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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the at least one table leg recited in claim 13 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 6 & 11-13 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 6 recites the limitation "the slotted hole" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 11 recites the limitation "the beam" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim will be examined as if it were dependent from claim 10 for the proper antecedent.
Regarding claim 13, the limitation “preferably” in line 3 is indefinite because it is not clear if the limitation after it are required by the 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, 6, 9, 13 & 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Duerr et al. (US patent application publication 2002/0003361) (hereinafter Duerr).
Regarding claim 1, Duerr discloses a tablefor a vehicle, comprising: at least one base (165) for attachment to the vehicle and a tabletop (146, 147) connected to the base, and wherein the tabletop is moveable in relation to the base along a transverse axis of the table transversely to a longitudinal axis of the table, wherein the tabletop and the base are connected to each other via at least two connection systems (170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 210, 215) and wherein each connection system includes a guided connection between the tabletop and the base via two mutually interacting guide elements, wherein the guide elements are configured such that during a movement along the transverse axis, a force transfer takes place between the guide elements, wherein for each connection system a first guide element (210, 215) is immovably connected to the tabletop along the transverse axis, and a second guide element (170, 175) is immovably connected to the base along the transverse axis, and in at least one guide element of at least one connection system is movably connected along the longitudinal axis to the element to which it is immovably connected along the transverse axis
Regarding claim 2, Duerr discloses a table wherein the force transfer between the guide elements includes a plastic deformation of at least one of these parts or friction between the guide elements ([0041-0043]).
Regarding claim 6, Duerr discloses a table wherein the connection systems are arranged along the longitudinal axis of the table or the slotted hole of at least one connection system extends along the transverse axis (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 9, Duerr discloses a table wherein the tabletop is connected to the base via a stabilizing connection, wherein the stabilizing connection limits the movement of the tabletop in relation to the base to a plane which is spanned by the longitudinal axis and transverse axis (Fig. 3 & [0041-0043])
Regarding claim 13, Duerr discloses a table wherein the table has a substructure (20) firmly connected to the base that the substructure preferably has at least one table leg which can be connected to a vehicle floor.
Regarding claim 14, Duerr discloses a table wherein the base can be connected to a vehicle wall of the vehicle (via 20).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-5, 7-8 & 10 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 11-12 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 because it gives a general state of the art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J ROHRHOFF whose telephone number is (571)270-7624. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-4:00.
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, Dan Troy can be reached at 571-270-3742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/DANIEL J ROHRHOFF/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3637
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