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 Objections
Claim 11 is objected to because of the following informalities: in line 2, “are extending” might better read “extend.” 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 8 is 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 8 recites the limitation "the first pivoting member" and “the second pivoting member” in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-7 and 9-16 are allowed.
Claim 8 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: while the prior art discloses a range of vehicle seats with upper frames pivotable on lower frames as well as displaceable in relation to the lower frames via actuating assemblies (see in particular US 8348339 to Onuma and US 7543888 to Kuno), and further teaches a variety of floatingly connected mechanisms (see in particular US 11305676 to Eichhorn and US 2019/0061569 to Bowen), it does not teach the combination as claimed including first and second actuators connected via a beam structure and floatingly connected to the lower frame via the beam structure, nor would it have been obvious to provide such. Note that for purposes of examination, the floating connection is interpreted in light of the instant application to allow small angular displacement of the relevant members distinct from their primary motion, the float enabling efficient operation and optimized load paths.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure because it shows a range of related systems.
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/PHILIP F GABLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636