 at least partially surrounding the shock absorber 44 and having a first end contacting the upper surface of the spring seat 38. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the control arm assembly of Kishline and Edahiro with the teaching of Leighton such that the shock absorber mount further includes a first tab extending from the base, and a second tab extending from the base, with a reasonable expectation of success, to allow for damping of the sprung movement of the suspension without requiring more surface area of the suspension components.
With regard to claim 13, Leighton teaches wherein the first end of the shock absorber 44 is connected to the first and second tabs of the shock absorber mount 45 (see Fig. 10).
Claim(s) 20, 21, and 25-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Edahiro et al (JP 2005-289167) in view of Kishline et al (US 2,611,625).
Edahiro discloses:
With regard to claim 20 - A method of assembling a control arm assembly for a vehicle, the control arm assembly having a control arm 4 having an upper surface, a lower surface, and an opening 13 extending through the upper surface and the lower surface, a spring seat 14 having an upper surface and a lower surface, and a spring 9 having a first end and a second end, the method including:
Positioning the spring 9 around an auxiliary spring 16;
inserting the spring 9 from beneath the lower surface of the control arm 4 through the opening 13 in the control arm 4; and
securing the spring seat 14 to the lower surface of the control arm 4 (“First, in the suspension device S, the wheel support 1 is connected to the vehicle body member 2 via the upper arm 5, the front lower arm 3, and the rear lower arm 4, and then the spring seat 14 of the rear lower arm 4 is rotated downward. The opening 13 is opened. At that time, the nut 21 is loosened to release the fastening between the bolt 20 and the nut 21, and the bolt 20 is removed from the bolt holes 18 and 19, so that the opening 13 can be greatly opened (one point in FIG. 2). (See dashed line M). At this time, the auxiliary spring 10 has already been fixed to the upper seat 2b.
“Next, the coil spring 9 is inserted upward from below the opened opening 13. At this time, the coil spring 9 is inserted so that the auxiliary spring 10 is positioned inside the coil spring 9.
“Thereafter, the spring seat 14 is rotated from the lower side to the upper side, and the coil spring 9 is fixed between the upper seat 2 b and the spring seat 14. At that time, the bolt 20 is sequentially passed through the bolt hole 18 and the bolt 19 and the nut 21 or the bolt 20 is tightened, so that the coil spring 9 is easily made shorter than the natural length in a state where no load is applied, The coil spring 9 can be fixed while having an appropriate elastic force.” – see translation, page 5).
Edahiro fails to explicitly disclose a shock absorber mount connected to the upper surface of the spring seat, wherein the shock absorber is at least partially surrounded by the spring. Kishline teaches a control arm assembly for a vehicle, including:
a control arm 6 having an upper surface, a lower surface (see the marked up figure below), and an opening 168 extending through the upper surface and the lower surface;
a spring seat 160 having an upper surface connected to the lower surface of the control arm 6;
a shock absorber mount 162 connected to the upper surface of the spring seat 160;
a shock absorber 136 having a first end 158 connected to the shock absorber mount 160; and
a spring 128 at least partially surrounding the shock absorber 136.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the control arm assembly of Edahiro with the teaching of Kishline such that the spring seat includes a shock absorber mount thus allowing the shock absorber to be placed in the interior space of the spring and thus replacing and precluding the need for the auxiliary spring, with a reasonable expectation of success, to reduce the amount of space and number of parts required by the suspension.
With regard to claim 21, Edahiro discloses wherein the shock absorber and spring are inserted through the opening in the control arm until the upper surface of the spring seat contacts the lower surface of the control arm (see the citation above).
With regard to claim 25, Edahiro discloses the further step of connecting the control arm 4 to a vehicle prior to inserting the shock absorber and spring through the opening in the control arm (see Fig. 2, including the dashed lines labeled “M” and “N”).
With regard to claim 26, Edahiro discloses further including connecting the second end of the shock absorber to the vehicle via upper seat 2b. With regard to claim 26, Edahiro discloses using an auxiliary spring 16 surrounded by spring 9, wherein the auxiliary spring 16 has a second end attached to the vehicle via upper seat 2b. With the teaching of Kishline’s shock absorber replacing said auxiliary spring, the shock absorber would thus be connected to the vehicle at a second end via said upper seat 2b.
With regard to claim 27, Edahiro discloses further including, subsequently disconnecting the second end of the shock absorber from the vehicle and removing the shock absorber and spring through the opening in the control arm from beneath the lower surface of the control arm while the control arm is connected to the vehicle (“With the configuration as described above, when the coil spring 9 is mounted on the suspension device S, the spring seat 14 is inserted into the coil spring 9 from the opening 13 and then brought into contact with the lower end of the coil spring 9. May be fixed to the rear lower arm 4 by rotating around the shaft support portion 15. Therefore, the rear lower arm 4 is not removed from the vehicle body when the coil spring 9 is attached to or detached from a vehicle used in the market at a service factory or the like, so that the alignment mechanism 12 does not need to be readjusted. With a simple configuration, the mounting ability of the coil spring can be improved. Further, when the coil spring 9 is attached / detached, it can be attached / detached without affecting the alignment mechanism 12, so that the vehicle can always travel with accurate alignment even after the coil spring 9 is attached.” – see translation, pages 5 and 6).
With regard to claim 28, Edahiro discloses wherein the shock absorber and spring are inserted through the opening in the control arm until the upper surface of the spring seat contacts the lower surface of the control arm (see above citations of Edahiro).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 1/9/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-21 and 25-28 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kishline and Edahiro.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY WILHELM whose telephone number is (571)272-6980. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30.
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/TIMOTHY WILHELM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614 February 3, 2026