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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 5-14, 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Unno et al. (U.S. 2004/0121820A1).
Regarding claim 1, Unno et al. disclose a support (11, fig. 2 and para 0126) for a rear-view mirror (20, 25) of a motor vehicle (A, see fig. 1), the support (11)comprising:
a first coupling surface (11a, see fig. 2 and para 0133);
first fixing devices (11b, 11c. P1, P2; para 0133) adapted to fix said first coupling surface (11a) to a fixing region (P, fig. 1) of said motor vehicle (as shown in fig. 1);
a second coupling surface (the lower surface of 11 connecting to housing 22); and
second fixing devices (11g, 24d) adapted to fix said second coupling surface to said rear-view mirror (20, 25; as shown in fig. 2);
wherein said second coupling surface is angled relative to said first coupling surface (as shown in figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 2, Unno et al. disclose wherein said first coupling surface (11a, see fig. 2 and para 0133) and said second coupling surface (the lower surface of 11 connecting to housing 22) lie on respective planes that are transversal to each other (as shown in figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, Unno et al. disclose wherein said planes form an angle between 85o and 950 with each other (as shown in figs. 1-2, the planes form a 90o angle).
Regarding claim 5, Unno et al. disclose a rear-view mirror assembly (10, 20, fig. 2) for a motor vehicle (A, see fig. 1), the rear-view mirror assembly (10, 20) comprising:
a rear-view mirror (20, 25); and
a support (11, fig. 2 and para 0126) according to claim 1;
said rear-view mirror (20, 25) comprising a fixing portion (22a) adapted to be fixed to a region (P, fig. 1) of said motor vehicle or to said support (11; see figs. 1-2);
said support (11) being adapted to be fixed to said region (P, fig. 1) of said motor vehicle (as shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 6, Unno et al. disclose wherein said rear-view mirror (20, 25) further comprises one or more electric and/or electronic devices (24; see fig. 2 and refer to para) adapted to be electrically connected to a source of electrical energy of said motor vehicle (A; refer to para 0139).
Regarding claim 7, Unno et al. disclose a motor vehicle (A, fig. 1), comprising:
a frame (as shown in fig. 1 and also implied);
a cabin (as shown in fig. 1 and also implied) integral with said frame and adapted to accommodate at least a driver of said motor vehicle (as shown in fig. 1 and also implied); and
a rear-view mirror (20, 25; as shown in fig. 2) assembly according to claim 5 (see the rejected of claim 5).
Regarding claim 8, Unno et al. disclose a fixing region (P, fig. 1);
said first coupling surface (11a, see fig. 2 and para 0133) being fixed to said fixing region (P);
said second coupling surface (the lower surface of 11 connecting to housing 22) being facing away from the ground on which said motor vehicle (A) rests, in use (as shown in fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Unno et al. disclose wherein said fixing region comprises at least two first holes (P1, P2) and said second fixing devices comprise at least two second holes (24d) at said second coupling surface (as shown in fig. 2);
wherein the relative distance of said first holes (P1, P2) corresponds to the relative distance of said second holes (24d; as shown in fig. 2);
said rear-view mirror (20, 25) comprising at least two pins (11b, 11c; 11g) adapted to respectively engage the two first holes or said second holes (see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 10, Unno et al. defining :
a first axis (X) of longitudinal extension;
a second axis (Z), which is vertical, in use; and
a third axis (Y), which is perpendicular to said first axis (X) and said second axis (Z);
wherein the rear-view mirror (20, 25) of said rear-view mirror assembly (10, 20) when fixed to said support is parallel to said second axis (see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Unno et al. disclose defining:
a first axis (X) of longitudinal extension;
a second axis (Z), which is vertical, in use; and
a third axis (Y), which is perpendicular to said first axis (X) and said second axis (Y);
wherein the rear-view mirror (20, 25) of said rear-view mirror assembly (10, 20) when fixed to said support is substantially parallel to said second axis (see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 12, Unno et al. disclose a method for mounting a support (11) for a motor vehicle (A) comprising the steps of:
providing a motor vehicle (A) comprising a fixing region (P) and at least one rear-view mirror (20, 25) fixed to said fixing region (P. see fig. 1);
removing said rear-view mirror (20, 25) from said fixing region (P, see fig. 2);
fixing a first surface (11a, see fig. 2 and para 0133) of a support (11) to said fixing region (P) by means of first fixing devices (11b, 11c. P1, P2; para 0133); and
fixing said rear-view mirror (20, 25) to a second surface (the lower surface of 11 connecting to housing 22) of said support (11) by means of second fixing devices (11g, 24d); said second surface being angled relative to said first surface (as shown in figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 13, Unno et al. disclose wherein at the end of said step iii), said second surface (the lower surface of 11 connecting to housing 22) faces away from the ground on which said motor vehicle rests (as shown in figs. 1-2).
Regarding claim 14, Unno et al. disclose wherein said motor vehicle comprises a source of electrical energy (refer to para 0139) and said rear-view mirror (20, 25) comprises at least one electric device (24; see fig. 2 and refer to para); said
electric device (24; see fig. 2 and refer to para) being electrically connected to said source by means of an electric cable (24c) during said step i) (as shown);
said method comprising the further step v) of keeping said electric device electrically connected to said source during the steps ii), iii) and iv) (as shown in fig. 2).
Regarding claim 16, Unno et al. disclose wherein said motor vehicle comprises a source of electrical energy (refer to para 0139) and said rear-view mirror (20, 25) comprises at least one electronic device (24; see fig. 2 and refer to para);
said electronic device (24; see fig. 2 and refer to para) being electrically connected to said source by means of an electric cable (24c) during said step i) (see fig. 2);
said method comprising the further step v) of keeping said electronic device electrically connected to said source during the steps ii), iii) and iv) (as shown in figs. 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 15, and 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Whipps (U.S. 2022/0080892A1), Dziurda (U.S. 2017/0217374A1), Matsuura (U.S. 7,055,974B1), and (U.S. 6,206,529B1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YANICK A AKARAGWE whose telephone number is (469)295-9298. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH 7:30-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Coy can be reached at (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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/YANICK A AKARAGWE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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