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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/16/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argued, “The Examiner asserts that Guo teaches "folding the compressed first and second pocket coil sections of the mattress, one onto the other, along the compressed compressible strip of material at the hinge location" (Office Action, page 6, page 11). Applicant respectfully disagrees. Guo does not disclose folding compressed pocket coil sections onto each other because, according to Guo, the mattress is folded before being compressed. For example, paragraph [0015] of Guo states: "When packing, first fold the spring mattress in half along the center line of the foam support bar C4 and then compress the folded mattress in a state where the two parts overlap. When the mattress is compressed to the maximum limit, keep the mattress in its compressed state. Roll into a cylindrical shape along the vertical X axis, and finally pack and fix it." (Guo, machine translation paragraph [0015], emphasis added) None of Lawrie, Takashia, Corodemus, or Reynolds make up for the deficiencies of Guo. Accordingly, Applicant respectfully submits that the cited prior art fails to render the claims obvious and respectfully requests that the rejection of claims 1-3, 6, 11, 12, and 20 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 be reconsidered and withdrawn.”
This is not found persuasive. . Guo is not being used to teach compression of the mattress at all. That is why that step is not included in the rejection under Guo (see line 9 where the compression step is omitted when mapping Guo). Instead, Lawrie is used to teach compressing the mattress. In Lawrie, the vacuum compression step is the very first step (See Paragraphs 33-34 of Lawrie, “In a first step 10, a first mattress 22 is inserted into a sheath…in step 11, the first mattress 22 is compressed such that air exits the second end of the sheath”). This is done before any rolling, folding, or other manipulation of the mattress. Thus when applied to Guo, this would also be the first step, followed by the folding and rolling steps taught by Guo. It is not clear that the method of compression of Lawrie would even be possible on a previously folded mattress. And although Guo does teach folding the mattress prior to compression, Guo does not teach any specific compression method which is why Lawrie is cited. Furthermore, Guo does not teach any particular advantage to folding the mattress prior to compression, rather, Guo touts the advantages of the finished compressed, folded, and rolled product being of a smaller size. Thus, the combination does in fact teach folding the compressed mattress.
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 1-3, 6, 11, 12, and 20-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo (CN 105852516A) in view of Lawrie (US Patent Application Publication 20180057200) in view of Takashi (JP 2004101194) in view of Corodemus (US Patent Application Publication 20160304231) further in view of Reynolds (US Patent Application Publication 20160367037).
Regarding claim 1, Guo teaches a mattress packed for transportation and/or storage comprising: first and second coil sections (Figure 1 the section on top of hinge 4 and below hinge 4 are the first and second coil sections) forming head and foot portions of the mattress and a top surface and a bottom surface, wherein the first and second coil sections are-connected to one another by a compressible strip of material (Figure 1; 4) extending across the mattress providing a hinge location, wherein the compressible strip of material extends across substantially an entire width and height of the mattress between the first and second pocket coil sections (Figure 1; 4, as shown) and wherein the mattress is placed into a transport and/or storage state by: folding one of the first or second pocket coil sections of the mattress, onto the other first or second pocket coil sections, along the compressed compressible strip of material at the hinge location ((“Summary of Invention” Section Paragraph 3); rolling the compressed, folded mattress into a roll for transport and/or storage ((“Summary of Invention” Section Paragraph 3). Guo does not teach placing the mattress into a polymer vacuum bag or envelope, vacuum compressing the mattress by and removing air from the plastic bag or envelope, wherein the act of compressing the mattress results in an increase in the thickness of the compressible strip of material as measured between the first and second pocket coil sections, and rolling the mattress along an axis perpendicular to the hinge location into a generally cylindrical form for transport and/or storage, wherein the compressible strip of material comprises an open-cell foam material. Lawrie teaches placing the mattress into a polymer vacuum bag or envelope (Paragraph 33), vacuum compressing the mattress by and removing air from the plastic bag or envelope (Paragraph 34-35). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to facilitate transportation, storage and display of mattresses” as taught in Lawrie (Paragraph 3). Guo in view of Lawrie does not teach wherein the act of compressing the mattress results in an increase in the thickness of the compressible strip of material as measured between the first and second pocket coil sections, and rolling the mattress along an axis perpendicular to the hinge location into a generally cylindrical form for transport and/or storage, wherein the compressible strip of material comprises an open-cell foam material. Takashi teaches the act of compressing the mattress results in an increase in the thickness of the compressible strip of material as measured between the first and second pocket coil sections (Detailed Description of the Invention, “the bag 4 has a size that is slightly larger than the mattress 1 in both the vertical width a and the horizontal width b. The vertical width a has a sufficient margin compared to the length in which the mattress 1 expands in the vertical direction when the mattress 1 is compressed. The width b is about the same as or slightly larger than the size that spreads in the horizontal direction when the mattress 1 is compressed. Next, the bag 4 containing the mattress 1 is compressed together with the bag 4 by a pair of rollers 5a and 5b as shown in FIG. Of these rollers 5a and 5b, the position of the roller 5a on one side is fixed, but the roller 5b on the other side is biased toward the roller 5a on the opposite side by a spring 6 as a biasing means. Further, the urging force by the spring 6 is so strong that when the portion of the bag 4 where the mattress 1 does not exist is sandwiched, the air flow in the bag 4 is blocked at that portion. The bag 4 is fed toward the rollers 5a and 5b by a conveyor or a human hand, and the mattress is moved from the closed portion d side to the opening f side of the bag 4 as shown in FIG. The whole 1 is compressed together with the bag 4. When the mattress 1 passes the rollers 5a and 5b and the vicinity of the opening f side of the bag 4 is sandwiched between the rollers 5a and 5b as shown in FIG. 4B, the inside of the bag 4 is sealed. In this state, the vicinity of the opening f of the bag 4 is sealed by sealing means such as the welding device 7.”). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because “the mattress thus compressed is reduced in bulk and easy to handle” (Takashi Detailed Description of the Invention) and as a result of the reduction in bulk in the thickness direction, a tighter mattress roll and thus overall smaller packaging size may be achieved. Guo in view of Lawrie and Takashi does not teach rolling the mattress along an axis perpendicular to the hinge location into a generally cylindrical form for transport and/or storage, wherein the compressible strip of material comprises an open-cell foam material. Corodemus teaches rolling the mattress along an axis perpendicular to the hinge location (Paragraph 18) into a generally cylindrical form (Figure 4; as shown) for transport and/or storage. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because rolling the mattress laterally allows the mattress to be inserted into a mattress tube container which “have a smaller footprint than the size of a normal mattress which minimizes the amount of space needed for shipping and display at stores. The mattress tube containers are preferably stored in an upright vertical orientation which maximizes the number of containers that may be placed onto a pallet.” (Corodemus Paragraph 19). Guo, as modified, does not specifically teach the compressible strip of material comprises an open-cell foam material. Reynolds teaches using open celled polyurethane in a foam mattress (Paragraph 17). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and Reynolds (directed to using open celled polyurethane foam components within a mattress) and arrived at a compressible spring and open celled foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because the selection of a known material based upon its suitability for the intended use is a design consideration within the level of skill of one skilled in the art. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197,125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Regarding claim 2, Guo teaches wherein the operation of rolling the compressed, folded mattress into a generally cylindrical form comprises coiling the compressed, folded mattress (Guo ‘Detailed Ways’: “When packaging, firstly fold the spring mattress along the center line of the sponge support strip C4, and then compress the folded mattress to maintain the two parts overlapping, and keep the compressed state when the mattress is compressed to the maximum limit. It is rolled into a cylindrical shape along the vertical X-axis direction, and finally packaged and fixed.”). Guo does not teach coiling the compressed, folded mattress contained in the polymer vacuum bag or envelope onto a spindle with plastic film that additionally provides an external covering around the coiled mattress. Lawrie teaches coiling the compressed, folded mattress onto a spindle (Figure 5; at 30/31) with plastic film (Figure 20; 24, see also Paragraph 36) that additionally provides an external covering around the coiled mattress (Paragraph 48). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression and rolled with a plastic film. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to facilitate transportation, storage and display of mattresses” as taught in Lawrie (Paragraph 3). Takashi teaches the mattress being contained in the polymer vacuum bag or envelope (Detailed description of the invention). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression.
Regarding claim 3, Guo, as modified, does not specifically teach the compressible strip of material comprises a high-density open-cell polyurethane foam material. Reynolds teaches using open celled polyurethane in a foam mattress (Paragraph 17). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and Reynolds (directed to using open celled polyurethane foam components within a mattress) and arrived at a compressible spring and open celled polyurethane foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because the selection of a known material based upon its suitability for the intended use is a design consideration within the level of skill of one skilled in the art. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197,125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Regarding claim 6, Guo teaches a method of forming and packing a mattress, such as for transport and/or storage, comprising: constructing first and second pocket-spring mattress core sections (Figure 1; the sections above and below hinge 4), coupling the first and second pocket- spring mattress core sections together by way of a compressible material strip (Figure 1; 4) forming a mattress comprising the coupled first and second mattress core sections, and packing the mattress for transport and/or storage, folding one of the first or second pocket- spring mattress core sections onto the other first or second pocket spring mattress core sections along the compressed compressible material strip (“Summary of Invention” Section Paragraph 3); and rolling the compressed and folded first and second pocket-spring sections into a generally cylindrical form (“Summary of Invention” Section Paragraph 3). Guo does not teach the operation of packing including: placing the mattress into a vacuum bag; vacuum compression of the mattress by removing air from the vacuum bag that is then sealed to maintain the mattress in the compressed state, wherein the act of compression results in an increase in the thickness of the compressible material strip; wherein the rolling of the folded compressed mattress comprises coiling the folded compressed mattress about a coil axis such that the coil axis is transverse to the mattress fold, and the compressible material strip comprising an open-cell foam material. Lawrie teaches the operation of packing including: placing the mattress into a vacuum bag (Paragraph 33); vacuum compression of the mattress by removing air from the vacuum bag that is then sealed to maintain the mattress in the compressed state (Paragraph 34-35). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to facilitate transportation, storage and display of mattresses” as taught in Lawrie (Paragraph 3). Guo in view of Lawrie does not teach the act of compression results in an increase in the thickness of the compressible material strip; wherein the rolling of the folded compressed mattress comprises coiling the folded compressed mattress about a coil axis such that the coil axis is transverse to the mattress fold, and the compressible material strip comprising an open-cell foam material. Takashi teaches the act of compression results in an increase in the thickness of the compressible material strip (Detailed Description of the Invention, “the bag 4 has a size that is slightly larger than the mattress 1 in both the vertical width a and the horizontal width b. The vertical width a has a sufficient margin compared to the length in which the mattress 1 expands in the vertical direction when the mattress 1 is compressed. The width b is about the same as or slightly larger than the size that spreads in the horizontal direction when the mattress 1 is compressed. Next, the bag 4 containing the mattress 1 is compressed together with the bag 4 by a pair of rollers 5a and 5b as shown in FIG. Of these rollers 5a and 5b, the position of the roller 5a on one side is fixed, but the roller 5b on the other side is biased toward the roller 5a on the opposite side by a spring 6 as a biasing means. Further, the urging force by the spring 6 is so strong that when the portion of the bag 4 where the mattress 1 does not exist is sandwiched, the air flow in the bag 4 is blocked at that portion. The bag 4 is fed toward the rollers 5a and 5b by a conveyor or a human hand, and the mattress is moved from the closed portion d side to the opening f side of the bag 4 as shown in FIG. The whole 1 is compressed together with the bag 4. When the mattress 1 passes the rollers 5a and 5b and the vicinity of the opening f side of the bag 4 is sandwiched between the rollers 5a and 5b as shown in FIG. 4B, the inside of the bag 4 is sealed. In this state, the vicinity of the opening f of the bag 4 is sealed by sealing means such as the welding device 7.”). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because “the mattress thus compressed is reduced in bulk and easy to handle” (Takashi Detailed Description of the Invention) and as a result of the reduction in bulk in the thickness direction, a tighter mattress roll and thus overall smaller packaging size may be achieved. Guo in view of Lawrie and Takashi does not teach wherein the rolling of the folded compressed mattress comprises coiling the folded compressed mattress about a coil axis such that the coil axis is transverse to the mattress fold, and the compressible material strip comprising an open-cell foam material. Corodemus teaches wherein the rolling of the folded compressed mattress comprises coiling the folded compressed mattress about a coil axis such that the coil axis is transverse to the mattress fold (Paragraph 18). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because rolling the mattress laterally allows the mattress to be inserted into a mattress tube container which “have a smaller footprint than the size of a normal mattress which minimizes the amount of space needed for shipping and display at stores. The mattress tube containers are preferably stored in an upright vertical orientation which maximizes the number of containers that may be placed onto a pallet.” (Corodemus Paragraph 19). Guo, as modified, does not specifically teach the compressible strip of material comprises an open-cell foam material. Reynolds teaches using open celled polyurethane in a foam mattress (Paragraph 17). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed toa compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and Reynolds (directed to using open celled polyurethane foam components within a mattress) and arrived at a compressible spring and open celled foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because the selection of a known material based upon its suitability for the intended use is a design consideration within the level of skill of one skilled in the art. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197,125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Regarding claim 11, Guo teaches a mattress formed by the method of claim 6 (Figure 1; as shown).
Regarding claim 12, Guo, as modified, does not specifically teach the compressible strip of material comprises a high-density open-cell polyurethane foam material. Reynolds teaches using open celled polyurethane in a foam mattress (Paragraph 17). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and Reynolds (directed to using open celled polyurethane foam components within a mattress) and arrived at a compressible spring and open celled foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because the selection of a known material based upon its suitability for the intended use is a design consideration within the level of skill of one skilled in the art. In re Leshin, 227 F.2d 197,125 USPQ 416 (CCPA 1960).
Regarding claim 20, Guo does not specifically teach wherein the operation of rolling the folded mattress into a generally cylindrical form comprises coiling the folded mattress contained in the vacuum bag onto a spindle with plastic film that additionally provides an external covering around the coiled mattress, and optionally securing the coiled mattress and covering plastic film by adhesive tape, string, strapping or the like. Lawrie teaches wherein the operation of rolling the folded mattress into a generally cylindrical form comprises coiling the folded mattress contained in the vacuum compression bag onto a spindle (Figure 20, spindle which mattress 38 is coiled on, as shown) with plastic film (Figure 20; 24, and Paragraph 36) that additionally provides an external covering around the coiled mattress (Figure 20; 24, as shown), and optionally securing the coiled mattress and covering plastic film by adhesive tape (Figure 20; 23), string, strapping or the like. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed toa compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression and rolled with a plastic film. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to facilitate transportation, storage and display of mattresses” as taught in Lawrie (Paragraph 3).
Regarding claim 21, Guo does not teach the plastic film that provides an external covering around the coiled mattress is secured by adhesive tape, string or strapping. Lawrie teaches the plastic film that provides an external covering around the coiled mattress is secured by adhesive tape (Figure 20; 23 see also Paragraph 48), string or strapping. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed toa compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression and rolled with a plastic film. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to facilitate transportation, storage and display of mattresses” as taught in Lawrie (Paragraph 3).
Regarding claim 22, Guo does not teach the plastic film that provides an external covering around the coiled mattress is secured by adhesive tape, string or strapping. Lawrie teaches the plastic film that provides an external covering around the coiled mattress is secured by adhesive tape (Figure 20; 23 see also Paragraph 48), string or strapping. Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed toa compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and arrived at a compressible spring and foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression and rolled with a plastic film. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to facilitate transportation, storage and display of mattresses” as taught in Lawrie (Paragraph 3).
Claim 13, 15, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo (CN 105852516A) in view of Lawrie (US Patent Application Publication 20180057200) in view of Takashi (JP 2004101194) in view of Corodemus (US Patent Application Publication 20160304231) further in view of Reynolds (US Patent Application Publication 20160367037) in view of Stuart (US Patent 5214809).
Regarding claim 13, Guo, as modified, does not specifically teach the compressible material strip extends across substantially the entire width and height of the mattress between the first and second pocket-spring mattress core sections and has a thickness in the range of 2 to 6 centimeters. Stuart teaches the compressible strip of material extends across substantially the entire width and height of the mattress between the first and second pocket spring mattress core sections (Figure 1; 4, as shown) and the strip has a thickness of 2 to 6 centimeters (Column 3; lines 1-5 “The hinge portions 14 space the pockets and innerspring segments 7 apart about two inches. Resilient foam spacer bars 16 fill this space."). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and Reynolds (directed to using open celled polyurethane foam components within a mattress) and Stuart (directed at a foam component extending across the entire width and height of the mattress and a thickness of 2 inches) and arrived at a compressible spring and 2 inch thick open celled foam mattress, where the foam portion extends across the entire width and height of the mattress, compressed via vacuum compression to less than 10% of its uncompressed height using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to provide an articulated innerspring mattress that provides the uniformity of support, stability, and durability of high quality non-bendable innerspring mattresses” (Stuart Column 1; lines 39-42).
Regarding claim 15, Guo, as modified, does not specifically teach the compressible strip of material has a thickness in the range of 2 to 6 centimeters. Stuart teaches the compressible strip of material has a thickness in the range of 2 to 6 centimeters (Column 3; lines 1-5 "The hinge portions 14 space the pockets and innerspring segments 7 apart about two inches. Resilient foam spacer bars 16 fill this space."). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and Reynolds (directed to using open celled polyurethane foam components within a mattress) and Stuart (directed at a foam component extending across the entire width and height of the mattress and a thickness of 2 inches) and arrived at a compressible spring and 2 inch thick open celled foam mattress, where the foam portion extends across the entire width and height of the mattress, compressed via vacuum compression to less than 10% of its uncompressed height using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to provide an articulated innerspring mattress that provides the uniformity of support, stability, and durability of high quality non-bendable innerspring mattresses” (Stuart Column 1; lines 39-42).
Regarding claim 16, Guo does not specifically state the first and second pocket coil sections cannot be folded onto each other along the hinge location in the uncompressed state. Stuart teaches the first and second pocket coil sections cannot be folded onto each other along the hinge location in the uncompressed state (As shown in Figure 1, the hinges do not allow full flipping over of the mattress sections in the uncompressed state). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and Reynolds (directed to using open celled polyurethane foam components within a mattress) and Stuart (directed at a foam component extending across the entire width and height of the mattress and a thickness of 2 inches) and arrived at a compressible spring and 2 inch thick open celled foam mattress, where the foam portion extends across the entire width and height of the mattress, compressed via vacuum compression to less than 10% of its uncompressed height using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination “to provide an articulated innerspring mattress that provides the uniformity of support, stability, and durability of high quality non-bendable innerspring mattresses” (Stuart Column 1; lines 39-42).
Claim 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Guo (CN 105852516A) in view of Lawrie (US Patent Application Publication 20180057200) in view of Takashi (JP 2004101194) in view of Corodemus (US Patent Application Publication 20160304231) further in view of Reynolds (US Patent Application Publication 20160367037) in view of DiLiberto (US Patent Application Publication 20080296182).
Regarding claim 18, Guo does not specifically teach the height of the mattress in the uncompressed state is at least 10 times the height of the mattress in the compressed state. DiLiberto teaches the height of the mattress in the uncompressed state is at least 10 times the height of the mattress in the compressed state (Paragraph 62). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the invention was effectively filed to have combined Guo (directed to a compressible spring and foam mattress) and Lawrie (directed to a method of compressing a spring mattress via vacuum compression) and Takashi (directed to a mattress compression bag which allows for foam expansion in size upon thickness compression) and Corodemus (directed to a method of rolling a compressed mattress along a lateral axis) and Reynolds (directed to using open celled polyurethane foam components within a mattress) and DiLiberto (directed at a compressing a mattress to less than 10% of its uncompressed height) and arrived at a compressible spring and open celled foam mattress compressed via vacuum compression to less than 10% of its uncompressed height using a compression bag allowing for expansion of the foam segments during compression, rolled laterally for packaging. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a combination because doing so allows for “a highly compact package” (DiLiberto Paragraph 3) which is optimal for storage and transport of the package’s items.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MORGAN J MCCLURE whose telephone number is (571)270-0362. The examiner can normally be reached Tuesdays 12pm-10pm and Thursdays 12pm-10pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Justin Mikowski can be reached at 5712728525. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/MORGAN J MCCLURE/Examiner, Art Unit 3673
/Matthew Troutman/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3679