DETAILED ACTION
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.
(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.
Claims 1-6, 13, 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Lopez et al. (US 20240416841).
Regarding claim 1, Lopez discloses a vehicle rear cargo structure, comprising: a side wall (side wall around 34, fig 1); a shelf (52) coupled to the side wall ([0036], figs 1-8), the shelf having an upper surface (68) and a vertical surface (84) that extends downward from the upper horizontal surface (fig 3), a slot (96, 98) having a first section (portion of 96, 98 @ 68, fig 3) and a second section (section of 96, 98 @ 84, fig 3), the first section being open to the upper surface of the shelf (fig 3) and the second section of the slot being open to and extending along the vertical surface of the shelf (fig 3); and a lugboard (54) having a pin (162) extending from beneath a portion of the lugboard (figs 1-8), the pin being oriented and dimensioned to pass into the first section of the slot during positioning of the lugboard on the shelf (figs 1-8, [0041]), the pin being further oriented and dimensioned such that with the portion of the lugboard overlaying the upper surface of the shelf, movement of the lugboard correspondingly moves the pin along the second section of the slot away from the first section of the slot (figs 1-8).
Regarding claim 2, Lopez further discloses that the pin extends in a direction parallel to an upper surface of the lugboard (figs 1-8).
Regarding claim 3, Lopez further discloses that the second section of the slot extends in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the shelf (figs 1-8).
Regarding claim 4, Lopez further discloses that the second section of the slot extends in a direction parallel to the upper surface of the shelf (figs 1-8).
Regarding claim 5, Lopez further discloses that the slot has an overall L-shape as viewed from one side thereof (fig 8).
Regarding claim 6, Lopez further discloses that the shelf includes a rearward end (86) and a forward end (88) with the upper surface extending therebetween (fig 2), the slot is located adjacent to the rearward end and a downwardly extending flange (64) is located at the forward end of the shelf (fig 1-8).
Regarding claim 13, Lopez further discloses an upright closer panel (152) attached to a forward end of the lugboard (figs 1-8).
Regarding claim 18, Lopez further discloses that the lugboard includes a reinforcing block (160) fixed to a bottom surface of the lugboard at a rearward corner thereof (fig 2), the pin being fixed to the reinforcing block and extending therefrom (figs 1-8).
Regarding claim 19, Lopez further discloses that the upper surface of the shelf has a first surface section (section of 68 away from 128) and a second surface section (section of 68 @ 128), the first surface section being vertically higher than the second surface section, and the lugboard rests on the second surface section (figs 1-8).
Regarding claim 20, Lopez further discloses that the vertical surface of the shelf extends downward from an inboard edge of the second surface section (figs 1-8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-12, 14-17 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANY E AKAKPO whose telephone number is (469)295-9255. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/DANY E AKAKPO/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
06/24/2026
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