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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the limitation (in
claim 5) “a connector connecting the first end and the second end and fixing them to the vehicle body in a state where the wrapping member wraps the air curtain module“ must be shown (in Figs. 8 & 9) or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claims 5-10 are objected to because of the following informality: in claim 5 line 2, “them” should be changed to --the first end and the second end--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 11-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Cheal et al. (US 7,823,914 B2).
Regarding claims 1-5 and 11-14, Cheal et al. (at least Figs. 1-7; also see annotated Fig. 4B attached herewith) discloses
(claim 1) an air curtain device 100, characterized by comprising:
at least one mounting member 112, 116;
at least one wrapping member 114; and
an air curtain module 102,
wherein the mounting member 112, 116 is configured to be mounted on a vehicle body 12 of a vehicle 10, and the wrapping member 114 has a first end and a second end opposite to each other and a connecting portion 120 located between the first end and the second end;
wherein the connecting portion 120 is connected with the mounting member 112, 116 and the air curtain module 102 respectively, and the first end is configured to be connected with the second end (via 117) so that the wrapping member 114 wraps the air curtain module 102 that is rolled and/or folded;
(claim 2) characterized in that the air curtain module 102 is located on one side of the wrapping member 114 departing from the mounting member 112, 116, and the wrapping member 114 is crimped in a direction departing from the mounting member 112, 116 to wrap the air curtain module 102;
(claim 3) characterized in that the wrapping member 114 further has a first weakened tear line located between the connecting portion 120 and the first end (at least column 6 lines 55-59);
(claim 4) characterized in that a distance between the connecting portion 120 and the first end is greater than a distance between the connecting portion 120 and the second end in a state where the wrapping member 114 is flattened (at least Fig. 4B, 5);
(claim 5) characterized in that the air curtain device 100 further comprises a connector 117 connecting the first end and the second end and fixing them to the vehicle body 12 (indirectly via mounting member 112, 116) in a state where the wrapping member 114 wraps the air curtain module 102;
(claim 11) characterized in that one end of the mounting member 112, 116 is connected with the connecting portion 120, and the other end opposite thereto is provided with a mounting hole 118;
the air curtain device 100 further comprises a fixing member 130 configured to pass through the mounting hole 118 for connection with the vehicle body 12 so as to mount the mounting member 112, 116 to the vehicle body 12;
(claim 12) characterized in that the numbers of both the at least one mounting member 112, 116 and the at least one wrapping member 114 are plural, the plurality of mounting members 112, 116 and the plurality of wrapping members 114 are combined one by one to form a plurality of wrapping assemblies, and the plurality of wrapping assemblies are sequentially arranged at intervals on the air curtain module 102;
(claim 13) characterized in that the connecting portion 120 is sewed with the mounting member 112, 116 and the air curtain module 102 respectively;
(claim 14) characterized in that the first end is configured to be connected to the second end (via 117) after bypassing a periphery of the air curtain module 102.
Regarding claim 15, Cheal et al. (at least Figs. 1-7) discloses a vehicle 10, characterized by comprising a vehicle body 12 and an air curtain device 100 according to claim 1, wherein the mounting member 112, 116 is mounted on the vehicle body 12.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the objection(s) set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The primary reason for the allowance of claims 6-10 in this case, is the inclusion of the limitation “characterized in that the first end has a first through hole, the second end has a second through hole, and the connector passes through the first through hole and the second through hole and is connected with the vehicle body” now included in claim 6, in combination with the other elements recited, which is not found in the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSELYNN Y SLITERIS whose telephone number is (571)272-6675. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am - 5:00pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason D. Shanske can be reached at 571-270-5985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSELYNN Y SLITERIS/Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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