DETAILED ACTION
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.
(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 18-19, 21-28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nagase et al. (JP6294140B2).
Regarding claim 18, Nagase discloses a vehicle interior component, comprising: a stranded mesh material member (11) comprising a concave/convex surface (surface of 11 contacting 51) and a flexible layer (41, 51) bonded to the concave/convex surface of the stranded mesh material member (fig 41, page 2 of translated doc ).
Regarding claim 19, Nagase further discloses the flexible layer and the stranded mesh material member are made of identical materials and/or compatible materials (abstract, page 4 ).
Regarding claim 21, Nagase further discloses that the stranded mesh material member is formed by inserting a stranded mesh material blank into a tool assembly (200d) and heating and softening the stranded mesh material blank (product by process, fig 41, abstract).
Regarding claim 22, Nagase further discloses that the flexible layer is bonded to the stranded mesh material member based on a fluid circulation operation through the tool assembly (page 1 ).
Regarding claim 23, Nagase further discloses that the flexible layer is bonded to the stranded mesh material member based on circulation and drawing of a vacuum on the flexible layer within the tool assembly via the stranded mesh material member (product by process, pages 1-6, fig 41).
Regarding claim 24, Nagase further discloses that the flexible layer is bonded to the stranded mesh material member based on a fluid circulation operation which involves a pressurized fluid directed on the flexible layer (fig 41, page 1-6).
Regarding claim 25, Nagase further discloses that the flexible layer is bonded with the stranded mesh material member based on heating and softening operation which involves circulation of a heated fluid through the stranded mesh material member (page 1-6, fig 41).
Regarding claim 26, Nagase further discloses that the stranded mesh material member is bonded with the flexible layer within a tool assembly (200b) comprising at least one of a concave forming surface and a convex forming surface (surface of 200b, fig 41).
Regarding claim 27, Nagase further discloses that the stranded mesh material member is formed between two flexible layers (41, 51) positioned on opposite sides of the stranded mesh material blank (fig 41).
Regarding claim 28, Nagase further discloses that the stranded mesh material member comprises a polymeric mesh formed from a plurality of integrated polymeric filaments that are looped and bonded to each other (page 4).
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 20 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagase et al. (JP6294140B2) as applied to claim 18 above, and further in view of Dinkel et al. (US 5902014).
Regarding claims 20 and 29, Nagase discloses that that the flexible layer is foam (page 4), but is silent regarding the fact that it is impermeable.
Dinkel teaches an impermeable foam layer (22) (col 5 lines 1-22).
Dinkel further teaches attaching an upholstery layer (17) to a frame (15) of a seat assembly (11) (fig 3) to provide structural integrity.
Before the effective filling date, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, having the teachings of Nagase and Dinkel before him or her, to modify the apparatus/method disclosed by Nagase to include an impermeable foam layer as taught by Dinkel in order to allow effective cooling (col 2 lines 9-19)
Conclusion
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/DANY E AKAKPO/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
1/06/2026