DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I claims 1-7 in the reply filed on 12-9-2026 is acknowledged. The restriction is made final.
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 and 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Huang et al. (CN 105478596). Huang discloses an upper die assembly (10,11; Fig. 5) including an upper die (10) and a separate upper binder header (11) and a lower die assembly (2,5,6,7; Fig. 5) including a lower header binder (2,7), a fixed lower die (6) and a lower main body binder (5) being shaped complementary to the upper die for collectively forming a blank (9) into an automobile body part during a downward forming movement F (vertical downward movement; Figs. 6-9) of the upper die assembly. The lower die assembly includes a lower header binder (2) configured to travel downwardly relative to the lower die (6) and lower main body binder (5) an initial forming distance (D1; Fig. 6 to Fig. 7) during the downward forming movement of the upper die assembly to the lower header binder position in (Fig. 7) which is the initial forming distance (D1). The lower main body binder (5) is configured to travel downwardly relative to the lower header binder (Fig. 8 to Fig. 9) and the upper die (10) a longer forming distance (D1+D2) during the downward forming movement of the upper die assembly, wherein (Fig. 7) shows the lower header binder (2) lowered to the initial forming distance (D1) and the lower main body binder (5) has not moved downwardly yet, then between (Fig. 8 and Fig. 9) the lower main body binder (5) moves downwardly relative to the fixed die piece (6) to bottom out and compress the lower main body binder movement means (4) the longer forming distance (D1+D2) which is greater than the initial forming distance (D1). The upper die assembly includes an upper header binder (11) separate from and compressible upwardly (Figs. 6-8) by upper header binder movement means (13) relative to the upper die (10) by a compressing distance (Dc) as the lower header binder (2) and lower main body binder (5) bottom out their movement means (3,4; Fig. 9) during the downward forming movement of the upper die assembly to reduce an overall travel and forming stroke of the upper header binder (13) and said lower header binder (2) relative to the upper die (10) and the lower main body binder (5) during manufacturing of the automobile product. The Examiner’s position is that the distance (D1+D2) is defined by an initial position (0 movement) of the lower header binder (2,7) and lower main body binder (5) in Figure 5 and (D1+D2) is the final position where the lower header binder (2,7) and lower main body binder (5) have bottomed out on the lower die by compression of their respective movement means (3,4,8), the lower header binder pad (2) being moved to an intermediate distance (D1; Fig. 7) which is between the initial position (0) in Fig. 5 and the final position (D1+D2) in Fig. 8, wherein D1+D2 is greater than D1, the upper binder header (11) being compressed upward a distance (Dc, any distance) during downward die movement in Figs. 6-8.
Regarding claim 2, Applicant uses the terminology “approximately equal” which does not set forth any exactness of measurement and no real distance values (millimeter, inches) are claimed, but Huang discloses that the upper binder piece (2) has a movement equal to the lower main body binder movement (5) and the upper header binder (11) movement, Dc is approximately equal to D1.
Claim(s) 1 and 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baumann et al. (EP 3401032). Regarding Claim 1, Baumann discloses a die assembly (Figs. 1-2F; [0011]) for manufacturing a vehicle door (K, Fig. 2F; [0041]) comprising an upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A; [0056]) and a lower die assembly (U, Fig. 2A; para [0056]. Examiner notes in [0071] Baumann discloses that upper die assembly and lower die are configured to be reversed “in deviation from the attached figures, e.g. B, can also be varied in such a way that stamp 2 and sheet metal holder 3 are arranged in the upper structure O and inner and outer dies 1A, 1B in the substructure U”. Following this scope of the upper die assembly and lower die assembly described in [0071], Baumann discloses that the upper die assembly includes an upper die (2, Fig. 2A; [0056]) and the lower die assembly includes a lower die (1A, Fig. 2A; [0056]) being shaped complementary to said upper die (2, Fig. 2A; [0056]) for collectively forming a vehicle door main body portion (K, Fig. 2F, the main body portion of K) and a header portion (Ka, Fig. 2F) of the vehicle door (K, Fig. 2F; [0041]) during a downward forming movement F (downward arrow Vu, Fig. 2B) of the upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A). Baumann discloses that the lower die assembly includes a lower header binder (1B, Fig. 2A; [0071]) configured to travel downwardly relative to said lower die (1A, Fig. 2A; [0056]) an initial forming distance D1 (Fig. 2A, the distance between the spacer Z and the member 1B) during the downward forming movement (arrow Vu, Fig. 2B) of the upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A). The lower die assembly (U, Fig. 2A; [0056]) includes a lower main body binder (1A, Fig. 2A; [0071]) configured to travel downwardly relative to the lower header binder (1B, Fig. 2A; [0071]) and the upper die (2, Fig. 2A; [0056]) a longer forming distance D1+D2 (Fig. 2A, the distance between the base of part 5 and the member 1A) during the downward forming movement (downward arrow Vu, Fig. 2B) of the upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A). The upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A; [0056]) includes an upper header binder (3, Fig. 2A; para [0056]) separate from and compressible upwardly relative to the upper die (2, Fig. 2A; para [0056]) by the lower header binder (1B, Fig. 2A) a compressing distance Dc (Fig. 2A-E; the distance between member 3 and the base of 4) during the downward forming movement (downward arrow Vu, Fig. 2B) of the upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A) to reduce an overall travel and forming stroke of the upper header binder (3, Fig. 2A; [0056]) and the lower header binder (1B, Fig. 2A) relative to said upper die (2, Fig. 2A; [0056]) and the lower main body binder (1A, Fig. 2A) during manufacturing of the vehicle door (K).
Regarding Claim 3, Baumann discloses that the lower header binder (1B, Fig. 2A) includes a stop (15B, Fig. 2E the surface of member 1B engaged with spacer Z) for bottoming out against an engagement surface (Z, Fig. 2D) of the lower die assembly (U, Fig. 2A) to limit downward travel of the lower header binder (1B, Fig. 2A) to the initial forming distance D1 (Fig. 2A; the distance between the spacer Z and the member 1B).
Regarding Claim 4, Baumann discloses that the upper die (2, Fig. 2A; [0056], [0071]) includes an upper main body forming portion (Fig. 2A, the main body portion of die 2), an upper header forming portion (Fig. 2A, the right outer portion of die 2), and an upper main body binder surface (20, Fig. 2A; para [0058]) extending outwardly from the upper main body forming portion (Fig. 2A, the main body portion of die 2) and the lower die (1A, Fig. 2A; [0056], [0071]) including a lower main body forming portion (Fig. 2A, the main body portion of die 1A) and a lower header forming portion (Fig. 2A, the right outer portion of die 1A) each being shaped complementary to and designed to mate respectively with the upper main body (Fig. 2A, the main body portion of die 2) and header forming portions (Fig. 2A, the right outer portion of die 2) of the upper die (2, Fig. 2A; para [0056]) during the downward forming movement (downward arrow Vu, Fig. 2B) of the upper die assembly to form the main body portion (K, Fig. 2F; the main body portion of K) and the header portion (Ka, Fig. 2F) for the vehicle door (K, Fig. 2F).
Regarding Claim 5, Baumann discloses that the upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A; [0056], [0071]) is initially moved downwardly along said downward forming movement F (downward arrow Vu, Fig. 2B) to dispose the upper main body binder surface (Fig. 2A, the main body portion of die 2) of the upper die in abutting relationship with the lower main body binder (1A, Fig. 2A; [0056]) and the upper header binder (3, Fig. 2A; [0056]) in abutting relationship with the lower header binder (1B, Fig. 2A; [0056]), after which the upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A; [0056], [0071]) continues to move downwardly along the downward forming movement (downward arrow, Vu) during which the upper die and the upper header binder and the lower main body binder and the lower header binder all collectively travel downwardly by the initial forming distance D1 (Fig. 2A, the distance between the spacer Z and the member 1B) while the lower die remains stationary (Fig. 2D; [0065]-[0066]).
Regarding Claim 6, Baumann discloses that the stop (15B, Fig. 2E, the surface of member 1B engaged with spacer Z) establishes an upward compressing force on the upper header binder (3, Fig. 2A; [0056]) after the lower header binder (1B, Fig. 2A; [0056]) travels the initial forming distance D1 (Fig. 2A, the distance between the spacer Z and the member 1B) after which the upper die assembly (O, Fig. 2A; [0056], [0071]) continues to travel downwardly along the downward forming movement (downward arrow Vu) to compress the upper header binder (3, Fig. 2A; [0056]) upwardly relative to the upper die said compressing distance Dc (Fig. 2A-E, the distance between member 3 and the base of 4) by way of the upward compressing force of the lower header binder while the upper die and the lower main body binder continue travelling downwardly relative to said stationary lower die an additional forming distance D2 (Fig. 2D-E, the vertical distance die 1A moves upwards past member 1B) to complete manufacturing of the vehicle door (K).
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huang et al. (CN 105478596) in view of Sasaki et al. (WO 2018/168311). Huang does not disclose approximate distances in millimeters for D1, Dc and D1+D2. Sasaki teaches that approximate travel distances for pads (34,35) having movement means (38,39) are approximately 35mm and 75mm and a longer travel distance for movement pins (36,37) for pads (32,33) is approximately 135mm (page 8, paragraph 7, lines 13-15) when forming an automobile vehicle door (1). It would have been obvious to the skilled artisan prior to the effective filing date of the present invention to set an approximate travel distance of the binders of Huang in millimeters as taught by Sasaki depending on a depth of the automobile vehicle door part being formed. It is an obvious design consideration to determine main body binder and header binder body travel distances to form thicker and thinner portions of the vehicle door as door sections (10b,10c) in Sasaki (Fig. 3) require a deep drawing depth and a relatively small drawing depth (page 2, paragraph 2, lines 3-5).
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 EDWARD THOMAS TOLAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4525. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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/EDWARD T TOLAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3725
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