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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kristo et al (20190002272) in view of Rajaratnam (WO2020051625). The reference to Kristo et al teaches structure substantially as claimed including a seat cushion comprising a three-dimensional filaments-linked structure of one material (at least pg 0210) that is a thermoplastic resin or a thermoplastic elastomer (at least pg 0057), the seat cushion having a flat seat surface and having a density of the three- dimensional filaments-linked structure of a seat surface left-right direction central part corresponding to a standard width of adult buttocks and a density thereof in both seat surface left-right direction end parts outside the standard width of adult buttocks, the only difference being that the densities of different locations of the cushion is not specifically different to provide varying degrees of support. However, the reference to Rajaratnam (at least fig 7) teaches the use of varying densities to provide varying degrees of support to be old. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the structure of Kristo et al with a reasonable expectation of success, to include varying densities, as taught by Rajaratnam since such are conventional alternative structures used in the same intended purpose and environment and would have been a reasonably predictable result, thereby providing structure as claimed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-4, 6 are allowable over the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The references cited teach structure similar to applicant’s including cushioned seat structure and methods to make such.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSE V CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-6865. The examiner can normally be reached m-f, m-w 5:30-3:00, th5:30-2:00.
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/JOSE V CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637