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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed May 8, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The attorney argues that Kino (US Patent Publication US 20120242067), does not teach “” As seen in the annotated Fig 4 of Kino below, Kino teaches "that an end of the roll at the connecting region (at 34 by door towards outside direction) is closer to the door- side interior of the vehicle than is an opposite end of the roll (end point of airbag 30 seen in middle of the roll) along the length of the roll." In the annotated figure, it is seen that the endpoint of the airbag when rolled in the middle of the roll is closer to the interior of the vehicle than the connection point to the inflator as claimed. The Examiner maintains the rejections.
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Annotated Kino Fig 4
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 1-4 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kino et al (US Patent Publication US 20120242067 A1) in view of Ohno et al (US Patent Publication US 20220396233 A1).
With regards to Claim 1: Kino et al teaches a side airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag cushion (30) disposed in a side portion of a seat (12) of the vehicle; and an inflator (20) coupled to the airbag cushion and configured to inject gas into an interior of the airbag cushion, wherein the airbag cushion includes: a connecting region (at 34) coupled to the inflator; and a rolling region (seen in Annotated Fig 4 above) extending from an end of the connecting region, wherein, before deployment, the rolling region of the airbag cushion is rolled on itself to form a roll; and wherein the roll of the rolling region is disposed at an angle with respect to a door-side interior (at 50) of the vehicle such that an end of the roll at the connecting region is closer to the door-side interior of the vehicle than is an opposite end of the roll along the length of the roll. (seen in Annotated Fig 4 above)
Kino et al does not teach the roll having a greater length than width.
Ohno et al teaches a side airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag cushion (30) disposed in a side portion of a seat (10) of the vehicle; and an inflator (28) coupled to the airbag cushion and configured to inject gas into an interior of the airbag cushion, wherein the airbag cushion includes: a connecting region (at S in Fig 3) coupled to the inflator; and a rolling region (32a in Fig 3) extending from an end of the connecting region, wherein, before deployment, the rolling region of the airbag cushion is rolled on itself to form a roll (seen in Fig 3), the roll having a greater length than width (seen in Fig 5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the side airbag apparatus disclosed in Kino et al with the roll having a greater length than width taught in Ohno et al with a reasonable expectation of success because it would ensure that the passenger is received during a side collision event.
With regards to Claim 2: The combination of Kino and Ohno et al teaches the side airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the rolling region (seen in Kino Fig 4) of the airbag cushion (Kino 30) is inclined from the end of the connecting region toward the seat (Kino 12).
With regards to Claim 3: The combination of Kino and Ohno et al teaches the side airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein at an initial deployment of the airbag cushion (Kino 30), the end of the roll of the rolling region (seen in Kino Fig 4) of the airbag cushion that is opposite the end at the connecting region (at Kino 34) is moved toward the door-side interior of the vehicle (towards Kino 50).
With regards to Claim 4: The combination of Kino and Ohno et al teaches the side airbag apparatus of claim 3, wherein the rolling region (seen in Kino Fig 4) of the airbag cushion (Kino 30) is deployed in a state in which the end of the roll of the rolling region that is opposite the end at the connecting region (at Kino 34) has been moved toward the door-side interior of the vehicle (towards Kino 50).
With regards to Claim 9: Kino et al teaches a side airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag cushion (30) disposed in a side portion of a seat (12) of the vehicle; and an inflator (20) coupled to the airbag cushion and configured to inject gas into an interior of the airbag cushion, wherein the airbag cushion includes: a connecting region (at 34) coupled to the inflator; and a rolling region (seen in Annotated Fig 4 above) extending from an end of the connecting region, wherein, before deployment, the rolling region of the airbag cushion is rolled on itself to form a roll; and wherein the roll of the rolling region is disposed at an angle with respect to a door-side interior (at 50) of the vehicle such that an end of the roll at the connecting region is closer to the door-side interior of the vehicle than is an opposite end of the roll along the length of the roll wherein the opposite end of the roll of the rolling region away from the connection region is inclined toward a door-side interior of the vehicle by the gas injected from the inflator (seen in Annotated Fig 4 above).
Kino et al does not teach the roll having a greater length than width.
Ohno et al teaches a side airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag cushion (30) disposed in a side portion of a seat (10) of a vehicle; and an inflator (28) coupled to the airbag cushion and configured to inject gas into an interior of the airbag cushion, wherein the airbag cushion includes: a connecting region (at S in Fig 3) coupled to the inflator; and a rolling region (32a in Fig 3) extending from an end of the connecting region, wherein, before deployment, the rolling region of the airbag cushion is rolled on itself to form a roll, the roll having a greater length than width (seen in Fig 5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the side airbag apparatus disclosed in Kino et al with the roll having a greater length than width taught in Ohno et al with a reasonable expectation of success because it would ensure that the passenger is received during a side collision event.
With regards to Claim 10: The combination of Kino and Ohno et al teaches the side airbag apparatus of claim 9, wherein the rolling region (seen in Kino Fig 4) of the airbag cushion (Kino 30) is deployed in a state in which the rolling region has been moved toward the door-side interior of the vehicle (towards Kino 50).
Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kino et al (US Patent Publication US 20120242067 A1) in view of Fujiwara (US Patent Publication US 2015/0367804 A1).
With regards to Claim 5: Kino et al teaches a side airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag cushion (30) disposed in a side portion of a seat (12) of the vehicle and an inflator (20) coupled to the airbag cushion and configured to inject gas into an interior of the airbag cushion, wherein the airbag cushion includes: a connecting region (at 34) coupled to the inflator and a rolling region (seen in Fig 4) extending from an end of the connecting region, wherein the rolling region is bent from the end of the connecting region after rolling is completed.
Kino et al does not teach an inner panel disposed inside the airbag cushion and configured to guide the gas injected from the inflator toward a contact panel of the airbag cushion.
Fujiwara et al teaches a side airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag cushion (20) disposed in a side portion of a seat (12) of the vehicle; and an inflator (18) coupled to the airbag cushion and configured to inject gas into an interior of the airbag cushion, wherein the airbag cushion includes: a connecting region (25) coupled to the inflator (18); and a compressed region (26 and 28 per para [0056]) extending from an end of the connecting region, wherein the compressed region is bent from the end of the connecting region after rolling is completed, further comprising an inner panel (22) disposed inside the airbag cushion (20) and configured to guide the gas injected from the inflator (18) toward a contact panel of the airbag cushion.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the side airbag apparatus disclosed in Kino et al with the inner panel disposed inside the airbag cushion and configured to guide the gas injected from the inflator toward a contact panel of the airbag cushion taught in Fujiwara et al with a reasonable expectation of success because distributed the air in the airbag to safely receive the passenger during a collision event.
With regards to Claim 6: The combination of Kino and Fujiwara et al teaches the side airbag apparatus of claim 5, wherein the inner panel (Fujiwara 22) includes: a main body coupled to an inner surface of the airbag cushion; and a pass hole (Fujiwara 22a) formed in the main body and connected to an inner space of the airbag cushion (Kino 30).
With regards to Claim 7: The combination of Kino and Fujiwara et al teaches the side airbag apparatus of claim 6, wherein the main body of the inner panel (Fujiwara 22) includes: a first inner portion facing the contact panel of the airbag cushion (Kino 30); and a second inner portion facing a non-contact panel of the airbag cushion, wherein the pass hole of the inner panel is disposed in the first inner portion.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over by Kino et al (US Patent Publication US 20120242067 A1) in view of Ohno et al (US Patent Publication US 20220396233 A1) and in further view of Hiraiwa et al (DE Patent Publication DE 102014010470 B4).
With regards to Claim 8: The combination of Kino and Ohno et al teaches the side airbag apparatus of claim 1, wherein the airbag cushion (Kino 30) is deployed in a region facing a door-side interior of the vehicle (towards Kino 50).
The combination of Kino and Ohno et al does not teach cushion cover or a tear line.
Hiraiwa teaches a side airbag apparatus for a vehicle, comprising: an airbag cushion (AM) disposed in a side portion of a seat (12) of the vehicle; and an inflator (31) coupled to the airbag cushion and configured to inject gas into an interior of the airbag cushion; further comprising a cushion cover (18) surrounding the airbag cushion (14) and including a tear line (23) that allows the cushion cover to be cut when the airbag cushion is deployed, wherein the tear line is disposed in a region facing a door-side interior (11) of the vehicle in a state in which the cushion cover surrounds the airbag cushion (per Fig 17).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the side airbag apparatus in the combination of Kino and Ohno et al with the cushion cover and tear seam taught in Hiraiwa et al with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have allowed the side airbag to deploy quickly and in the correct position to receive an occupant during a collision event.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Matthew J Ganci whose telephone number is (571)272-6577. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30AM to 5:00PM.
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/MATTHEW JOSEPH GANCI/Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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