DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Pg. 27, line 23, “track” should be replaced with –truck--; and,
Pg. 29, line 33, “defines” should be replaced with –define--.
Pg. 35, line 24, “is” should be removed,
Pg. 35, line 25, --is—should be inserted between “146” and “arranged”,
Pg. 37, line 28, “when the vehicle is in position” is unclear,
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 19 recites the limitation “the angle section" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
Claims 14-16, 20-22, 24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Karlsson (US6179368).
14. A collapsible tent (Fig. 2) configured to be mounted to the rear of a vehicle (Fig. 10), the collapsible tent comprising: a foldable base (23, Fig. 11) configured to form a floor (col. 3, lines 37-38: “so as to be able to unfold the said floor-boards into a largely flat surface (floor)”), the foldable base comprising a first base section (14, Figs. 3 and 7), a second base section (12, Figs. 3 and 7), and a third base section (10, Figs. 3 and 7); and a foldable frame (35, Fig. 3) configured to support a canopy (16, Fig. 3), wherein the collapsible tent is configured to fold between a use state and a collapsed state (col. 3, lines 44-49: “The "Camper" is designed to be able to hold each and all of the bedding equipment as well as the semi permanently mounted tent structure [FIG. 3 (16)] including its tent poles (35), both in its folded state [FIG. 5 (35)] as well as unfolded state [FIG. 3 (35)]”), wherein the canopy is configured to fold in coordination with the foldable base (col. 4, lines 15-19: “The only thing left at this point is to erect the normally attached tent. Again for this demonstration the tent canvas has not been shown to make the demonstration clear although the steps with the canvas attached are the same”), and wherein the first base section and the second base section are configured to pivot in relation to adjacent base sections between the use state and the collapsed state (see Figs. 5-8 and col. 4, lines 1-15: “(7) Refer now to FIGS. 5 to 8 for an illustrated step-by-step instruction on how to unfold the "Camper". To make the procedure clear the tent canvas has been removed for this demonstration. (8) Step 1. [FIG. 5] Remove the cover. The interior of the Camper" can now be seen with, in this case, the folded mattresses (17) and tent poles (35). (9) Step 2. Unfold the "Legs" (9) on the rear vertical floor board (12) and swing the unit backward until the "Legs" rest on the ground as in (FIG. 6). (10) Step 4. Do the same with floor board (13) and lower it to the ground. [FIG. 7]. (11) Step 5. Again do the same with floor board [FIG. 8 (14)]. In case a foldable mattress is used it can now be flipped [FIG. 7 (19)] into place”).
15. The collapsible tent of claim 14, wherein the first base section (14, Fig. 7) is disposed between the second base section (12, Fig. 7) and the third base section (10, Fig. 7) in the collapsed state (Fig. 5), and the first base section (14, Fig. 8) is further from a coupling arrangement (3, 20, 21, 22, Fig. 10) than the second base section (12) and the third base section (10, Fig. 7) in the use state.
16. The collapsible tent of claim 14, further comprising a coupling arrangement (3, 20, 21, 22, Fig. 10) configured to pivot relative to the foldable base (23, col. 4, lines 20-24: “While in its folded state the whole unit can be folded back, as illustrated in [FIG. 9], to be able to access the vehicle's back door. This is accomplished by adding a hinged swing arm [FIG. 10 (20)] to each side of the extended hitch-arm [FIG. 10 (3)] with a rear pivot point [FIG. 10 (21)]”), and configured to releasably connect the collapsible tent with the vehicle (col. 3, lines 18-19: “the "Camper" is mounted on an extended Hitch-arm [FIG. 1 (3) and FIG. 17 (3)”).
20. The collapsible tent of claim 14, wherein at least two of the first base section (14, Figs. 3 and 7), the second base section (12, Figs. 3 and 7), and the third base section (10, Figs. 3 and 7) are configured to fold about a base pivot axis (see the pivot axis defined by the middle hinge 15 in Fig. 11) disposed at an angle (perpendicular) relative to a longitudinal direction of the collapsible tent.
21. The collapsible tent of claim 20, further comprising a coupling arrangement configured to pivot about a coupling arrangement pivot axis (see the pivot axis defined by the right most hinge 15 in Fig. 11), wherein the coupling arrangement pivot axis is parallel to the base pivot axis (see the pivot axis defined by the middle hinge 15 in Fig. 11).
22. The collapsible tent of claim 16, wherein the coupling arrangement comprises a connector (3, Fig. 11) configured to connect the coupling arrangement to the vehicle and fix an orientation of the coupling arrangement relative to the vehicle (Fig. 9 and Fig. 11, note that the shape of the hitch receiver and the hitch pin fix the orientation).
24. The collapsible tent of claim 22, wherein the connector (3, Fig. 11) comprises a releasable hitch adapter (note the hole in Fig. 11 for the hitch pin) configured to support the collapsible tent on a hitch receiver of the vehicle (col. 3, lines 18-20: “The unit is still connected to the car but it could very well be unhooked as an independent camper by pulling the pin [FIG. 17 (7)] holding the Hitch-arm to the vehicle's hitch-receiver [FIG. 17 (8)]”).
26. The collapsible tent of claim 16, wherein the collapsible tent is configured to pivot between a raised position (Fig. 5) and a lowered position (Fig. 6) in the collapsed state relative to the coupling arrangement when the coupling arrangement is coupled to the vehicle (Figs. 5 and 6).
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 17 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karlsson (US6179368) in view of An (US20170119166).
17. Karlsson fails to disclose the collapsible tent of claim 14, wherein the collapsible tent further comprises an angle section disposed closer to the third base section than to a coupling arrangement, and wherein the angle section is disposed at an angle relative to the third base section in the use state. An teaches, in the context of collapsible beds, an angle section (21, Figs. 3, 4, and 10) disposed at an angle relative to a base section of the bed in the use state (Fig. 10). It 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 to have included wherein the collapsible tent further comprises an angle section disposed closer to the third base section than to a coupling arrangement, and wherein the angle section is disposed at an angle relative to the third base section in the use state in order to provide a stowable head board for the bed in the collapsible tent of Karlsson according to the teachings of An in order to provide a “collapsible, foldable mattress support 20 that has the appearance of a conventional bed frame with a headboard frame 21”, see An at [0027].
Claims 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karlsson (US6179368) in view of Willis (US3278953).
18. Karlsson fails to disclose the collapsible tent of claim 14, wherein the collapsible tent comprises a frame tensioning arrangement configured to erect a proximal frame member of the foldable frame. Willis teaches, in the context of collapsible beds, wherein a collapsible tent (Fig. 1) comprises a frame tensioning arrangement (32, 102) configured to erect a proximal frame member (34) of the foldable frame (col. 3, line 70 to col. 4, line 1: “The chains 102 and 103 connected between the forward and rear end frames respectively, of the cot and the front and rear leg units, securely hold the end frames down in the position shown in FIG. 1 to maintain the erect condition of the cot and cover as shown. However, a hook, or latch 104 can be employed directly on the, brackets 28 and 32, if desired, to achieve the same results”). It 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 to have included wherein the collapsible tent comprises a frame tensioning arrangement configured to erect a proximal frame member of the foldable frame in the collapsible tent of Karlsson according to the teachings of Willis in order to facilitate user selection of the angle of the head board or foot board.
19. Karlsson in view Willis disclose the collapsible tent of claim 18, wherein the frame tensioning arrangement comprises an elongate tensioning member disposed between the angle section and the proximal frame member (see Willis at col. 3, line 74 to col. 4, line 1: “However, a hook, or latch 104 can be employed directly on the, brackets 28 and 32, if desired, to achieve the same results”).
Claim 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karlsson (US6179368) in view of McEvilly (US20230132551).
23. Karlsson fails to disclose the collapsible tent of claim 22, wherein the connector is a clamp configured to support the collapsible tent on a tow ball of the vehicle. McEvilly teaches, in the context of vehicle connectable hammock stands, wherein a connector (900, Fig. 9) is a clamp (925, 935, Fig. 9, see also [0034]) configured to support the collapsible tent on a tow ball of the vehicle ([0028]: “FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 illustrate a perspective view 100 and a top view 200 of two asymmetrical hammock stands 105A and 105B connected to a vehicle”).
Claim 25 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karlsson (US6179368) in view of Fuller (US20120023706).
25. Karlsson discloses the collapsible tent of claim 14, further comprising a support (9, Fig. 5) configured to support the collapsible tent against a support surface, wherein the support is configured to move between a raised position (see arrow indicating range of movement in Fig. 5) and an extended position (see arrow indicating range of movement in Fig. 5), and wherein a first support portion of the support is configured to extend parallel to the foldable base (see the support portion in Fig. 5) in the use state.
Karlsson fails to disclose wherein the first support portion extends below at least two adjacent base sections when the support is in the extended position. Fuller teaches, in the context of hinges, wherein a first support portion (12, 28, Fig. 1) extends below at least two adjacent base sections (12 and 14) when the support is in the extended position. It 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 to have included wherein the first support portion extends below at least two adjacent base sections when the support is in the extended position in the collapsible tent of Karlsson according to the teachings of Fuller in order to prevent over rotation of the base sections in the use state.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ben Pezzlo whose telephone number is (571)272-9656. The examiner can normally be reached M to Th 7 to 5.
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/BAP/Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/DANIEL P CAHN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3634
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