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 § 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 2-15 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.
In regards to claim 2, it is unclear which seat cross member is being referenced by “the seat cross member” (lines 1-2) since plural “seat cross members” have been previously claimed (claim 1). Clarification and rephrasing are required.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the front tunnel patch" in lines 1-2. 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) 1-7 and 9-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsuda et al. (US 11220298 B2). Matsuda et al. discloses a center seat mounting structure (seat mounting structure for central portion of vehicle #1) comprising:
(claim 1) a floor panel (including front floor panel #8) forming a tunnel portion (including tunnel-shaped portion #6a, central portion of floor panel #8, expanding member #14, kick-up reinforcing element #50) arranged in a length direction of a vehicle body and forming seat cross members (including first and second floor cross members #30, 40) arranged on the floor panel in a width direction of the vehicle body on both sides of the tunnel portion (figures 1-4);
a connecting member (including middle member #31, 41 and cross member reinforcing element #33, 43) that connects the seat cross members (including left and right end members #32, 42) on both sides and that forms a center seat mounting portion (portion that receives front seat inner securing portions #33f, 43h for mounting seat slide rails #17; figures 6, 7; columns 8-12);
(claim 2) wherein the seat cross member (#30, 40) comprises:
a front seat cross member (#30) arranged on each side of the tunnel portion (including tunnel-shaped portion #6a, central portion of floor panel #8, expanding member #14, kick-up reinforcing element #50; figures 1-3);
a rear seat cross member (#40) disposed on each side of the tunnel portion (including tunnel-shaped portion #6a, central portion of floor panel #8, expanding member #14, kick-up reinforcing element #50) and rearward of the front seat cross member (#30) relative to the length direction of the vehicle body (figures 1-3);
wherein the connecting member (#31, 33, 41, 43) comprises:
a front connecting member (#31, 33) connecting the front seat cross members (including left and right end members #32) on both sides (figures 1-3, 6; columns 9-10);
a rear connecting member (#41, 43) that connects the rear seat cross members (including left and right end members #42) on both sides (figures 1-3, 7; columns 10-12);
(claim 3) a tunnel reinforcement (such as, console support bracket #60) arranged in the length direction of the vehicle body on an upper portion of the tunnel portion (including tunnel-shaped portion #6a, central portion of floor panel #8, expanding member #14, kick-up reinforcing element #50) to form a tunnel portion closed space together with the tunnel portion (figures 1-13);
(claim 4) wherein the front connecting member (#31, 33) comprises a center seat front bracket (cross member reinforcing element #33) in which a front center seat mounting portion (portion that receives front seat inner securing portions #33f for mounting seat slide rails #17) is provided and connected to the front seat cross members (#32) on both sides (figure 6; columns 9-10);
(claim 5) wherein the front connecting member (#31, 33) further comprises a center seat front reinforcement (middle member #31) that is arranged in the width direction of the vehicle body to support the center seat front bracket (#33) and that is connected to the tunnel reinforcement (#60; figure 6; columns 9-10);
(claim 6) a front tunnel patch (such as, central portion of floor panel #8) connected to the tunnel reinforcement (#60) and supporting the center seat front reinforcement (#31; figures 4-12);
(claim 7) wherein the front tunnel patch (such as, central portion of floor panel #8) extends in the forward direction relative to a front of the vehicle body (figures 4, 8, 10);
(claim 9) wherein the rear connecting member (#41, 43) further comprises a center seat rear member (cross member reinforcing element #43), which is disposed on the tunnel reinforcement (#60), to which a rear center seat mounting portion (portion that receives front seat inner securing portions #43h for mounting seat slide rails #17) is formed, and to which the rear seat cross members (#42) on both sides are connected (figures 1-3, 7; columns 10-12);
(claim 10) wherein the center seat rear member (#43) has a center seat mount guide hole (hole through which fasteners of front seat inner securing portions #43h extend and/or hole through which fastening bolts #T2 extend; figure 7; columns 11-12);
(claim 11) a rear seat bracket (middle member #41) connecting the center seat rear member (#43) and the rear seat cross member (#42; figure 7; columns 10-12);
(claim 12) wherein the rear connecting member (#41, 43) further comprises a center seat rear reinforcement (middle member #41) supporting the center seat rear member (#43; figure 7; columns 10-12);
(claim 13) a rear tunnel patch (such as, central portion of floor panel #8) connected to the tunnel reinforcement (#60) to support the center seat rear member (#43; figures 4-12);
(claim 14) wherein the rear tunnel patch (such as, central portion of floor panel #8) extends beyond a longitudinal length of the center seat rear member (#43) and is oriented in the length direction of the vehicle body (figures 1-4, 8, 10).
Claim(s) 1-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Onishi (US 9873457 B2). Onishi discloses a center seat mounting structure (seat mounting structure for central portion of vehicle body #11) comprising:
(claim 1) a floor panel (#24, 25) forming a tunnel portion (#36) arranged in a length direction of a vehicle body (#11) and forming seat cross members (#42, 44) arranged on the floor panel in a width direction of the vehicle body on both sides of the tunnel portion (figures 1-6);
a connecting member (including tunnel upper reinforcement #40, brackets #48) that connects the seat cross members (#42, 44) on both sides and that forms a center seat mounting portion (portion that includes seat portions #41 and/or seat fastening holes #48C2 in upper wall portion #48C of bracket #48; column 8, lines 41-47; column 9, line 62-column 10, line 6; column 13, lines 20-30);
(claim 2) wherein the seat cross member (#42, 44; while only one set of cross members is illustrated in the drawings, plural cross members are disposed in the vehicle front-rear direction; column 8, lines 48-65) comprises:
a front seat cross member (#42, 44) arranged on each side of the tunnel portion (#36; figures 1-6; columns 8-18);
a rear seat cross member (#42, 44) disposed on each side of the tunnel portion (#36) and rearward of the front seat cross member relative to the length direction of the vehicle body (#11; figures 1-6; columns 8-18);
wherein the connecting member (#40, 48) comprises:
a front connecting member (#40, 48) connecting the front seat cross members (#42, 44) on both sides (figures 1-6; columns 8-18);
a rear connecting member (#40, 48) that connects the rear seat cross members (#42, 44) on both sides (figures 1-6; columns 8-18);
(claim 3) a tunnel reinforcement (including tunnel upper reinforcement #40) arranged in the length direction of the vehicle body (#11) on an upper portion of the tunnel portion (#36) to form a tunnel portion closed space together with the tunnel portion (figures 1-6; column 8, lines 9-17);
(claim 4) wherein the front connecting member (#40, 48) comprises a center seat front bracket (tunnel upper reinforcement #40) in which a front center seat mounting portion (portion that includes seat portions #41) is provided and connected to the front seat cross members (#42, 44) on both sides (figures 1-6);
(claim 5) wherein the front connecting member (#40, 48) further comprises a center seat front reinforcement (brackets #48) that is arranged in the width direction of the vehicle body (#11) to support the center seat front bracket (#40) and that is connected to the tunnel reinforcement (#40; figures 1-6);
(claim 6) a front tunnel patch (such as joint portions #53) connected to the tunnel reinforcement (#40) and supporting the center seat front reinforcement (#48; figures 3, 4, 6; column 9, lines 40-62);
(claim 7) wherein the front tunnel patch (#53) extends in the forward direction relative to a front of the vehicle body (#11; figure 3).
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) 8 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsuda et al. (US 11220298 B2) in view of Onishi (US 9896131 B2). Matsuda et al. does not disclose a tunnel brace. Onishi teaches a vehicle (#12) comprising a floor panel (#26) forming a tunnel portion (#36), seat cross members (#58, 60), a connecting member (#40), and a tunnel brace (including tunnel lower reinforcement #62, reinforcing plate #66), disposed at a lower part of the tunnel portion, connecting lower parts of both sides of the tunnel portion, and placed in the same width direction phase as the seat cross members (figures 1-6; columns 8-12). 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 mounting structure of Matsuda et al. to include a tunnel brace, as taught by Onishi, so as to improve stiffness and impact strength of the tunnel portion (discussed throughout the specification of Onishi).
Claim(s) 8 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Onishi (US 9873457 B2) in view of Onishi (US 9896131 B2). Onishi (US 9873457 B2) does not disclose a tunnel brace. Onishi (US 9896131 B2) teaches a vehicle (#12) comprising a floor panel (#26) forming a tunnel portion (#36), seat cross members (#58, 60), a connecting member (#40), and a tunnel brace (including tunnel lower reinforcement #62, reinforcing plate #66), disposed at a lower part of the tunnel portion, connecting lower parts of both sides of the tunnel portion, and placed in the same width direction phase as the seat cross members (figures 1-6; columns 8-12). 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 mounting structure of Onishi (US 9873457 B2) to include a tunnel brace, as taught by Onishi (US 9896131 B2), so as to improve stiffness and impact strength of the tunnel portion (discussed throughout the specification of Onishi (US 9896131 B2)).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited prior art discloses center seat mounting structures. Of particular note:
Yamaki (US 8132852 B2), Sumino et al. (DE 102012021966 A1), Tsuyuzaki et al. (US 11370287 B2), and Matsuda et al. (US 11420686 B2) each disclose a center sat mounting structure comprising a floor panel, tunnel portion, seat cross members, and a connecting member that forms a center seat mounting portion.
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.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/LAURA FREEDMAN/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3614
Prosecution Insights