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
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 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 1,2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang(CN 220555299 U).
Regarding claim 1, Wang discloses a vehicle suspension structure(fig 8), comprising: a damper(60), mounted on a vehicle body; and a clamping component(10), fastened to the damper, and fastened to a suspension arm(90) or a steering knuckle, wherein the clamping component has a clamping portion(20) fastened to the damper, the clamping portion is provided with a first thin-walled portion at an axial center, and the first thin-walled portion has a thickness in a radial direction thinner than a thickness of an axial end portion of the clamping portion in the radial direction(see annotated figure).
Regarding claim 2, Wang discloses wherein one side of the clamping portion is provided with an open groove(22), and the first thin-walled portion is configured at least at a position of the clamping portion symmetrical to the open groove(fig 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3-9 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.
Regarding claim 3,4 the closes prior art on record is by Wang(CN 220555299 U). However, does not show disclose or render obvious the combination of wherein the clamping component further has a leg portion extending outward from the clamping portion and connected to the suspension arm, the leg portion has a second thin-walled portion, and the second thin-walled portion has a thickness in a circumferential direction thinner than a thickness of other portions of the leg portion in the circumferential direction. It would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Wang in view of Smith(US 11807059 B1) as the second walled portions are not thinner than the other portions of the leg.
Regarding claim 8,9 the closes prior art on record is by Wang(CN 220555299 U). However, does not show disclose or render obvious the combination of wherein the clamping portion has a protruding portion disposed on the first thin-walled portion, the protruding portion has a thickness in the radial direction thicker than the thickness of the first thin-walled portion in the radial direction, and thinner than the thickness of the axial end portion of the clamping portion in the radial direction. It would not have been obvious to modify Wang in view of Kucinski (US 20100223974 A1), as the additional apertures(211, fig 5) are not protruded.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
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SHAMS . DHANANI
Examiner
Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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