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 .
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.
Claims 1-3 and 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Schrader et al (US 5,029,934).
As concerns claim 1, Schrader et al (US 5,029,934) discloses a vehicle side structure comprising:
a door (2) configured to open and close a side surface opening of a vehicle body of a vehicle;
a protruding member (15) provided on the door and protruding outward from an outer plate member (8) of the door;
an engagement portion (12) provided in the vehicle body (5) and engaged with the protruding member that is configured to move inward in a vehicle width direction at a time of side collision of the vehicle; and
a connection member (13) that connects the outer plate member (8) of the door with another member (7) and extends in the vehicle width direction, wherein the connection member has a bend starting point portion (upper left corner of 14, shown in Figure 5) serving as a starting point of bending of the connection member at the time of the side collision of the vehicle.
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As concerns claim 2, Schrader discloses the vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the connection member (13) is a bracket to which the protruding member (15) is attached.
As concerns claim 3, Schrader discloses the vehicle side structure according to claim 2, wherein the bracket includes a shape maintaining portion for maintaining a shape of an attachment portion of the protruding member at the time of the side collision of the vehicle. (The portion of 13 which extends downward toward the free end 14 is considered to be a ‘shape maintaining portion’ as claimed.)
As concerns claims 5-7, Schrader discloses the vehicle side structure according to claim 1, wherein the bend starting point portion has a recess formed in the connection member in the front-rear direction. (Figure 3 illustrates wherein a recess is formed at the bend of 14, in the front-rear direction.)
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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 of this title, 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 4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schrader in view of Inamoto (US 20150367715).
As concerns claim 4, Schrader discloses the vehicle side structure according to claim 3, however fails to specify wherein the door includes a beam member extending in a front-rear direction, and the bracket connects the outer plate member with the beam member.
Inamoto (US 2015/0367715) teaches a door for a vehicle, comprising a bracket (24) that connects both an inner panel (14) and an outer panel (12) to a beam (22) for the purpose of improving performance during impact.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to modify Schrader as taught by Inamoto to include wherein the door includes a beam member with a bracket connecting the outer plate member of the door to the beam member, for the expected benefit of improving performance of the door during impact, to obtain the invention as specified in the claim.
As concerns claim 8, the combination discloses the vehicle side structure according to claim 4, wherein the bend starting point portion has a recess formed in the connection member in the front-rear direction. (Schrader - Figure 3 illustrates wherein a recess is formed at the bend of 14, in the front-rear direction.)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AARON L LEMBO whose telephone number is (571)270-3065. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Coy can be reached on (571) 272-5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AARON L LEMBO/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3679
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