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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 06/14/2023 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 line 6: “the hinge point” should read “a hinge point”.
Claim 1 line 7: “the reference line” should read “a reference line”.
Claim 1 line 8: “the hinge point” should read “a hinge point”.
Claim 1 line 9: “the reference line” should read “a reference line”.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhou et al. CN208926950
Regarding claim 1, Zhou teaches a three-section guide rail structure for a massage chair (Figure 4), comprising: a backrest guide rail (11), a transition guide rail (4), and a seat guide rail (2)1; one end of the transition guide rail is hinged and matched with the backrest guide rail (Figure 3 depicts a hinged connected at fixing block 42), and the other end of the transition guide rail is hinged and matched with the seat guide rail (Figure 3 depicts a hinged connection at fixing block 22); the backrest guide rail is provided with a backrest toothed rack (Figure 5, first rack 51), the transition guide rail is provided with a transition toothed rack (52), and the seat guide rail is provided with a seat toothed rack (53); the hinge point between the backrest guide rail and the transition guide rail is located on the reference line between the backrest toothed rack and the transition toothed rack (Figure 5 depicts the location of the hinge being at a line where the transition toothed rack 52 and a first rack 51 intersect), and the hinge point between the seat guide rail and the transition guide rail is located on the reference line between the seat toothed rack and the transition toothed rack (Also depicted at figure 5 at a point where 52 and 53 meet); the backrest guide rail is fixedly provided with a first pressing strip, which extends into the transition guide rail (Figure 6, Second elastic guide block 72), and the seat guide rail is fixedly provided with a second pressing strip, which extends into the transition guide rail (Figure 7, first elastic guide block 61).
Regarding claim 2, Zhou teaches the three-section guide rail structure for a massage chair according to claim 1, wherein the backrest guide rail is articulated and matched with the transition guide rail through a first flat shoulder screw and a first nut, and the first flat shoulder screw is circumferentially positioned and installed on the backrest guide rail (page 4 of the translated application states “second elastic guide block 71 can be fixedly arranged on the third fixing block 42 by means of the screwed bolt”); the first flat shoulder screw passes through the transition guide rail, and the first nut is rotatably mounted on the first flat shoulder screw to limit the transition guide rail from detaching from the first flat shoulder screw (The screw and bolt would be installed at the hole above stop groove 421 depicted in figure 6, based on the positioning of the screw in the hold depicted in figure 6, it would meet the requirements of this positioning.).
Regarding claim 3, Zhou teaches the three-section guide rail structure for a massage chair according to claim 2, wherein the seat guide rail is articulated and matched with the transition guide rail through a second flat shoulder screw and a second nut, and the second flat shoulder screw is circumferentially positioned and installed on the seat guide rail (Page 4 states “first pressing block 62 is fixedly or integrally arranged on the first fixing block 22, further can be fixedly set on the lower guide rail 21 the end position by means of a screwed bolt”); the second flat shoulder screw passes through the transition guide rail, and the second nut is rotatably mounted on the second flat shoulder screw to limit the transition guide rail from detaching from the second flat shoulder screw (The screw and bolt would be installed at the hole above stop groove 221 depicted in figure 7, based on the positioning of the screw in the hold depicted in figure 6, it would meet the requirements of this positioning.).
Regarding claim 4, Zhou teaches the three-section guide rail structure for a massage chair according to claim 2 wherein the backrest guide rail is provided with a first through-hole for the rod portion of the first flat shoulder screw to pass through (Figure 6, depicts a first through hole within fixing block 72 that would contain the screw), and the backrest guide rail is provided with a first positioning groove that is shaped to match the head of the first flat shoulder screw at the corresponding first through-hole (Second stop 121); the head of the first flat shoulder screw is inserted into the first positioning groove to limit the first flat shoulder screw from rotating (page 4 states “second elastic guide block 71 can be fixedly arranged on the third fixing block 42 by means of the screwed bolt”).
Regarding claim 5, Zhou teaches the three-section guide rail structure for a massage chair according to claim 3 wherein the backrest guide rail is provided with a first through-hole for the rod portion of the first flat shoulder screw to pass through (Figure 6, depicts a first through hole within fixing block 32 that would contain the screw), and the backrest guide rail is provided with a first positioning groove that is shaped to match the head of the first flat shoulder screw at the corresponding first through-hole (Second stop groove 421); the head of the first flat shoulder screw is inserted into the first positioning groove to limit the first flat shoulder screw from rotating (page 4 states “second elastic guide block 71 can be fixedly arranged on the third fixing block 42 by means of the screwed bolt”).
Regarding claim 6, Zhou teaches the three-section guide rail structure for a massage chair according to claim 3, wherein the seat guide rail is provided with a second through-hole for the rod portion of the second flat shoulder screw to pass through (Figure 7 depicts a through-hole on fixing block 22 that would contain the screw), and the seat guide rail is provided with a second positioning groove that is shaped to match the head of the second flat shoulder screw at the corresponding second through-hole (First stop 221); the head of the second flat shoulder screw is inserted into the second positioning groove to limit the second flat shoulder screw from rotating (page 4 states “the first fixing block 22, further can be fixedly set on the lower guide rail 21 the end position by means of a screwed bolt”).
Regarding claim 9, Zhou teaches the three-section guide rail structure for a massage chair according to claim 3, wherein one end of the transition guide rail is provided with a first contact surface (Fourth fixing block 12) and a second contact surface on the rotation trajectory of the backrest guide rail (third fixing block 42), and the first contact surface and the second contact surface respectively abut against the backrest guide rail (Figure 6 depicts both contact surface coming together at the backrest guide rail); the other end of the transition guide rail is provided with a third contact surface (Second fixed block 41) and a fourth contact surface on the rotation trajectory of the seat guide rail (first fixing block 22), and the third contact surface and the fourth contact surface respectively abut against the seat guide rail (Depicted in figure 7).
Regarding claim 10, Zhou teaches the three-section guide rail structure for a massage chair according to claim 6, wherein one end of the transition guide rail is provided with a first contact surface (Fourth fixing block 12) and a second contact surface on the rotation trajectory of the backrest guide rail (third fixing block 42), and the first contact surface and the second contact surface respectively abut against the backrest guide rail (Figure 6 depicts both contact surface coming together at the backrest guide rail); the other end of the transition guide rail is provided with a third contact surface (Second fixed block 41) and a fourth contact surface on the rotation trajectory of the seat guide rail (first fixing block 22), and the third contact surface and the fourth contact surface respectively abut against the seat guide rail (Depicted in figure 7).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7 and 8 are 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 7 contains allowable subject matter for disclosing wherein the outer side of the transition guide rail is fixedly connected with a support plate, one end of the support plate is provided with a first connecting portion, and the other end of the support plate is provided with a second connecting portion; the first connecting portion is sleeved on the rod portion of the first flat shoulder screw, and the first flat shoulder screw is provided with a first isolation pad on both sides of the first connecting portion; the two first isolation pads are both circumferentially connected to the first connecting portion, and the first nut is pressed against the first isolation pad located on the outer side through a first gasket; the second connecting portion is sleeved on the rod portion of the second flat shoulder screw, and the second flat shoulder screw is provided with a second isolation pad on both sides of the second connecting portion; the two second isolation pads are connected in a circumferential manner with the second connecting portion, and the second nut is pressed against the second isolation pad located on the outer side through a second gasket. The subject matter disclosed in this claim is very narrow as it discloses a connection of a hinge to the outer guide rail parts of the backrest and the seat. This type of connection is not taught or made obvious by the prior art.
Claim 8 also contains allowable subject matter for the same reason as listed above.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN110916993
CN110859729
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/ROHAN PATEL/Examiner, Art Unit 3785
/BRANDY S LEE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3785