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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 16-30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 16 recites the limitations "said first connection regions" and “said second connection regions” in the claim multiple times. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claims because the claim recites multiple groups of “first and second connection regions” comprising “first and second connection regions”. Further there are specific limitations drawn to “said first” and “said second” connection regions and “groups” of connection regions. These limitations are unclear and ambiguous. It is not clear which limitations are drawn to which connection region and/or connection group. The examiner suggests use of a different nomenclature format that more clearly delineates which connection regions and which connection groups are being referred to in the different sections of the claim. It appears there are actually 4 connection regions, two in each of the upper and lower connection areas of the fabric and tether yarns. The examiner is using this interpretation for this examination however claims still need to be amended to clarify exactly what the applicant is attempting to limit. The current claims are examined to the extent they are understood by the examiner. It is also noted any and all depending claims would need corresponding amendments to correlate to any amendments of claim 16.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16-27 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.
To the extent the claims are understood by the examiner, it appears the limitations of claim 16 require a novel, non-obvious structure and arrangement of an airbag configured to be inflated by a source of gas. More specifically, the airbag requires first and second layers of superimposed fabric forming an inflatable chamber; the two layers being interconnected by a plurality of tether yarns that extend between the layers; the tether yarns are formed of two tether yarn groups, each of which is integrally connected to the two layers of fabric at first and second connection regions, for instance upper and lower connection regions; each of the upper and lower connection regions require the tether yarn to be integrally attached to the fabric layers at those regions; further each of the upper connection regions is wider in a length direction of the tether yarns than each lower connection region; each lower connection region is offset relative to the upper connection regions so that they do not oppose any of the upper connection regions; and upper and lower connection regions within each 1st and 2nd group of connection regions are elongate and extend generally parallel to one another; and the upper and lower connection regions being non-parallel to each other.
The tether yarns further function to provide a first curvature to the airbag via the first group of connection regions and to induce a second curvature to the airbag via the second group of connection regions, when inflated.
This arrangement and structure of an airbag provides a convenient way to achieve curved shapes of a airbag on inflation in different areas of the airbag to provide an airbag with increased use scenarios that require different and complicated shapes.
The closest prior art appears to be that of US 20070200329 which does disclose an airbag with tether yarns that do limit the final shape of the inflated airbag during use. ‘329 does not disclose nor teach as prima facie obvious the specifics of the tether yarns interconnection with the fabric layers as noted above.
It is noted that this is a provisional statement of allowability of the instant claims based on the extent to which the examiner understands the current claims. Once claims are corrected to address the 112 rejections above further search and consideration will likely be required.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Numerous airbag references are attached to establish the general state of the prior art.
US 20150367807 and DE 102020108396 both disclose highly relevant airbags with tether yarns that define the final shape/curvature of the airbag fabric when inflated.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT H MUROMOTO JR whose telephone number is (571)272-4991. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 730-1730.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Alissa Tompkins can be reached at 571-272-3425. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT H MUROMOTO JR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3732
