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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 03/18/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Prior art WO 2016027159 A2 Miron Denis Michel teaches a first and second air passage and a weir part provided around the hole of the reinforcement plate and extending toward a seat upper side toward the second air passage (fig. 3).
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.
(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, 3, 4, and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO 2016027159 A2 Miron Denis Michel.
Regarding claim 1. Miron teaches, a vehicle seat, comprising: a cushion pad for a vehicle occupant (fig. 1B); an air passage provided inside the cushion pad, and comprising a first air passage and a second air passage, the first air passage being provided with an upper opening at an upper surface side of the cushion pad and the second air passage being provided with a lower opening at a lower surface side of the cushion pad (element 170 has upper and lower ends); an air blower disposed at a seat lower side relative to the cushion pad and connected to the lower opening of the second air passage (element 160), the air blower generating an airflow in the air passage upon being operated (elements 190, 192); a lower wall forming the second air passage and having the lower opening formed therein (element 302); a reinforcement plate disposed at a seat upper side of the lower wall (element 216), the reinforcement plate having a hole that is communicated with the lower opening and being configured to reinforce the lower wall (element 224); and a weir part provided around the hole of the reinforcement plate (see annotated fig. 3, equal to weir part) and extending toward a seat upper side toward the second air passage (fig. 3).
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Regarding claim 3, Miron teaches, the vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the weir part is provided at an edge of the hole (fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, Miron teaches, the vehicle seat of claim 3, wherein the weir part is formed by subjecting the reinforcement plate to flange processing. NOTE: Examiner contends “formed by” is a -product by process- limitation and the structure of the limitation is therefore met in fig. 3.
Regarding claim 9, Miron teaches, the vehicle seat of claim 1, wherein the air blower is configured to be disposed at a seat lower side of a hip point of an occupant seated at the cushion pad (fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 5, 10 allowed.
Claims 6-8 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Prior art Miron teaches a “reinforcement plate” with a “weir part”, but fails to teach wherein the weir part is water absorbing or made of compressed felt.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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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/C.M.C/
Examiner
Art Unit 3642
/JOSHUA J MICHENER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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