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 .
The following correspondence is a non-final Office Action for application no. 18/723,760, for a VEHICLE SEAT, filed on 6/24/2024. Claims 1-20 are pending.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species D in the reply filed on 5/15/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15, 17 and 19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 5/15/2026.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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, 4, 8, 11, 14 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yazaki Corp (WO 2011/010477A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yazaki Corp teaches a vehicle seat comprising: a pair of lower rails (2, 102) arranged in parallel to each other; a first upper rail (7A) and a second upper rail (7B) arranged on a lower rail which is each of the pair of lower rails to be aligned in a longitudinal direction of the lower rail, the first upper rail and the second upper rail being movable along the lower rail; a first seat (91) coupled to the first upper rail and a second seat (92) coupled to the second upper rail; a first power feeder (4, 3B) that feeds power to an electric component provided for the first seat; and a second power feeder (4, 3A) that feeds power to an electric component provided for the second seat, wherein the first power feeder and the second power feeder are arranged to extend in an orientation in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail.
[AltContent: textbox (2nd power feeder)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (1st power feeder)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Lower rail)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (1st upper rail )][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (2nd upper rail )][AltContent: arrow]
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Regarding claim 4, Yazaki Corp teaches the seat of claim 1, wherein the first power feeder and the second power feeder are located at positions at which a lower rail which is one of the pair of lower rails is sandwiched between the first power feeder and the second power feeder (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 8, Yazaki Corp teaches the seat of claim 1, wherein the first power feeder has a first power feeding rail (206) and a first mover (291) that moves along the first power feeding rail, and the second power feeder has a second power feeding rail (206) and a second mover (291) that moves along the second power feeding rail.
Regarding claim 11, Yazaki Corp teaches an assembling method of a vehicle seat including: a pair of lower rails (2, 102) arranged in parallel to each other; a first upper rail (7A) and a second upper rail (7B) arranged on a lower rail which is each of the pair of lower rails to be aligned in a longitudinal direction of the lower rail, the first upper rail and the second upper rail being movable along the lower rail; a first seat (91) coupled to the first upper rail and a second seat (92) coupled to the second upper rail; a first power feeder (4, 3B) that feeds power to an electric component provided for the first seat; and a second power feeder (4, 3A) that feeds power to an electric component provided for the second seat, the assembling method comprising: arranging the first power feeder and the second power feeder to extend in an orientation in the longitudinal direction of the lower rail (see figure above).
Regarding claim 14, Yazaki Corp teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the first power feeder and the second power feeder are located at positions at which a lower rail which is one of the pair of lower rails is sandwiched between the first power feeder and the second power feeder (see Fig. 6).
Regarding claim 18, Yazaki Corp teaches the method of claim 11, wherein the first power feeder has a first power feeding rail (206) and a first mover (291) that moves along the first power feeding rail, and the second power feeder has a second power feeding rail (206) and a second mover (291) that moves along the second power feeding rail.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 6, 10, 16 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yazaki Corp (WO 2011/010477A1).
Regarding claims 6 and 16, Yazaki Corp teaches the seat of claim 1 and the method of claim 11, wherein the first power feeder is located at a position closer to a front end of a lower rail among the lower rails, wherein the second power feeder is located at a position closer to a back end of a lower rail among the lower rails, but does not teach that the first power feeder and the second power feeder are at least partially overlapped with each other vertically or laterally. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, with a reasonable degree of success, to construct the first power feeder and the second power feeder are at least partially overlapped with each other vertically or laterally as a matter of design choice in order to conserve space and provide enhanced structural stability, and further, such a modification would have involved a mere change in the shape of the component. A change in shape is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art since the applicant has not shown how the chosen shape is critical.
Regarding claims 10 and 20, Yazaki Corp teaches the seat of claim 1 and the method of claim 11, wherein the vehicle seat includes a seating sensor that detects whether an occupant is located in the seat and whether the occupant has on a seatbelt, but does not teach that the vehicle seat further includes: a first seat detection sensor that detects a position of the first seat on the pair of lower rails; and a second seat detection sensor that detects a position of the second seat on the pair of lower rails. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, with a reasonable degree of success, to construct the vehicle seat further including: a first seat detection sensor that detects a position of the first seat on the pair of lower rails; and a second seat detection sensor that detects a position of the second seat on the pair of lower rails in order to provide metrics to automate the seat location and further a sensor can be programmed for providing various information.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. USP 12668154, USPub 2018/0370388, 2021/0001753, 2021/0078510 (vehicle seats)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NKEISHA J. SMITH whose telephone number is (571)272-5781. The examiner can normally be reached Normal hours: M/Th 7-4; T 9-5; W 7-3; F 7-4.
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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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/NKEISHA SMITH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632 July 28, 2026
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