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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I, claims 1-3, is acknowledged. Claims 4 and 5 have been withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on December 12, 2025.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information referred to in the IDS filed December 7, 2023 has been considered.
The information referred to in the IDS filed December 3, 2024 has been considered.
Drawings
The drawings filed December 7, 2023 are approved.
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.
Claims 1-3 are 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 1 recites the limitation "the back of an occupant" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The Examiner recommends “an occupant’s back”.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the seam allowance extending along the second lateral directional line" in lines 4 to 5. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 is indefinite as it depends from and indefinite 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.
Claim(s) 1 and 2, as best understood with the above cited indefiniteness, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(1)(1) as being anticipated by JP2014184900.
Note a vehicle seat, comprising: a seatback accommodating an airbag device therein, wherein the seatback includes: a top board part (6a) contactable with the back of an occupant; a bolster part (lower part of 6b) located on a side of the top board part; a shoulder part (upper part of 6b) located above the bolster part; a cover (6S) forming a surface of each of the bolster part and the shoulder part; and an airbag sleeve (21, 31 and 22, 32) provided in at least one of the bolster part and the shoulder part to support the cover from inside when an airbag deploys, the cover includes; a first cover piece (S3) located on the bolster part and adjoining the top board part; a second cover piece (S4) located on the bolster part and being on a frame side farther away from the top board part than the first cover piece; a third cover piece (S1) located on the shoulder part and adjoining an upper side of the first cover piece; and a fourth cover piece (S2) located on the shoulder part and adjoining an upper side of the second cover piece; and the first cover piece and the second cover piece being sewn together along a first tear line (Y3) extending in a longitudinal direction of the seatback, the third cover piece and the fourth cover piece being sewn together along a second tear line (Y2) extending continuously from the first tear line in the longitudinal direction (see Figure 4), the first cover piece and the third cover piece being sewn together along a first lateral directional line extending in a crossing direction (between S3 and S1) intersecting the first tear line, the second cover piece and the fourth cover piece being sewn together along (Y1 between S4 and S2) second lateral directional line extending continuously from the first lateral directional line in the crossing direction, and the airbag sleeve (21, 31 and 22, 32) includes: a first section (21, 31) extending along the first tear line or the second tear line; and a second section (22, 32) extending across the first lateral directional line or the second lateral directional line, the first section being sewn with at least one of the first to fourth cover pieces along the first tear line or the second tear line (see Figure 3(b)), the second section being sewn with at least one of a set of the first cover piece and the third cover piece and a set of the second cover piece and the fourth cover piece in such a manner as to enclose and sandwich a seam allowance extending along the first lateral directional line or the second lateral directional line (see Figure 4).
Regarding claim 2, note the bolster part (lower part of 6b) accommodates the airbag device (see Figure 1), the first section (21, 31) is sewn with the second cover piece (S4) along the first tear line (Y3) as shown in Figure 4, and the second section (22, 32) is sewn with the set of the second cover piece (S4) and the fourth cover piece (S2) in such a manner as to enclose and sandwich the seam allowance (14) extending along the second lateral directional line (see Figure 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. A vehicle seat having an airbag enclosed with multiple tear lines is shown by each of WO2007097703A1, Fujiwara (US10232816), and Fujiwara (US9434342).
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mn /MILTON NELSON JR/January 16, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636