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
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
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) 1-2, 7-10, 18-24, 30 and 32 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 6,694,555 B2 to Soltani et al. in view of US 6, 351,862 B1 to Henley et al.
Regarding claim 1: Soltani teaches a pressure relief system (support surface apparatus 300) for use with a wheelchair (the support surface apparatus of Soltani is disclosed for use with supports having seated positions, c. 1, ℓ. 11-15, fig. 20, and is considered to be capable of use with a wheelchair), comprising (figs. 19-24):
a backrest support (320) comprising a plurality of backrest cells (figs. 21-22), each of the plurality of backrest cells comprising
a base (c. 11, ℓ. 17-20: formed by plenums 330 and 332) which comprises a plurality of air ports (c. 11, ℓ. 4-20: air enters the bladder by passing through diffuser sheets 338 and 342 of a diffuser apparatus; c. 17, ℓ. 50-57: the disclosed diffusers may comprise holes in a predetermined pattern, these holes being considered as air ports),
a cover (352) in connection with the base, and
fluidizable elements (fluidizable material 354) within an interior of each of the plurality of backrest cells (c. 11, ℓ. 15-20), and
a seat support (322 and/or 324) comprising a plurality of seat cells (figs. 23-24), each of the plurality of seat cells comprising
a base (plenum 360) which comprises a plurality of air ports (c. 11, ℓ. 24-29: air enters the bladder by passing through diffuser sheet 366 of a diffuser apparatus; c. 17, ℓ. 50-57: the diffusers may comprise holes in a predetermined pattern),
a cover (374) in connection with the base, and
fluidizable elements (fluidizable medium 354) within an interior of each the plurality of seat cells (c. 11, ℓ. 27-29), and
a source of pressurized air in fluid connection with the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of backrest cells and with the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of seat cells via which the fluidizable elements within each of the plurality of backrest cells and the fluidizable elements within each of the plurality of seat cells are fluidizable (c. 11, ℓ. 15-20: “fluidizable material 354 located within interior region 356 is fluidized by air passing through plenums 330, 332”, c. 11, ℓ. 25-29: “Air supplied through inlet 370 passes into plenum 360 and through diffuser sheet 366 to fluidize fluidizable medium 354 within zone 372”).
Soltani teaches a fluidizable medium (c. 10, ℓ. 40–c. 11, ℓ. 34: fluidizable medium 354), and discloses that it is known to use “tiny spheres of glass, ceramics, or silicone” as a fluidizable medium (c. 1, ℓ. 16-25), but does not specifically disclose that the elements of the fluidizable material are resilient elements. Soltani does disclose that one embodiment “is similar to a mattress structure disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/177,772, filed Oct. 23, 1998, and titled Mattress Replacement Having Air Fluidized Sections, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference” (c. 9, ℓ. 34-39), but does not directly link the disclosure of the incorporated application to the fluidizable medium of the embodiments relied upon.
Henley discloses a pressure relief system comprising support cushion cells containing fluidizable materials (c. 7, ℓ. 10-30) fluidized through the supply of pressurized air (c. 4, ℓ. 63-67, fig. 1) and which may include resilient elements in the form of “beads made of Styrofoam or other suitable material having a size of about ¹⁵⁄₁₀₀₀ to about ²⁰⁄₁₀₀₀ of an inch,” (c. 6, ℓ. 40-43). Advantageously, the average weight of the fluidizable medium is less than the average weight of smaller conventional sized beads (c. 6, ℓ. 28-48).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the fluidizable medium of the pressure relief system of Soltani to include resilient elements, such as taught by Henley, for the purpose of reducing the average weight of the fluidizable medium.
In the event that the disclosure in Soltani of supplying air to the fluidizable material with respect to the embodiment of figures 19-24 specifically (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 9-29) does not sufficiently disclose a source of pressurized air, Soltani does specifically disclose a blower which supplies pressurized air (c. 7, ℓ. 13-63: blower 62 supplies pressurized air to diffusers 100, 102; see also c. 8, ℓ. 24-47; c. 7, ℓ. 55–c. 8; ℓ. 5 c. 13, ℓ. 36–c. 14, ℓ. 19; c. 15, ℓ. 64-67; c. 16, ℓ. 53-61; c. 6, ℓ. 10-25; c. 13, ℓ. 2-10: an air supply which supplies air at a predetermined pressure). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used a source of pressurized air, as taught by Soltani, to supply the air to the pressure relief system of Soltani, for the purpose of enabling the fluidizable medium to be fluidized, and enabling the pressure relief system to function.
Regarding claim 22: Soltani teaches a pressure relief system (support surface apparatus 300) for use with a seating system in which a user can sit upright (fig. 20, c. 1, ℓ. 11-15), comprising:
a seat support (322 and/or 324) comprising a plurality of seat cells (figs. 23-24), each seat cell comprising
a base (plenum 360) which comprises a plurality of air ports (c. 11, ℓ. 24-29: air enters the bladder by passing through diffuser sheet 366 of a diffuser apparatus; c. 17, ℓ. 50-57: the diffusers may comprise holes in a predetermined pattern),
a cover (374) in connection with the base, and
a plurality of fluidizable elements (fluidizable medium 354) within an interior of each seat cell (c. 11, ℓ. 27-29), and
a source of pressurized air in fluid connection with the plurality of air ports of the plurality of seat cells via which the resilient elements within each of the plurality of seat cells are fluidizable (c. 11, ℓ. 15-20: “fluidizable material 354 located within interior region 356 is fluidized by air passing through plenums 330, 332”, c. 11, ℓ. 25-29: “Air supplied through inlet 370 passes into plenum 360 and through diffuser sheet 366 to fluidize fluidizable medium 354 within zone 372”).
Soltani teaches a fluidizable medium (c. 10, ℓ. 40–c. 11, ℓ. 34: fluidizable medium 354), and discloses that it is known to use “tiny spheres of glass, ceramics, or silicone” as a fluidizable medium (c. 1, ℓ. 16-25), but does not specifically disclose that the elements of the fluidizable material are resilient elements. Soltani does disclose that one embodiment “is similar to a mattress structure disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/177,772, filed Oct. 23, 1998, and titled Mattress Replacement Having Air Fluidized Sections, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference” (c. 9, ℓ. 34-39), but does not directly link the disclosure of the incorporated application to the fluidizable medium of the embodiments relied upon.
Henley discloses a pressure relief system comprising support cushion cells containing fluidizable materials (c. 7, ℓ. 10-30) fluidized through the supply of pressurized air (c. 4, ℓ. 63-67, fig. 1) and which may include resilient elements in the form of “beads made of Styrofoam or other suitable material having a size of about ¹⁵⁄₁₀₀₀ to about ²⁰⁄₁₀₀₀ of an inch,” (c. 6, ℓ. 40-43). Advantageously, the average weight of the fluidizable medium is less than the average weight of smaller conventional sized beads (c. 6, ℓ. 28-48).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the fluidizable medium of the pressure relief system of Soltani to include resilient elements, such as taught by Henley, for the purpose of reducing the average weight of the fluidizable medium.
In the event that the disclosure in Soltani of supplying air to the fluidizable material with respect to the embodiment of figures 19-24 specifically (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 9-29) does not sufficiently disclose a source of pressurized air, Soltani does specifically disclose a blower which supplies pressurized air (c. 7, ℓ. 13-63: blower 62 supplies pressurized air to diffusers 100, 102; see also c. 8, ℓ. 24-47; c. 7, ℓ. 55–c. 8; ℓ. 5 c. 13, ℓ. 36–c. 14, ℓ. 19; c. 15, ℓ. 64-67; c. 16, ℓ. 53-61; c. 6, ℓ. 10-25; c. 13, ℓ. 2-10: an air supply which supplies air at a predetermined pressure). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used a source of pressurized air, as taught by Soltani, to supply the air to the pressure relief system of Soltani, for the purpose of enabling the fluidizable medium to be fluidized, and enabling the pressure relief system to function.
Regarding claim 23: Soltani, as modified, provides the pressure relief system of claim 22 further comprising
a backrest support (Soltani 320) comprising a plurality of backrest cells (figs. 21-22), each of the plurality of backrest cells comprising
a base (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 17-20: formed by plenums 330 and 332) which comprises a plurality of air ports (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 4-20: air enters the bladder by passing through diffuser sheets 338 and 342 of a diffuser apparatus; c. 17, ℓ. 50-57: the disclosed diffusers may comprise holes in a predetermined pattern, these holes being considered as air ports),
a cover (352) in connection with the base, and
a plurality of resilient elements (as modified by Henley, fluidizable material 354 includes resilient elements, Henley c. 6, ℓ. 40-43) within an interior of each of the plurality of backrest cells (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 15-20), and
the source of pressurized air being in fluid connection with the plurality of ports of each of the plurality of backrest cells via which the resilient elements within each of the plurality of backrest cells are fluidizable (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 25-29: “Air supplied through inlet 370 passes into plenum 360 and through diffuser sheet 366 to fluidize fluidizable medium 354 within zone 372”).
Regarding claims 2 and 24: Soltani, as modified, provides the pressure relief system of claim 1 and the pressure relief system of claim 23, wherein at least a portion of each cover of the plurality of backrest cells is permeable to air and at least a portion of each cover of the plurality of seat cells is permeable to air (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 14-15, 29-31: air permeable surfaces 352 and 374).
Regarding claim 7: Soltani, as modified, provides the pressure relief system of claim 2 wherein
the base of each of the plurality of backrest cells comprises one or more channels in fluid connection with the plurality of air ports thereof and an air inlet (344, 346) in fluid connection with the one or more channels thereof which is configured to be placed in fluid connection with the source of pressurized air (c. 11, ℓ. 4-20: air is supplied to plenums 330, 332 through inlet tubes 344, 346, and passes through diffusers 338, 342; the plenum chambers formed by the diffusers are channels in fluid communication with both the air inlet and the air ports of the diffusers), and
the base of each of the plurality of seat cells comprises one or more channels in fluid connection with the plurality of air ports thereof and an air inlet (370) in fluid connection with the one or more channels thereof which is configured to be placed in fluid connection with the source of pressurized air (c. 11, ℓ. 24-29: “Air supplied through inlet 370 passes into plenum 360 and through diffuser sheet 366 to fluidize fluidizable medium 354”; the plenum chamber formed by the diffuser is a channel in fluid communication with both the air inlet and the air ports of the diffuser).
Regarding claims 8-9 and 30: Soltani, as modified, provides the pressure relief system of claim 2. Soltani does not specifically disclose a control system with respect to the embodiment of figs. 19-24 in particular, however in other embodiments Soltani does teach controlling the air flow to different bladders, zones or sections.
For example, Soltani teaches a blower with pressure control valves (fig. 2, c. 6, ℓ. 10-25), an air flow control valve controlling air flow to different plenums (c. 7, ℓ. 23-35), a plenum separated into independently controlled zones (c. 9, ℓ. 22-33), and bladders separately connected to the air supply to be independently inflatable (c. 11, ℓ. 49-54). Soltani also teaches a controller which controls inflation of a bladder (c. 12, ℓ. 22-26) used with fluidized zones containing fluidized material (c. 11, ℓ. 66–c. 12, ℓ. 26), though the controlled bladder itself is not disclosed to contain the fluidizable medium.
Soltani states that “[v]alves to control air supply to the different zones may be electrical valves controlled by mechanical motors, stepper motors, or solenoids” and that “[a]ir valve adjustment may be made through electronic feedback control” (c. 17, ℓ. 57-63).
Using the teachings of Soltani regarding control systems and the teachings regarding controlling air flow to different bladders or zones, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the pressure relief system of Soltani, as modified, such that a control system in operative connection with the seat support and with the backrest support is configured to independently control air flow from the source of pressurized air to each of the plurality of backrest cells and to independently control air flow from the source of pressurized air to each of the plurality of seat cells, such as by providing “[v]alves to control air supply to the different zones” which are adjusted “through electronic feedback control” (c. 17, ℓ. 57-63), as taught by Soltani, for the purpose of actively controlling air supply to the different zones. Active electronic control would permit the user to make specific adjustments to provide a desired level of comfort.
Regarding claims 10 and 32: Soltani, as modified, provides the pressure relief system of claim 8 and the pressure relief system of claim 30.
Soltani teaches controlling air flow to the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of backrest cells as a function of orientation of the plurality of backrest cells with respect to the gravity vector and control air flow to the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of seat cells as a function of orientation of the plurality of seat cells with respect to the gravity vector (figs. 9-10, c. 8, ℓ. 6-47: in a horizontal orientation, air supplied from a blower through diffuser 136, and air flow is transitioned from diffuser 136 to 138 as inclination increases; fig. 12, c. 8, ℓ. 48-57: air flow is supplied to different diffuser tubes 136-148 as orientation increases from horizontal; c. 15, ℓ. 21-48: depending on the angular position, “the percentage of air provided to the respective plenums shifts to maintain fluidization in the air bladders”).
Soltani states that “[c]onventional air fluidized beds must be operated in a generally horizontal or flat orientation. Air flowing through plenums and diffusers within conventional air fluidized beds will typically not be properly fluidized when the diffusers are located at an angle” (c. 1, ℓ. 31-35) and
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the pressure relief system of Soltani, as modified, such that the control system is configured to control air flow to the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of backrest cells and to the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of seat cells as a function of orientation of the respective plurality of backrest or seat cells with respect to the gravity vector, using the teachings of Soltani, in order to ensure the fluidized zones are properly fluidized when the cells are oriented at an angle with respect to a generally horizontal orientation.
Claim(s) 11-12 and 18-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 6,694,555 B2 to Soltani et al. in view of US 6,351,862 B1 to Henley et al. and WO 96/28073 A1 to Pollmann et al.
Regarding claims 3 and 25: Soltani, as modified, provides the pressure relief system of claim 2 and the pressure relief system of claim 24, but Soltani and Henley do not specifically disclose the percentage by volume occupied by the elements of the fluidizable medium.
Pollmann teaches cushion for a supporting device and filled with resilient elements (p. 4, ℓ. 25-28: elements are elastically deformable) and a fluid, wherein the resilient elements occupy between 30% and 90% of the envelope (p. 9, ℓ. 3-10: the fluid being approximately 2 to 20% of the total volume, meaning the elements occupy approximately 80 to 98% of the total volume). The ratio of fluid to elements can change with the total volume of the supporting device (p. 9, ℓ. 5-16).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the pressure relief system of Soltani, as modified, such that the resilient elements occupy between 30% and 90% by volume of each cell, using the teachings of Pollman, for the purpose of facilitating the form-restoring capacity of the supporting device (Pollmann p. 8, ℓ. 31–p. 9, ℓ. 16).
Regarding claim 5: Soltani, as modified, provides the pressure relief system of claim 3, but Soltani and Henley do not specifically disclose that the resilient elements have an average diameter greater than 2mm.
Pollmann teaches resilient elements having a volume of from 10 cm3 to 100 cm3, advantageously permitting the elements to be readily slidable relative to each other (p. 5, ℓ. 10-15), and preferably between 35 cm3 to 45 cm3 (p. 6, ℓ. 1-5). The resilient elements “have a shape which approaches the spherical shape” (p. 6, ℓ. 16-19); spherical elements having volumes of 10 cm3 to 100 cm3 would have diameters of about 2.7 cm to about 5.8 cm1, substantially greater than 2 mm.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the pressure relief system of Soltani, as modified, such that the resilient elements have an average diameter greater than 2 mm, using the teachings of Pullmann, for the purpose of providing sufficient comfort to the user (Pullmann p. 1, ℓ. 14-22), in order for the elements to properly distribute loads (Pullman p. 2, ℓ. 23–p. 3, ℓ. 2).
Regarding claim 11: Soltani teaches a method of providing pressure support, comprising:
providing a backrest support (320) comprising a plurality of backrest cells (figs. 21-22), each of the plurality of backrest cells comprising
a base (c. 11, ℓ. 17-20: formed by plenums 330 and 332) which comprises a plurality of air ports (c. 11, ℓ. 4-20: air enters the bladder by passing through diffuser sheets 338 and 342 of a diffuser apparatus; c. 17, ℓ. 50-57: the disclosed diffusers may comprise holes in a predetermined pattern, these holes being considered as air ports),
a cover (352) in connection with the base, and
fluidizable elements (fluidizable material 354) within an interior of each the plurality of backrest cells (c. 11, ℓ. 15-20), and
providing a seat support (322 and/or 324) comprising a plurality of seat cells (figs. 23-24), each of the plurality of seat cells comprising
a base (plenum 360) which comprises a plurality of air ports (c. 11, ℓ. 24-29: air enters the bladder by passing through diffuser sheet 366 of a diffuser apparatus; c. 17, ℓ. 50-57: the diffusers may comprise holes in a predetermined pattern),
a cover (374) in connection with the base, and
fluidizable elements (fluidizable medium 354) within an interior of each the plurality of seat cells (c. 11, ℓ. 27-29), and
providing a source of pressurized air in fluid connection with the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of backrest cells and in fluid connection with each of the plurality of ports of each of the plurality of seat cells (the source which supplies air through plenums 330, 332 and inlet 370 in c. 11, ℓ. 9-29), and
passing pressurized air through the plurality of air ports of the base of each plurality of backrest cells and through the plurality of air ports of the base of each the plurality of seat support cells via the source of pressurized air to fluidize the resilient elements within each of the plurality of backrest cells and within each of the plurality of seat cells (c. 11, ℓ. 15-20: “fluidizable material 354 located within interior region 356 is fluidized by air passing through plenums 330, 332”, c. 11, ℓ. 25-29: “Air supplied through inlet 370 passes into plenum 360 and through diffuser sheet 366 to fluidize fluidizable medium 354 within zone 372”).
Soltani teaches a fluidizable medium (c. 10, ℓ. 40–c. 11, ℓ. 34: fluidizable medium 354), and discloses that it is known to use “tiny spheres of glass, ceramics, or silicone” as a fluidizable medium (c. 1, ℓ. 16-25), but does not specifically disclose that the elements of the fluidizable material are resilient elements. Soltani does disclose that one embodiment “is similar to a mattress structure disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/177,772, filed Oct. 23, 1998, and titled Mattress Replacement Having Air Fluidized Sections, which is expressly incorporated herein by reference” (c. 9, ℓ. 34-39), but does not directly link the disclosure of the incorporated application to the fluidizable medium of the embodiments relied upon.
Henley discloses a pressure relief system comprising support cushion cells containing fluidizable materials (c. 7, ℓ. 10-30) fluidized through the supply of pressurized air (c. 4, ℓ. 63-67, fig. 1) and which may include resilient elements in the form of “beads made of Styrofoam or other suitable material having a size of about ¹⁵⁄₁₀₀₀ to about ²⁰⁄₁₀₀₀ of an inch,” (c. 6, ℓ. 40-43). Advantageously, the average weight of the fluidizable medium is less than the average weight of smaller conventional sized beads (c. 6, ℓ. 28-48).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the fluidizable medium of the pressure relief system of Soltani to include resilient elements, such as taught by Henley, for the purpose of reducing the average weight of the fluidizable medium.
In the event that the disclosure in Soltani of supplying air to the fluidizable material with respect to the embodiment of figures 19-24 specifically (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 9-29) does not sufficiently disclose a source of pressurized air, Soltani does specifically disclose a blower which supplies pressurized air (c. 7, ℓ. 13-63: blower 62 supplies pressurized air to diffusers 100, 102; see also c. 8, ℓ. 24-47; c. 7, ℓ. 55–c. 8; ℓ. 5 c. 13, ℓ. 36–c. 14, ℓ. 19; c. 15, ℓ. 64-67; c. 16, ℓ. 53-61; c. 6, ℓ. 10-25; c. 13, ℓ. 2-10: an air supply which supplies air at a predetermined pressure). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have used a source of pressurized air, as taught by Soltani, to supply the air to the pressure relief system of Soltani, for the purpose of enabling the fluidizable medium to be fluidized, and enabling the pressure relief system to function.
Soltani discloses a method of providing pressure support in a support surface apparatus which is configured to operate in a sitting position (fig. 20), but does not specifically disclose a method of providing pressure support in a wheelchair.
Pollmann teaches a supporting device cushion (p. 1, ℓ. 1-8) comprising a flexible envelope filled with a fluid and resilient elements (p. 4, ℓ. 25-28: elements are elastically deformable) which is disclosed to be used in a wheelchair (p. 11, ℓ. 29–p. 12, ℓ. 10; p. 13, ℓ. 3-8).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have performed the method of providing pressure support of Soltani, as modified, by using the supports in a wheelchair, using the teachings of Pollmann, for the purpose of providing comfort and pressure support to a user in a wheelchair.
Regarding claim 12: Soltani, as modified, provides the method of claim 11 wherein at least a portion of each cover of the plurality of backrest cells is permeable to air and at least a portion of each cover of the plurality of seat cells is permeable to air (Soltani c. 11, ℓ. 14-15, 29-31: air permeable surfaces 352 and 374).
Regarding claims 18 and 19: Soltani, as modified, provides the method of claim 12. Soltani does not specifically disclose a control system with respect to the embodiment of figs. 19-24 in particular, however in other embodiments Soltani does teach controlling the air flow to different bladders, zones or sections.
For example, Soltani teaches a blower with pressure control valves (fig. 2, c. 6, ℓ. 10-25), an air flow control valve controlling air flow to different plenums (c. 7, ℓ. 23-35), a plenum separated into independently controlled zones (c. 9, ℓ. 22-33), and bladders separately connected to the air supply to be independently inflatable (c. 11, ℓ. 49-54). Soltani also teaches a controller which controls inflation of a bladder (c. 12, ℓ. 22-26) used with fluidized zones containing fluidized material (c. 11, ℓ. 66–c. 12, ℓ. 26), though the controlled bladder itself is not disclosed to contain the fluidizable medium.
Soltani states that “[v]alves to control air supply to the different zones may be electrical valves controlled by mechanical motors, stepper motors, or solenoids” and that “[a]ir valve adjustment may be made through electronic feedback control” (c. 17, ℓ. 57-63).
Using the teachings of Soltani regarding control systems and the teachings regarding controlling air flow to different bladders or zones, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the method of providing pressure support of Soltani, as modified, to provide a control system in operative connection with the seat support and with the backrest support which is configured to independently control air flow from the source of pressurized air to each of the plurality of backrest cells and to independently control air flow from the source of pressurized air to each of the plurality of seat cells, such as by providing “[v]alves to control air supply to the different zones” which are adjusted “through electronic feedback control” (c. 17, ℓ. 57-63), as taught by Soltani, for the purpose of actively controlling air supply to the different zones. Active electronic control would permit the user to make specific adjustments to provide a desired level of comfort.
Regarding claim 20: Soltani, as modified, provides the method of claim 18.
Soltani teaches controlling air flow to the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of backrest cells as a function of orientation of the plurality of backrest cells with respect to the gravity vector and control air flow to the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of seat cells as a function of orientation of the plurality of seat cells with respect to the gravity vector (figs. 9-10, c. 8, ℓ. 6-47: in a horizontal orientation, air supplied from a blower through diffuser 136, and air flow is transitioned from diffuser 136 to 138 as inclination increases; fig. 12, c. 8, ℓ. 48-57: air flow is supplied to different diffuser tubes 136-148 as orientation increases from horizontal).
Soltani states that “[c]onventional air fluidized beds must be operated in a generally horizontal or flat orientation. Air flowing through plenums and diffusers within conventional air fluidized beds will typically not be properly fluidized when the diffusers are located at an angle” (c. 1, ℓ. 31-35) and
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to have modified the pressure relief system of Soltani, as modified, such that the control system is configured to control air flow to the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of backrest cells and to the plurality of air ports of each of the plurality of seat cells as a function of orientation of the respective plurality of backrest or seat cells with respect to the gravity vector, using the teachings of Soltani, in order to ensure the fluidized zones are properly fluidized when the cells are oriented at an angle with respect to a generally horizontal orientation.
Regarding claim 21: Soltani, as modified, provides the method of claim 12 further comprising selecting the number, size and configuration of each of the plurality of backrest cells and each of the plurality of seat cells on the basis of at least one predetermined criterion (figs. 19-20, c. 10, ℓ. 52-53: the number of bladders in each section is selected to match the length of the part of the body to be supported by the respective section; c. 11, ℓ. 13-15: bladder 320 has a configuration of snaps 348, 350 located on opposite ends, selected on the basis of being able to secure the bladders to a side wall of a cover, see also c. 11, ℓ. 31-32).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 5,623,736 to Soltani et al. teaches a modular air fluidized patients support surface, which is incorporated by reference into US 6,694,555 B2 to Soltani et al. (Soltani ‘555: c. 6, ℓ. 33-36). US 10,813,461 B2 to Lessard teaches a wheelchair cushion containing beads and a fluid connected to a pressure control system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Richard Green whose telephone number is (571)270-5380. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday, 11:00 to 7:00.
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/Richard Green/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3647
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r
3
, which for a known volume gives a radius
r
=
3
V
4
π
1
/
3
.
Prosecution Insights