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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Brodin et al. (WO 2021071410 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Bodin teaches a vehicle structure comprising a portion having a longitudinal extension extending in a longitudinal direction, wherein the portion comprises a first member (Fig. 12 element 208) having a longitudinal extension extending in the longitudinal direction, and a second member (Fig. 12 element 210) having a longitudinal extension extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first member is configured to face an inside of a vehicle (Fig. 12 element 212), wherein the second member is configured to face an outside of the vehicle (Fig. 12 element 214), wherein the first and second members are attached to one another such that the first and second members form a closed space (Fig. 12 element 216), wherein the portion comprises one or more tubular reinforcement members (Fig. 12 elements 220/218) located in the closed space, wherein the tubular reinforcement member has a longitudinal extension extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the tubular reinforcement member is corrugated and comprises corrugations (Shown in Fig. 10), wherein the tubular reinforcement member comprises two or more member sections positioned after one another in the longitudinal direction (Fig. 13 elements 244), and wherein one of the member sections bulges outward in a first direction and in a second direction opposite to the first direction and bulges inward in a third direction, the third direction being transverse to the first and second directions, while another one of the member sections, which adjoins said one of the member sections, bulges inward in the first and second directions and bulges outward in the third direction (Shown in Figs. 10 and 12).
Regarding Claim 2, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the tubular reinforcement member comprises one or more flat regions extending along the entire longitudinal extension of the tubular reinforcement member (Fig. 10 element 261a).
Regarding Claim 3, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses one of the member sections bulges outward and inward in the first and second directions and bulges inward in the third direction while another one of the member sections, which adjoins said one of the member sections, bulges inward and outward in the first and second directions and bulges outward in the third direction (Bulge directions shown in Figs. 10 and 12).
Regarding Claim 4, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses one of the member sections bulges outward in the first and second directions and bulges inward in the third direction and in a fourth direction opposite to the third direction while another one of the member sections, which adjoins said one of the member sections, bulges inward in the first and second directions and bulges outward in the third and fourth directions (Bulge directions shown in Figs. 10 and 12).
Regarding Claim 5, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 4 and further discloses the corrugations of the tubular reinforcement member comprise annular ridges, and wherein said one of the member sections and said other one of the member sections, which bulge outward and inward, together comprise one and the same annular ridge of the annular ridges (Fig. 10 shows the annular ridges along reinforcement member elements 220/218).
Regarding Claim 6, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 5 and further discloses the annular ridge at least partially extends transversely to the longitudinal direction (Fig. 10 shows ridges extending transverse to the longitudinal direction).
Regarding Claim 7, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 4 and further discloses the corrugations of the tubular reinforcement member comprises annular grooves,and wherein said one of the member sections and said other one of the member sections, which bulge outward and inward, together comprise one and the same annular groove of the annular grooves (Fig. 10 shows grooves along reinforcement member).
Regarding Claim 8, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 7 and further discloses the annular groove at least partially extends transversely to the longitudinal direction (Shown in Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 9, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 7 and further discloses the annular ridges and the annular grooves form one or more wave shapes extending along the longitudinal extension of the tubular reinforcement member in the longitudinal direction (Wave pattern shown in Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 10, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 4 and further discloses one of the member sections bulges outward and inward in the first and second directions and bulges inward in the third and fourth directions while another one of the member sections, which adjoins said one of the member sections, bulges inward and outward in the first and second directions and bulges outward in the third and fourth directions (Shown in Fig. 10).
Regarding Claim 11, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 4 and further discloses the tubular reinforcement member comprises one or more flat regions for the attachment of the tubular reinforcement member to one or more of the first and second members (Fig. 12 element 257a).
Regarding Claim 12, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the member sections form one or more wave shapes extending along the longitudinal extension of the tubular reinforcement member in the longitudinal direction (Fig. 10 shows the wave pattern).
Regarding Claim 13, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the tubular reinforcement member forms one or more openings for welding so as to attach the tubular reinforcement member to one or more of the first and second members (Fig. 12 element 257a).
Regarding Claim 14, Bodin teaches the limitations set forth in Claim 1 and further discloses the tubular reinforcement member is hydroformed, hot gas formed, extruded, or formed from one or more plates (“Each reinforcement member 218, 220 is formed from a plate, for example a metal plate, such as a plate of aluminium, or any other suitable material, which may be processed by press hardening” Page 21 lines 32-34).
Claim(s) 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Brodin et al. (WO 2021071410 A1).
Regarding Claim 15, Bodin teaches a method for producing a vehicle structure comprising a portion having a longitudinal extension extending in a longitudinal direction (Shown in Fig. 10), wherein the portion comprises a first member (Fig. 12 element 208) having a longitudinal extension extending in the longitudinal direction, and a second member (Fig. 12 element 210) having a longitudinal extension extending in the longitudinal direction, wherein the first member is configured to face an inside of a vehicle (Fig. 12 element 212), wherein the second member is configured to face an outside of the vehicle (Fig. 12 element 214), wherein the first and second members are attached to one another such that the first and second members form a closed space (Fig. 12 element 216), wherein the method comprises: producing one or more tubular reinforcement members by way of one of hydroforming and hot gas forming; and placing the one or more tubular reinforcement members in the closed space (“Each reinforcement member 218, 220 is formed from a plate, for example a metal plate, such as a plate of aluminium, or any other suitable material, which may be processed by press hardening” Page 21 lines 32-34).
Conclusion
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/E.A./Examiner, Art Unit 3644
/TIMOTHY D COLLINS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3644
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