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 1-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Orr et al (DE 102021103920).
As concerns the following, Orr discloses:
1. A vehicle lower body structure, comprising:
a rocker (20) configuring a part of a vehicle lower side of a vehicle side portion, the rocker disposed along a vehicle front-rear direction; and
a reinforcement (24) including a body portion (at least 54, 56, 60, 116, and 118) provided inside the rocker and a projecting portion (at least 120, 58, portions of 52 project upward from 60) that projects in a vehicle up-down direction from the body portion and that is joined to a wall surface (inner surfaces of 30 and 40) of the rocker positioned on a projecting direction side of the projecting portion.
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2. The vehicle lower body structure of claim 1, wherein:
the body portion (at least 54, 56, 60, 116, 118) is configured such that an inside of the body portion is an impact absorber that is divided in a vehicle width direction,
a first projecting portion (at least 52) configuring the projecting portion projects in a vehicle upward direction from the impact absorber, and the first projecting portion is joined to a vehicle upper part of the rocker (Figure 2), and
a second projecting portion (at least 50) configuring the projecting portion projects in a vehicle downward direction from the impact absorber, and the second projecting portion is joined to a vehicle lower part of the rocker (Figure 2).
3. The vehicle lower body structure of claim 2, wherein:
the first projecting portion and the second projecting portion are disposed as a set as viewed in the vehicle up-down direction, and
the first projecting portion and the second projecting portion are disposed on a same side in the vehicle width direction relative to a vehicle width direction center position of the rocker. (Figure 2 illustrates the claimed ‘set’ of projecting portions.)
4. The vehicle lower body structure of claim 1, wherein the body portion is joined to an outer part and an inner part, in the vehicle width direction, of the rocker. (Figure 2 illustrates wherein the elements are connected to the inner and outer rocker parts, 30 and 40, by way of connectors 92 and 122)
5. The vehicle lower body structure of claim 1, wherein the reinforcement further includes a shared panel (100, 106) that is provided inside the rocker, that extends in the vehicle up-down direction, and that interconnects (by way of 122 and 92) a vehicle upper part (36, 46) and a vehicle lower part (38, 48) of the rocker.
6. The vehicle lower body structure of claim 1, wherein the projecting portion (50, 52) is formed integrally with at least one of a vehicle upper part (36, 46) or a vehicle lower part (38. 48) of the body portion. (Paragraph [0032] discusses welding for making the various parts integral to one another)
8. The vehicle lower body structure of claim 1, wherein a joint surface (surface of 122 or 92) of the projecting portion (122, 92) joined to the rocker and a part of the rocker (at least 32, 42) joined to the joint surface are in parallel as viewed in the vehicle front-rear direction. (Figure 2)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 is 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:
As concerns claim 7, Orr discloses the vehicle lower body structure of claim 6, however fails to specify wherein the projecting portion and a part of the body portion at which the projecting portion is provided are formed by the same sheet material.
Paragraph [0031] of Orr specifically teaches away from this, stating that parts 50 and 52 are preformed, thus unable to be formed from the same sheet of material as claimed.
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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