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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, for claim 3, the cable bundle is attached to a lateral edge of the first hole and/or to a lateral edge of the second hole must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
The following claims objected to because of the following informalities:
Claims 6, 7 preamble recites “The pivoting assembly of claim 1, the pivoting assembly comprises”, missing an introductory term; wherein, whereas, or similar, as in claims 8 or 9.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 1-11 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. The claims will be examined as best understood.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the direction". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites “a housing delimited in the direction of the first axis by the upper plate and the lower plate”. Not clear. What direction is referred to here? How is the housing delimited in a direction of an axis? Should this read “a housing defined by the upper and lower plate?”
Claims 4, 8-10 also recite “in the direction of the first axis”. Not clear. Is this referring to the direction the axis is pointing to? Does this mean towards the first axis?
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the centering device". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites “…preferably with a circular arc section, about the first axis”. Not clear if what follows the term “preferably” is a required limitation. It is unclear whether the limitation(s) following the term “preferably” are part of the claimed invention.
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 1, 2, 4-7, 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VanMiddendorp et al (US 20130193729) in view of Zapf (US 20230256921).
In regards to claim 1, VanMiddendorp discloses a pivoting assembly for a vehicle seat (abstract “seat swivel system”), the pivoting assembly comprising:
a lower plate configured to be connected to a vehicle floor (Fig. 4 ref. 74, connected to ref. 70 by way of one or more intermediate elements), the lower plate comprising at least a first hole (Fig. 5 ref. 104 “access hole”);
an upper plate (Fig. 4 ref. 78) pivotally mounted relative to the lower plate (as seen at least in Fig. 4) about a first axis (Fig. 4 axis of ref. 80), the upper plate comprising at least a second hole (Fig. 6 ref. 144),
a housing delimited in the direction of the first axis by the upper plate and the lower plate (abstract “seat swivel system may include a bottom plate mounted on a frame of a machine or vehicle, and top plate pivotally mounted on the bottom plate”, refs. 74 and 78 make up top and bottom plates of housing, housing made up of ref. 74 and ref. 78);
while VanMiddendorp discloses wires routed through the holes (Fig. 5 for ref. 104, [0057] “An actuator signal line (not shown) passing through the access hole 144”) VanMiddendorp does not expressly disclose:
at least one cable bundle which comprises at least one electrical cable, the cable bundle extending through the at least one first hole of the lower plate and through the at least one second hole of the upper plate, an intermediate portion of the electrical cable being received in the housing, the intermediate portion forming at least one loop around the first axis, the lower plate being configured to support the at least one loop.
Zapf teaches an electrical cable, def. 26, extending through a first hole (Fig. 9a ref. 38) in an first plate (Fig. 8 ref. 25) and through a second hole (Fig. 9a ref. 23) in a second plate (Fig. 8 ref. 24), an intermediate/middle section of the cable looping around an axis and supported by the second plate (looping around axis ref. a as seen in Fig. 9b, supported in Fig. 8 for ref. 26).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify, with the reasonable expectation of success, VanMiddendorp with Zapf by providing at least one cable bundle which comprises at least one electrical cable with the cable bundle extending through the at least one first hole of the lower plate and through the at least one second hole of the upper plate and an intermediate portion of the electrical cable being received in the housing and the intermediate portion forming at least one loop around the first axis, the lower plate being configured to support the at least one loop in order to allow a path for the cable to avoid snags or exterior catches for the cable connection through the base assembly for further sensors or vehicle controllers as well as to avoid deformations in the cable when pivoting occurs.
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In regards to claim 2, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one first hole and the at least one second hole are each arranged at a distance from the first axis (VanMiddendorp seen in Figs. 13 and 6, refs. 104, 144 located from ref. 148).
In regards to claim 4, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 1, comprising at least one articulation mechanism (Fig. 13 comprising at least refs. 202, 80) interposed between the lower plate and the upper plate ([0057] discloses ref. 202 mounted to bottom surface of ref. 78 top plate accordingly interposed) and by means of which the upper plate is mounted pivoting relative to the lower plate about the first axis (ref. 202 disclosed as latch catch bracket, acts to catch pivoting action, ref. 80 allows pivoting),
the articulation mechanism being arranged between the lower plate and the upper plate in the direction of the first axis at a central area which is centered on the first axis ([0057] discloses ref. 202 mounted to bottom surface of ref. 78 top plate accordingly between plates, in a direction of ref. 80/first axis), the at least one loop of the intermediate portion of the cable bundle being wound around the articulation mechanism (VanMiddendorp as combined, Zapf discloses the loop of ref. 26 wound around axis, VanMiddendorp articulation mechanism comprises shaft ref. 80, which allows pivoting motion, which coincides with axis, thus cable wound around axis/shaft).
In regards to claim 5, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 1, wherein the articulation mechanism is configured to block the pivoting of the upper plate about the first axis relative to the lower plate (VanMiddendorp ref. 202 disclosed as latch catch bracket, acts to catch pivoting action.
In regards to claim 6, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 1, the pivoting assembly comprises a centering device for centering the upper plate on the first axis relative to the lower plate (VanMiddendorp Fig. 13 ref. 100 acts as centering device).
In regards to claim 7, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 1,
VanMiddendorp does not expressly disclose: the pivoting assembly comprising at least one flange rigidly connected to the upper plate, the at least one flange comprising a first wall having a generally cylindrical shape, preferably with a circular arc section, about the first axis, wherein the centering device is formed by the first wall of the at least one flange.
Zapf teaches a pivoting assembly comprising a flange (Fig. 7 cylindrical ref. 22 having flange, not referenced) connected to a first plate (ref. 22 comprises plate surface seen in Fig. 11), the flange acting as part of a centering device (Fig. 8 flange of ref. 22 interacts with ref. 37, which guides the portions together while centering).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify, with the reasonable expectation of success, VanMiddendorp with Zapf by providing the pivoting assembly comprising at least one flange rigidly connected to the upper plate, the at least one flange comprising a first wall having a generally cylindrical shape, preferably with a circular arc section, about the first axis, wherein the centering device is formed by the first wall of the at least one flange in order to keep debris from the interior of the assembly while keeping alignment during pivoting.
In regards to claim 11, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses a vehicle seat comprising the pivoting assembly of claim 1 and a seat bottom of a seat which comprises a seat bottom frame (VanMiddendorp Fig. 1 discloses vehicle and seat, seat bottom), wherein the seat bottom frame of the seat is connected to the upper plate (VanMiddendorp as seen in Fig. 4, connected by way of one or more intermediate elements), directly or via a raising mechanism (VanMiddendorp Fig. 4 ref. 72).
Claim 3 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VanMiddendorp, Zapf as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Yamamoto et al (US 20210245683).
In regards to claim 3, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 1, but does not expressly disclose: wherein the cable bundle is attached to a lateral edge of the first hole and/or to a lateral edge of the second hole.
Yamamoto teaches a cable bundle attached to a lateral edge of a through hole (Fig. 1 ref. 24 cable attached to edge by ref. 8).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify, with the reasonable expectation of success, VanMiddendorp with Yamamoto by providing the cable bundle is attached to a lateral edge of the first hole or to a lateral edge of the second hole in order to prevent the cable from abrading against the edge during movement of the seat.
Claim 8, 9, 10 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over VanMiddendorp, Zapf as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Garotte et al (US 20210061142).
In regards to claim 8, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 1, but does not expressly disclose: wherein the pivoting assembly comprises a retention device for retaining the upper plate to the lower plate along the direction of the first axis.
Garotte teaches a retention device for a pivoting seat assembly connecting a top and bottom portion (Fig. 4 ref 85, [0060] “retention device 85 is provided, comprising a first part 86 secured to the base 61 and a second part 87 secured to the rotating ring 62”) in a direction of axis E1.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify, with the reasonable expectation of success, VanMiddendorp with Garotte by providing the pivoting assembly with a retention device that retains the upper plate to the lower plate along the direction of the first axis in order to keep the parts aligned and the bearings engaged in bearing tracks when moving.
In regards to claim 9, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 7, does not expressly disclose: wherein the pivoting assembly comprises a retention device for retaining the upper plate to the lower plate along the direction of the first axis.
Garotte teaches a retention device for a pivoting seat assembly connecting a top and bottom portion (Fig. 4 ref 85, [0060] “retention device 85 is provided, comprising a first part 86 secured to the base 61 and a second part 87 secured to the rotating ring 62”) in a direction of axis E1.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify, with the reasonable expectation of success, VanMiddendorp with Garotte by providing the pivoting assembly with a retention device that retains the upper plate to the lower plate along the direction of the first axis in order to keep the parts aligned and the bearings engaged in bearing tracks when moving.
In regards to claim 10, VanMiddendorp as combined discloses the pivoting assembly of claim 9, wherein the at least one flange comprises a first rim protruding from the first wall radially inwardly relative to the first axis (as combined, Zapf as seen in at least Fig. 8, flange, side of ref. 22, not referenced having rim/edge), a peripheral portion of the lower plate being inserted in the direction of the first axis between the first rim of the at least one flange and the upper plate to form the retention device (Zapf Fig. 8 ref. 37, of plate ref. 21 inserted between the first rim, of ref. 22, of the at least one flange and the upper plate, ref. 22).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure cited on PTO 892. The cited references display seat rotation assemblies having integral cable and cable harness.
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/V.R./Examiner, Art Unit 3642
/MAGDALENA TOPOLSKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642