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
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP2019202667 (hereinafter JP’667).
Regarding claim 1, JP’667 teaches a skin member comprising:
a plurality of base fabrics (fig. 5, S1b, S1c and S2); and
one or more sewing portions (fig. 11, stitches 32, 22) that join the plurality of base fabrics to each other,
wherein the skin member is used by being attached to a base material (fig. 13, seat pad),
the plurality of base fabrics include
a first base fabric (fig. , S1b and S1c) that includes a bent first curved portion (fig. 3 shows a curved portion when S1b is connected to S1c) and a plurality of notch portions (fig. 5, notches 44) formed by cutting out the bent first curved portion at an end edge of the first base fabric, and that has a first terminal portion (fig. 5, M1) where the bent first curved portion and the plurality of notch portions are folded back to a back side of the first base fabric other than the first terminal portion (fig. 11), and
a second base fabric (fig. 11, S2) that is joined to the first base fabric by a corresponding one of the one or more sewing portions in a state where the first terminal portion of the first base fabric is overlapped on a front side of the second base fabric (fig. 11), to sandwich the first terminal portion of the first base fabric between the back side of the first base fabric and the front side of the second base fabric (fig. 11),
the one or more sewing portions are each formed such that at least a part of each sewing portion follows the first terminal portion of the first base fabric (figs. 8-10), and
at least a part of each of the one or more sewing portions is positioned at a position intersecting with the plurality of notch portions, straddling the plurality of notch portions (fig. 10, a stitch 32 intersecting with notches 44, straddling the notches 44).
Regarding claim 2, JP’667 teaches each sewing portion includes a first sewing portion (fig. 9, stitch 22) that is formed across the first terminal portion of the first base fabric and the second base fabric, and a second sewing portion (figs. 9-10, stitch 32) that is formed across the first base fabric and the second base fabric to intersect with the plurality of notch portions.
Regarding claim 3, JP’667 teaches the second base fabric includes a second curved portion (figs. 3 and 5, a curved portion of S2) bent along the first curved portion of the first base fabric, and a plurality of slits (fig. 5, slits N formed in M3 of S2) formed in the second curved portion, at an end edge of the second base fabric, and the first terminal portion of the first base fabric is overlapped on a front side of a second terminal portion of the second base fabric including the second curved portion and the plurality of slits (fig. 11).
Regarding claim 4, JP’667 teaches the second base fabric includes a second curved portion (figs. 3 and 5, a curved portion of S2) bent along the first curved portion of the first base fabric, and a plurality of slits (fig. 5, slits N formed in M3 of S2) formed in the second curved portion, at an end edge of the second base fabric, and the first terminal portion of the first base fabric is overlapped on a front side of a second terminal portion of the second base fabric including the second curved portion and the plurality of slits (fig. 11).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, dated 11/19/2025, with respect to the rejection of claims under 35 U.S.C 112 (b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejection to the claims has been withdrawn due to the applicant amendments.
Applicant’s arguments, dated 11/19/2025, with respect to the rejections of claims under 35 U.S.C 102 have been fully considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on combination of references applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
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/UYEN T NGUYEN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3732