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 § 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 1, 2, and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Beaver (US 6428078 B1).
Beaver discloses an in-vehicle bracket for attaching an in-vehicle device to an attachment panel (48, figures 14-15) of a vehicle, the in-vehicle bracket comprising: a bracket body section (102, figure 14); and a seal section (40, figure 14) made of plastic material (Column 7, lines 33-35), the seal section (40) being integrated with the bracket body section (102), wherein the bracket body section (102) includes: a flange part (92, figure 2, 124 and 128, figure 12) including an attachment part (hole for receiving 142) configured to allow the in-vehicle device (142) to be attached to the attachment part; and a leg part (90) including a fastening part (84 and 106, figure 14) configured to be attached to the attachment panel (49, figure 15), the leg part (90) extending from the flange part (92, figure 2, 124 and 128, figure 12), and the seal section (40) is configured to cover the flange part (92, figure 2 or 128, figure 12) and expand around the flange part (figure 14), and includes: a waterproof part (57) disposed around the flange part to effect waterproofing between the flange part (92, figure 2, 124 and 128, figure 12) and the attachment panel (49, figures 2, 14, and 15); and a crimp part (55, figure 4) having an attachment hole (hole between, 55, figure 4) for attaching the in-vehicle device (142) to the attachment part, the crimp part being disposed to effect, around the attachment hole, waterproofing between the flange part (92, figure 2, 124 and 128, figure 12) and the in-vehicle device.
However, Beaver does not disclose a seal section made of soft material. It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to have made a seal section of soft material as such material for sealing an area is conventional and well-known in the art.
With respect to claim 2, Beaver discloses the in-vehicle bracket according to claim 1 as advanced above, wherein the crimp part (55, figure 4) and the waterproof part (57, figure 4) in the seal section are integrally formed.
With respect to claim 4, Beaver discloses the in-vehicle bracket according to claim 1 as advanced above, wherein the waterproof part (57) is disposed closer to the flange part (29, 124, 126, figure 7) than the fastening part (84 and 106, figure 14) in an extending direction of the leg part.
Claims 3 and 5-8 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. The prior art of record further demonstrate mounting brackets attached to panel of interest.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ko (Korie) H Chan whose telephone number is (571)272-6816. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday -Friday, 8:00 - 5:00 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Liu can be reached on 571-272-8227. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Ko H Chan/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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