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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings filed July 17, 2024 are approved.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information referred to in the IDS filed July 17, 2024 has been considered.
The information referred to in the IDS filed May 29, 2025 has been considered.
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) 1-8, 10 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by FR3058103A1.
Note a striker assembly for a seat, wherein the striker assembly comprises: a motor (6); a worm screw (18) operably coupled with the motor; a gear segment (10, 11, 12, 13) engaged with the worm screw; and a striker (8) connected to the gear segment and configured for engagement with a latch of a seat back of the seat to adjustably couple the seat back with a mounting surface.
Regarding claim 2, note the striker assembly includes a housing (16, 17); the worm screw and the gear segment are disposed at least partially in the housing; and the housing is configured for connection with said mounting surface.
Regarding claim 3, note the housing includes a slot; and the striker extends from the gear segment out of the housing through the slot. See Figures 2 and 6.
Regarding claim 4, note the housing includes a bearing (one of 15a or 15b) slidably supporting an inner radial surface of the gear segment.
Regarding claim 5, note the striker is connected to the gear segment such that the striker slides with the gear segment relative to the housing. See Figures 2, 3, 4 and 6.
Regarding claim 6, note the gear segment includes a slot (13); and the housing includes a second bearing (the other of 15a or 15b) disposed partially in the slot of the gear segment.
Regarding claim 7, note the gear segment includes a structural layer (12).
Regarding claim 8, note the gear segment includes a structural layer (12) and additional layer (10) configured to reduce play between the gear segment and the worm screw.
Regarding claim 10, note the striker assembly includes a housing (16, 17); a first bearing strip (15b) disposed at a first side of the gear segment; and a second bearing strip (15a) disposed at a second side of the gear segment; wherein the first bearing strip and the second bearing strip restrict transverse movement of the gear segment.
Regarding claim 11, note the first bearing strip (15b) is integrally formed (by way of 22, 22, 29, 29) with the housing (portion 17 thereof).
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-8, 12-18, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE19629964A1.
Note a striker assembly for a seat, wherein the striker assembly comprises: a motor (9); a worm screw (13) operably coupled with the motor; a gear segment (14, 15) engaged with the worm screw; and a striker (20, 8) connected to the gear segment and configured for engagement with a latch (6) of a seat back of the seat to adjustably couple the seat back with a mounting surface (frame part or rear shelf).
Regarding claim 2, note the striker assembly includes a housing (18); the worm screw and the gear segment are disposed at least partially in the housing; and the housing is configured for connection with said mounting surface. See Figures 1-4.
Regarding claim 4, note the housing includes a bearing (bottom wall of 8) slidably supporting an inner radial surface of the gear segment.
Regarding claim 5, note the striker is connected to the gear segment such that the striker slides with the gear segment relative to the housing. See Figures 1-4
Regarding claim 6, note the gear segment includes a slot (16); and the housing includes a second bearing (17) disposed partially in the slot of the gear segment.
Regarding claim 7, note the gear segment includes a structural layer (14).
Regarding claim 8, note the gear segment includes a structural layer (layer forming slot 16) and additional layer (14) configured to reduce play between the gear segment and the worm screw.
Regarding claim 12, note a seat assembly, wherein the seat assembly comprises: the striker assembly of claim 1; the seat, including the seat back (2), a seat frame (3), and a seat base (1), the seat back rotatably coupled to the seat frame and/or the seat base; and the latch (6); wherein the latch is connected to the seat back and is selectively engageable with the striker (see Figure 1).
Regarding claim 13, note the striker includes an aperture (see Figure 5, wherein 6 is located in the aperture of 20); in a disengaged state of the latch, the latch is not disposed in the aperture; and in an engaged state of the latch, a portion of the latch is disposed in the aperture (see Figure 5).
Regarding claim 14, note the worm screw, the gear segment, and the striker are operably coupled such that, when the latch is engaged with the striker, actuation of the motor causes rotation of the seat back. See the abstract.
Regarding claim 15, note the gear segment (14, 15) includes a first gear segment position (fore) and a second gear segment position (aft); and in an engaged state of the latch (i) the seat back is disposed at a first rotational position (see Figure 2) when the gear segment is in the first gear segment position, and (ii) the seat back is disposed at a second rotational position (see Figure 4) when the gear segment is in the second gear segment position.
Regarding claim 16, note a difference between the first and second rotational positions is greater than 2 degrees and less than 90 degrees. See Figures 2 and 4.
Regarding claim 17, note the seat back rotates about an axis of rotation; and the gear segment defines a portion of a circle centered at the axis of rotation. See Figure 1.
Regarding claim 18, note an angular extent of the gear segment is less than or equal to 90 degrees and greater than or equal to 2 degrees. See Figure 2.
Regarding claim 20, note a motor axis (i.e. the transverse axis) of the motor is parallel with the axis of rotation. See Figure 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FR3058103A1 in view of CA3028902A1.
The primary reference shows all claimed features of the instant invention with the exception of the worm screw being engaged with at least four gear segment teeth of the gear segment.
The secondary reference teaches configuring a gear segment (3a, 3b) of a striker assembly with adjacent dual-sections which allow for a worm gear to engage at least four gear segment teeth of the gear segment.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the primary reference in view of the teachings of the secondary reference by configuring the gear segment as having adjacent dual sections. This modification enhances engagement between the gear segment and the worm gear thereby improvement selective adjustment of the worm gear along the gear segment.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE19629964A1 in view of CA3028902A1.
The primary reference shows all claimed features of the instant invention with the exception of the worm screw being engaged with at least four gear segment teeth of the gear segment.
The secondary reference teaches configuring a gear segment (3a, 3b) of a striker assembly with adjacent dual-sections which allow for a worm gear to engage at least four gear segment teeth of the gear segment.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify the primary reference in view of the teachings of the secondary reference by configuring the gear segment as having adjacent dual sections. This modification enhances engagement between the gear segment and the worm gear thereby improvement selective adjustment of the worm gear along the gear segment.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FR3058103A1.
FR3058103A1 shows all claimed features of the instant invention with the exception of a worm axis of the worm screw is disposed at an angle equal to or between 80 degrees and 100 degrees relative to the axis of rotation.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify FR3058103A1 by configuring the worm axis of his worm screw as disposed at an angle equal to or between 80 degrees and 100 degrees relative to the axis of rotation. The modification provides a configuration that performs equally as well as that shown in FR3058103A1, and the choice of angles is merely a design consideration. No problem appears to be solved and no advantage appears to be gained by using one angle over the other.
Claim(s) 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE19629964A1.
FR3058103A1 shows all claimed features of the instant invention with the exception of a worm axis of the worm screw is disposed at an angle equal to or between 80 degrees and 100 degrees relative to the axis of rotation.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the pertinent art before the effective filing date of the instant invention to modify FR3058103A1 by configuring the worm axis of his worm screw as disposed at an angle equal to or between 80 degrees and 100 degrees relative to the axis of rotation. The modification provides a configuration that performs equally as well as that shown in FR3058103A1, and the choice of angles is merely a design consideration. No problem appears to be solved and no advantage appears to be gained by using one angle over the other.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nock et al (US11254243) shows a motorized striker assembly for a seat back.
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mn /MILTON NELSON JR/January 9, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636