September 22, 2026
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 .
Response to Amendment
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-9 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kim et al. (U.S. Patent No. 7,413,252 B2).
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As for Claim 1, Kim et al. teach a conveyance seat, comprising:
a seat cushion 13;
a base member 24,26 that supports the seat cushion from a downward side; and
a connecting member 38 that is interposed between the seat cushion 13 and the base member 24,26 in an up to down direction, and connects the seat cushion 13 and the base member 24,26,
wherein a downward portion of the connecting member 38 is attached to the base member through a connecting bracket 48 (See Figures 1 and 4), and
a lower end portion of the connecting member is disposed on a downward side as compared with an upper end portion of the base member.
As for Claims 2 and 9, Kim et al. teach that the base member is a rail device 28,30 that is provided on a conveyance floor and moves the seat cushion in a seat front to rear direction with respect to the conveyance floor, the rail device includes a lower rail 28 extending in the seat front to rear direction, and an upper rail 30 that is supported to be movable along the lower rail and moves together with the seat cushion, the downward portion of the connecting member is attached to the upper rail through a connecting bracket, or is attached to the upper rail, and the lower end portion of the connecting member 38 is disposed on a downward side as compared with an upper end portion of the upper rail.
As for Claim 3, Kim et al. teach that the connecting member 38 includes a base connecting portion attached to the base member side, and the base connecting portion is disposed at a position overlapping the base member in the up to down direction.
As for Claim 3, Kim et al. teach that the connecting member is a connecting link 38 that connects the seat cushion to the base member to be moveable up and down, the connecting link 38 has a bent shape that is bent in the seat width direction, and the connecting link includes a cushion connecting portion that is attached to the seat cushion side, and a base connecting portion that is disposed on an inner side in the seat width direction as compared with the cushion connecting portion, and is attached to the base member side.
As for Claim 4, Kim et al. teach that the base connecting portion is attached to a side surface of the connecting bracket in a seat width direction, or is attached to a side surface of the base member.
As for Claim 5, Kim et al. teach that the connecting member is attached to the base member through the connecting bracket, and the base connecting portion, the connecting bracket, and the base member are disposed at positions overlapping each other in the up to down direction.
As for Claim 6, Kim et al. teach that the connecting bracket includes an upper wall portion that is attached to an upper surface of the base member, and a side wall portion that extends downward from an inner side portion of the upper wall portion in the seat width direction, and the base connecting portion is attached to the side wall portion of the connecting bracket.
As for Claim 7, Kim et al. teach that the connecting member is attached to the base member through the connecting bracket and a second connecting bracket (on the opposite side), the connecting bracket is attached to the base member, and the second connecting bracket is attached to the connecting bracket.
As for Claim 8, Kim et al. teach that the second connecting bracket is attached to an inner side surface of the connecting bracket in the seat width direction, and is provided to overhang toward an inner side in the seat width direction from the connecting bracket, and the base connecting portion is attached to the overhang portion of the second connecting bracket.
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.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim et al. (U.S. Patent No. 7,413,252 B2) in view of Ramaseshadri et al. (U.S. Patent No. 7,963,605 B2) and FEVRIER LAURENT et al. (FR 3021261 A1) and Yoshida U.S. Patent No. 7,278,686 B2).
As for Claim 1, Kim et al. teach a conveyance seat, comprising:
a seat cushion 13;
a base member 24,26 that supports the seat cushion from a downward side; and
a connecting member 38 that is interposed between the seat cushion 13 and the base member 24,26 in an up to down direction, and connects the seat cushion 13 and the base member 24,26,
wherein a downward portion of the connecting member 38 is attached to the base member through a connecting bracket 48 (See Figures 1 and 4), and
a lower end portion of the connecting member is disposed on a downward side as compared with an upper end portion of the base member;
the connecting member 38 is disposed on an inner side in a seat width direction as compared with the base member,
the connecting member is a connecting link that connects the seat cushion to the base member to be moveable up and down,
the connecting link includes a cushion connecting portion that is attached to a seat cushion side, and a base connecting portion that is attached to a base member side, a.
As for Claims 2 and 9, Kim et al. teach that the base member is a rail device 28,30 that is provided on a conveyance floor and moves the seat cushion in a seat front to rear direction with respect to the conveyance floor, the rail device includes a lower rail 28 extending in the seat front to rear direction, and an upper rail 30 that is supported to be movable along the lower rail and moves together with the seat cushion, the downward portion of the connecting member is attached to the upper rail through a connecting bracket, or is attached to the upper rail, and the lower end portion of the connecting member 38 is disposed on a downward side as compared with an upper end portion of the upper rail.
As for Claim 3, Kim et al. teach that the connecting member 38 includes a base connecting portion attached to the base member side, and the base connecting portion is disposed at a position overlapping the base member in the up to down direction.
As for Claim 3, Kim et al. teach that the connecting member is a connecting link 38 that connects the seat cushion to the base member to be moveable up and down, the connecting link 38 has a bent shape that is bent in the seat width direction, and the connecting link includes a cushion connecting portion that is attached to the seat cushion side, and a base connecting portion that is disposed on an inner side in the seat width direction as compared with the cushion connecting portion, and is attached to the base member side.
As for Claim 4, Kim et al. teach that the base connecting portion is attached to a side surface of the connecting bracket in a seat width direction, or is attached to a side surface of the base member.
As for Claim 5, Kim et al. teach that the connecting member is attached to the base member through the connecting bracket, and the base connecting portion, the connecting bracket, and the base member are disposed at positions overlapping each other in the up to down direction.
As for Claim 6, Kim et al. teach that the connecting bracket includes an upper wall portion that is attached to an upper surface of the base member, and a side wall portion that extends downward from an inner side portion of the upper wall portion in the seat width direction, and the base connecting portion is attached to the side wall portion of the connecting bracket.
As for Claim 7, Kim et al. teach that the connecting member is attached to the base member through the connecting bracket and a second connecting bracket (on the opposite side), the connecting bracket is attached to the base member, and the second connecting bracket is attached to the connecting bracket.
As for Claim 8, Kim et al. teach that the second connecting bracket is attached to an inner side surface of the connecting bracket in the seat width direction, and is provided to overhang toward an inner side in the seat width direction from the connecting bracket, and the base connecting portion is attached to the overhang portion of the second connecting bracket.
Kim et al. do not teach that in a front view of the seat, the cushion connecting portion and the base connecting portion are arranged to be offset from each other in the seat width direction.
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Yoshida teaches the concept of a connecting link in which the cushion connecting portion and the base connecting portion are arranged to be offset from each other in the seat width direction; the base connecting portion positioned on the inner side in the seat width direction as compared with the cushion connecting portion, and the connecting link having a bent shape that is bent in the seat width direction. It would have been obvious and well within the level of ordinary skill in the art to modify the connecting link, as taught by Kim et al., so that the cushion connecting portion and the base connecting portion are offset from each other in the seat width direction; the base connecting portion positioned on the inner side in the seat width direction as compared with the cushion connecting portion, so that the connecting link has a bent shape that is bent in the seat width direction, as taught by Yoshida, since a link made in this manner would provide proper clearance between the seat connecting portion and the seat frame to which it is connected and the base connecting portion and the base to which base connecting portion is connected, while improving alignment, and providing proper force distribution.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure because it teaches structures and concepts similar to those of the present invention.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rodney B. White whose telephone number is (571)272-6863. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David R. Dunn can be reached at (571) 272-6670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Rodney B White/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
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