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 § 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, 20, and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujita et al. (US 2018/0035185).
Regarding claim 1, Fujita et al. discloses a headrest (Fig. 1) for a vehicle seat, the headrest comprising: a headrest pillar (11, 12) supported by a seat back (paragraph [0034]); a headrest body (1) coupled to the headrest pillar; at least one speaker (20, 30) supported by the headrest body; wherein the headrest body comprises: a support plate (41) which is coupled to the headrest pillar and faces frontward and backward (Fig. 3); a front core (43) which is provided on the front side of the support plate such that an internal space is formed between the front core and the support plate; and a rear core (50) which is provided on the rear side of the support plate; the at least one speaker is supported by the front surface of the support plate and is provided in the internal space (Fig. 3), the front core has at least one core opening (hole part on 43 shown in Fig. 3) which extends therethrough in a front-to-rear direction and faces the at least one speaker, and wherein the at least one speaker is surrounded by a first sound absorber (421; paragraph [0053]).
Regarding claim 5, Fujita et al. discloses that the at least one speaker comprises a left speaker (22) and a right speaker (32) which are provided at left and right parts of the front surface of the support plate, respectively, and wherein the headrest further comprises a partition wall (projection in the middle of 41 that separates the two speakers) which is provided at a center part of the internal space along a left-to-right direction so as to divide the internal space into left and right subspaces (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 6, Fujita et al. discloses that the at least one core opening comprises left and right core openings (Figures 2 and 3 show that the opening is on both sides), and wherein the headrest further comprises funnels (21, 31) which are provided at the edges of the left and right core openings and extend toward the left and right speakers, respectively.
Regarding claim 7, Fujita et al. discloses second sound absorbers provided between the partition wall and the left speaker and between the partition wall and the right speakers, respectively (41 comprises foam which acts as a sound absorber between the partition wall and the respective speaker).
Regarding claim 8, Fujita et al. discloses that the partition wall is formed of a flexible sound absorber (41 comprises foam which acts as a sound absorber between the partition wall and the respective speaker).
Regarding claim 9, Fujita et al. discloses that the front core and the rear core are coupled to each other such that the support plate is interposed between the front core and the rear core, and wherein the support plate is in secure contact with the front core and the rear core, with respective cushioning parts provided therebetween (paragraph [0052]).
Regarding claim 10, Fujita et al. teaches a rear cover (rear base fabric integrally sewn, [0052]) coupled to the rear surface of the rear core, and a vibration damper (wadding material, [0052]) provided on the front surface of the rear cover.
Regarding claim 23, Fujita et al. discloses a method of making a headrest for a vehicle seat, the method comprising: preparing a headrest pillar (11, 12) supported by a seat back (paragraph [0034]); preparing a headrest body (1) coupled to the headrest pillar; and preparing at least one speaker (20, 30) supported by the headrest body, wherein the headrest body comprises: a support plate (41) which is coupled to the headrest pillar and faces frontward and backward (Fig. 3); a front core (43) which is provided on the front side of the support plate such that an internal space is formed between the front core and the support plate; and a rear core (50) which is provided on the rear side of the support plate, the at least one speaker is supported by the front surface of the support plate and is provided in the internal space (Fig. 3), the front core has at least one core opening (hole part on 43 shown in Fig. 3) which extends therethrough in a front- to-rear direction and faces the at least one speaker, and the at least one speaker is surrounded by a first sound absorber (421; paragraph [0053]).
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) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujita et al. in view of Akaike et al. (JP 2009247388).
Regarding claim 11, Fujita et al. discloses that the headrest further comprises: a pad (51) for covering the headrest body, the pad having at least one pad opening (hole part shown in Fig. 3) which faces the at least one speaker. However, Fujita et al. fails to teach a shape retainer which is mesh-shaped, and provided on the outer surface of the pad so as to cover the at least one pad opening, edges of the shape retainer being coupled to the outer surface of the pad; and a skin cover for covering the pad and the shape retainer. Akaike et al. discloses a pad (20) for covering the headrest body, the pad having at least one pad opening (22) which faces the at least one speaker; a shape retainer (30) which is mesh-shaped, and provided on the outer surface of the pad so as to cover the at least one pad opening, edges of the shape retainer being coupled to the outer surface of the pad; and a skin cover (40) for covering the pad and the shape retainer. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed, with reasonable expectation of success, to include this pad and shape retainer taught by Akaike et al. in the headrest of Fujita et al. in order to secure equipment (such as speakers) in place such that they do not shift while the vehicle is in motion.
Claim(s) 18 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujita et al. in view of Hosoda (JP 09094129).
Regarding claim 18, Fujita et al. discloses that the headrest pillar includes left and right vertical portions (11 and 12) extending vertically, the left and right vertical portions define a passage hole, which a wire harness is inserted to pass through (Fig. 6 shows wire harnesses passing through 11 and 12). Fujita et al. fails to explicitly teach that the passage hole has lower openings at lower ends of the left and right vertical portions and one or more upper openings located upward of upper ends of the left and right vertical portions. However, Hosoda shows a headrest with two vertical portions (13 and 19) having upper and lower openings (notches 14). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed, with reasonable expectation of success, to include the openings taught by Hosoda in the headrest pillar of Fujita et al. in order to easily adjust the height of the headrest.
Regarding claim 21, Fujita et al. discloses that the vehicle seat further includes a seat cushion and a seat back (paragraph [0034]), the seat back extends upward from a rear of the seat cushion, the headrest (Fig. 1) is provided at an upper end of the seat back (paragraph [0034]), the headrest further comprises a pad (44) for covering the headrest body and a skin cover (51) for covering the pad. Fujita et al. does not explicitly discuss that the seat back includes a seat back frame forming a framework of the seat back, the headrest pillar supported by left and right pillar supports provided on the seat back frame, a plurality of engagement grooves spaced apart are formed on an outer surface of the headrest pillar, and each of the pillar supports is provided with a locking device that selectively engages one of the plurality of engagement grooves. However, Hosada discloses that the seat back (4) includes a seat back frame (10, 11) forming a framework of the seat back, the headrest pillar supported by left and right pillar supports (12, 13) provided on the seat back frame, a plurality of engagement grooves (14) spaced apart are formed on an outer surface of the headrest pillar, and each of the pillar supports is provided with a locking device (15) that selectively engages one of the plurality of engagement grooves. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed, with reasonable expectation of success, to include the seatback frame and locking device taught by Hosada in the invention of Fujita et al. in order to easily adjust the height of the headrest.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujita et al. as modified by Hosoda (JP 09094129) and further in view of Sunohara et al. (JP 62119859).
Regarding claim 19, Fujita et al. as modified by Hosoda fails to disclose that the one or more upper openings are provided with a grommet. However, Sunohara et al. discloses a headrest with frame members having openings with a grommet (13) at one of the openings to retain a wire (12), It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was effectively filed, with reasonable expectation of success, to include the grommet taught by Sunohara et al. in order to ensure that the wire is held in place.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 12 – 17 is/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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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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/VALENTINA XAVIER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3642