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 .
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) 1-2, 4 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Publication No. 2018/0009313 issued to Watanabe et al. (cited in the IDS filed on 3/28/2025).
Regarding Claim 1, Watanabe et al. teaches in Figures 1-4 and respective portions of the specification of an active shutter vane assembly (1) comprising:
a mini-vane base member (51) which includes an actuation attachment portion (42) and a vane attachment portion (52); and
a beauty vane (24) which includes a cooperating attachment structure (26) for attachment of the beauty vane (24) to the mini-vane (51).
Regarding Claim 2, Watanabe et al. teaches the beauty vane (24) is attached to both the actuation attachment portion (42 at 25 as shown in Figure 3) and the vane attachment portion (52).
Regarding Claim 4, Watanabe et al. the beauty vane (24) visibly covers the mini-vane base member (51) to provide a vehicle show surface (see Figure 3).
Regarding Claim 7, Watanabe et al. teach one of the mini-vane attachment portion (42) or cooperating attachment structure (26) on the beauty vane (24) has at least a pair of tabs (see element 52 for the mini-vane attachment portion 42; see Figure 3) on opposite sides for forming a channel (see Figure 3) and the other of said mini-vane attachment portion or the cooperating attachment structure (26) on the beauty vane (24) has a lip (protrusion 52) which engages in the channel for connection of the beauty vane (24) to the mini-vane base member (51).
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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Watanabe et al.
Regarding Claim 3, Watanabe et al. is silent if the beauty vane (24) includes a class A surface. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to provide a class A surface for the beauty vane to provide a surface that can be painted to match the vehicle’s color scheme.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-17 are allowed.
Claims 5, 6 and 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the primary reason for the allowance of the claims in this case is the inclusion of: an active shutter van assembly that includes a min-vane base member with an attachment portion and vane attachment portion, where a beauty vane includes a cooperating attachment structure for attaching to the mini-vane, where in re claim 9 wherein one of the mini-vane attachment portion or cooperating attachment structure on the beauty vane has at least a pair of tabs on opposite sides for forming a channel and the other of said mini-vane attachment portion or the cooperating attachment structure on the beauty vane has a lip which engages in the channel for connection of the beauty vane to the mini-vane base member, said lip including openings for allowing insertion of the tabs past the lip and sliding the tabs over the lip for engagement of the beauty vane onto said mini-vane base member; in re claim 16 wherein the cooperating attachment structure on the beauty vane has at least a pair of tabs on opposite sides for forming a channel underneath the tabs which is inserted through said tab openings and slid longitudinally along the lip for connection of the beauty vane to the mini-vane base member; in re claim 17 where a process for assembling the active shutter van assembly includes step consisting of at least of providing a first beauty vane having a first show surface contour compatible with a first vehicle appearance which includes a cooperating attachment structure for attachment of the beauty vane to the mini-vane, wherein the cooperating attachment structure on the beauty vane has at least a pair of tabs on opposite sides for forming a channel underneath the tabs which is inserted through said tab openings and slid longitudinally along the lip for connection of the first beauty vane to the mini-vane base member; providing a second beauty vane having a second show surface contour compatible with a second vehicle appearance which includes a cooperating attachment structure for attachment of the beauty vane to the mini-vane, wherein the cooperating attachment structure on the beauty vane has at least a pair of tabs on opposite sides for forming a channel underneath the tabs which is inserted through said tab openings and slid longitudinally along the lip for connection of the second beauty vane to the mini-vane base member; selecting one of said first beauty vane or said second beauty vane depending on which preselected first vehicle or second vehicle the base member is to be installed in and installing the selected first beauty vane onto the mini-vane base member; and installing the active shutter vane assembly on the preselected vehicle; in combination with the other elements recited, not found in the prior art of record.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIAN L SWENSON whose telephone number is (571)270-5572. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday (9-5).
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BRIAN SWENSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3618
/BRIAN L SWENSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613
