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 .
Specification
The substitute specification filed September 18, 2024 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information referred to in the IDS filed February 11, 2026 has been considered.
The information referred to in the IDS filed February 10, 2025 has been considered.
The information referred to in the IDS filed September 18, 2024 has been considered.
Drawings
The drawings filed September 18, 2024 are approved.
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 2-12 and 14 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 2 recites the limitation "its first housing end" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation “the housing is inserted into a side of the child safety seat” in line 4. This limitation appears to positively claim the combination of the side impact protecting block and the child safety seat. Such contradicts the preamble of claim 1, from which claim 2 depends, which appears to set for the subcombination of a side impact protecting block for use with a child safety seat. Clarification in the claim language is required.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the engagement holes" in lines 3 to 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 12 recites the limitation “the first direction is substantively perpendicular to a side of, and the second direction is substantively parallel to a side of the seat” in lines 3 to 4. These limitations appear to positively claim the combination of the side impact protecting block and the child safety seat. Such contradicts the preamble of claim 1, from which claim 12 depends, which appears to set for the subcombination of a side impact protecting block for use with a child safety seat. Clarification in the claim language is required.
The remaining claims are indefinite as each depends from an indefinite claim.
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, 2, 4, 5, 10, 12, 15, 18 and 19, as best understood with the above cited indefiniteness, is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by WO2022007605.
Note a side impact protecting block (see Figures 17-24), configured to be detachably installed to a child safety seat, wherein the side impact protecting block comprises: a housing (250); a slider (230), at least partially accommodated in the housing, and operable from outside of the housing to slide along a first direction (up-down) of the housing; and an engagement member (220), accommodated in the housing, and movable between a locked position (Figure 18) protruding out of the housing and a release position retracting into the housing along a second direction (laterally) of the housing intersecting with the first direction; wherein sliding of the slider along the first direction drives the engagement member to move between the locked position and the release position.
Regarding claim 2, note the housing comprises an insertion portion (end area of 250 adjacent to 252; see Figure 17) at its first housing end along the first direction, and the housing is inserted into a side of the child safety seat through the insertion portion; and the engagement member is located in the insertion portion, and protrudes out of the housing through an engagement hole (252) opened on a side wall of the insertion portion.
Regarding claim 4, note the insertion portion has a rectangular cross-section, and the engagement holes (252 on each side) dislocated along the first direction are respectively opened on two opposite side walls of the insertion portion, the engagement member being provided at a corresponding engagement hole. See Figures 20, 23, and 24.
Regarding claim 5, note the slider has a first slider end (adjacent 232; Figure 24) engaged to the engagement member and a second slider end (upper, opposite end) for external operation along the first direction; and the slider is configured, such that sliding of the slider toward the first slider end along the first direction drives the engagement member to move from the locked position to the release position.
Regarding claim 10, note an elastic member (240 or 320) is further provided in the housing; the elastic member is provided between the housing and the slider, being configured to bias the slider toward the second slider end.
Regarding claim 12, note the first direction is substantively perpendicular to a side (top or bottom side) of the seat, and the second direction is substantively parallel to a side (top or bottom side) of the seat.
Regarding claim 15, note a child safety seat (see Figures 1-4), comprising a base, configured to fix the child safety seat to a vehicle; a seat, for a child to seat on, and at least one side impact protecting block according to claim1, detachably installed on one side or both sides of the seat.
Regarding claim 18, note the first direction (up-down) is the longitudinal direction of the side impact protecting block. See Figure 24.
Regarding claim 19, note the slider pushes the engagement member along the second direction when the engagement member is in the locked position. See Figures 17-24.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 11, 13, 16, and 17 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.
Claims 3, 6-9, 14 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. DE202012102471U1 shows a child safety seat with lateral safety blocks mounted thereon.
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mn /MILTON NELSON JR/February 24, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636