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 .
This is the first Office Action for the serial number 18/845,770 to VEHICLE SEAT, filed on 9/10/24.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1, line 2, “a floor” is indefinite because it is not clear what floor the applicant is referring to, floor of vehicle?
Claim 1, line 8, “a power source” is indefinite because it is not clear if the power source is mounted on the floor of vehicle or on the slide device or the seat main body?
Claims 2-10 are rejected as depending on rejected claim 1.
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.
Claims 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a1) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication # 2025/0065779 to ITO et al.
ITO teaches a vehicle seat comprising a slide device (10, 20) including a lower rail (10) provided on a floor and an upper rail (20) supported by the lower rail. The seat includes a seat main body (30) removably connected to the slide device via a connecting device (91-92). The seat includes an electric device (40) provided on the seat main body. The seat includes a rail-side connector (2a) provided on an upper surface of the upper rail and connected to a power source (50). The seat includes a seat-side connector (2b) provided on a lower surface of the seat main body and connected to the electric device. The rail-side connector and the seat-side connector being configured to be electrically connected to each other when the seat main body is connected to the upper rail. The upper rail is provided with a pair of strikers (101 , 102) at either end in a longitudinal direction thereof, and the connecting device is provided as a pair so as to correspond to the strikers, the rail-side connector is being positioned between the strikers and the seat-side connector is being positioned between the connecting devices.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-10 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: The prior arts fail to teach all of the limitations especially with “the rail-side connector includes a plurality of electrically conductive plates arranged in the longitudinal direction on an upper surface of the upper rail, and the seat side connector is provided with a plurality of conductive probes so as to contact the corresponding conductive plates”.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US Patent Application Publication # 2020/0009995 to Sonar
US Patent Application Publication # 2021/0101562 to Ricart et al.
US Patent Application Publication # 2021/0221257 to Cantos et al.
US Patent Application Publication # 2020/0269754 to Ricart et al.
US Patent Application Publication # 2020/0194936 to Ricart et al.
The cited references teach the vehicle seat having an electric connection.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALFRED J WUJCIAK whose telephone number is (571)272-6827. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-3:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Dunn can be reached at 571-272-6670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
ALFRED J. WUJCIAK III
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3632
/ALFRED J WUJCIAK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636 5/29/26
Prosecution Insights