DETAILED ACTION
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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the steering system" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the base" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the shaft" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the rotatable seat" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ma (CN 204606095 U).
For claim 1, Ma discloses a steering system including:
a base 5 including a first structure (fig. 2) and [an axial hole, the axial hole defining an axial direction] (fig. 2, page 12, lines 18 – 19, “the nut passes through a center of the upper steering seat”);
a shaft 9, 10 [rotatably inserted in the axial hole] (page 12, lines 18 – 21);
a rotatable seat 6 including a second structure 13, [the second structure being located on a side of the rotatable seat facing the base] (page 12, lines 4 – 6), [the rotatable seat being connected to and movable with the shaft] (page 12, lines 18 – 21); and
at least one elastic member 13, 14 [arranged around the axial direction and abutted against and between the first structure and the second structure] (page 12, lines 7 – 14), [wherein when the rotatable seat rotates relative to the base, the at least one elastic member is forced by the first structure and the second structure and generates a deformation around the axial direction] (page 7, lines 2 – 5).
For claim 2, Ma discloses the steering system [wherein the shaft and the rotatable seat are engaged with each other in the axial direction] (fig. 2, wherein a flange of nut 9 engages a portion of the rotatable seat 6).
For claim 4, Ma discloses the steering system [wherein the first structure includes at least one projection] (page 12, lines 1 – 3, wherein a projection is formed around the semi-circular arc-shaped spring groove 12 to form the groove), [the second structure includes at least one blocking portion] (page 12, lines 4 – 6), and [the at least one elastic member is abutted against and between the at least one projection and the at least one blocking portion] (page 12, lines 7 – 14).
For claim 10, Ma discloses a scooter (page 11, line 13) including the steering system, and further including:
a deck 4 [connected to a base 5] (page 11, lines 15 – 17);
a steering mechanism 1, 9, 10 including a shaft 9, 10; and
a plurality of wheels 3, 17, 18 [connected to the deck and a rotatable seat 6, respectively] (fig. 1, page 11, lines 15 – 16 and page 13, lines 2 – 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 and 5 – 9 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: the prior art fails to disclose
for claim 3 – the shaft includes at least one slot, and the rotatable seat further includes at least one protrusion axially inserted in the at least one slot; or
for claims 5-9 – the at least one blocking portion is received within the recess.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-10137955 – comprising a scooter comprising a deck; a steering angle adjustment mechanism; and an interconnecting member; and
US-9381968 – comprising a steering member; footboard; and biasing device.
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/JACOB D KNUTSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611