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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joshua Hallock U.S. Patent Publication 2023/0322135 (Hallock) in view of Robert L. Demick U.S. Patent 7,481,489 B2 (Demick).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, Hallock discloses a seat assembly and method of making a seat assembly, the method comprising: positioning a cushion on a carrier structure, wherein the cushion comprises a mesh member disclose a seat assembly comprising a cushion comprising a mesh member, the mesh member comprising a set of filaments of polymeric material ([0042]), wherein at least two members of the set of filaments are looped and bonded to each other, a carrier structure comprising a set of elongated members ([0044]); and a trim cover disposed on the cushion and secured to the carrier structure (Element 90). Hallock does not directly disclose each member to be attached to at least one other member of the set of elongated members, and wherein the cushion is disposed on the carrier structure. Demick discloses a seat assembly comprising elongated members are a part of a set of elongated members (Figure 1 and 2, elongated members of the set); wherein the cushion is disposed on the carrier structure.
Therefore it would have been an obvious modification well known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hallock as taught by Demick to include Demick’s elongated members. Such a modification would provide a means to securely fasten the trim cover to the cushion.
Hallock in view of Demick does not directly disclose each member to be attached to at least one other member of the set of elongated members. Dimensional modification providing the elongated members to be of a sufficient length along the carrier structure is an obvious modification well known in the art. A sufficient length, that is a design modification, would yield some of the elongated members to be in contact with one another along the carrier structure. Such a modification would provide a means to securely fasten the trim cover to the cushion.
Regarding claim 2, Hallock in view of Demick discloses the seat assembly wherein the carrier structure is disposed outside of the cushion (Figure 2, Demick).
Regarding claim 3, Hallock in view of Demick discloses the seat assembly wherein the cushion includes a first side and a second side disposed opposite the first side, wherein the first side engages the trim cover and the second side engages the carrier structure (Figure 3, Hallock).
Regarding claim 12, Hallock in view of Demick discloses the method wherein positioning the cushion on the carrier structure further comprises positioning a second side of the cushion on the carrier structure such that the carrier structure is not received inside the cushion ([0048-0052, Hallock).
Regarding claim 13, Hallock in view of Demick discloses the method wherein securing the trim cover to the carrier structure further comprises positioning the trim cover on the cushion after the cushion is positioned on the carrier structure ([0047], Hallock).
Claim(s) is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Joshua Hallock U.S. Patent Publication 2023/0322135 (Hallock) in view of Robert L. Demick U.S. Patent 7,481,489 B2 (Demick) further in view of James Eldridge et al. U.S. Patent Publication 2021/0053472 A1 (Eldridge).
Regarding claims 4-6, 10, and 14-17, Hallock in view of Demick discloses the seat assembly and method wherein the cushion comprises a trim cover attachment feature (Figure 3, Hallock), the trim cover attachment feature coupling the trim cover tie-down to the carrier structure. Hallock in view of Demick does not directly disclose a slit. Eldridge discloses the seat assembly wherein the cushion comprises a slit extending through the cushion from the first side to the second side, the trim cover further comprising a trim cover tie-down coupled to the trim cover and extending into the slit ([0085]); wherein the trim cover tie-down and the trim cover attachment feature are disposed in the slit (Figure 6); wherein the trim cover tie-down is coupled to the trim cover attachment feature inside the slit; wherein the cushion comprises a slit extending through the cushion from the first side to the second side, and the trim cover further comprises a trim cover tie-down coupled to the trim cover, extends through the slit, and is directly secured to the carrier structure; wherein securing the trim cover to the carrier structure further comprises inserting a trim cover tie-down of the trim cover into a slit in the cushion, the slit extending from a first side of the cushion that faces toward the trim cover to a second side of the cushion that is disposed opposite the first side and that engages the carrier structure; wherein securing the trim cover to the carrier structure further comprises coupling the trim cover tie-down directly to the carrier structure after inserting the trim cover tie-down through the slit; wherein securing the trim cover to the carrier structure further comprises coupling the trim cover tie-down to the carrier structure with a trim cover attachment feature that engages the trim cover tie-down and the carrier structure; wherein securing the trim cover to the carrier structure further comprises coupling the trim cover tie-down to the carrier structure with a trim cover attachment feature that engages the trim cover tie-down and the carrier structure, wherein the trim cover tie-down is coupled to the trim cover attachment feature inside the slit (Figure 6 [0083-0090]).
Therefore it would have been an obvious modification well known in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hallock in view of Demick as taught by Eldridge to include Eldridge’s slit. Such a modification would provide a means to secure the attachment means to the cushion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-9 and 18-20 are 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed April 13, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Hallock discloses additional cushion layer is disclosed ([0021-0022, 0041]).
Hallock does not directly disclose each member to be attached to at least one other member of the set of elongated members, and wherein the cushion is disposed on the carrier structure. Demick discloses a seat assembly comprising elongated members are a part of a set of elongated members (Figure 1 and 2, elongated members of the set); wherein the cushion is disposed on the carrier structure.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHIN H KIM whose telephone number is (571)272-7788. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9AM-6PM.
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/SHIN H KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
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