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 .
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 13-16 and 18-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by BYD Co (CN109204496).
The BYD Co reference discloses a lower vehicle body frame (see Figures 1 and 2) comprising a frame body (proximate reference numeral 500 in Figure 2), a footrest plate 300 and a rear cross beam 250, as claimed.
In regard to claims 2-4 and 16, see side-impact cross beams 500 and front cross beam 210.
In regard to claim 5, see coupling projection (240,250).
In regard to claim 6, see muti-row cross beams in Figure 2.
In regard to claim 13, see torsion box proximate reference numeral 300A in Figure 1.
In regard to claim 14, see Figure 2.
In regard to claim 15, see front-row small longitudinal beam 220 in Figure 2.
In regard to claim 18, any battery associated with the vehicle mounted to the frame would inherently dissipate any heat through the frame mounted thereto.
In regard to claims 19 and 20, the actual vehicle is not shown and and the front engine compartment would be proximate reference numeral 100 in Figure 2
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The Kanazawa et al. and Toba references pertain to various vehicle body frames that accommodate footrests similar to that of Applicant’s.
Claims 7-12 and 17 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: none of the prior art of record, with the applied BYD Co. reference being the closest prior art device, alone or in combination, teach Applicant’s invention of at least a lower vehicle body frame assembly inclusive of details regarding a side longitudinal beam and a sill beam with a first portion coupled to the side longitudinal beam, a side-impact cross beam and a rear cross beam, and a second portion detachably coupled a side of the first portion away from a side longitudinal beam, as claimed. To modify the closest prior art device to have such features would involve teachings gleaned only from the instant application for patent.
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/STEVEN O DOUGLAS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612
