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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on September 25, 2026 has been entered.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sasaki et al (US20180213936).
Note a vehicle seat configured to be mounted in a vehicle, the vehicle seat comprising: a recliner plate (7B) with a recliner (2) attached thereto, the recliner plate being fixed to a cushion-side frame (9); a hinge pin (3) configured to cause the recliner to perform a release operation; and a bushing (81) forming a plain bearing that rotatably supports the hinge pin, the bushing being fixed to the recliner plate, the bushing having a cylindrical block shape (see Figure 1) that is not formed from a plate-shaped member and that has a large diameter portion (outer perimeter surface) and a small diameter portion (inner perimeter surface) and having a through hole (see Figure 1) which the hinge pin passes through, and the bushing being directly fixed to the recliner plate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-7 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.
Claim 8 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.
Response to Amendment/Arguments
Applicant’s response has been fully considered. Remaining issues are described above. Note further interpretation of Sasaki et al (US20180213936), as necessitated by amendment.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MILTON NELSON JR whose telephone number is (571)272-6861. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 5:30am-2:00pm.
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mn /MILTON NELSON JR/
October 8, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
