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 § 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 "a front base bracket and a rear base bracket" in lines 1-2. This limitation is a substantial duplicate of limitations in claim 1, line 2, and thus is redundant and fails to further define the claimed invention.
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) 1-31 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhu (CN 115715727 A).
Claim 1- Zhu shows an apparatus comprising:
a base (200) comprising a front base bracket, a rear base bracket (211, 221), and two side base brackets (220, 220), the base (figs. 1, 5) configured to be coupled to at least one of a chair, a bench, a wheelchair, a toilet seat, a commode, and another seat type (figures 9 & 14-20 show the base attached to a variety of chair types), where the front base bracket, the rear base bracket, and the two side base brackets together form a rectangular structure (fig. 5);
a slidable seat apparatus (100) positioned above the base (fig. 1), the slidable seat apparatus comprising a slidable seat (110), at least two sliding mechanisms (140, 140), and a stationary seat (112), wherein the slidable seat is configured to slide forward and backward (figs. 1-4), the at least two sliding mechanisms arranged beneath the slidable seat (fig. 2);
a lift apparatus (300) configured to couple the base to the slidable seat apparatus (fig.6), the lift apparatus comprising at least two sets of stanchions (310, 320), each of the at least two sets of stanchions comprising a front stanchion and a rear stanchion (figs. 1 & 6), a first of the at least two sets of stanchions positioned toward a first side of the base and a second of the at least two sets of stanchions positioned toward a second side of the base (fig. 6); and
a power apparatus (400) under the stationary seat (fig. 6), the power apparatus comprising at least two wrap springs (410, 412) and a gas spring (420), wherein the power apparatus shown is capable to release potential energy saved from a seated user to lift the seated user towards a standing position.
Claim 2- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power apparatus (400) shown is capable to transfer a trunk weight of the seated user from the stationary seat to the base (figs. 21-22).
Claim 3- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein a first end (upper end) of the front stanchion and another first end (upper end) of the rear stanchion (310, 320) are each pivotally connected to a base bracket of the stationary seat (at bracket holes 330, figs. 4 & 6).
Claim 4- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein a second end (lower end) of the front stanchion and another second end (lower end) of the rear stanchion (310, 320) are each pivotally connected to a seat bracket of the base (figs. 5-6).
Claims 5-6 - Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two sets of stanchions (310, 320), the stationary seat (112), and the base (200) together form a 3D quadrilateral structure (shown best in figs. 1 & 6); wherein pivoting the lift apparatus expands and contracts the 3D quadrilateral structure (figs. 11-12), thereby raising and lowering the stationary seat.
Claim 7- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base (200) further comprises a front base flap and a rear base flap (212, 222), wherein the front base flap and the rear base flap are configured to be coupled to a chair frame (fig. 9) and/or a commode frame (figs. 14-16).
Claim 8- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base (200) further comprises a front base bracket and a rear base bracket (500), wherein the front base bracket and the rear base bracket (fig. 17) are configured to be coupled to a chair frame, a commode, and/or a wheelchair (figs. 17-20).
Claim 9- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base (200) further comprises a front base tube (519) and a rear base tube (not designated, fig. 17), one or both of the front base tube and the rear base tube comprising a quarter circle cut structure (the coupling curve 530 includes a quarter circle) configured to couple to a wheelchair (fig. 20).
Claim 10- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base (200) further comprises a front base tube (519) and a rear base tube (fig. 17), one or both of the front base tube and the rear base tube comprising a full circle cut structure (the coupling curve 530 is defined by a full circle dimension) configured to fit to a tube frame, thereby integrating the sit-to-stand apparatus to a seat frame (fig. 20).
Claim 11- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base (200) further comprises a front base flap and a rear base flap (212, 222), the front base flap and the rear base flap (figs. 5-6) configured to form a part of, or to be coupled to, a cushioned seat surface (fig. 9).
Claim 12- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sliding mechanism (140) comprises a slidable member (520) and a stationary member (510), (figs. 2-4).
Claim 13- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 12, wherein the slidable member (520) comprises a roller bracket (fig. 3), a set screw (the pin 527 structure meets the limitation “set screw”), a plurality of roller shafts (524) and a plurality of rollers (525).
Claims 14-16 – Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 13, wherein the roller bracket (522) comprises a metal bracket coupled to the bottom of the seat surface (figs. 1-2); wherein the set screw (527) is arranged to a side of the roller bracket (figs. 2-3) and configured to stop the roller bracket from exceeding its travel limit; wherein each of the plurality of rollers (525) is fixed on one of the plurality of roller shafts (524).
Claim 17- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 12, wherein the stationary member (510) comprises a rail guide (512), a rail track (513), and a set screw (527).
Claims 18-20 – Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 17, wherein the rail track (513) comprises a long flat runway for a roller to roll on (fig. 4); wherein the rail guide (512) is configured to confine a roller (525) to travel linearly along a length of the stationary seat (fig. 2); wherein the rail guide (512) and rail track (513) form at least part of a U-shape channel (fig. 3).
Claim 21- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a front limit and a rear limit (121, 131), each configured to provide a front travel limit and a rear travel limit, respectively, to block the slidable member from moving beyond the front and rear travel limits (fig. 4, the front and rear elements 121, 131 are capable of functioning as travel limits).
Claim 22- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the slidable seat (110) comprises a seat surface for supporting a user’s buttocks (figs. 11-12).
Claim 23- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the stationary seat (112) comprises a seat framework (fig. 4) configured to support a seated trunk weight of a user (Abstract), the seat framework comprising a front seat bracket, a rear seat bracket (121, 131), and two side seat brackets (130) that together form a rectangular structure.
Claim 24- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the at least two wrap springs (410, 410) comprises a spring coil (412), an up spring arm (411), a low spring arm (413), an up spring arm end (414), and a low spring arm end (fig. 7), wherein the up spring arm extends from a first end of the spring coil and the low spring arm extends from a second end of the spring coil (the first and second ends extend perpendicularly relative to their respective arms).
Claims 25-26 – Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 24, wherein the up spring arm (411) is coupled to the stationary seat (112) and the low spring arm (413) is coupled to the base (fig. 6); wherein the spring coil (412) contracts when a downward pressure is applied to the slidable seat apparatus, thereby storing energy, and the spring coil releases stored energy to push the slidable seat apparatus up (the spring coil possesses the inherent function of storing and releasing energy as claimed).
Claim 27- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas spring (420) comprises a cylinder, a rod, a rod end, and a cylinder end (fig. 8), wherein the rod aligns with the cylinder coaxially to form a sealed gas chamber containing a gas.
Claim 28- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 27, wherein one of the rod end and the cylinder end is pivotally connected to the base (fig. 8 shows both gas spring elements have pivot connection ends 424).
Claim 29- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gas spring (420) is configured to provide a damping effect to prevent the slidable seat apparatus from falling onto the base with excessive force when a user sits down on the slidable seat apparatus (Abstract).
Claim 30- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the power apparatus (400) resides under the slidable seat apparatus (figs. 5-6), each of the at least two wrap springs between an inner bracket and an outer bracket (210, 220), the gas spring between two inner brackets (at 423).
Claim 31- Zhu shows the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two wrap springs (410, 410) and the gas spring (420) reside within a cavity formed by the base and the slidable seat apparatus (figs. 6 & 12).
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