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) 1-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 5619764 to Lopau.
Re Claim 1, Lopau teaches:
An airbag assembly (at least [Abstract] “air-inflatable double chambers or inflatable members”), comprising:
a clamped airbag portion (at least Figs. 1-5 element 1 and Fig. 2 with Examiner’s labeling below), wherein the clamped airbag portion comprises a plurality of first airbags (at least Figs. 1-5 element 1), each of the first airbags comprises at least one connecting portion (at least Fig. 3 element 6) and a plurality of sub-airbags (at least Figs. 1-5 elements 3 and 4), the plurality of sub-airbags are overlapped with each other (at least Fig. 3), the at least one connecting portion is disposed between two adjacent sub-airbags of the plurality of sub-airbags, so as to communicate the plurality of sub-airbags, and the at least one connecting portion is disposed between first sides of the first airbags and second sides of the first airbags (at least [Col. 6 lines 4-12] “each double chamber or inflatable member 2 including a bottom hollow body 3 fluidly connected to a top hollow body 4. In particular, bottom hollow body 3 and top hollow body 4 are joined by a common partition wall 5 with at least one opening 6 therein to allow air to pass between bottom and top bodies 3 and 4”); and
adjacent first airbags are overlapped with each other in a clamping mode for cooperation, so that the first airbag assembly extends in a direction from the first sides of the first airbags to the second sides of the first airbags (at least Figs. 1-7 and [Col. 6 lines 12-22] “Adjacent bottom hollow bodies 3 of a support element 1 are mutually connected with one another by fillet or connecting member 7. On the other hand, the corresponding adjacent sides of top hollow bodies 4 of support element 1 are not connected together. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, fillets 7 of the plurality of support elements 1 are arranged in sequential rows relative to one another along longitudinal axis 9 of mattress 8. In other words, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the alignment of fillet 7 coincides with the position of longitudinal axis 9”).
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Re Claim 2, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sub-airbags comprise a first sub-airbag (at least Figs. 1-5 element 3) and a second sub-airbag (at least Figs. 1-5 element 4), the at least one connecting portion is disposed between the first sub-airbag and the second sub-airbag (at least Fig. 3), a portion of the first sub-airbag from the at least one connecting portion to the first side of the first airbag is a first sub-airbag front segment, a portion of the first sub-airbag from the at least one at least one connecting portion to the second side of the first airbag is a first sub-airbag rear segment (at least Figs. 1-4), a portion of the second sub-airbag from the at least one connecting portion to the first side of the first airbag is a second sub-airbag front segment, and a portion of the second sub-airbag from the at least one connecting portion to the second side of the first airbag is a second sub-airbag rear segment (at least Fig. 3 and [Col. 6 lines 4-12] “each double chamber or inflatable member 2 including a bottom hollow body 3 fluidly connected to a top hollow body 4. In particular, bottom hollow body 3 and top hollow body 4 are joined by a common partition wall 5 with at least one opening 6 therein to allow air to pass between bottom and top bodies 3 and 4”).
Re Claim 3, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 2, wherein the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment are configured to clamp the adjacent first airbag of the sub-airbags (at least Fig. 2 with Examiner’s labeling above).
Re Claim 4, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment clamp two side surfaces of the adjacent first airbag of the sub-airbags (at least Fig. 2 with Examiner’s labeling above and [Col. 8 lines 45-54]).
Re Claim 5, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment clamp a first sub-airbag rear segment of the adjacent first airbag (at least Fig. 2 with Examiner’s labeling above and [Col. 8 lines 45-54]).
Re Claim 6, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment clamp a second sub-airbag rear segment of the adjacent first airbag (at least Fig. 2 with Examiner’s labeling above and [Col. 8 lines 45-54]).
Re Claim 7, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment clamp two side surfaces of the adjacent first airbag, and the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment clamp a first sub-airbag rear segment of the adjacent first airbag (at least Figs. 1-2 and 6-7 and [Col. 8 lines 45-54] “the individual support elements 1 are detachably connectable with one another on the interface side outside ends of the bottom hollow bodies 3 through butt straps 16 by fasteners such as press-fasteners or snaps 19 which fit in openings 20 of butt straps 16. Alternatively, the individual support elements 1 can be detachably connected with one another at the outside ends of top hollow bodies 4 by butt straps 17 by press-fasteners or snaps 19 located in openings 20 of butt straps 16”.).
Re Claim 8, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment clamp a first sub-airbag rear segment and a second sub-airbag rear segment of the adjacent first airbag (at least Figs. 1-2 and 6-7 and [Col. 8 lines 45-54] “the individual support elements 1 are detachably connectable with one another on the interface side outside ends of the bottom hollow bodies 3 through butt straps 16 by fasteners such as press-fasteners or snaps 19 which fit in openings 20 of butt straps 16. Alternatively, the individual support elements 1 can be detachably connected with one another at the outside ends of top hollow bodies 4 by butt straps 17 by press-fasteners or snaps 19 located in openings 20 of butt straps 16”.).
Re Claim 9, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 3, wherein the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment clamp two side surfaces of the adjacent first airbag, and the first sub-airbag front segment and the second sub-airbag front segment clamp a first sub-airbag rear segment and a second sub-airbag rear segment of the adjacent first airbag (at least Figs. 1-2 and 6-7 and [Col. 8 lines 45-54] “the individual support elements 1 are detachably connectable with one another on the interface side outside ends of the bottom hollow bodies 3 through butt straps 16 by fasteners such as press-fasteners or snaps 19 which fit in openings 20 of butt straps 16. Alternatively, the individual support elements 1 can be detachably connected with one another at the outside ends of top hollow bodies 4 by butt straps 17 by press-fasteners or snaps 19 located in openings 20 of butt straps 16”.).
Re Claim 10, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 1, wherein when each of the first airbags is in a fully inflated state, a height of a first side of the each first airbag is greater than a height of a second side of the each first airbag (at least Figs. 3-4).
Re Claim 11, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 10, wherein a length of a first side of each of the at least one connecting portion is greater than a length of a second side of the each of the at least one connecting portion, the first side of the each connecting portion is consistent with the first side of the each first airbag, and the second side of the each connecting portion is consistent with the second side of the each first airbag (at least Figs. 6-7).
Re Claim 12, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 1, wherein the first airbags of the airbag assembly are connected with each other by first connecting pieces (at least Figs. 1-2 and 6-7 elements 7).
Re Claim 13, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 1, wherein a distance between each of the at least one connecting portion and the first side of each first airbag is greater than or equal to a distance between the each of the at least one connecting portion and the second side of the each first airbag (at least Figs. 1-5).
Re Claim 14, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 13, wherein a length from the each connecting portion to the second side of the each first airbag accounts for 1/8 to 1/2 of a length from the first side of the each first airbag to the second side of the each first airbag (at least Figs. 1-5).
Re Claim 15, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 1, wherein the airbag assembly further comprises an overlapped airbag portion, the overlapped airbag portion comprises a plurality of second airbags, the second airbags are overlapped with each other, and the overlapped airbag portion cooperates with the clamped airbag portion (at least Figs. 1-7 and [Col. 6 lines 12-22] “Adjacent bottom hollow bodies 3 of a support element 1 are mutually connected with one another by fillet or connecting member 7. On the other hand, the corresponding adjacent sides of top hollow bodies 4 of support element 1 are not connected together. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, fillets 7 of the plurality of support elements 1 are arranged in sequential rows relative to one another along longitudinal axis 9 of mattress 8. In other words, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the alignment of fillet 7 coincides with the position of longitudinal axis 9”).
Re Claim 16, Lopau teaches:
The airbag assembly according to claim 15, wherein the overlapped airbag portion and the clamped airbag portion are overlapped with each other, or the clamped airbag portion and the overlapped airbag portion are overlapped with each other in a clamping mode for cooperation, or the clamped airbag portion and the overlapped airbag portion are connected through a second connecting piece (at least Figs. 1-7 and [Col. 6 lines 12-22] “Adjacent bottom hollow bodies 3 of a support element 1 are mutually connected with one another by fillet or connecting member 7. On the other hand, the corresponding adjacent sides of top hollow bodies 4 of support element 1 are not connected together. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, fillets 7 of the plurality of support elements 1 are arranged in sequential rows relative to one another along longitudinal axis 9 of mattress 8. In other words, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the alignment of fillet 7 coincides with the position of longitudinal axis 9”).
Re Claim 17, Lopau teaches:
A mattress (at least [Abstract] “mattress”), comprising the airbag assembly according to claim 1 (detailed with respect to claim 1).
Re Claim 18, Lopau teaches:
A bed (at least [Col. 1 lines 19-30] “bed”), comprising the mattress according to claim 17 (detailed with respect to claim 17).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GEORGE SUN whose telephone number is (571)270-7221. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00am-4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Justin Mikowski can be reached at (571) 272-8525. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GEORGE SUN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3673
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