Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This is a first office action on the merits of application SN 18/542,800 and filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
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) 1 and 3-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 5,823,595 to Tronco in view of US Patent 4,341,164 to Johnson and US Patent 10,278,462 to Vandevelde.
Tronco teaches
1. Apparatus for cooperation with an associated motor vehicle having a cargo carrying compartment which comprises: a first rectangular frame (side walls integrated in the 22) having first and second extremities and having a first length dimension intermediate said first and second extremities; first and second leg support structures (24, 26) respectively supporting said first rectangular frame at said first and second extremities of said first rectangular frame; second and third rectangular frames (integrated into the table portions 40 and 42) being respectively hinged (via hinges 58,60) to said first and second extremities whereby the length of the collective assembly is increased; the sum of the respective lengths of said second and third rectangular frames being no more than said first length dimension whereby each said second and third rectangular frames can be folded into a substantially mutually coplanar relationship substantially parallel to said first rectangular frame (as best seen in figure 3); (bracket 18 combined with the piano hinge 20) extending from said first rectangular member and having a length sufficient to extend from said first rectangular frame positioned behind an associated motor vehicle to the interior of the cargo area of an associated motor vehicle.
4. wherein each of said legs is U-shaped (the legs are considered u-shaped since they are connected together via braces 58).
5. wherein said first and second leg supports are respective U-shaped legs (the legs are considered u-shaped since they are connected together via braces 58).
6. wherein the dimension of each rectangular frame measured in a direction perpendicular to the length is the same (as best seen in figure 3a).
Tronco does not expressly disclose a flexible material as the tabletop material.
Johnson teaches a rectangular frame (12) that receives a flexible table top (28) that has a flexible material (31 or 50).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the apparatus of Tronco by replacing the integrated table top with a frame combined with a flexible material as taught by Johnson to provide a lightweight table that easy to carry (with the components being separated).
Tarnco in view of Johnson does not expressly disclose the flap is fabric.
Vandevelde teaches that a piano hinge and fabric hinge (Col 9, lines 13-16) are functional equivalent alternatives.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the apparatus of Tronco in view of Johnson by using a fabric hinge as taught by Vandevelde as a functional equivalent hinge structure.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent 5,823,595 to Tronco in view of US Patent 5,421,273 to Lin and US Patent 10,278,462 to Vandevelde.
Tronco teaches
1. Apparatus for cooperation with an associated motor vehicle having a cargo carrying compartment which comprises: a first rectangular frame (side walls integrated in the 22) having first and second extremities and having a first length dimension intermediate said first and second extremities; first and second leg support structures (24, 26) respectively supporting said first rectangular frame at said first and second extremities of said first rectangular frame; second and third rectangular frames (integrated into the table portions 40 and 42) being respectively hinged (via hinges 58,60) to said first and second extremities whereby the length of the collective assembly is increased; the sum of the respective lengths of said second and third rectangular frames being no more than said first length dimension whereby each said second and third rectangular frames can be folded into a substantially mutually coplanar relationship substantially parallel to said first rectangular frame (as best seen in figure 3); (bracket 18 combined with the piano hinge 20) extending from said first rectangular member and having a length sufficient to extend from said first rectangular frame positioned behind an associated motor vehicle to the interior of the cargo area of an associated motor vehicle.
4. wherein each of said legs is U-shaped (the legs are considered u-shaped since they are connected together via braces 58).
5. wherein said first and second leg supports are respective U-shaped legs (the legs are considered u-shaped since they are connected together via braces 58).
6. wherein the dimension of each rectangular frame measured in a direction perpendicular to the length is the same (as best seen in figure 3a).
Tronco does not expressly disclose a flexible material as the tabletop material.
Lin teaches a rectangular frame (14,24,34,44) that receives a flexible table top (19) that has a flexible canvas material (Col 2, lines 26-39).
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the apparatus of Lin by replacing the integrated table top with a frame combined with a flexible canvas material as taught by Lin to provide a lightweight strong table that easy to carry (with the components being separated).
Tarnco in view of Johnson does not expressly disclose the flap is fabric.
Vandevelde teaches that a piano hinge and fabric hinge (Col 9, lines 13-16) are functional equivalent alternatives.
Before the effective filing date of the claimed invention it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify the apparatus of Tronco in view of Johnson by using a fabric hinge as taught by Vandevelde as a functional equivalent hinge structure.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY MICHAEL AYRES whose telephone number is (571)272-8299. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 11:30-8.
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/TIMOTHY M AYRES/Examiner, Art Unit 3637