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 .
This communication is in response to application No. 19/066,963, filed on 2/28/2025. Claims 1-9 are currently pending and have been examined. Claims 1-3 have been rejected as follows. Claims 4-9 are objected to.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Salter et al (US Patent No. 9,863,171).
Regarding claim 1, Salter et al discloses a vehicle interior component (center console 18, Fig. 2), comprising a box body (30, Fig. 2; column 3, lines 31-35) including an accommodation portion (44, Fig. 2) having an opening (60, Fig. 2); a lid (56, Fig. 2) movably coupled (64/66, Fig. 2; column 3, lines 40-47) to the box body (30, Fig. 2), the lid (56, Fig. 2) being configured to close the opening (60, Fig. 2) by engaging with the box body (30, Fig. 2); a lock mechanism (52, Fig. 2) configured to lock (Fig. 5) the lid (56, Fig. 5) to a state in which the lid is engaged with the box body (30, Fig. 5) and unlock (Fig. 2) the lid in accordance with an unlocking operation (54, Fig. 2; column 3, lines 37-45); and an indication mode changer (62, 78, Fig. 2) configured to change an indication mode of the indication mode changer between when the lid is engaged with the box body and when the lid is disengaged from the box body (column 4, lines 34-41; column 9, lines 41-43).
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.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Salter et al (US Patent No. 9,863,171) in view of Naeshiro et al (JP-2007203959-A).
Regarding claim 2, Salter et al discloses all of the claimed limitations of the invention as claimed in claim 1 above, and further wherein the indication mode changer (62, 78, Fig. 6-7) includes a light-transmissive window (light transmissive lens 152, Fig. 6-7; column 9, lines 20-24) that is transmissive to visible light, a side of the box body (30, Fig. 2 & 5) including an ornamental surface (46, 50, Fig. 2 & 5) defines an outer side, and a side of the box body opposite to the ornamental surface (46, 50, Fig. 2 & 5) defines an inner side, and the indication mode changer is configured to change an indication mode of the light-transmissive window (152, Fig. 5-7) using a member (68 coupled with latch 52) arranged at the inner side of the ornamental surface (46, 50, Fig. 2 & 5). However, Salter et al discloses the light-transmissive window arranged on the center housing (38, Fig. 5-6) and does not expressly disclose that the light-transmissive window is arranged on the box body with the inner and outer sides.
Naeshiro et al teaches a decorative body (40, Fig. 1-2; para. [0001]) with ornamental surface having a light-transmissive window (13, Fig. 2) arranged on the box body (40, Fig. 2) transmitting visible light and where the ornamental surface side of the console box body (40, Fig. 1-2) defines an outer side, and a side of the box body opposite to the ornamental surface defines an inner side in the analogous field of the claimed invention of vehicle console compartments.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the window of Salter et al by providing the location as taught by Naeshiro et al. Doing so would improve the interior aesthetic appeal, enhance comfort and create a sense of luxury.
Regarding claim 3, Salter et al in view of Naeshiro et al discloses all of the claimed limitations of the invention as claimed in claim 2 above, and further discloses wherein the indication mode changer (62, 78, Fig. 2 & 6) includes a light source (78, Fig. 2 & 6) arranged at the inner side of the light-transmissive window (152, Fig. 6, see annotated figure below) and configured to emit visible light toward the light-transmissive window (see annotated figure below), and the indication mode changer is configured to change an emission mode of the visible light from the light source between when the lid is engaged (Fig. 5) with the box body and when the lid is disengaged (Fig. 2) from the box body (column 4, lines 34-36; column 9, lines 41-43), thereby changing the indication mode of the light-transmissive window.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-9 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The primary reason for indication of allowable subject matter in claim 4 is the inclusion of the limitations that the indication mode changer has a first moving member arranged at the inner side of the light-transmissive window to be movable in an intersecting direction that intersects a thickness-wise direction of the box body, including a first indicator and a second indicator. The closest prior art of Salter et al discloses a box body (30), accommodation portion (44) with opening (60), a lid (56), lock mechanism (52) and an indication mode changer that is a light source (78) changing its emission mode behind a light-transmissive window (152). Salter et al fails to disclose applicant’s first moving member 74 movable in an intersecting direction that intersects the vertical direction of window 71 to display a first indicator 78 or a second indicator 79 of different colors or patterns, thereby allowing occupant to readily recognize that the lid 30 is disengaged or engaged from the box body 11. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claim, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record. Claims 5-7 contain allowable subject matter by virtue of dependency from claim 4.
The primary reason for indication of allowable subject matter in claim 8 is the inclusion of limitations that the indication mode changer has a second moving member including an indication projection located at the outer side of the ornamental surface, and includes a shifting mechanism configured to shift the second moving member so that the indication projection shifts between the outer position and the inner position. The closest prior art of Salter et al discloses a box body (30), accommodation portion (44) with opening (60), a lid (56), lock mechanism (52) and an indication mode changer that is a light source (78) changing its emission mode behind a light-transmissive window (152). Salter et al fails to disclose applicant’s indication projection 95 which can be extended up or down from the ornamental surface 36a of the panel 36 through window 91 (via shifting mechanism 96 configured to shift the second moving member to an outer or inner position). Whereby, when an occupant sees the console box 10, the occupant can see the indication projection 95 prominently projecting up from window 91 allowing recognition that the lid 30 is disengaged from the box body 11 and that the lid 30 is not locked by the lock mechanism 40. Conversely, the indication projection 95 shifting mechanism 96 configured to shift the second moving member (down) to an inner position indicates a state in which the lid 30 is engaged with the box body 11. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claim, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record. Claim 9 contains allowable subject matter by virtue of dependency from claim 8.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nabar et al (US 2024/0253535) and (JP 7688826 B2) disclose a vehicle storage compartment with a light source configured to illuminate the bin in response to movement of the cover from a closed position to an open position. Fukui et al (US Patent No. 12,485,828) discloses a console box having a box main body, lid, lock mechanism, and a push-up mechanism including a recess that opens in a side surface of the lid, a striker, and an urging member that urges the striker in a pivoting direction.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Denise L Esquivel whose telephone number is (703)756-5825. The examiner can normally be reached Monday- Thursday 7:30 am-5:00 pm, alternate Fridays 7:30 am-4:00 pm.
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/D.L.E./Examiner, Art Unit 3612
/AMY R WEISBERG/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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