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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 7-13, 18, 20, 23, 26-27 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Heathcote (US 2006/0163980).
Claim 1. Heathcote discloses a wheel stand, comprising:
a housing (container 12 in Fig. 1) with a storage volume therein and a top opening allowing access into the storage volume (interior space 22 in Fig. 1; paragraph 23);
a wheel mount moveably attached to the housing, such that the wheel mount can be moved relative to the housing between a storage position and a use position, wherein (Mount/Support platform 36 is mounted to the end of the arm portion 44 of the articulated arm mechanism; paragraphs 29, 32) :
in the storage position, the wheel mount is positioned inside the storage volume of the housing (Fig. 1); and
in the use position, the wheel mount is at least partially positioned outside the storage volume of the housing (Figs. 4-5).
Claim 2. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, further comprising a lid for covering the top opening (paragraphs 22, 24).
Claim 3. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, wherein the wheel mount is arranged to at least partially pass through the top opening when moved between the storage position and the use position (Figs. 4-5).
Claim 5. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises a bottom (chest has an interior space and therefore an interior bottom with interior bottom edge 26; paragraphs 22-23) and a plurality of side walls extending substantially perpendicular to the bottom (four sides 18, paragraph 23, Fig. 1).
Claim 7. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, wherein the housing is rectangular shaped (See Fig. 1)
Claim 8. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, wherein the housing is closed, apart from the top opening (apart from the top opening, side walls are closed; See Fig. 1).
Claim 9. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 8, wherein the housing is closed, apart from the top opening, when the wheel mount is in the use position (The front side when used is interpreted to be closed by articulated arm mechanism 35 in Fig. 5).
Claim 10. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, wherein the wheel mount comprises a mounting member at a distal end of the wheel mount for mounting a racing wheel controller to, and wherein in the use position of the wheel mount, the mounting member is positioned outside the housing (See Fig. 5).
Claim 11. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, further comprising a frame (frame/arm 35 and leg member 68 illustrated in Figs. 5-9), wherein: the frame is positioned in the storage volume of the housing; and the wheel mount is moveably connected to the frame, such that the wheel mount can be moved relative to the frame between the storage position and the use position (wheel mount/ support platform 36 moves relative to frame between storage and use positions).
Claim 12. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 11, wherein the frame comprises two frame guides at opposite sides of the frame, and wherein the wheel mount is at least partially positioned between the frame guides (wheel mount 36 is between diagonal and vertical frame/arm 35 and leg member 68 illustrated in Figs. 5-9).
Claim 13. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 12, wherein the mounting member (wheel mounting member 36) is positioned between two carrying members comprised by the wheel mount (it is interpreted that upper arm 44 in Fig. 7, is a carrying member and leg member 68 are carrying members), and wherein each carrying member is moveably connected to a respective one of the frame guides (Upper arm 44 is movably connected to a frame guide or second end 56 in Fig. 6. Leg 68 is also movably connected upper edge/frame guide 70 and side edges of wall as illustrated in Fig. 5).
Claim 18. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 10, further comprising a racing wheel controller mounted to the mounting member wherein the racing wheel controller in a top plan view at least partially extends beyond the housing (Figs. 4-5, 9).
Claim 20. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 5, wherein in the use position, one of the side walls of the housing is positioned below the wheel mount (Figs. 4-5, 9).
Claim 23. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, with the proviso that the wheel stand does not comprise a chair or seat (Box/stand in Fig. 1 does not come with a chair or seat).
Claim 26. Heathcote discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, wherein the wheel stand is arranged to be positioned in a first orientation, and a second orientation being rotated 90 degrees relative to the first orientation relative to a horizontal rotation axis (Stand is a rectangular box as illustrated in Fig. 1 and therefore capable to be positioned in a first orientation, and a second orientation being rotated 90 degrees relative to the first orientation relative to a horizontal rotation axis).
Claim 27. Heathcote discloses race simulator assembly, comprising: a wheel stand according to claim 1; and a seat, such as a couch or chair, wherein the wheel stand is positioned adjacent to the seat to allow a user sitting on the seat to position their feet into the housing of the wheel stand (Fig. 9).
Claims 1, 6, 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Rumpold (WO 2009/062221 A1) (based on provided machine translation).
Claim 1. Rumpold discloses a wheel stand, comprising:
a housing with a storage volume therein and a top opening allowing access into the storage volume (Fig. 1);
a wheel mount moveably attached to the housing, such that the wheel mount can be moved relative to the housing between a storage position and a use position, wherein (Fig. 5) :
in the storage position, the wheel mount is positioned inside the storage volume of the housing; and in the use position, the wheel mount is at least partially positioned outside the storage volume of the housing (“unfolded steering wheel 12 between the side parts 3, 5”; page 5, paragraph 2)
Claim 6. Rumpold discloses the wheel stand according to claim 1, wherein the housing comprises more than two side walls, and wherein two of the side walls are oriented parallel, which two side walls are smaller than at least one other side wall adjacent to one of the two parallel side walls (Table/furniture is with side walls are parallel and the front and back walls are smaller than the side walls; Figs. 1a and 1b.).
Claim 21. Rumpold discloses the wheel stand according to claim 5, further comprising a side wall cover arranged to cover one of the side walls (As illustrated in Fig. 1a, wall 4 has a horizontal side wall coverings.).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-15 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure
The following discloses features of the claimed invention
Manuel (US 11383174)
Goode (US 2006/0252553).
Boulet (FR 2838314A1)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jasson H Yoo whose telephone number is (571)272-5563. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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/JASSON H YOO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3715