Appeal No. 94-4094
Application 07/900,769
Nakajima et al. 58-170940 Oct. 7, 1983
(Japanese Kokai Patent)
The appealed claims stand rejected under 35 USC § 103 as
unpatentable over the teachings of Kaller in view of Vogt,
Nakajima, certain prior art admissions, and Barenyi.
We reverse the stated rejection.
The subject matter on appeal relates to a method of
fabricating, within a vehicle body assembly line, a floor panel
of a vehicle body having a honeycomb sandwich structure including
a first plate, a second plate and a honeycomb core sandwiched
between the first plate and the second plate. The second plate
is an integral part of a structural panel of the vehicle body.
Importantly, the honeycomb sandwich structure is composed of a
pre-formed sub-honeycomb panel with a predetermined shape and
includes the first plate connected to a first surface of the
honeycomb core. In contrast, prior art fabrication methods have
involved a time consuming sequence of steps wherein the honeycomb
core is first connected to a plate and then the other plate is
connected to the honeycomb core. See the specification at page
3, lines 12 through page 4, line 15. The claimed method includes
the step of strengthening the second plate by connecting the
structural panel to a strength member such as a side sill or
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