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 .
Claims 1-17 and 19-21 are pending.
Claims 1-17 and 19-21 have been examined.
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 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang (US 6824217). Wang discloses an apparatus for adjusting a height of a resting plate (fig. 3: 43) comprising: a hydraulic means (fig. 3: 5) configured to support the resting plate, and configured to move along an axis to adjust the height of the resting plate; and an activator (fig. 3: 57) connected to the hydraulic means, and configured to activate and control the hydraulic means to move along the axis to adjust the height of the resting plate, or deactivate the hydraulic means to stop at the adjusted height, based on first external force on the activator.
As concerns claim 19, Wang discloses an armrest comprising: a resting plate (fig. 3: 43) configured to rest an object thereon; and an apparatus for adjusting a height of the resting plate comprising: a hydraulic means (fig. 3: 5) configured to support the resting plate, and configured to move along an axis to adjust the height of the resting plate; and an activator (fig. 3: 57) connected to the hydraulic means, and configured to activate and control the hydraulic means to move along the axis to adjust the height of the resting plate, or deactivate the hydraulic means to stop at the adjusted height, based on first external force on the activator.
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.
Claim(s) 2 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Kim et al. (KR 20240071027) (“Kim”). As concerns claims 2 and 20, Wang does not teach a height adjuster connected to the hydraulic means, and configured to displace the hydraulic means along the axis to adjust the height of the resting plate, based on second external force on the height adjuster. However, Kim teaches a height adjuster for an armrest which allows the vertically extending support (fig. 7: 57) to be attached by way of a height adjustable fastener (fig. 7: 63) to manually adjust the height upon connection. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to replace the threaded bolt/fastener connection 581/583 of Wang with the threaded bolt fastener connection 57/63 of Kim in order to allow the original height of the armrest to be set at a desired position and the height to then be adjusted therefrom.
Claim(s) 3-9 and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang in view of Kim et al. (KR 20240071027) (“Kim”) and further in view of KR 200331920 (“KR ‘920”) (machine translation provided). Wang, as modified, does not teach an indicator configured to indicate the adjusted height of the resting plate. However, KR ‘920 teaches an indicator (fig. 2: 60; paragraph 42) configured to indicate the adjusted height of the resting plate of an armrest. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the armrest to include a height indicator in order allow the user to determine the height setting(s) of one or both of the armrests.
As concerns claim 4, Wang, as modified, teaches wherein the hydraulic means comprises: a fluid cylinder filled with compressed fluid (fig. 5: 51); and a piston (fig. 3: 52) configured to move along the axis in the fluid cylinder, based on the control of the activator.
As concerns claim 5, Wang, as modified, teaches wherein the height adjuster comprises a knob (Kim, fig. 7: 63) connected to the fluid cylinder through an interconnecting part (end screw portion of Wang, 581/Kim, 57), and configured to displace the hydraulic means along the axis to adjust the height of the resting plate based on the second external force on the knob.
As concerns claim 6, Wang, as modified, teaches wherein when the hydraulic means is activated by the activator (Wang, fig. 3: 57), the activator is configured to control the gas piston to move to a first direction, or allow a load exerted on the resting plate to oppose the movement of gas piston in a second direction, the second direction opposite the first direction (pressing the actuator unlocks the gas piston for movement).
As concerns claim 7, Wang, as modified, teaches wherein the hydraulic means further comprises a lock (fig. 3: 56 acts as a lock to allow or disallow movement of the piston), and when the hydraulic means is deactivated by the activator, the lock is configured to fix the gas piston not to move.
As concerns claim 8, Wang, as modified, teaches an outer tube (fig. 6: 41) disposed under the resting plate, and disposed adjacent to the hydraulic means; and an inner tube (fig. 6: 52) surrounding at least a part of the hydraulic means configured to support the resting plate, and the outer tube configured to move according to the movement of the hydraulic means. Wang, as modified, does not teach the inner tube disposed under the resting place with the outer tube disposed below it. However, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the invention, as a mere rearrangement of parts, to provide the outer tube below the inner tube in order to take up less space in the upper area. In general, a mere rearrangement of parts is considered within the level of ordinary skill in the art absent production of a new or unexpected result. (See MPEP 2144.04(VI)(C); In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553.).
As concerns claim 9, Wang, as modified, teaches wherein the indicator is further configured to measure the adjusted height of the resting plate (as discussed in claim 3 with respect to KR ‘920), to indicate the adjusted height of the resting plate.
As concerns claim 17, Wang, as modified, teaches an opening window on the outer tube (KR ‘920, fig. 2: 35), wherein a fixed indicator is indicated on the outer tube (the window is a fixed indicator), a plurality of dimension indicators (KR ‘920, fig. 2: 60) are indicated on the inner tube and visible through the opening window, and the opening window is configured to show a relative position change between the fixed indicator and the plurality of dimension indicators according to the movement of the outer tube, as the adjusted height of the resting plate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-16 and 21 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art references of Wang, KR ‘920 and Kim fail to teach:
wherein the indicator comprises: a linear track connected to the inner tube; a sensor
connected to the outer tube; and a display configured to display the adjusted height of the resting plate, wherein the sensor is configured to detect a position of the linear track relative to the sensor, and measure the adjusted height of the resting plate based on the detection;
wherein the indicator comprises: a linear potentiometer comprising: a track connected to the outer tube; and a slider connected to the inner tube, and movably disposed on the track; and a display configured to display the adjusted height of the resting plate, wherein a position of the slider on the track is changed according to the movement of the outer tube, and the linear potentiometer is configured to detect a resistance depending on the changed position of the slider on the track, and measure the adjusted height of the resting plate based on the detection;
wherein the indicator comprises: a linear rack connected to the inner tube, and comprising a plurality of teeth; and a pinion gear comprising a pinion gear body connected to the outer tube and an indicating element connected to the pinion gear body, wherein the pinion gear body, along with the indicating element, is configured to move along the linear rack according to the movement of the outer tube and engage with one of the plurality of teeth, and the indicating element is configured to show a relative position change between the indicating element and the plurality of teeth according to the movements of the outer tube and the pinion gear body, as the adjusted height of the resting plate;
wherein the indicator comprises: an opening window on the outer tube; a first gear and a second gear connected to the outer tube; a belt connected to the inner tube, looped on the first gear and the second gear, and configured to move according to rotations of the first gear and the second gear by the movement of the outer tube; and a measurement tape attached to the belt, wherein a plurality of dimension indicators are indicated on the measurement tape, and the opening window is configured to show at least one dimension indicator among the plurality of dimension indicators indicated on the measurement tape, as the adjusted height of the resting plate; or
a variable resistor comprising: a track connected to a first supporting means; and a slider connected to a second supporting means, and movably disposed on the track; and a display electrically connected to the variable resistor, wherein a position of the slider on the track is changed according to a movement of the first supporting means, the variable resistor is configured to detect a resistance depending on the changed position of the slider on the track, and measure the height of the resting plate based on the detection, and the display is configured to display the measured height of the resting plate.
Further, there is no teaching, suggestion or motivation to modify the prior art absent hindsight.
Conclusion
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/TIMOTHY J BRINDLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
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