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 .
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, 2, 4-7, 11, 12, 14-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Samuel Blair et al. U.S. Patent 12,358,411 B2 (Blair).
Regarding claims 1 and 16, Blair discloses an assembly comprising: a substrate (Element 100) defining a ventilation aperture and a plurality of fluid passages ( (Element 106 Column 5 Line 57-Column 4 Line 5); and a plurality of bladders (Element 110) disposed along the substrate and folded towards the ventilation aperture, each of the bladders of the plurality of bladders in fluid communication with a corresponding fluid passage of the plurality of fluid passages, each fluid passage defining an inner surface comprising a plurality of projections, the plurality of projections arranged such that the fluid passage is maintained where the plurality of bladders is folded towards the ventilation aperture (Figure 1D, Column 4 Line 17-27).
Regarding claim 2, Blair discloses the assembly wherein the plurality of bladders is folded towards the ventilation aperture by a plurality of folds (as shown in Figure 1D).
Regarding claim 4, Blair discloses the assembly wherein the substrate is comprised of a first sheet cooperating with a second sheet to form the plurality of bladders (Figure 1C).
Regarding claim 5, Blair discloses the assembly wherein the first and second sheets cooperate to form the plurality of fluid passages (Column 4 Line 17-27).
Regarding claim 6, Blair discloses the assembly wherein the sheets are polyolefin or polyurethane sheets (Column 4 Line 28-40).
Regarding claim 7, Blair discloses the assembly wherein each sheet has a thickness of 0.05 to 2 mm (Column 4 Line 35-47).
Regarding claim 11, Blair discloses the assembly wherein a plastic spacer is disposed in the ventilation aperture (Column 5 Line 20-33).
Regarding claim 12, Blair discloses the assembly wherein a non-fabric spacer is disposed in the ventilation aperture (Column 5 Line 20-33).
Regarding claim 14, Blair discloses the assembly wherein the plurality of bladders are arranged more proximate a trim cover of a seat assembly when the substrate is folded (Figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 15, Blair discloses the assembly wherein the plurality of bladders is heat staked to the substrate after folding (Column 4 Line 45-58).
Regarding claim 17, Blair discloses a bladder assembly blank comprising: a substrate defining a plurality of fluid passages in fluid communication with a plurality of fluid bladders, the plurality of fluid bladders disposed along an outer periphery of the substrate, the plurality of fluid passages comprising a plurality of dimples arranged such that the plurality of fluid passages is maintained when the plurality of fluid bladders is folded towards a central portion of the substrate (Element 110).
Regarding claim 18, Blair discloses the bladder assembly wherein the central portion defines a ventilation aperture (Column 4).
Regarding claim 19, Blair discloses the bladder assembly blank of claim 18, wherein the plurality of fluid passages are disposed between the central portion and the plurality of fluid bladders (Figure 1-2).
Regarding claim 20, Blair discloses a method of preparing a bladder assembly comprising: forming a plurality of projections arranged on an inner surface of a plurality of passages that are in fluid cooperation with a plurality of bladders along a substrate; and folding the plurality of bladders toward a ventilation aperture in the substrate (Figure 1-2).
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) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Samuel Blair et al. U.S. Patent 12,358,411 B2 (Blair).
Regarding claim 3, Blair discloses the assembly does not directly disclose the assembly wherein the plurality of bladders is disposed along an outer periphery of the substrate when unfolded. Orientation modification is common and well known in the art. IT would be obvious to provide the bladders in an orientation along the substrate that would arrange the plurality of bladders is disposed along an outer periphery of the substrate when unfolded. Such a modification would provide an alternative arrangement of placing the bladders along the substrate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 and 13 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed January 6, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The limitation “a plurality of bladders disposed along the substrate and folded towards the ventilation aperture…” is disclosed in Blair. Figure 1A discloses the plurality of bladders (Element 120) folded towards the aperture (Element 106 folds towards 128). The written description of [0020] discloses the folds to be indicated as Element 111 in claimed invention. This is taught in Blair.
Blair discloses the fluid passage defining an inner surface comprising a plurality of projections is disclosed. Element 106 indicated as the plurality of passages (Column 4 Line 50-Column 5 Line 1, Column 5 Line 57-Column 7 Line 3). The passages have protrusions.
Blair discloses, the plurality of projections (the profile of the passage ways 106) arranged such that the fluid passage is maintained where the plurality of bladders is folded towards the ventilation aperture (Figure 1A).
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.
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/SHIN H KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636