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 and 3-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Heppner (US 4027112).
Regarding claim 1, Heppner teaches a seat with a speaker, the seat comprising: a support part including a cushion and configured to support a body of a sitter (vehicle seat headrest in combination with a loudspeaker, col 1, ln 4-9); and a speaker unit including a vibrating plate (diaphragm, col 2, ln 9-12) and configured to output a sound in a first direction which is one direction of out-of-plane directions of the vibrating plate (The main direction of radiation from the loudspeakers is at an inclination towards the center of the oval formed by the head-rest, that is, towards the ears of a listener placing his head against the head-rest 1, col 2, ln 62-66), wherein: the cushion includes an accommodation hole accommodating the speaker unit (two recesses 2, col 2, ln37-39, fig 1); a bottom surface of the accommodation hole faces the vibrating plate (back of recess faces diaphragm, fig 1); and a sound which has been outputted from the vibrating plate in a second direction opposite to the first direction among the out-of-plane directions of the vibrating plate enters the bottom surface of the accommodation hole and is absorbed in the cushion (open-pore foam material 3 additionally functions as damping material to absorb rearwardly directed sound radiation and to suppress sound being emanated rearwardly of the head-rest., col 3, 66 – col 4, ln 2).
Regarding claim 2, Heppner teaches the seat with a speaker according to claim 1, the seat further comprising a structure including a first surface which faces the vibrating plate (inner side of cage 6 which isn’t showing in the figures but which faces diaphragm, col 3, ln 36-41, figs 1 and 2), a second surface which is a back side of the first surface (outer side of cage 6 which is showing in the figures, col 3, ln 36-41, figs 1 and 2), a leg part which protrudes from an outer periphery of the first surface (item labeled 8 in figure 2, fig 2; compare to applicant’s leg 73 in specification and drawings), and a through hole between the first surface and the second surface (openings, col 3, ln 36-41), wherein: the structure is coupled to the speaker unit via the leg part (leg part 8 is coupled to the cage 6, fig 2); the second surface is in contact with the bottom surface of the accommodation hole (outer side of cage 6 is in contact with the recess 2, figs 1 and 2, col 3, ln 36-41, figs 1 and 2); and the sound which has been outputted from the vibrating plate in the second direction passes through the through hole (exchange of air from the space between the membrane and the loudspeaker cage 6 through the openings 9 in the loudspeaker cage 6 is readily possible, col 3, ln 36-41), enters the bottom surface of the accommodation hole, and is absorbed in the cushion (open-pore foam material 3 additionally functions as damping material to absorb rearwardly directed sound radiation and to suppress sound being emanated rearwardly of the head-rest., col 3, 66 – col 4, ln 2, figs 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 3, Heppner teaches the seat with a speaker according to claim 1, the seat further comprising a lid part that transmits the sound which has been outputted from the vibrating plate in the first direction and that is fixed to the cushion, the lid part covering the accommodation hole (a covering upholstering material 4, col 2, ln 43-48, fig 2).
Regarding claim 4, Heppner teaches the seat with a speaker according to claim 1, wherein the cushion includes a placement stage abutting on an outer periphery of the speaker unit and protruding from the bottom surface of the accommodation hole (ridges or ribs 19, col 3, ln 5-9).
Regarding claim 5, Heppner teaches the seat with a speaker according to claim 4, wherein the speaker unit is fixed to the placement stage (the ribs 19 extend from the rear portion of shoulder 18 into the inner part of the recess 2. They engage the respective loudspeaker 5 (see FIG. 2), col 3, ln 8-10, fig 2).
Regarding claim 6, Heppner teaches the seat with a speaker according to claim 1, wherein at least one selected from the group consisting of a groove, a hole, and a protrusion is formed on at least part of (i) the bottom surface of the accommodation hole and (ii) a side surface of the accommodation hole (ribs 19 are protrusion on side surface of accommodation hole, fig 2).
Regarding claim 7, Heppner teaches the seat with a speaker according to claim 1, wherein at least part of (i) the bottom surface of the accommodation hole and (ii) a side surface of the accommodation hole has a rough surface (ridges or ribs 19 (FIG. 3) projecting from the surface of the recess, col 3, ln 8-10; ridges are considered a rough surface).
Regarding claim 8, Heppner teaches the seat with a speaker according to claim 1, wherein the cushion is made of foam or three-dimensional network structured fiber material (material of the head-rest 1 is an open-pore foam substance 3, for example foam rubber, foamed polyurethane, or the like, col 2, ln 39-41).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kile Blair whose telephone number is (571)270-3544. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duc Nguyen can be reached at 571-272-7503. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KILE O BLAIR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2691