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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 6, 7, 18, and 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Longo et al. (WO 00/03909 A1).
With respect to claim 1, Longo et al. disclose a bumper interface assembly (Figs 6-7) for a vehicle comprising: a bumper cross-member (306); a bumper mounting bracket (300) extending from the bumper cross-member; a frame member receiving the bumper mounting bracket (page 14, lines 28-30)(frame member is interpreted to receive the bumper mounting bracket when the reinforcement member 312 is attached to the frame and the mounting bracket is slid onto the reinforcement member); a reinforcement member (312) coupled directly to and within the bumper mounting bracket (Fig 7) and disposed between the bumper mounting bracket and the frame member (Figs 6-7 and page 14, lines 28-30).
With respect to claim 6, wherein the frame member comprises a first opening and a second opening (openings in frame corresponding to bolts passing through apertures 324).
With respect to claim 7, wherein the reinforcement member comprises a third opening (324) aligned with the first opening and a fourth opening (324) aligned with the second opening (Fig 6).
With respect to claim 18, wherein the reinforcement member is coupled to the frame member with fasteners (page 15, lines 17-19).
With respect to claim 19, further comprising the bumper interface assembly of claim 1; and a second bumper interface assembly comping the bumper interface assembly of claim 1 (Fig 1).
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 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Longo et al. in view of Chou et al. (US 6,502,848).
With respect to claim 2, Longo et al. disclose the claimed invention discussed above but do not disclose wherein the cross-member comprises a trailer hitch. Chou et al., however, disclose a cross-member comprising a trailer hitch (Fig 1). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was filed to modify the invention of Longo et al. in view of the teachings of Chou et al. to have a trailer hitch in order to provide a towing means.
Claims 3-4 and 10-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Longo et al.
With respect to claims 3-4, Longo et al. disclose the claimed invention discussed above but do not disclose wherein the bumper mounting bracket is L-shaped or C-shaped or wherein the reinforcement member comprises a C-shaped portion and an L-shaped portion. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the invention was filed to form the bracket and/or reinforcement member in an L-shape or C-shape or combination of the two, wherein the C-shaped portion would comprise a first wall having a first edge and a second edge, a third wall extending from the first edge and a fourth wall extending from the second edge, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of a component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 8, 9, and 13-17 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 DREW J BROWN whose telephone number is (571)272-1362. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday.
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DREW BROWN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3616
/DREW J BROWN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617
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