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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: the recitation "the cushion fram" includes a misspelling, in line 3. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: the recitation "slidably mouned" includes a misspelling, in line 2. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: the recitation "a reat arm fixed to the cusion" includes misspellings, in line 2. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-2 and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kramer (US 8328283).
Claim 1- Kramer discloses a chair seat (510) having the structure of a vehicle seat as claimed below, the seat comprising:
a base (comprised of the underside elements shown in figs. 12-14);
a cushion frame (516) rotatably coupled to the base (figs. 12-14);
a tip-up mechanism (comprising link 544, bracket 554, motor 538) engaged to the cushion frame and the base and configured to rotate the cushion frame with respect to the base (col. 18: 22-39);
a cushion front frame (514) rotatably coupled to a front portion of the cushion frame (via frame portions 570, 560); and
a tilting mechanism (comprising bracket 584, frame portions 560, 570) engaged to the cushion front frame and the cushion frame and configured to rotate a rear of the cushion front frame upward and forward with respect to the cushion frame (col. 18: 40-60).
Claim 2- Kramer discloses the vehicle seat of claim 1, further including:
a seat cushion (20) mounted on the cushion frame (24) and the cushion front frame (22),
wherein the seat cushion includes a front cushion (not shown) coupled to the cushion front frame and a rear cushion (not shown) coupled to the cushion frame (fig. 1, col. 2: 62-63, col. 10: 34-36).
Claim 12- Kramer discloses a chair seat (510) having the structure of a vehicle seat as claimed below, the seat comprising:
a base (comprised of the underside elements shown in figs. 12-14);
a cushion frame (516) rotated with respect to the base to switch between a sitting state (fig. 12) and a standing state (fig.14); and
a cushion front frame (514) rotated with respect to the cushion frame (via frame portions 570, 560) to maintain a posture within a predetermined horizontal range (defined by the stationary pivot 582 about which the front frame 514 rotates) while the cushion frame switches between the sitting state and the standing state.
Claim 13- Kramer discloses the vehicle seat of claim 12, further including:
a seat cushion mounted on the base,
a seat cushion (20) mounted on the cushion frame (24) and the cushion front frame (22),
wherein the seat cushion includes a front cushion (not shown) coupled to the cushion front frame and a rear cushion (not shown) coupled to the cushion frame (fig. 1, col. 2: 62-63, col. 10: 34-36), and
wherein the cushion front frame (22) is rotated with respect to the cushion frame (24) to maintain the front cushion in the posture within the predetermined horizontal range while the cushion frame switches between the sitting state and the standing state.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11 and 14-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including 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.
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/T.A./Examiner, Art Unit 3636
/DAVID R DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3636