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 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 1−12 and 15−16 are rejected under 35 USC §103 as being unpatentable over Japanese Patent JP-2000052829 to Korin in view of US Patent No. 9,937,835 to Khalid et al. (“Khalid”) and US Patent No. 4,277,097 to Lalanne.
Regarding claim 1, Korin teaches a foldable chair comprising:
a first frame 13;
a second frame 14 disposed in parallel with the first frame (cf. figs. 1 and 2);
a connection portion (telescoping pipe 15) configured to movably connect the first frame and the second frame and change in length based on movement between the first frame and the second frame;
a seat accommodation portion (fig. 3 shows the seat 12 on winder 20 inside first frame 13) disposed on one of the first frame or the second frame; and
a seat portion (main part 12 of seat main body), wherein at least a portion of the seat portion is accommodated in the seat accommodation portion (fig. 3),
wherein the seat portion is configured to be drawn out from the seat accommodation portion (see description of the winder on page 5 of English translation) and detachably fastened to the other of the first frame or the second frame (where the second side can be detached by disconnecting the fabric of main portion 12 from subframe 16a).
Korin fails to teach a plurality of link members are rotatably connected to each other in an X-shaped configuration. Khalid teaches a scissor-jack mechanism 40 having a plurality of link members 42 configured to connect a first and second frame of a vehicle seat 10, wherein the plurality of link members are rotatably connected to each other (at points 44) in an X-shaped configuration (cf. figs. 7−8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to replace the telescopic poles of Korin with a scissor-jack mechanism as taught by Khalid, since both are similar actuators for accomplishing the functionality of adjusting the space between the endpoints, and furthermore because scissor-jack mechanisms are able to use their relatively wider geometry for increased mechanical advantage, which allows for using a less powerful (i.e. cheaper) and more lightweight drive mechanism (such as screw-driven actuator 50 in Khalid).
Furthermore, should Applicant disagree that Korin as modified teaches that the seat portion is detachably fastened to the second frame, Lalanne teaches winders 18 having flexible sheet-like material wound thereon, similar to the winders of Korin as modified, and furthermore Lalanne teaches hooks 22 which connect to corresponding hooks 23 in order to hold the flexible sheet-like material in place. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand that a user of Korin as modified would need to apply enough force to the second frame 14 to not only expand telescoping pipe 15 but to oppose the retraction force of the different winders. It therefore would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify Korin as modified to have hooks on main part 12 and corresponding hooks on seat frame 14 to allow a user to first position the seat frame 14 and secure it to the floor, and then deploy the main part 12, since this reduces the force from one combined step into two easier steps, thereby allowing weaker users to deploy the seat more easily.
Regarding claim 2, Korin as modified teaches that the first frame comprises a first leg frame 13d and a first seat frame (13a, 13b, 13c) configured to be coupled to the first leg frame, and
wherein the second frame comprises a second leg frame 14d disposed to face the first leg frame, and a second seat frame (14a, 14b, 14c) configured to be coupled to the second leg frame to face the first seat frame (figs. 1−2).
Regarding claim 3, Korin as modified teaches that the seat accommodation portion is coupled to the first seat frame (fig. 1), and
wherein the second seat frame is provided with a fastening hook configured to fasten the seat portion in a position facing the seat accommodation portion (in Korin as modified above, the second seat frame has a fastening hook to hold the seat portion).
Regarding claim 4, Korin as modified teaches that the seat portion comprises:
a seat screen 12a configured to be drawn out from or pulled back into the seat accommodation portion, and
a holder configured to be coupled to the seat screen and fastened to the fastening hook (in Korin as modified above, the seat screen has a hook to engage with a hook of the second seat frame).
Regarding claim 5, Korin as modified teaches that the holder comprises:
a connection member (where one of ordinary skill in the art would understand the roller blind 18 as having a stiffening rod similar to rod 15 of blind 13, as would be required for the flexible sheet-like material to maintain the flat, uncurled position shown in Lalanne fig. 4) to which the seat screen is connected, and
a fastening member (hooking member 22) configured to be rotatably connected to the connection member and fastened to the fastening hook,
wherein the fastening member has a fastening hole corresponding to the fastening hook (where the aperture of the hooking member 22 constitutes a hole since it is an opening that receives fastening hook 23).
Regarding claim 6, Korin as modified teaches that the seat accommodation portion comprises:
a housing (formed by cushion material 17 and cover 18) in which the seat screen is accommodated (fig. 3), and
a shaft (fig. 3) configured to be rotatably disposed in the housing and around which at least a portion of the seat screen is wound.
Regarding claim 7, Korin as modified teaches that the housing is configured to be coupled to the first seat frame (as seen in fig. 3), and configured to form an opening (slit 18a) in at least a portion of the housing to allow the seat screen to move (see description of the winder on page 5 of English translation).
Regarding claim 8, Korin as modified teaches that the seat screen is drawn out from the housing when the shaft rotates in a first rotation direction, and the seat screen is pulled into the housing when the shaft rotates in a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction (see description of the winder on page 5 of English translation).
Regarding claim 9, Korin as modified teaches that the shaft comprises an elastic structure configured to apply a restoring force to the seat screen in a direction to be pulled into the seat accommodation portion, in a state in which at least a portion of the seat screen is drawn out from the seat accommodation portion.
Regarding claim 10, Korin as modified teaches that the elastic structure provides a rotational restoring force to the shaft in the second rotation direction when the shaft rotates in the first rotation direction (where one of ordinary skill in the art would understand automatic winders such as described on page 5 of English translation as having elastic structures such as so-called rotor springs to provide the automatic wind-up force as described), and
wherein the restoring force acts on the seat screen based on the rotational restoring force.
Regarding claim 11, Korin as modified teaches that the restoring force acting on the seat screen has a magnitude to support a load of a seated person (where one of ordinary skill in the art would understand Korin as teaching such a device, since Korin is presumed to be operable and Korin teaches that operability includes allowing a user to sit on the seat without falling on the floor).
Regarding claim 12, Korin as modified teaches that the foldable chair is configured to be convertible into a folding mode or a seating mode (cf. figs. 1 and 2),
wherein the seating mode is a state in which the first frame and the second frame are spaced apart from each other at a specified interval and the seat portion is drawn out and fastened to the second frame (fig. 2).
For Korin as modified, Korin states that “the side portions 13 and 14 come into close contact” but fails to teach actual contact. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill to modify Korin as modified such that the folding mode is a state in which the first frame and the second frame are in contact with each other and the seat portion is accommodated in the seat accommodation portion, in order to save even more space in the aircraft cabin, thereby increasing its usable payload space.
Regarding claim 15, Korin as modified teaches that the first leg frame and the second leg frame are configured to be coupled to an installation surface (slide rails 21a and 21b) on which the foldable chair is installed.
Regarding claim 16, Korin as modified teaches that at least one of the first leg frame or the second leg frame is configured to be detachably coupled to the installation surface (via clips 26 and lock member 27), and movable with respect to the installation surface (i.e. leg frame is movable by unlocking and removing from the installation surface).
Claims 17−20 are rejected under 35 USC §103 as being unpatentable over Clark’s Cutaway of the Whirlwind (“Clark”) in view of Korin, Khalid, and Lalanne.
Regarding claim 17, Clark teaches an aircraft comprising a fuselage and a chair installed in the fuselage (figure). Clark fails to teach that the chair is foldable. Korin in view of Khalid and Lalanne teaches a foldable chair as discussed with claim 1 above. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to replace the fixed chairs of Clark with the folding chair of Korin as modified in order to provide the aircraft with more cargo space when the seat is not needed by a passenger.
Regarding claims 18−19, for Clark as modified, the features of the claims are taught as discussed with claims 9 and 15−16 above.
Regarding claim 20, for Clark as modified, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the foldable chair such that the foldable chair is operated in the folding mode when goods are being transported in the vehicle, and wherein the foldable chair is operated in the seating mode when passengers are being transported in vehicle (see Korin pages 3−7).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claims have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Michael B Kreiner whose telephone number is (571)270-5379. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:00-5:00.
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/M.B.K./Examiner, Art Unit 3642
/ARFAN Y. SINAKI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642
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