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 .
Claims 1-10 are pending.
Claims 1-10 have been examined.
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) 1-3, 5-7 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muhlenbrock (US 8827370) in view of Ruehl et al. (US 5487219) (“Ruehl”). Muhlenbrock teaches a conveyance seat, comprising: a seat frame serving as a skeleton (fig. 1: 3), wherein the seat frame includes side frames disposed on right and left sides in a seat width direction (fig. 6: 3), and a connecting frame (fig. 6: 2) connecting the right and left side frames, the side frames include engaging portions (fig. 3: upwardly stepped portion of 3 having hole 8) that engage with respective engaged portions (fig. 8: portion 9 of recess 15 having lug 10) provided in the connecting frame to position the connecting frame, one of the engaging portions and the engaged portions is formed to protrude toward the other of the engaging portions and the engaged portions in a facing direction in which the side frames and the connecting frame face each other, and the other engages with the one by coming into contact with the one in an intersecting direction intersecting with the facing direction (fig. 8: upper portion of 3 may be considered either engaging recess 15 or engaged by lug 10, with portion 9 similarly protruding by way of lug 10 or engaged by recess 15).
Muhlenbrock does not teach wherein each of the engaging portions includes a standing wall portion and an upper wall portion extending from an upper end portion of the standing wall portion in the intersecting direction, and wherein each of the engaged portions includes an outer wall portion disposed along the standing wall portion and a ceiling wall portion extending from an upper end portion of the outer wall portion in the intersecting direction and disposed along the upper wall portion.
However, Ruehl teaches a known connection between metal frame elements (fig. 7: 41, 43, 45) wherein each of the engaging portions includes a standing wall portion and an upper wall portion extending from an upper end portion of the standing wall portion in the intersecting direction, and wherein each of the engaged portions includes an outer wall portion disposed along the standing wall portion and a ceiling wall portion extending from an upper end portion of the outer wall portion in the intersecting direction and disposed along the upper wall portion (as shown in figs. 7 and 8, Ruehl teaches connecting elements via pressed metal engagement protrusions having complementary standing wall/outer wall and upper wall/ceiling wall portions). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to try this connection means in order to provide the desired stability of connection between the two frame elements.
As concerns claim 2, Muhlenbrock, as modified, teaches the one is an engagement protrusion protruding toward the other side in the facing direction, and the other is an engagement recess recessed opposite to one side in the facing direction (Ruehl, fig. 7 as shown).
As concerns claim 3, Muhlenbrock, as modified, teaches wherein the engaging portions come into contact with the respective engaged portions in the facing direction and the intersecting direction to position the connecting frame in the facing direction and the intersecting direction (Muhlenbrock, fig. 8: stepped portion 3 engages the surface of 9 in the facing direction when combined with the teachings of Ruehl).
As concerns claim 5, Muhlenbrock, as modified, teaches wherein the connecting frame is formed from a plate-shaped frame (as shown in fig. 1), the connecting frame includes a reinforcement portion formed as a protrusion or a recess on a surface of the connecting frame and extending in the seat width direction, and the engaged portions are formed on the surface of the connecting frame at positions avoiding the reinforcement portion (figs. 6 and 8 show a number of different contours extending in a width direction along the connecting frame which may be considered a reinforcement recess/protrusion which do not contain the engaged portions).
As concerns claim 6, Muhlenbrock, as modified, teaches wherein the side frames are side frames extending in a seat front to rear direction (as shown in fig. 5), the connecting frame is a pan frame installed on front portions of the right and left side frames in a bridging manner (shown in fig. 5), the reinforcement portion is formed as a reinforcement recess having a recessed shape (shown in annotated figure below), a hooking portion for hooking a seat component of the conveyance seat is formed on an upper surface of a portion of the pan frame at which the reinforcement recess is formed (fig. 5: holes in the recessed portion are “hooking portions” which may be used for and are commonly known in the art for hooking seat components), and the engaged portions are formed on the respective right and left sides in the seat width direction, and are disposed at positions where the engaged portions interpose the reinforcement recess between the engaged portions in the seat width direction.
PNG
media_image1.png
323
578
media_image1.png
Greyscale
As concerns claim 7, Muhlenbrock, as modified, teaches wherein the side frames are side frames extending in a seat front to rear direction (shown in fig. 5), the connecting frame is a pan frame installed on front portions of the right and left side frames in a bridging manner (shown in fig. 5), the side frames include respective flange portions formed at upper end portions of the side frames and protruding from respective body portions of the side frames to one side in the seat width direction (fig. 8: shown as stepped upper flange portion of 3 engaging 15), and the engaging portions are formed on upper surfaces of the respective flange portions, and engage with the respective engaged portions formed on a bottom surface of the pan frame in a state where the upper surfaces of the flange portions and the bottom surface of the pan frame are overlapped (shown in fig. 8).
As concerns claim 10, Muhlenbrock, as modified, teaches wherein the side frames are side frames extending in a seat front to rear direction (fig. 5), the connecting frame is a pan frame installed on front portions of the right and left side frames in a bridging manner (fig. 5), the pan frame includes a frame body portion that is long in the seat width direction, and right and left frame side wall portions protruding downward from both respective end portions of the frame body portion in the seat width direction (fig. 8: 5), and the frame side wall portions and the engaged portions are formed in the pan frame at different positions in the seat front to rear direction (the frame side walls surround the entire connecting frame and are therefore at different positions than the engaged portions).
Claim(s) 8 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muhlenbrock, as modified, in view of Ninagawa. Muhlenbrock, as modified, does not teach wherein the connecting frame is connected to the side frames by fastening a plurality of attaching members. However, Ninagawa teaches a similar vehicle seat frame having a connecting frame which is fastened to the side frame by a plurality of attaching members (bolts/screws shown connecting 13 and 11 in figs. 1-3). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to provide a plurality of attaching members such that the the engaging portions and the engaged portions are each disposed between a first attaching member and a second attaching member in a seat front to rear direction in order to provide a secure connection between the elements at the desired connection locations.
As concerns claim 9, Muhlenbrock, as modified, does not expressly teach wherein each of the engaging portions and the engaged portions extends in the seat width direction further outward than the first attaching member and the second attaching member, and extends further inward in the seat width direction than the first attaching member and the second attaching member. However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the size of the bolts, the engagement recess area or the placement of the attaching members such that the engaging portions and the engaged portions extends in the seat width direction further outward and inward than the attaching members in order to provide the desire strength and location of the connection.
Claim(s) 1 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ninagawa (US 10787100) in view of Ruehl. Ninagawa teaches a conveyance seat, comprising: a seat frame serving as a skeleton (fig. 1: 11), wherein the seat frame includes side frames disposed on right and left sides in a seat width direction (fig. 1: 11), and a connecting frame (fig. 1: 13) connecting the right and left side frames, the side frames include engaging portions (figs. 3 and 7: 13A or the flange of 11 extending into the recess of 13) that engage with respective engaged portions (fig. 3: flange of 13 extending downward into the gap or the recess of 13) provided in the connecting frame to position the connecting frame, one of the engaging portions and the engaged portions (downward flange of 13) is formed to protrude toward the other of the engaging portions (13A) and the engaged portions in a facing direction in which the side frames and the connecting frame face each other, and the other engages with the one by coming into contact with the one in an intersecting direction intersecting with the facing direction (they contact along the upper surface of 11 and the intersecting direction by the rear or side portions of flange 13).
Ninagawa does not teach wherein each of the engaging portions includes a standing wall portion and an upper wall portion extending from an upper end portion of the standing wall portion in the intersecting direction, and wherein each of the engaged portions includes an outer wall portion disposed along the standing wall portion and a ceiling wall portion extending from an upper end portion of the outer wall portion in the intersecting direction and disposed along the upper wall portion.
However, Ruehl teaches a known connection between metal frame elements (fig. 7: 41, 43, 45) wherein each of the engaging portions includes a standing wall portion and an upper wall portion extending from an upper end portion of the standing wall portion in the intersecting direction, and wherein each of the engaged portions includes an outer wall portion disposed along the standing wall portion and a ceiling wall portion extending from an upper end portion of the outer wall portion in the intersecting direction and disposed along the upper wall portion (as shown in figs. 7 and 8, Ruehl teaches connecting elements via pressed metal engagement protrusions having complementary standing wall/outer wall and upper wall/ceiling wall portions). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to try this connection means in order to provide the desired stability of connection between the two frame elements.
As concerns claim 4, Ninagawa, as modified, teaches wherein the engaging portions are formed at respective outer end portions of the side frames in the seat width direction, the engaged portions are formed at respective outer end portions of the connecting frame in the seat width direction, and the engaging portions and the engaged portions are exposed to an outside of the seat frame in the seat width direction in the seat frame (as shown in Ninagawa, fig. 3).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because Ruehl is combined with Muhlenbrock and Ninagawa in the action above, as necessitated by amendment and not specifically addressed in Applicant’s arguments. Ruehl is used to teach the additional limitations regarding the engaging and engaged portions based on the known use of mating protrusions a connection of sheet metal frame elements which would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art to try.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY J BRINDLEY whose telephone number is (571)270-7231. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Dunn can be reached at 5712726670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/TIMOTHY J BRINDLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
Prosecution Insights