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
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities. Examiner suggests the changes below:
“an electric vehicles” be changed to either --an electric vehicle-- or --electric vehicles-- (paragraph 0001);
“storage pin” be changed to --storage bin-- (paragraph 0003);
“an velocity” be changed to --and velocity-- (paragraph 0003);
“The front volume 14 is front of the windshield 16 and the behind the front fascia 18” be changed to --The front volume 14 is in front of the windshield 16 and behind the front fascia 18-- (paragraph 0017);
“to outside the outside” be rephrased (paragraph 0019);
“in an outlet 46” be changed to --and an outlet 46-- (paragraph 0019).
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: Examiner suggests removing “wherein the plurality of air passages” from the phrase “wherein the plurality of air passages wherein each of the plurality of air passages”, so as to read --wherein each of the plurality of air passages--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 1-19 are 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. Claim 1 recites the limitation "the front trunk" in line 7. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Bolay et al. (DE 102019125586 A1; translation from EPO website attached). Bolay et al. discloses a vehicle (#10) comprising:
(claim 1) a front trunk bin (#20) having walls (#22), the walls comprising an upper edge (upper edge of walls #22 that receives seal #50; figures 1-7);
a front trunk door (#40) comprising an outer surface and an inner surface (outer and inner surfaces of front hood #40; figures 2-7);
a seal (#50) disposed between the front trunk door (#40) and the upper edge (upper edge of walls #22 that receives seal #50) of the front trunk bin (#20; figures 1-7; paragraph 0023-0026);
the outer surface and the inner surface (outer and inner surfaces of front hood #40) comprising an air passage (air duct #122) therebetween, the air passage comprising an inlet (#124) disposed within the front trunk (#20) and an outlet (#126) disposed within the front trunk door (#40; figure 7; paragraphs 0038-0039);
(claim 2) wherein the air passage (#122) is above the seal (#50; figure 7);
(claim 3) wherein the inner surface (inner surface of front hood #40) comprises a sealing surface (#128) disposed adjacent to the seal (#50; figure 7; paragraph 0039);
(claim 4) wherein the seal (#50) is affixed to the upper edge (upper edge of walls #22) of the front trunk bin (#20; figures 1-7; paragraph 0023-0026);
(claim 19) wherein the front trunk door (#40) comprises a sealing surface (#128) adjacent to the seal (#50; figure 7; paragraph 0039).
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) 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bolay et al. (DE 102019125586 A1; translation from EPO website attached). Bolay et al. discloses the air passage (#122) is disposed laterally or longitudinally (figure 7; paragraphs 0038-0039). While Bolay et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the air passage comprises a plurality of air passages, each including the inlet and the outlet, 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 vehicle of Bolay et al. to include a plurality of air passages, as claimed, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04(VI)(B)), and for the predictable result of more controlled pressure equalization of the front trunk.
Claim(s) 9-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bolay et al. (DE 102019125586 A1; translation from EPO website attached) in view of Makowski (US 10800458 B2).
In regards to claims 9-11, Bolay et al. does not specifically disclose wherein the outer surface and the inner surface (outer and inner surfaces of front hood #40) are formed of metal, are electro-coated, or formed of a composite material. Makowski teaches a vehicle (#10) comprising a front trunk bin (#12) and a front trunk door (hood #14) comprising outer and inner surfaces (#24, 26), wherein the outer and inner surfaces are formed of metal or composite material (column 3, lines 13-35). 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 vehicle of Bolay et al. to include wherein the outer and inner surfaces are formed of metal or composite material, as taught by Makowski, so as to form the front trunk door from any of a number of preferred materials (Makowski: column 3, lines 13-35). In addition, 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 vehicle of Bolay et al. to include wherein the outer and inner surfaces are formed of metal, are electro-coated, or formed of a composite material, as claimed, since it has been held to be within the general skill of a worker in the art to select a known material on the basis of its suitability for the intended use as a matter of obvious design choice (MPEP 2144.07).
In regards to claims 12-14, Bolay et al. discloses:
(claim 12) wherein the inner surface (inner surface of front hood #40) is a unitary structure coupled to the outer surface (outer surface of front hood #40; figure 7);
(claim 13) wherein the unitary structure (inner surface of front hood #40) comprises the inlet (#124) and the outlet (#126; figure 7);
(claim 14) wherein the unitary structure (inner surface of front hood #40) comprises a sealing surface (#128; figure 7; paragraph 0039).
In regards to claims 15-18, Bolay et al. discloses the inlet (#124) and the outlet (#126) are elongated and laterally disposed relative to the vehicle (#10; figure 7). While Bolay et al. does not specifically disclose a plurality of inlets and a plurality of outlets, 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 vehicle of Bolay et al. to include a plurality of inlets and a plurality of outlets, as claimed, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art (MPEP 2144.04(VI)(B)), and for the predictable result of more controlled pressure equalization of the front trunk.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art discloses vehicle front trunks. Of particular note:
Rucker et al. (US 2021/0039558 A1) discloses a vehicle comprising a front trunk bin, a front trunk door, a seal between the front trunk door and the front trunk bin, and an air passage between outer and inner surfaces of the front trunk door, the air passage comprising an inlet and an outlet.
Weber (US 11827180 B2), Torres Sainz et al. (US 2025/0145225 A1), Hammer et al. (US 12441169 B1), and Baier et al. (US 12466494 B2) disclose a vehicle comprising a front trunk bin, a front trunk door, and a seal between the front trunk door and the front trunk bin.
Yamauchi et al. (US 11485421 B2) discloses a vehicle front end structure including a front trunk door, seal, and air passages.
Mellergård (US 2023/0192001 A1) and Mellergård et al. (US 2023/0060547 A1) disclose a vehicle comprising a front trunk bin, a front trunk door, a seal between the front trunk door and the front trunk bin, and a deformable material that helps regulate air pressure.
Cote (US 11628888 B2) discloses a vehicle comprising a front trunk bin, a front trunk door, and a seal between the front trunk door and the front trunk bin, wherein the front trunk door includes inner and outer surfaces made of metal and/or composite material.
Han (US 2024/0391389 A1) and Page (US 2025/0289290 A1) disclose a vehicle comprising a front trunk bin, a front trunk door, a seal between the front trunk door and the front trunk bin, and a ventilation structure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA FREEDMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-2442. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-4:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason Shanske can be reached at 571-270-5985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LAURA FREEDMAN/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3614
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