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 .
Status of the Application
Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits. As of the date of this application, the Information Disclosure Statement(s) (IDS) filed on 04/11/2024, 08/01/2024, and 10/02/2025 has/have been taken into account.
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 6 recites “wherein the diameter of an end of the locking pin is substantially less than the diameter of the first and second apertures”. This should read “wherein a diameter of an end of the locking pin is substantially less than a diameter of the first and second apertures” (emphasis added). 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.
Claims 10-18 are 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 10 recites “the bottom support is circular and the first aperture is formed near an outer edge of the bottom support”. Claim 1 recites the first aperture as being formed in the swivel plate, it is unclear if claim 10 is saying that the first aperture is being formed in the bottom support or that its location on the swivel plate is near the outer edge of the bottom support.
Claim 11 recites “the swivel plate comprises a plurality of apertures formed at equally spaced increments around an outer edge such that rotation of the seat may be locked at different orientations”. Claim 1 states that the swivel plate rotates relative to the bottom support and is locked via the pin entering the second aperture on the bottom support. It is unclear how additional apertures on the swivel plate would provide the recited locking function as they would not serve any purpose, due to the fact they would be rotating with the pin and swivel plate. This is further evidenced by Fig. 11 of the instant application which shows a bottom support with multiple apertures at equally spaced increments as well as paragraphs [0056] of the specification. For purposes of examination, the plurality of apertures have been interpreted as apertures of the bottom support.
Claim 11 recites “rotation of the seat may be locked at different orientations” (emphasis added). Usage of the term “may” is considered indefinite since the resulting claim does not clearly set forth the metes and bounds of the patent protection desired.
Claim 12 recites “wherein the cable, the locking pin, and the biasing member are enclosed within a housing” (emphasis added). It is unclear if this housing is the same as the housing recited earlier in the claim. For purposes of examination, it has been interpreted as the same housing.
Claims 13-18 are rejected as being dependent on, and failing to cure the deficiencies of, rejected claim 12.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 5-8, 10-17, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wilson (US 5,161,765).
In regards to Claim 1, Wilson discloses a swivel locking system for a seat, the swivel locking system comprising: a swivel plate (Wilson: Fig. 2, 5, 15; 38) configured with a first aperture (Wilson: Fig. 5; 81) rotatably coupled to a bottom support (Wilson: Fig. 5, 14; 62) of a seat frame; a locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82) configured to insert into a second aperture (Wilson: Fig. 5, 14; 80) formed into the bottom support for locking the swivel plate to the bottom support thereby preventing rotation of the swivel plate; a biasing member (Wilson: Fig. 15; 152) configured to bias the locking pin into the second aperture; and a cable (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 140) operatively coupled to the locking pin such that pulling the locking pin against the biasing member via the cable removes the locking pin from the second aperture thereby enabling rotation of the swivel plate (Wilson: Col. 5, Ln. 6-11).
In regards to Claim 5, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 1 comprising a tapered sidewall (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82 – lower end) of the locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82) configured to assist with alignment of the locking pin into the first and second apertures.
In regards to Claim 6, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 1 wherein the diameter of an end of the locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82) is substantially less than the diameter of the first and second apertures (Wilson: Fig. 15).
In regards to Claim 7, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 1 wherein an end of the cable (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 140) comprises a fitting (Wilson: Fig. 15; 146) configured to secure the cable into a cavity (Wilson: Fig. 15; 144) formed within the locking pin.
In regards to Claim 8, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 1 wherein the locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82) is disposed within a housing (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 148) mounted to the swivel plate.
In regards to Claim 10, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 1 wherein the bottom support (Wilson: Fig. 5, 14; 62) is circular and the first aperture (Wilson: Fig. 5; 81) is formed near an outer edge of the bottom support.
In regards to Claim 11, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 10 wherein the swivel plate comprises a plurality of apertures (Wilson: Fig. 5, 14; 80) formed at equally spaced increments around an outer edge such that rotation of the seat may be locked at different orientations.
In regards to Claim 12, Wilson discloses a swivel locking system for a seat, the locking system comprising: a cable (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 140) configured to bias a locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82); a biasing member (Wilson: Fig. 15; 152) configured to bias the locking pin; a housing (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 148) mounted to a swivel plate (Wilson: Fig. 2, 5, 15; 38), wherein the cable, the locking pin, and the biasing member are enclosed within a housing (Wilson: Fig. 15); and the biasing member and cable being configured to extend and retract the locking pin from at least a first aperture (Wilson: Fig. 5; 81) configured on the swivel plate.
In regards to Claim 13, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 12 wherein the swivel plate (Wilson: Fig. 2, 5, 15; 38) is rotatably mounted to a seat frame and the seat frame includes a second aperture (Wilson: Fig. 5, 14; 80).
In regards to Claim 14, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 13 wherein extension of the locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82) through the first aperture and the second aperture locks the swivel plate to the seat frame thereby preventing swiveling (Wilson: Col. 5, Ln. 6-11).
In regards to Claim 15, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 12 wherein the locking pin comprises a tapered end (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82 – lower end), and the tapered end assists in alignment of the locking pin when slid in and out of the first and second apertures.
In regards to Claim 16, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 12 wherein the biasing member is a spring (Wilson: Fig. 15; 152) enclosed within the housing (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 148).
In regards to Claim 17, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 16 wherein the spring (Wilson: Fig. 15; 152) biases the locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82) into the first and second apertures.
In regards to Claim 19, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 17 wherein the cable (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 140) is configured to pull against the biasing member thereby retracting the locking pin from at least the second aperture.
In regards to Claim 20, Wilson discloses a swivel locking system for a swivel plate of a seat, the locking system comprising: a locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82) enclosed within a housing (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 148) and attached to a cable (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 140); a swivel plate (Wilson: Fig. 2, 5, 15; 38) rotatably mounted to a seat frame wherein the swivel plate includes a first aperture (Wilson: Fig. 5; 81) and the seat frame includes a second aperture (Wilson: Fig. 5, 14; 80); a biasing member (Wilson: Fig. 15; 152) enclosed within the housing and configured to bias the locking pin through the first aperture and into the second aperture; and the cable being configured to pull the locking pin against the biasing member out of the second aperture (Wilson: Col. 5, Ln. 6-11).
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.
Claims 2-4 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wilson (US 5,161,765) in view of Corrion et al. (US 5,484,190).
In regards to Claim 2, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 1 wherein a first pulley (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 160) aligns the cable (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 140) in a first direction wherein the first direction is perpendicular to a second direction.
Wilson fails to disclose a second pulley that aligns the cable in a second direction. However, Corrion teaches a pulley (Corrion: Fig. 3-4; 80) that aligns a cable (Corrion: Fig. 3-4; 84) in a second direction.
Wilson and Corrion are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. locking mechanisms. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the housing in Wilson with the rotatable pulley from Corrion, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide a rotatable pulley contained in the housing for a vertically actuated cable to extend around (Corrion: Co. 3, Ln. 62-67), thereby enabling the cable to be guided about an axis of rotation when being actuated so as to lower friction and ensure smooth actuation.
In regards to Claim 3, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 2 wherein tension applied to the cable (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 140) in the first direction pulls the locking pin (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 82) from the second aperture in the second direction.
In regards to Claim 4, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 2 wherein the first direction is aligned horizontally, and the second direction is aligned vertically (Wilson: Fig. 5).
In regards to Claim 9, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 2 wherein the first pulley (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 160) is mounted onto the swivel plate (Wilson: Fig. 2, 5, 15; 38) and the second pulley (Corrion: Fig. 3-4; 80) is enclosed within the housing (Wilson: Fig. 5, 15; 148).
In regards to Claim 18, Wilson discloses the swivel locking system of claim 12 comprising a first pulley (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 160) which aligns the cable (Wilson: Fig. 2, 15; 140) in a first direction.
Wilson fails to disclose a second pulley that aligns the cable in a second direction. However, Corrion teaches a pulley (Corrion: Fig. 3-4; 80) that aligns a cable (Corrion: Fig. 3-4; 84) in a second direction.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 for cited references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Taylor Morris whose telephone number is (571)272-6367. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 10AM-6PM PST / 1PM-9PM EST.
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/Taylor Morris/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631