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) 1-6, 11-12, 17-19, and 23-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Gaudreau (US 2012/0146369).
Claim 1- Gaudreau discloses a child safety seat (12), comprising:
a seat body (20) defining a seating space (shown in fig. 1-0);
a seat belt (restraint harness 14) disposed on the front of the seat body (fig. 1) and on the rear of the seat body (fig. 3); and
a first barrier (bottom load-limiter bar 62) disposed on the rear of the seat body (fig. 3);
wherein the seat belt (14) abuts against the first barrier (62), and the first barrier is configured to receive stress due to impact force applied to the seat belt to prevent the seat body from being deformed (¶ [0005], the disclosure of the bar 62 functioning to dissipate energy by deforming meets the limitation directed to receiving stress and prevent the body 20 from deforming).
Claim 2- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 1, wherein the seat body (20) comprises: a seat base (21) and a backrest (22), the seat base and the backrest enclose to define the seating space (fig. 1); the seat belt (14) is disposed on the front of the seat base and the backrest (fig. 1), and on the rear of the seat base and the backrest (fig. 3).
Claim 4- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 2, wherein the first barrier (62) has a hardness greater than that of the seat base (at opposing ends 621, figs. 11-12, ¶ 44).
Claim 3- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 2, wherein the first barrier (62) is disposed on the rear of the seat base (21) to enable the seat belt (14) to be spaced apart from the rear of the seat base (fig. 3).
Claim 5- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 2, wherein the first barrier (62) has a shape of rod, and is at least partially embedded (via bar mount 622M) in the rear of the seat base (figs. 3, 5).
Claim 6- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 2, wherein the seat belt (14) comprises a first connecting section (141, 142) and a second connecting section (162), wherein the first connecting section (141-142) has a first end (shown not designated, fig. 3) and a second end (shown best in figs. 1 & 13), the first end is disposed on the rear of the backrest and the second end is disposed on the front of the backrest; and wherein the second connecting section (162) passes around the seat base (shown best in figs. 1 & 3) and has a third end and a fourth end (shown, not designated), the third end is disposed on the front of the seat base (shown best in fig. 1), and the fourth end is connected to the first end (shown best in fig. 3).
Claim 11- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 2, further comprising a second barrier (61) transversely disposed on the rear of the backrest (fig. 3) and configured to prevent the child safety seat from being deformed (¶ 62-63).
Claim 12- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 11, wherein the rear of the backrest is provided with a first mounting rib (31) and a second mounting rib (32) disposed on two opposite sides thereof (figs. 2-3), and two ends (611, 612) of the second barrier (61) are fixed on the first mounting rib and the second mounting rib (¶ 43), respectively.
Claim 17- Gaudreau discloses a child safety seat (12), comprising: a seat body (20) including a seat base (21) and a backrest (22) connected to each other to define a seating space (fig. 1); and a second barrier (61) fixed on the backrest (fig. 3) and configured to prevent the backrest from being deformed (¶ 62-63).
Claim 18- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 2, wherein the second barrier (61) is transversely disposed on the rear of the backrest (fig. 3).
Claim 19- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 17, wherein the rear of the backrest is provided with a first mounting rib (31) and a second mounting rib (32) disposed on two opposite sides thereof (figs. 2-3), and two ends (611, 612) of the second barrier (61) are fixed on the first mounting rib and the second mounting rib (¶ 43), respectively.
Claim 23- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat according to claim 2, wherein the first barrier (62) is disposed on the rear of the backrest (fig. 3).
Claim 24- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat according to claim 17, wherein the backrest (22) is provided with perforation holes (shown not designated) on both sides thereof (figs. 1 & 4 show that the body 20 includes lateral backrest bolsters that each have an opening), the perforation holes are configured to allow an on-board safety belt of a vehicle to transversely pass through the front of the backrest to fix the child safety seat to the vehicle (the backrest lateral openings shown are capable of functioning as vehicle seatbelt guides); wherein the second barrier (61) is arranged closer to the perforation holes (fig. 3 shows the bar 61 is closer to the lateral seatbelt openings relative to the backrest distal portion 22T), to prevent the on-board safety belt from causing the backrest to be deformed (¶ 62-63).
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) 7 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gaudreau (US 2012/0146369) in view of Gaudreau (US 2012/0153690)- hereinafter Gaudreau-B.
Claim 7- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 2, further comprising: a cradle retainer (90) configured to limit and fix the seat belt (14) to the rear of the backrest (fig. 3).
Gaudreau does not explicitly teach the seat further comprising a limiting member configured to limit and fix the seat belt to the rear of the backrest; and a fixing rod fixed on the rear of the backrest, and having the limiting member pivotably connected thereto.
Gaudreau-B discloses a child safety seat comprising a backrest and a seat belt; and a limiting member (lock actuator 77) configured to limit and fix the seat belt to the rear of the backrest (fig. 3A-B, ¶ 70-71); and a fixing rod (761) fixed on the rear of the backrest, and having the limiting member pivotably connected thereto (¶ 72-73).
Gaudreau-B teaches the limiting member and fixing rod function to lock and release the position of the seat belt (14).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the seat of Gaudreau with a limiting member and fixing rod, as taught by Gaudreau-B, in order to effectively lock and release the seat belt position along the backrest.
Claim 10- Gaudreau and Gaudreau-B teach the child safety seat (12) according to claim 7, wherein Gaudreau teaches the backrest (22) is provided with a perforation hole (341) (fig. 4), the seat belt (14) passes around the front of the backrest (fig. 1) from the rear of the backrest (fig. 3) through the perforation hole (¶ 47), and the fixing rod (761) taught by Gaudreau-B is arranged opposite to the perforation hole (figs. 3A, 4A).
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gaudreau (US 2012/0146369).
Claim 14- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 11, wherein the second barrier (61) has a circular tubular structure.
Gaudreau does not teach wherein the circular tubular structure has an outer diameter of 12 mm to 13 mm, and the circular tubular structure has a thickness of 1 mm to 1.6 mm.
However, the specific dimensions of the second barrier tube are considered a matter of design choice since selecting a suitable diameter and thickness would yield the predictable result of disposing the barrier on the rear of the backrest and would not yield a structure or function that is patentably distinct from what is shown and taught by Gaudreau.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to select the claimed diameter and thickness for the second barrier since selecting suitable dimensions for a circular tubular structure functioning as a barrier involves only routine skill in the art.
Claim(s) 15 and 22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gaudreau (US 2012/0146369) in view of Meeker (US 2007/0228788).
Claim 15- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 11, wherein the backrest (22) is provided with lateral openings (shown not designated) on both sides thereof (figs. 1 & 4 show that the body 20 includes lateral backrest bolsters that each have an opening), the guide openings are configured to allow an on-board safety belt of a vehicle to transversely pass through the front of the backrest to fix the child safety seat to the vehicle (the backrest lateral openings shown are capable of functioning as vehicle seatbelt guides).
Gaudreau does not teach the seat further comprising a clamping member disposed on the front of the backrest and configured to clamp and fix an on-board safety belt of a vehicle.
Meeker discloses a child safety seat comprising: a seat body (12) and a seat belt (42); wherein the seat body backrest (18) is provided with lateral openings on both sides thereof (defining belt path 184), the lateral openings are configured to allow an on-board safety belt (156) of a vehicle to transversely pass through the front of the backrest to fix the child safety seat to the vehicle; and wherein a clamping member (186) disposed on the front of the backrest (fig. 1) and configured to clamp and fix an on-board safety belt (156) of a vehicle (figs. 14A-C). Meeker teaches providing the clamping member for preventing or minimizing side-to-side sliding of the child seat (¶ [0008]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the child seat of Gaudreau with a clamping member, as taught by Meeker, in order to further secure the child seat to the vehicle seat.
Claim 22- Gaudreau discloses the child safety seat (12) according to claim 11, wherein the backrest (22) is provided with lateral openings (shown not designated) on both sides thereof (figs. 1 & 4 show that the body 20 includes lateral backrest bolsters that each have an opening), the guide openings are configured to allow an on-board safety belt of a vehicle to transversely pass through the front of the backrest to fix the child safety seat to the vehicle (the backrest lateral openings shown are capable of functioning as vehicle seatbelt guides).
Gaudreau does not teach the child seat further comprising a clamping member disposed on a side of the backrest facing the seating space and configured to clamp and fix an on-board safety belt of a vehicle.
Meeker discloses a child safety seat comprising: a seat body (12) and a seat belt (42); wherein the seat body backrest (18) is provided with lateral openings on both sides thereof (defining belt path 184), the lateral openings are configured to allow an on-board safety belt (156) of a vehicle to transversely pass through the front of the backrest to fix the child safety seat to the vehicle; and wherein a clamping member (186) disposed on a side of the backrest facing the seating space (fig. 1) and configured to clamp and fix an on-board safety belt (156) of a vehicle (figs. 14A-C). Meeker teaches providing the clamping member for preventing or minimizing side-to-side sliding of the child seat (¶ [0008]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the child seat of Gaudreau with a clamping member, as taught by Meeker, in order to further secure the child seat to the vehicle seat.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8 and 16 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.
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/T.A./Examiner, Art Unit 3636
/DAVID R DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3636