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) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yukifumi Yamada et al. U.S. Patent Publication 2013/0113263 (Yamada).
Regarding claim 1, Yamada discloses a vehicle seating assembly comprising: an armrest (Figure 3 Element 5) configured to rotate about an axis and between an up position and a down position (Figure 2 Element O1); a lock plate (Figure 5 Element 21); a spin plate configured to rotate with the armrest about the axis and having a channel (Element 30 [0062] channel shown Figure 4B); and a pawl (Element 41 Figure 4A and 4B) disposed relative to the channel so as to move between a disengaged position and an engaged position, the pawl being biased to move towards the disengaged position by a biasing force, the pawl being disengaged from the lock plate when the pawl is in the disengaged position so as to allow the armrest to move between the up position and the down position, and the pawl engaging with the lock plate when the pawl is in the engaged position so as to inhibit movement of the armrest towards at least the down position ([0061-0066]).
Regarding claim 2, Yamada discloses the vehicle seating assembly wherein the pawl is configured to move from the disengaged position to the engaged position when a magnitude of a change in velocity of the spin plate causes inertia of the pawl to overcome the biasing force ([0061-0079], the biasing element 47 in operation with the movement of the pawl Element 41).
Regarding claim 3, Yamada discloses the vehicle seating assembly wherein the armrest is further configured to rotate relative to a seatback of the vehicle seating assembly (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 4, Yamada discloses the vehicle seating assembly wherein the lock plate is fixed relative to the seatback (Element 21 [0058]).
Regarding claim 5, Yamada discloses the vehicle seating assembly wherein the spin plate is configured to rotate with the armrest and relative to the lock plate (Element 30 [0062]).
Regarding claim 6, Yamada discloses the vehicle seating assembly wherein the change in velocity is a change in linear velocity ([0066-0069], force of the biasing spring requires change in velocity of the moving parts).
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) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yukifumi Yamada et al. U.S. Patent Publication 2013/0113263 (Yamada) in view of Bruce D. Houghtaling et al. U.S. Patent 5,882,080 (Houghtaling).
Regarding claim 20, Yamada discloses a vehicle seating assembly (Figure 2) comprising: an armrest (Element 5) configured to rotate about an axis (Element O1) and between an up position and a down position. Yamada does not directly disclose an inertia latch having a ratchet and being configured to move between a disengaged position and an engaged position to inhibit unintended movement of the armrest in the event of a collision. Houghtaling discloses a latch for two elements comprising an inertia latch having a ratchet and being configured to move between a disengaged position and an engaged position to inhibit unintended movement of the element in the event of a collision (Column 4 Line 8-51, Column 5 Line 65-Column 6 Line 7); .
Therefore it would have been an obvious modification well known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Yamada as taught by Houghtaling to include Houghtaling’s inertia latch mechanism. Such a modification would provide a means to secure the rotational elements of a vehicle with a safety enhance in the event of a collision.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11-15, 21-26, 30 and 31 are allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/SHIN H KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636