DETAILED ACTION
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 as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description:
Paragraph 0020: Both the battery module (57) and the add-on battery module (59) are missing from the drawings.
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. 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 Objections
Claim 17 and 18 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17: The phrase “the second seat assembly positioned forward of the first seat assembly and rearward of the second seat assembly” is self-referential, it is assumed that this is a typographical error.
Claim 18: The comma in the phrase “the recreational vehicle of claim, 17 further comprising a canopy assembly” is placed improperly.
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.
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.
Claim 17 is 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 17, which states “The recreational vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a third seat assembly coupled to at least one of the chassis or the body, the second seat assembly positioned forward of the first seat assembly and rearward of the second seat assembly, the third seat assembly movable between a third seat configuration and a third storage configuration where the third seat assembly defines a third portion of the storage bed,” defines an impossible structural relationship. It is impossible for the second seat assembly to be positioned rearward of itself. The Office will examine claim 17 on its merits assuming that the phrase “the second seat assembly positioned forward of the first seat assembly and rearward of the second seat assembly” is a misspelling of “the third seat assembly positioned forward of the first seat assembly and rearward of the second seat assembly.”
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 1-7, 10-13, and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hidaka et al. (US 20240300389 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Hidaka teaches “A golf vehicle comprising:
a chassis (vehicle body including a main frame, see abstract);
a body coupled to the chassis (vehicle body, see abstract); and
a seat assembly movable between a seat configuration and a storage configuration (see paragraph 0008), the seat assembly including:
a seat base coupled to at least one of the chassis or the body (see abstract); and
a bottom cushion assembly movably coupled to the seat base, wherein the bottom cushion assembly is in a first position above the seat base when the seat assembly is in the seat configuration and is in a second position forward of the seat base when the seat assembly is in the storage configuration. (seat top is hingeably attached to seat bottom, and can swing between normal use and storage use positions, see paragraphs 0073 and 0074)”
Regarding claim 2, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
the seat base defines a first surface;
the bottom cushion assembly defines a second surface; and
the second surface aligns with the first surface when the bottom cushion assembly is in the second position to define at least a portion of a storage bed of the golf vehicle.” (See Hidaka, Figure 7.1)
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Hidaka, Figure 7.1
Regarding claim 3, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 2, wherein the second surface is supported by the first surface when the bottom cushion assembly is in the first position.” (Rear seat bottom rests on rear seat base in normal use, see paragraph 0070)
Regarding claim 4, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 2, wherein:
the second surface is on a first side of the bottom cushion assembly; and
the bottom cushion assembly includes a bottom cushion on an opposing second side of the bottom cushion assembly.” (Rear seat bottom comprises cushion on one side and surface on the other, see paragraph 0070)
Regarding claim 5, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 1, wherein:
the body and the bottom cushion assembly collectively define a storage opening when the bottom cushion assembly is in the second position; and
the seat assembly includes a back cushion assembly removably coupled to the seat base, the back cushion assembly configured to be received by the storage opening when the seat assembly is in the storage configuration.” (See Hidaka, Figure 38.1)
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Regarding claim 6, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 1, further comprising:
a canopy assembly including:
a plurality of pillars; and
a canopy coupled to the pillars, the canopy covering at least a portion of the seat assembly; and
the seat assembly includes a back cushion assembly removably coupled to at least one of the plurality of pillars.” (Back cushion may be removed from pillars, see paragraph 0141, see Hidaka, Figure 1.1)
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Hidaka, Figure 1.1
Regarding claim 7, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 1, wherein the seat assembly includes:
a back cushion assembly pivotably coupled to the seat base, wherein the back cushion assembly is in a third position above the seat base when the seat assembly is in the seat configuration and is in a fourth position rearward of the seat base when the seat assembly is in the storage configuration.” (See Hidaka, Figure 5.1)
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Hidaka, Figure 5.1
Regarding claim 10, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 1, wherein a first portion of the bottom cushion assembly and a second portion of the bottom cushion assembly are separately movable between the first position and the second position.” (See Hidaka, paragraph 0232)
Regarding claim 11, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 1, wherein the bottom cushion assembly pivots forward relative to the seat base to move the bottom cushion assembly from the first position to the second position.” (See Hidaka, Figure 7.2)
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Hidaka, Figure 7.2
Regarding claim 12, Hidaka teaches “The golf vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a forward seat assembly coupled to at least one of the chassis or the body, the forward seat assembly positioned forward of the seat assembly, the forward seat assembly movable between a forward seat configuration and a forward storage configuration where the forward seat assembly defines a forward portion of the storage bed.” (See Hidaka, Figure 27.1)
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Hidaka, Figure 27.1
Regarding claim 13, Hidaka teaches “A recreational vehicle comprising:
a chassis (main frame, see abstract);
a body coupled to the chassis (floor panel fixed to main frame, see abstract);
a first seat assembly coupled to at least one of the chassis or the body (see paragraph 0070), the first seat assembly movable between a first seat configuration and a first storage configuration where the first seat assembly defines a first portion of a storage bed of the recreational vehicle (see paragraph 0071); and
a second seat assembly coupled to at least one of the chassis or the body, the second seat assembly positioned forward of the first seat assembly, the second seat assembly movable between a second seat configuration and a second storage configuration where the second seat assembly defines a second portion of the storage bed (see paragraph 0140).”
Regarding claim 16, Hidaka teaches “The recreational vehicle of claim 13, wherein:
the second seat assembly is a front seat assembly including a driver seat portion (see paragraph 0063) and a passenger seat portion (see paragraph 0063); and
the passenger seat portion includes:
a passenger seat base coupled to the at least one of the chassis or the body (see paragraph 0064); and
a passenger bottom cushion assembly movably coupled to the passenger seat base, wherein the passenger bottom cushion assembly is in a first position above the passenger seat base when the second seat assembly is in the second seat configuration and is in a second position forward of the passenger seat base when the second seat assembly is in the second storage configuration(see paragraph 0140).”
Regarding claim 17, Hidaka teaches “The recreational vehicle of claim 13, further comprising a third seat assembly coupled to at least one of the chassis or the body, the [third] seat assembly positioned forward of the first seat assembly and rearward of the second seat assembly, the third seat assembly movable between a third seat configuration and a third storage configuration where the third seat assembly defines a third portion of the storage bed.” (The vehicle according to the disclosure may contain three or more rows of seats, see Hidaka, paragraph 0225)
Regarding claim 18. Hidaka teaches “The recreational vehicle of claim, 17 further comprising a canopy assembly including:
a plurality of first pillars (pillars (14), see paragraph 60);
a plurality of second pillars positioned rearward of the first pillars (pillars (15), see paragraph 60);
a plurality of third pillars positioned rearward of the second pillars (pillars (17), see paragraph 60); and
a canopy coupled to the first pillars, the second pillars, and the third pillars, the canopy covering at least one of the first seat assembly, the second seat assembly, or the third seat assembly (roll over protection structure, see paragraph 0060);
wherein the third seat assembly is coupled to at least one of the second pillars (pillars (15) are connected to all vehicle seats through vehicle chassis and body, see paragraph 0060).”
Regarding claim 19, Hidaka teaches “A forward-facing seat assembly for a recreational vehicle, the seat assembly comprising:
a seat base configured to couple to at least one of a chassis or a body of the recreational vehicle, the seat base defining a first surface;
a bottom cushion assembly pivotably coupled to the seat base, the bottom cushion assembly defining a second surface on a first side of the bottom cushion assembly, the bottom cushion assembly pivotable between a first position where the second surface is supported by the first surface and a second position where the second surface aligns with the first surface; and
a back cushion assembly at least one of removably or pivotably coupled to the seat base, wherein the back cushion assembly is in a third position above the seat base when the seat assembly is in the third configuration and is in a fourth position below the first surface of the seat base when the seat assembly is in the storage configuration.” (See Hidaka, Figure 5.2)
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Hidaka, Figure 5.2
Regarding claim 20, Hidaka teaches “The seat assembly of claim 19, wherein a first portion of the bottom cushion assembly and a second portion of the bottom cushion assembly are separately pivotably between the first position and the second position.” (See Hidaka, paragraph 0232)
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.
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.
Claims 8, 9, 14, and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hidaka et al. (US 20240300389 A1) in view of Arnold et al. (US 20110169289 A1).
Regarding claim 8, Hidaka teaches all the limitations of the claims, as applied to claim 1, except “bottom cushion assembly is supported by the front row seat assembly when the bottom cushion assembly is in the second position.”
However, Arnold teaches “bottom cushion assembly is supported by the front row seat assembly when the bottom cushion assembly is in the second position.” (See Arnold, Figure 2.1)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute the support post (see Hidaka, paragraph 0076) designed to support the seat cushions when in storage configuration as taught by Hidaka, with a support point located on the front seat assembly as taught by Arnold, to prevent the armrest from becoming dirty (see Hidaka, paragraph 0076), with a reasonable expectation of success. Note that Hidaka additionally mentions that the support post may contact another part of the vehicle other than the floor. (See Hidaka, paragraph 0077)
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Arnold, Figure 2.1
Regarding claim 9, Hidaka teaches all the limitations of the claims as applied to claim 8, except for “wherein the bottom cushion assembly includes an interface assembly configured to releasably couple to the front row seat assembly when the bottom cushion assembly is in the second position.”
However, Arnold teaches “wherein the bottom cushion assembly includes an interface assembly configured to releasably couple to the front row seat assembly when the bottom cushion assembly is in the second position.” (Locking device prevents undesirable motion of the storage bed when deployed, see Arnold, paragraph 0044)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute the support post (see Hidaka, paragraph 0076) designed to support the seat cushions when in storage configuration as taught by Hidaka, with a locking support point located on the front seat assembly as taught by Arnold, to prevent the armrest from becoming dirty (see Hidaka, paragraph 0076) and undesirable motion of the deployed storage bed, with a reasonable expectation of success. Note that Hidaka additionally mentions that the support post may contact another part of the vehicle other than the floor. (See Hidaka, paragraph 0077)
Regarding claim 14, Hidaka teaches all the limitations of the claims as applied to claim 13, except for “wherein a portion of the first seat assembly is supported by the second seat assembly when the first seat assembly is in the first storage configuration.”
However, Arnold teaches “wherein a portion of the first seat assembly is supported by the second seat assembly when the first seat assembly is in the first storage configuration.” (See Arnold, Figure 2.1)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute the support post (see Hidaka, paragraph 0076) designed to support the seat cushions when in storage configuration as taught by Hidaka, with a support point located on the front seat assembly as taught by Arnold, to prevent the armrest from becoming dirty (see Hidaka, paragraph 0076), with a reasonable expectation of success. Note that Hidaka additionally mentions that the support post may contact another part of the vehicle other than the floor. (See Hidaka, paragraph 0077)
Regarding claim 15, Hidaka teaches all the limitations of the claims as applied to claim 14, except for “wherein the first seat assembly includes an interface assembly configured to releasably couple to the second seat assembly when the first seat assembly is in the first storage configuration.”
However, Arnold teaches “wherein the first seat assembly includes an interface assembly configured to releasably couple to the second seat assembly when the first seat assembly is in the first storage configuration.” (Locking device prevents undesirable motion of the storage bed when deployed, see Arnold, paragraph 0044)
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute the support post (see Hidaka, paragraph 0076) designed to support the seat cushions when in storage configuration as taught by Hidaka, with a locking support point located on the front seat assembly as taught by Arnold, to prevent the armrest from becoming dirty (see Hidaka, paragraph 0076) and undesirable motion of the deployed storage bed, with a reasonable expectation of success. Note that Hidaka additionally mentions that the support post may contact another part of the vehicle other than the floor. (See Hidaka, paragraph 0077)
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Houston (US 7240948 B1) teaches a rear facing seat convertible into a storage bed, also registered to Textron Inc.
Moore et al (US 20160176315 A1) teaches a rear facing seat similar to that of Houston.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACK R CATALANO whose telephone number is (571)270-0470. The examiner can normally be reached Monday Friday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m. ET..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivek Koppikar can be reached at (571) 272-5109. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JRC/
/VIVEK D KOPPIKAR/Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3612
June 18, 2026
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