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 .
DETAILED ACTION
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 27 and 29 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 27 recites the limitations "contact pins" in lines 2-3 and “contact elements” in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Applicant should amend the claim to properly introduce these elements.
Claim 29 recites the limitations "contact pins" in line 3 and “contact elements” in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. Applicant should amend the claim to properly introduce these elements.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 16-25, 28 and 30 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 10 2021 104049 to Line et al. (Line).
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Regarding Claim 16: Line discloses a vehicle seat, comprising: - a drive unit (See Annotated Fig. A), - a longitudinal seat adjustment device (See Annotated Fig. A) having at least one rail pair (See Annotated Fig. A) for longitudinally adjusting the seat, and - a contacting apparatus (See Annotated Fig. A) at least for electrically connecting the drive unit, a number of seat components (See display screen in Figure 1), at least one control unit and/or an electrical energy supply unit (See Annotated Fig. A), wherein the rail pairs each have a lower rail (See Annotated Fig. A) and an upper rail (See Annotated Fig. A) and the upper rail is movable relative to the lower rail, wherein the contacting apparatus comprises as complementary components at least one plug (See Annotated Fig. A) and one socket (See Annotated Fig. A) having a number of corresponding contact connections (See Annotated Fig. A), wherein the socket is arranged on the movable upper rail and the plug is arranged on the seat, or vice versa, and wherein, when the plug (See Annotated Fig. A) is inserted in the socket (See Annotated Fig. A), at least one of the electrical connections between the electrical energy supply unit (See Annotated Fig. A), the at least one control unit, the drive unit and/or one of the seat components is produced, and wherein the contacting apparatus comprises in a region between the plug and socket at least one positioning element (See Annotated Fig. A) and/or a short-circuit element (See Annotated Fig. A).
Regarding Claim 17: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the positioning element (See Annotated Fig. A) is insertable in at least one positioning receiving member (See Annotated Fig. A).
Regarding Claim 18: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 17, wherein the plug (See Annotated Fig. A) has the at least one positioning element (See Annotated Fig. A) and the socket (See Annotated Fig. A) has the at least one positioning receiving member (See Annotated Fig. A), or vice versa.
Regarding Claim 19: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the at least one positioning element which projects from the plug or socket is configured to be higher (See Annotated Fig. A) by a distance with respect to the contact connections which project from the plug.
Regarding Claim 20: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 19, wherein the distance of the at least one positioning element (See Annotated Fig. A) is configured so that engagement and guiding of the at least one positioning element (See Annotated Fig. A) in the positioning receiving member is provided in the region between the plug (See Annotated Fig. A) and the socket (See Annotated Fig. A) before the contact connections engage in each other.
Regarding Claim 21: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the at least one positioning element is in the form of . . . a wall portion (See Annotated Fig. A).
Regarding Claim 22: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the positioning element of one of the complementary components is formed in a chamfered manner (See Annotated Fig. A) at a free end which faces the other complementary component.
Regarding Claim 23: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the positioning element is arranged at a narrow side (See Annotated Fig. A) of the plug or the socket.
Regarding Claim 24: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein two positioning elements (See Annotated Fig. A) which are arranged opposite each other on the plug (See Annotated Fig. A) or the socket are provided.
Regarding Claim 25: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 24, wherein at least the one positioning element (See Annotated Fig. A) is configured to be so high that it forms an extension of a corresponding narrow side (See Annotated Fig. A).
Regarding Claim 28: Line discloses a seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the plug has a rotation prevention member (the shape of the plug) which corresponds to a rotation prevention counter-member of the socket.
Regarding Claim 30: Line discloses a vehicle having at least one seat as claimed in claim 16.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 26 is 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.
Claims 27 and 29 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Reasons for Allowable Subject Matter
None of the cited prior art, considered alone or in combination, discloses or teaches:
the seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the respective positioning element is configured in a circular-arc-like manner with a circular arc opening which is directed in the direction of the contact connections;
the seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein the short-circuit element has at least one short-circuit bar pin, the height of which is lower than the height of the contact pins and/or the contact elements; or
the seat as claimed in Claim 16, wherein there are provided as contact counter-elements of the socket a number of flexible metal elements which are arranged and/or configured in such a manner that these metal elements contact the contact pins and/or the contact elements elements in a pretensioned manner when the plug is inserted in the socket.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. In addition to the references used in this rejection and those cited in the PTO-892, the following references are very relevant to the claimed invention: DE 102012013688.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERET C MCNICHOLS whose telephone number is (571)270-7363. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday: 9:00 - 5:00 (Eastern).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at 571-272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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ERET C. MCNICHOLS
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/ERET C MCNICHOLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632