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 .
Status of the Application
Claims 1-20 are pending and have been examined in this application. This communication is the first action on the merits. As of the date of this application, the Information Disclosure Statement(s) (IDS) filed on 11/18/2024 has/have been taken into account.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 7 and 13 each recites “the end portion”. This should read “an end portion” (emphasis added). Appropriate correction is required.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fukaya et al. (JP H10-100752).
In regards to Claim 9, Fukaya discloses a seat rail assembly for mounting at least one vehicle seat, comprising: a lower rail (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 22) configured to be mounted to a vehicle floor, the lower rail defining a sliding space; an upper rail (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 24) configured to receive at least one vehicle seat mounted thereon, the upper rail at least partially provided within the sliding space of the lower rail and slidable relative to the lower rail in a first direction or in a second direction opposite the first direction; and an engagement assembly provided within the sliding space of the lower rail, wherein the engagement assembly comprises a cam (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 31) rotatably supported by the upper rail and including a cam surface engaging the lower rail and a biasing member (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 34) supported by the upper rail and biasing the cam to the lower rail.
In regards to Claim 10, Fukaya discloses the seat rail assembly according to claim 9, wherein the axis of rotation of the cam (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 31) extends in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction.
Claims 9-10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada et al. (JP 6171747).
In regards to Claim 9, Yamada discloses a seat rail assembly for mounting at least one vehicle seat, comprising: a lower rail (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 5) configured to be mounted to a vehicle floor, the lower rail defining a sliding space; an upper rail (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 6B) configured to receive at least one vehicle seat mounted thereon, the upper rail at least partially provided within the sliding space of the lower rail and slidable relative to the lower rail in a first direction or in a second direction opposite the first direction; and an engagement assembly provided within the sliding space of the lower rail, wherein the engagement assembly comprises a cam (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 70B) rotatably supported by the upper rail and including a cam surface engaging the lower rail and a biasing member (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 60B) supported by the upper rail and biasing the cam to the lower rail.
In regards to Claim 10, Yamada discloses the seat rail assembly according to claim 9, wherein the axis of rotation of the cam (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 70B) extends in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction.
In regards to Claim 13, Yamada discloses the seat rail assembly according to claim 9, wherein the cam (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 70B) is rotatably mounted to the end portion of the first direction or the second direction of the upper rail (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 6B).
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.
Claims 1 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamada et al. (JP 6171747) in view of Shiraki (JP 2020-026156).
In regards to Claim 1, Yamada discloses a seat rail assembly for mounting at least one vehicle seat, comprising: a lower rail (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 5) configured to be mounted to a vehicle floor, the lower rail defining a sliding space; an upper rail (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 6B) configured to receive at least one vehicle seat mounted thereon, the upper rail at least partially provided within the sliding space of the lower rail and slidable relative to the lower rail in a first direction or in a second direction opposite the first direction; and an engagement assembly provided within the sliding space of the lower rail, wherein the engagement assembly comprises a cam (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 70B) rotatably supported by the upper rail and including a cam surface, and a biasing member (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 60B) supported by the upper rail and biasing the cam.
Yamada fails to disclose a slider member connected to the lower rail and including a slider surface engaging the cam surface. However, Shiraki teaches a slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) connected to a lower rail and including a slider surface (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32b) engaging a camming surface.
Yamada and Shiraki are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. sliding supports. 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 rails and engagement assembly in Yamada with the slider from Shiraki, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide a member which has a horizontal surface that is connected to an underside of the lower rail and interfaces with a rotating member, thereby providing better force transfer between the rotating member and rail so as to improve the performance of the assembly (Shiraki: [0023]-[0024]).
In regards to Claim 7, Yamada, as modified, teaches the seat rail assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cam (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 70B) is rotatably mounted to the end portion of the first direction or the second direction of the upper rail (Yamada: Fig. 14-16; 6B).
Claims 1-4, 8, 14-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukaya et al. (JP H10-100752) in view of Shiraki (JP 2020-026156).
In regards to Claim 1, Fukaya discloses a seat rail assembly for mounting at least one vehicle seat, comprising: a lower rail (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 22) configured to be mounted to a vehicle floor, the lower rail defining a sliding space; an upper rail (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 24) configured to receive at least one vehicle seat mounted thereon, the upper rail at least partially provided within the sliding space of the lower rail and slidable relative to the lower rail in a first direction or in a second direction opposite the first direction; and an engagement assembly provided within the sliding space of the lower rail, wherein the engagement assembly comprises a cam (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 31) rotatably supported by the upper rail and including a cam surface, and a biasing member (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 34) supported by the upper rail and biasing the cam.
Fukaya fails to disclose a slider member connected to the lower rail and including a slider surface engaging the cam surface. However, Shiraki teaches a slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) connected to a lower rail and including a slider surface (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32b) engaging a camming surface.
Fukaya and Shiraki are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. sliding supports. 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 rails and engagement assembly in Fukaya with the slider from Shiraki, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide a member which has a horizontal surface that is connected to an underside of the lower rail and interfaces with a rotating member, thereby providing better force transfer between the rotating member and rail so as to improve the performance of the assembly (Shiraki: [0023]-[0024]).
In regards to Claim 2, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the seat rail assembly according to claim 1, wherein the slider surface (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32b) of the slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) is inclined relative to the first direction.
In regards to Claim 3, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the seat rail assembly according to claim 2, wherein the slider surface (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32b) of the slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) is flat.
In regards to Claim 4, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the seat rail assembly according to claim 1, wherein the axis of rotation of the cam (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 31) extends in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction.
In regards to Claim 8, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the seat rail assembly according to claim 1, wherein the lower rail (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 22) comprises a bottom plate section (Fukaya: Annotated Fig. 8; P1), a pair of outer plate sections (Fukaya: Annotated Fig. 8; P2) extending upward from both ends of the bottom plate section, a pair of upper plate sections (Fukaya: Annotated Fig. 8; P3) extending from the upper ends of each of the outer plate sections to the inside, and a pair of inner plate sections (Fukaya: Annotated Fig. 8; P4) extending downward from inner ends of each of the upper plate sections, the upper rail comprises a sidewall portion (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 30) disposed under the upper plate section and between the outer plate section and the inner plate section, the slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) is connected to the upper plate portion, and the cam is (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 31) rotatably supported by the sidewall portion.
In regards to Claim 14, Fukaya discloses a method of assembling a seat rail assembly, comprising: providing lower rail (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 22) which defines a sliding space; providing an upper rail (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 24) at least partially within the sliding space of the lower rail and slidable relative to the lower rail in a first direction or in a second direction opposite the first direction; and installing an engagement assembly between the lower rail and the upper rail, wherein the engagement assembly comprises a cam (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 31) rotatably supported by the upper rail and including a cam surface, and a biasing member supported by the upper rail and biasing the cam.
Fukaya fails to disclose a slider member connected to the lower rail and including a slider surface engaging the cam surface. However, Shiraki teaches a slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) connected to a lower rail and including a slider surface (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32b) engaging a camming surface. [Note: See the rejection of claim 1 for motivation and/or rationale.]
In regards to Claim 15, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the method of claim 14, wherein the slider surface (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32b) of the slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) is inclined relative to the first direction.
In regards to Claim 16, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the method of claim 15, wherein the slider surface (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32b) of the slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) is flat.
In regards to Claim 17, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the method of claim 14, wherein the axis of rotation of the cam (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 31) extends in a third direction perpendicular to the first direction.
In regards to Claim 20, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the method of claim 14, wherein the lower rail (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 22) comprises a bottom plate section (Fukaya: Annotated Fig. 8; P1), a pair of outer plate sections (Fukaya: Annotated Fig. 8; P2) extending upward from both ends of the bottom plate section, a pair of upper plate sections (Fukaya: Annotated Fig. 8; P3) extending from the upper ends of each of the outer plate sections to the inside, and a pair of inner plate sections (Fukaya: Annotated Fig. 8; P4) extending downward from inner ends of each of the upper plate sections, the upper rail comprises a sidewall portion (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 30) disposed under the upper plate section and between the outer plate section and the inner plate section, the slider member (Shiraki: Fig. 7; 32) is connected to the upper plate portion, and the cam is (Fukaya: Fig. 7-8; 31) rotatably supported by the sidewall portion.
Claims 5-6 and 18-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukaya et al. (JP H10-100752) in view of Shiraki (JP 2020-026156) as applied to claims 1 and 14 above, and further in view of Harris et al. (US 5,482,379).
In regards to Claim 5, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the seat rail assembly according to claim 1, but fails to disclose that the engagement assembly further comprises a hub attached to a side of the upper rail, and the cam is attached to the hub.
However, Harris teaches a hub (Harris: Fig. 1; 12) attached to a support, and a rotating member (Harris: Fig. 1; 40) that is attached to the hub.
Fukaya and Harris are analogous because they are from the same field of endeavor or a similar problem solving area e.g. sliding supports; and accommodating dimensional differences in sliding assemblies. 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 upper rail and cam in Fukaya with the hub and tab from Harris, with a reasonable expectation of success, in order to provide a bearing for the cam that is able to adapt to misalignments of the surfaces that it engages with (Harris: Col. 3, Ln. 54-58), thereby helping to ensure optimal performance in a wide variety of situations in systems subject to misalignments.
In regards to Claim 6, Fukaya, as modified, teaches the seat rail assembly according to claim 5, wherein the upper rail comprises a tab (Harris: Fig. 1; 58) protruding laterally, the hub (Harris: Fig. 1; 12) includes an interior bore (Harris: Fig. 1; 56) fitted to the tab and an exterior circular slide surface (Harris: Fig. 1; 22) formed on an outer periphery of the interior bore, and the cam includes a bore fitted to the hub and sliding on the exterior circular slide surface of the hub.
Claim 18 is rejected, as set forth in the rejection of claim 5.
Claim 19 is rejected, as set forth in the rejection of claim 6.
Claims 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukaya et al. (JP H10-100752) in view of Harris et al. (US 5,482,379).
Claim 11 is rejected, as set forth in the rejection of claim 5.
Claim 12 is rejected, as set forth in the rejection of claim 6.
Annotated Figures
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I: Fukaya; Fig. 8
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See PTO-892 for cited references.
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/Taylor Morris/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3631
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