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 Interpretation
Applicant has used the term “sub-fender apron” in the specification and claims. This term does not appear to be a generally known term of art as it could only be found in one other document in the USPTO patents database. Applicant has not provided a special definition of this term either. Thus, the term will be broadly interpreted to mean any structure in, attached to, or near the fender apron.
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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Park (US 2023/0399546).
With respect to claim 1, Park discloses a front structure of a vehicle body, the front structure comprising:
a chassis frame 14;
a dash panel 2 disposed above the chassis frame 14 (as shown in Fig. 1 of Park); and
a sub-fender apron 13 connected to a front portion of the dash panel 2 (as shown in Fig. 1 of Park) and comprising a chassis frame mounting portion 11 to which the chassis frame 14 is mounted (as shown in Fig. 1 of Park).
With respect to claim 2, Park discloses a fender apron 3 connected to the front portion of the dash panel 2 (via pillar 11), wherein a front end of the sub-fender apron is connected to the fender apron 3 (via damper housing 4 as shown in Fig. 1 of Park).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-12 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.
Claims 13-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 3-12 have been indicated as containing allowable subject matter primarily for the front sub-fender apron connected to the fender apron and connected to the dash panel along a length direction of the vehicle body; and a rear sub-fender apron connected to a rear portion of the front sub-fender apron and disposed in a width direction of the vehicle body outward of the front sub-fender apron.
Claims 13-20 have been allowed primarily for the front sub-fender apron connected to the fender apron and connected to the dash panel along a length direction of the vehicle body; and a rear sub-fender apron connected to a rear portion of the front sub-fender apron and disposed in a width direction of the vehicle body outward of the front sub-fender apron; and a dash reinforcement apparatus connected to a rear portion of the dash panel.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Onishi JP 2000-016334 and Hong et al. US 2022/0177041 are cited to show other examples of a front structure of a vehicle body including a chassis frame, a dash panel disposed above the chassis frame; and a sub-fender apron connected to a front portion of the dash panel and comprising a chassis frame mounting portion to which the chassis frame is mounted. .
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J COLILLA whose telephone number is (571)272-2157. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 - 4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amy Weisberg can be reached at 571-270-5500. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Daniel J Colilla/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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