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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 12/22/2025 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7-14, 16-19, 21, 22 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Zhang (2020/0385124).
Zhang figures 1-6, shows a door for a furniture structure of a vehicle cabin, the door comprising: a frame(40) configured to expand and collapse along a longitudinal axis of the door between a collapsed position and an expanded position; the frame comprising a first frame member (42), a second frame member (28, 40), braces(52, 62, 56, 66) that extend between the first frame member and the second frame member, the braces comprising a first end (the end where 42 is) connected to the first frame member and a second end connected to the second frame member (at 42) and a first cover(21 or 23) configured to extend along the longitudinal axis on a first side of the frame and a second cover configured to extend along the longitudinal axis on an opposing second side of the frame, a first roller (74) positioned on the first side of the frame and configured to receive the first cover and a second roller (76) positioned on the second side of the frame and configured to receive the second cover (23), wherein the first cover and the second cover are movable between an extended position and a retracted position, in the extended position the first frame member(42) is spaced along the longitudinal axis away from the second frame member and the first cover is unrolled from the first rollers and the second cover is unrolled from the second roller (76), and in the retracted position the first frame member is positioned in proximity to the second frame member and the first cover is rolled onto the first roller and the second cover is rolled onto the second roller, wherein the first and second rollers are positioned along the longitudinal axis outward beyond the first ends of the braces that is away from the second ends of the braces (the lateral sides in figure 4a being outward and beyond the first ends of the braces and away therefrom…. the second ends; the position needs not be coaxial as claimed) beyond the first ends of the braces that is away from the second ends of the braces.
Per claim 2, Zhang further shows the braces comprises two segments connected together at a hinge(54) with a first one (56 or 66) of the segments connected to the first frame member and a second one(52 or 62) of the segments connected to the second frame member.
Per claim 3, Zhang further shows the braces are configured to fold along a length thereof.
Per claim 4, Zhang further shows the braces comprise first and second end portions that are pivotally(at 53, 44, 46, 63) mounted to the first and second frame members, the brace comprising a hinge(at 54, 64) extending between the first and second end portions such that the braces are collapsible along the length thereof.
Per claim 5, Zhang further shows the door is configured to be removably mounted to the furniture structure(see figures 2, 4b).
Per claim 7, Zhang further shows the door is configured to be remotely stored when the frame is in the collapsed position.
Per claim 8, Zhang further shows the cover comprises a flexible segment.
Per claim 9, Zhang further shows the cover comprises a first cover section (21) that is mounted to a first one of the rollers and a second cover section that is mounted to a second one of the rollers.
Per claim 10, Zhang further shows the rollers are spring loaded such that the first cover and the second cover are biased toward the retracted position(page 4, par. 50).
Per claim 11, Zhang further shows the door is configured to at least partially block an access to a suite of the vehicle cabin in the expanded position of the frame.
Per claim 12, Zhang further shows the door is configured to open an access to a suite of the vehicle cabin in the collapsed position of the frame.
Per claim 13, Zhang further shows the door comprises a divider between adjacent suites of the vehicle cabin.
Per claim 14, Zhang further shows a door for a furniture structure of a vehicle cabin, the door comprising: a frame comprising a first frame member(42), a second frame member (40, figure 4a), braces (56, 52, 66, 62) that are connected to and extend between the first frame member and the second frame member, rollers (74, 76) mounted to the frame on an outer side outside of the first frame member and that is away from the second frame member, a first cover (21) and a second cover (23) extends between the first frame member and the second frame member, the first cover and a second cover (23) further engaged with the first roller(74) and the second cover (23) further engaged with the second roller(76) and each is movable between an extended position and a retracted position, in the extended position the first frame member (42) is spaced away from the second frame member and the first cover and the second cover are unrolled from the rollers and in the retracted position the first frame member is positioned in proximity to the second frame member and the first cover and the second cover are rolled onto the rollers, wherein the rollers are positioned outward from a boundary that is formed between the braces (figure 4a shows the positions being laterally therefrom).
Per claim 16, Zhang further shows the frame is configured to rotatably mounted to the furniture structure to rotate between an open position and a closed position, wherein the frame is configured to be removably and dismounted from the furniture structure.
Per claim 17, Zhang further shows each of the first cover and the second cover comprise a flexible segment.
Per claim 18, Zhang further shows the door is configured to at least partially block an access to a suite of the vehicle cabin in the closed position of the frame, the door being configured to open the access to the suite in the open position of the frame.
Per claim 19, Zhang further shows the door comprises a divider between adjacent suites of the vehicle cabin.
Per claim 21, Zhang further shows the frame comprises a longitudinal axis and the rollers are mounted outward(left and right) from the first frame member and the second frame member along the longitudinal axis.
Per claim 22, Zhang further shows a door for a furniture structure of a vehicle cabin, the door comprising: a frame comprising a first frame member(40), a second frame member (42, figure 4a), braces (56, 52, 66, 62) that are connected to and extend between the first frame member and the second frame member, rollers (74, 76) mounted to the frame on an outer side outside of the first frame member and that is away from the second frame member, a first cover (21) and a second cover (23) extends between the first frame member and the second frame member, the first cover and a second cover (23) further engaged with the first roller(74) and the second cover (23) further engaged with the second roller(76) and each is movable between an extended position and a retracted position, in the extended position the first frame member (40) is spaced away from the second frame member(42) and the first cover and the second cover are unrolled from the rollers and in the retracted position the first frame member is positioned in proximity to the second frame member and the first cover and the second cover are rolled onto the rollers, wherein the rollers are positioned outward from a boundary that is formed between the braces (figure 4a shows the positions being laterally therefrom), the rollers (74, 76) are positioned at the first frame member.
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.
Claim(s) 6, 15 are is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhang (2020/0385124).
Zhang shows all the claimed limitations except for the frame comprises a connector configured to be removably connected to the furniture structure, the connector enabling the frame to be selectively mounted to and dismounted from the furniture structure, wherein the frame comprises a connector configured to be removably connected to the furniture structure.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify Zhang’s structures to show the frame comprises a connector configured to be removably connected to the furniture structure, the connector enabling the frame to be selectively mounted to and dismounted from the furniture structure, wherein the frame comprises a connector configured to be removably connected to the furniture structure with a reasonable expectation of success since it would provide for easy attachment of the covering partition to a housing as needed, and examiner takes office notice of the well-known use of removable fasteners(screws, bolts…etc…) as connectors for connecting structures together.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1-19, 21-22 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to the newly added limitations, the added limitations are still rejectable by the reference as set forth above. The added limitations are insufficiently to overcome the Zhang reference as set forth above.
Conclusion
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/PHI D A/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3633