DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
This action is in response to the application 18/934,783 filed 11/01/2024 which claims benefit of 63/547,212 11/3/2023.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claims 1 and 19 objected to because of the following informalities:
In claims 1 and 19, ln 1: “A child restraint comprising--:-- …”
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-2, 9-11, and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cheng (US 2010/0181828 A1)(hereinafter Cheng) in view of Jafri (US 10,875,494 B2)(hereinafter Jafri).
RE Claim 1: Cheng discloses a child restraint (child safety seat and tether) comprising:
a seat shell (100) formed to include a child-receiving space configured to hold a child for transportation in a vehicle (para 0024), and
a child-restraint harness (106) fixed to the seat shell (100) and configured to secure the child to the seat shell within the child-receiving space (para 0025), the child-restraint harness including a plurality of harness straps coupled to the seat shell (112, 114, 116, 118), a pair of harness latches (119)coupled to respective harness straps included in the plurality of harness straps (para 0025), and a latch anchor coupled to a crotch strap included in the plurality of harness straps (para 0025-0026), wherein at least one of the harness straps includes a strip of webbing fixed to the seat shell (Fig 1), and an energy management section (para 0037)(tensioned strap 144 deforms and stretches to provide cushioning action).
Cheng does not explicitly teach the following details of the energy management section: stitching extending through the strip of webbing to provide an energy-management section in the strip of webbing, and the energy-management section is configured to come apart under load to reduce potential forces acting on the child during an impact event.
However, Jafari teaches an adaptive belt for impact (analogous art).
Jafri further teaches wherein at least one of the harness straps (100) includes stitching (102, 202, 302) extending through the strip of webbing to provide an energy-management section in the strip of webbing, and the energy-management section is configured to come apart under load to reduce potential forces acting on the child during an impact event (Figs 1C-D).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Cheng in view of Jafri such that the energy management section includes stitching extending through the strip of webbing to provide an energy-management section in the strip of webbing, and the energy-management section is configured to come apart under load to reduce potential forces acting on the child during an impact event as taught by Jafri for the advantages of reducing impact experienced for the occupant.
RE Claim 2: Cheng as modified discloses the child restraint of claim 1,
Jafri further teaches wherein the stitching is sewn in a predetermined pattern on the strip of webbing (Figs 1A-D) and includes a first stitching region and a second stitching region spaced laterally from the first stitching region relative to a longitudinal axis of the strip of webbing (Figs 1A-D).
RE Claim 9: Cheng as modified discloses the child restraint of claim 1,
Jafri discloses wherein the energy-management section has a first energy-management length prior to the impact event and a second energy-management length less than the first energy-management length after the impact event (Figs 1A-D).
RE Claim 10: Cheng as modified discloses the child restraint of claim 9,
Jafri further discloses wherein the at least one strap coupled to the energy-management section has a first strap length prior to the impact event and a second strap length greater than the first strap length after the impact event (Figs 1A-D).
RE Claim 11: Cheng as modified discloses the child restraint of claim 9,
Jafri further discloses wherein the stitching is sewn in a predetermined pattern on the strip of webbing and includes a first energy management zone configured to break in response to a first predetermined tensile force acting on the at least one strap and a second energy-management zone configured to break in response to a second predetermined tensile force greater than the first predetermined tensile force acting on the at least one strap (col 5, ln 15-40).
RE Claim 19: Cheng discloses a child restraint comprising:
a seat shell (100) formed to include a child-receiving space configured to hold a child for transportation in a vehicle (para 0024), and
a child-restraint harness (106) fixed to the seat shell (100) and configured to secure the child to the seat shell within the child-receiving space (para 0025), the child-restraint harness including a plurality of harness straps coupled to the seat shell (112, 114, 116, 118), a pair of harness latches (119) coupled to respective harness straps included in the plurality of harness straps (para 0025), and a latch anchor coupled to the seat shell and configured to engage selectively with the pair of harness latches (para 0025-0026),
wherein at least one of the harness straps includes a strip of webbing fixed to the seat shell (Fig 1), and an energy management section (para 0037)(tensioned strap 144 deforms and stretches to provide cushioning action).
Cheng does not explicitly teach the following details of the energy management section: stitching extending through the strip of webbing to provide an energy-management section in the strip of webbing, and the energy-management section is configured to come apart under load to reduce potential forces acting on the child during an impact event.
However, Jafari teaches an adaptive belt for impact (analogous art).
Jafri further teaches wherein at least one of the harness straps (100) includes stitching (102, 202, 302) extending through the strip of webbing to provide an energy-management section in the strip of webbing, and the energy-management section is configured to come apart under load to reduce potential forces acting on the child during an impact event (Figs 1C-D).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the device of Cheng in view of Jafri such that the energy management section includes stitching extending through the strip of webbing to provide an energy-management section in the strip of webbing, and the energy-management section is configured to come apart under load to reduce potential forces acting on the child during an impact event as taught by Jafri for the advantages of reducing impact experienced for the occupant.
RE Claim 20: Cheng as modified discloses the child restraint of claim 19,
Jafri further discloses wherein the energy-management section includes a predetermined pattern on the strip and has a first energy management zone configured to break in response to a first predetermined tensile force acting on the strip and a second energy-management zone configured to break in response to a second predetermined tensile force greater than the first predetermined tensile force acting on the strip (Figs 1A-D)(col 5, ln 15-40).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-8 and 12-18 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not disclose, either alone or in combination, the details of
wherein each stitching region includes an outer rectangle stitch and an inner X-shaped stitch located within the outer rectangle stitch (claim 3);
wherein the stitching further includes a third stitching region interconnecting the first and second stitching regions and located on the longitudinal axis of the strip of webbing (claims 4-8);
wherein the energy-management section is formed on a hip strap included in the plurality of straps, the hip strap having a first end fixed to the seat shell and an opposite second end coupled to a harness latch included in the pair of harness latches, and wherein the energy-management section is located between the first end and the second end (claims 12-13);
wherein the plurality of straps include a first strap section, a second strap section, the crotch strap, and an adjuster strap, and wherein the energy-management section is a first energy management section formed in the first strap section and the child-restraint harness further includes a second energy-management section formed in the second strap section (claims 14-16);
wherein the energy-management section is formed on a shoulder strap included in the plurality of straps, the shoulder strap having a first end coupled to a splitter and a second end coupled to a harness latch included in the pair of harness latches, and wherein the energy management section is located between the first and the second end and outside of the child-receiving space (claim 17);
wherein the energy-management section is formed on the crotch strap, the crotch strap having a first end coupled to the seat shell and a second end coupled to the latch anchor, and wherein the energy-management section is located between the first and second ends (claim 18); along with the remaining limitations of the claim.
This statement is not intended to necessarily state all the reasons for allowance or all the details why the claims are allowed and has not been written to specifically or impliedly state that all the reasons for allowance are set forth (MPEP 1302.14)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
These documents present alternative designs similar in scope which illustrate relevant features in comparison to the Applicant’s submission. The cited prior art include various child restraints and vehicle restraint with harnesses and straps comprising energy management for reduction of force on an occupant of the seat during impact.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARIA E GRABER whose telephone number is (571)272-4640. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Timothy D Collins can be reached on 571-272-6886. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARIA E GRABER/Examiner, Art Unit 3644
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