November 25, 2025
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in JAPAN on 12/18/2023 and 12/27/2023. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the JP202323453960.7 and JP202323619894.6 applications as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,344,125 B1).
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As for claim 1, Sun teaches a folding hanging chair frame, comprising a foldable supporting frame part, wherein the foldable supporting frame part comprises a cross beam 6; an extending direction of a straight line formed by connecting two ends of the cross beam is defined as a left-right direction; left and right ends of the cross beam are respectively provided with a connecting structure 7 and a lateral bracket tube set 4,4 connected with the cross beam 6 through the connecting structure; the connecting structure is provided with a plurality of connecting holes; the lateral bracket tube set 4,4 is detachably connected to the plurality of connecting holes; a connecting cable 3 is arranged between the lateral bracket tube set 4,4 and the connecting structure 7; and the connecting cable keeps the lateral bracket tube set 4,4 connected with the cross beam 6.
As for claim 1, Sun teaches hanging chair, comprising a hanging chair frame and a hanging chair belt hanging on the hanging chair frame, the hanging chair frame being the folding hanging chair frame according to claim 1.
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 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,344,125 B1) in view of Fuser (U.S. Patent No. 4,809,724) or Buzzella et al. (U.S. Patent No. 9,451,830 B1).
Sun teaches the structure substantially as claimed but does not teach that the folding hanging chair frame includes aa sunshade.
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However, Fuser and Buzzella et al. teach teaches sunshades that are capable of being detachably connected to the folding hanging chair frame of Sun, wherein the sunshade frame is a structure with an adjustable angle relative to the foldable supporting frame part, and the adjustable angle of the sunshade frame is adjusted by rotation around a second rotating axis, the second rotating axis extending along the left-right direction; wherein sunshade supporting members are further arranged below the sunshade frame, and the sunshade frame is connected to the foldable supporting frame part through the sunshade supporting members; a sunshade rotating component is arranged between each of the sunshade supporting members and the sunshade frame; the sunshade rotating component comprises an adjusting handle connected to the sunshade frame; and the adjusting handle is rotated to drive the sunshade frame to rotate, so that the adjustable angle of the sunshade frame is adjusted; wherein the sunshade rotating component further comprises a rotating base fixedly connected to one end of the sunshade supporting members; the rotating base is rotatably connected to the adjusting handle; the adjusting handle is provided with meshing teeth distributed annularly at intervals; the rotating base is provided with engaging teeth that form meshing fit with the meshing teeth; and by means of the meshing fit, the adjusting handle is rotatably connected to the rotating base, so that the adjustable angle of the sunshade frame relative to the foldable supporting frame part is adjusted; wherein the adjusting handle and the rotating base are elastically connected with a limited relative displacement in an axial direction;
(see the drawings and the specification of both patents it would have been obvious and well within the level of ordinary skill in the art to modify the folding hanging chair frame, as taught by Sun, to include a sunshade, as taught by Fuser or Buzzella et al. since it would protect the person seated in the folding hanging chair from the sun.
Claims 11, 15, and 17 are ejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,344,125 B1) in view of Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,547,201 B1).
Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,344,125 B1) teaches the structure substantially as claimed including the hanging chair belt is connected with hanging components, and the hanging components are configured to suspend the hanging chair belt onto the hanging chair frame; a front direction when a user uses the hanging chair belt in a sitting posture is defined as front, and an opposite direction as rear; the hanging chair belt comprises a seat component and a backrest component arranged at a rear side of the seat component and that there are there are two hanging components respectively arranged on two sides of the seat component but is silent as to whether or not the seat component and the backrest component form a connection relationship with an adjustable included angle. However, Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,547,201 B1) teaches a hanging chair comprising a hanging chair belt hanging on the hanging chair frame, the seat component and the backrest component form a connection relationship with an adjustable included angle; the hanging components are connected to the hanging chair belt by being respectively connected to the seat component and the backrest component; the hanging components are each provided with an adjusting mechanism located between the seat component and the backrest component; and the adjustable included angle between the backrest component and the seat component is adjusted by means of the adjusting mechanism so as to increase postures of using the hanging chair belt; wherein a relative position between the backrest component and the seat component is alternatively in a first posture or a second posture, and under combined actions of the hanging components and posture adjustment of the user, the backrest component and the seat component are switched between the first posture and the second posture so as to increase postures of using the hanging chair belt. (see the specification at column 4, lines 17-22 where it reads “The two ends of the cushion are connected to an upper end of the support frame through adjustment belts, and the length of the adjustment belts is adjustable. By adjusting the length of the adjustment belts, different users can sit on the rotary hanging chair more comfortably.”) It would have been obvious and well within the level of ordinary skill in the art to modify the hanging chair, as taught by Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,344,125 B1), to include a hanging chair belt hanging on the hanging chair frame, the seat component and the backrest component form a connection relationship with an adjustable included angle, as taught by Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,547,201 B1), since it would allow the hanging chair to be adjusted to suit the comfort needs of users of varying sizes or varying comfort needs.
Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,344,125 B1) in view of Chen et al. (U.S. Patent No. 11,259,638 B2).
Sun teaches the structure substantially as claimed but does not teach armrests.
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However, Chen et al. teach the concept of a hanging chair having armrests 203 arranged on two sides of the seat face; each of the hanging components comprises a second connecting portion, a third connecting portion and a suspension member configured to be connected to a hook, the second connecting portion connecting a front end of the armrests and the suspension member, and the third connecting portion connecting a rear end of the armrests, the backrest component and the suspension member; the third connecting portion is provided with the adjusting mechanism; and under combined actions of the adjusting mechanism and posture adjustment of the user, the backrest component rotates front and rear relative to the seat component, so that the adjustable included angle between the backrest component and the seat component is adjusted. It would have been obvious and well within the level of ordinary skill in the art to modify the hanging chair, as taught by Sun (U.S. Patent No. 11,344,125 B1), to armrests, as taught by Chen et al, since it would provide support and comfort for a person’s arms when using the hanging chair
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 9-, 12-14, 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.
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 .
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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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/Rodney B White/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636