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 Claims
This action is in reply to the Applicant’s claims, filed on 08/27/2024.
Claims 1-20 are currently pending and have been examined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 1-4, 6, 8-9, 11, 13, and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakanishi et al. (US9764770).
Claim 1. Nakanishi discloses: A side structure for a vehicle, wherein the side structure is disposed on both sides of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction (side structure of Fig. 1; right and left sides; Col. 4, lines 62-65) and is connected to a roof structure (roof structure of Fig. 1), the side structure comprising:
a side outer assembly (structure of 32 side outer panel, 36 rail outer, 28a outer pillar; Fig. 4);
a side inner assembly (structure of 34 rail inner, 40 roof arch, 45 roof stiffener, 24 gusset; Fig. 4) connected with the side outer assembly (32 is coupled to 34, Fig. 4) to define a roof side (structure of 32, 36 rail outer, and 34 define a roof side, Fig. 4) with a first closed cross-section (56 closed cross section, Fig. 4); and
a roof rail support structure (structure of 40 roof arch, 45 roof stiffener, 24 gusset, 46; Fig. 4) connected with the side inner assembly (40, 45 is coupled to 34; Fig. 4) to define a second closed cross-section (48 or 54 closed cross section or combined closed cross section of 48 and 54, Fig. 4) connected to a roof panel (48 or 54 is coupled to 14 roof member; Fig. 4) of the roof structure.
Claim 2. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 1, wherein the first closed cross-section and the second closed cross-section are disposed along a front-to-back direction of the vehicle (54, 56, 48 are disposed along a front-to-back direction of the vehicle, Fig. 4) and are disposed spaced apart along the vehicle width direction (54, 56, 48 are disposed spaced apart along the vehicle width direction, Fig. 4) with a connection part (welded connection depicted as a large “X” between 32 and 34, Fig. 4; Col. 6, lines 4-13) connecting the side outer assembly and the side inner assembly disposed in between.
Claim 3. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 1, wherein:
the side outer assembly comprises a side outer panel (32 side outer panel, Fig. 4) and a roof side reinforcement member (upper near horizontal segment of 36, Fig. 4) connected to an upper portion of the side outer panel (36 is couple to upper portion of 32 proximate the large “X” weld connection, Fig. 4); and the side inner assembly comprises a side inner panel (34 rail inner, Fig. 4) and a roof side inner member (vertical segment of 34 proximate the large “X” weld connection, Fig. 4) connected to an upper portion of the side inner panel and connected to the roof side reinforcement member (coupled at large “X” weld connection, Fig. 4).
Claim 4. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 3, wherein the roof rail support structure comprises: an upper support member (40, Fig. 4) connected to the upper portion of the side inner panel and the roof side inner member and connected to the roof panel (40 is coupled to 34 and 14, Fig. 4); and a lower support member (45, Fig. 4) connected to the upper portion of the side inner panel and connected to a lower portion of the upper support member (45 is coupled to upper portion of 34 and lower portion of 40, Fig. 4).
Claim 6. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 4, wherein: the roof panel, the side outer panel, and the roof side inner member are connected through a first connection part (14, 32, and 34 are coupled at the large “X” weld connection, Fig. 4); and the roof side reinforcement member, the roof side inner member, and the upper support member are connected through a second connection part (36, 34, 40 are coupled by the small “x” weld connection proximate 40c, Fig. 4).
Claim 8. Nakanishi discloses: A side structure for a vehicle, wherein the side structure is disposed on both sides of the vehicle in a vehicle width direction (side structure of Fig. 1; right and left sides; Col. 4, lines 62-65) and is connected to a roof structure (roof structure of Fig. 1), and includes a door opening part (30 and 30b door opening, Fig. 1), the side structure comprising:
a side outer assembly (structure of 32 side outer panel, 36 rail outer, 28a outer pillar; Fig. 4) comprising a side outer panel (32 side outer panel, Fig. 4) and a roof side reinforcement member (upper near horizontal segment of 36, Fig. 4) connected to an upper portion of the side outer panel (Fig. 4);
a side inner assembly (structure of 34 rail inner, 24 gusset, 28 center pillar; Fig. 4) comprising a side inner panel (34 rail inner, Fig. 4) and a roof side inner member (vertical segment of 34 proximate the large “X” weld connection, Fig. 4) connected to an upper portion of the side inner panel (Fig. 4) and connected to the roof side reinforcement member to define a first closed cross-section (56 closed cross section, Fig. 4); and
a roof rail support structure (structure of 40 roof arch, 45 roof stiffener; Fig. 4) connected to the side inner assembly (Fig. 4) to define a second closed cross-section (48 or 54 closed cross section or combined closed cross section of 48 and 54, Fig. 4) connected to a roof panel of the roof structure (Fig. 4; see previously rejected claims 1, 3).
Claim 9. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 8, wherein the roof rail support structure comprises: an upper support member (40, Fig. 4) connected to the upper portion of the side inner panel and the roof side inner member and connected to the roof panel (40 is coupled to 34 and 14, Fig. 4); and a lower support member (45, Fig. 4) connected to the upper portion of the side inner panel and connected to a lower portion of the upper support member (45 is coupled to upper portion of 34 and lower portion of 40, Fig. 4; see previously rejected claim 4).
Claim 11. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 9, wherein: the side outer panel and the upper support member are connected to the roof panel (32 and 40 are coupled to 14, Fig. 4); and
the roof panel and the upper support member connected to each other define the second closed cross-section (54 closed cross section, Fig. 4) along a front-to-back direction of the vehicle (Fig. 1, 3-4).
Claim 13. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 9, wherein: the roof panel, the side outer panel, and the roof side inner member are connected through a first connection part; and the roof side reinforcement member, the roof side inner member, and the upper support member are connected through a second connection part (see previously rejected claim 6).
Claim 18. The side structure of claim 9, wherein: the upper support member comprises a first connection flange connected to the roof side inner member (42 outer end portion is coupled to 34, Fig. 4) and a second connection flange connected to the roof panel (41 upper flange is coupled to 14, Fig. 4); and
the lower support member comprises a third connection flange connected to the side inner panel (44d outer flange is coupled to 34, Fig. 4) and a fourth connection flange connected to the lower portion of the second connection flange (44e inner flange is coupled to 41, Fig. 4).
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 5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakanishi et al. (US9764770) in view of Sahi (US9,944,329).
Claim 5. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 4.
Nakanishi does not disclose: a roof rail side extension member connected to the upper support member and the lower support member and supporting a roof rail of the roof structure.
Sashi discloses a structural reinforcement member for a vehicle body includes a bracket sized for mounting to a roof rail, spanning along the roof rail from a first pillar past a second pillar, and including a first support member extending inboard at a first roof bow.
Sashi teaches: a roof rail side extension member (50 reinforcement member, Fig. 1) connected to the upper support member and the lower support member (50 is coupled along 16 roof rail and implicitly coupled to upper and lower support members, Fig. 1) and supporting a roof rail of the roof structure (34, 36, 38 roof rail, Fig. 1; Col. 3, lines 43-54).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have substituted the roof stiffener of Nakanishi with the roof rail extension as taught by Sahsi with a reasonable expectation of success in order to provide a support structure and coupling connection for the roof rail as taught by Sashi because both perform the same function in similar contexts. Such a substitution represents the use of a known element according to its established function, and the results would have been predictable. KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc., 550 U.S. 398, 415-421, 82 USPQ2d 1385, 1395-97 (2007).
Claim 10. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 9.
Nakanishi does not disclose: a roof rail side extension member connected to the upper support member and the lower support member and supporting a roof rail of the roof structure.
Sashi further teaches: a roof rail side extension member connected to the upper support member and the lower support member and supporting a roof rail of the roof structure (see previously rejected claim 5).
Claims 7 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakanishi et al. (US9764770) in view of Kresse et al. (US5,221,585).
Claim 7. Nakanishi discloses: The side structure of claim 3.
Nakanishi does not disclose: a plurality of notches spaced apart along a front-to-back direction; and a plurality of forming portions spaced apart along the front-to-back direction and disposed in the notches.
Kresse discloses a method of joining sheet metal utilizing a weld joint comprising of notches and tabs.
Kresse teaches: a plurality of notches (44 notches, Fig. 4) spaced apart along a front-to-back direction (spaced along the length of the sheet metal part, Fig. 4); and a plurality of forming portions (46 tabs, Fig. 4) spaced apart along the front-to-back direction (spaced along the length of the sheet metal part, Fig. 4) and disposed in the notches (Fig.5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the side structure joints of Nakanishi by including the notches and tabs as taught by Kresse with a reasonable expectation of success in order to create an interlocking weld joint to connect the sheet metal components as taught by Kresse (Fig. 5).
Claim 14. Nakanishi in view of Kresse teaches: The side structure of claim 13, wherein the roof side reinforcement member comprises a plurality of notches spaced apart along a front-to-back direction of the vehicle (see previously rejected claim 7).
Claim 15. Nakanishi in view of Kresse teaches: The side structure of claim 14, wherein the roof side inner member comprises a plurality of forming portions spaced apart along the front-to-back direction of the vehicle and disposed in the notches (see previously rejected claim 7).
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakanishi et al. (US9764770) in view of Nakayama et al. (US9,718,497).
Claim 12. Nakanishi discloses The side structure of claim 9.
Nakanishi does not disclose: the upper support member and the lower support member connected to each other define an opened mounting part configured for mounting a door operation module on the door opening part.
Nakayama discloses a vehicle body framework including a side roof rail structure that extends in a vehicle longitudinal direction that includes a slide rail portion including an upper slide rail channel panel and a lower slide rail channel panel connected to the upper slide rail channel panel forming a slide rail channel for receiving a slide door assembly.
Nakayama teaches: the upper support member (78 upper slide channel, Fig. 5) and the lower support member (80 lower slide rail channel, Fig. 5) connected to each other (78 and 80 are coupled, Fig. 5) define an opened mounting part (116 open end, Fig. 5) configured for mounting a door operation module on the door opening part (40 sliding door assembly, Fig. 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the side structure of Nakanishi by including a door mounting opening as taught by Nakayama with a reasonable expectation of success in order receive a door assembly as taught by Nakayama (Fig. 5-6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-17 and 19-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/DANIEL T CRAIG/Examiner, Art Unit 3676
/TARA SCHIMPF/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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