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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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: reinforcing rib unit 122. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities in paragraph 32 the phrase 'between t the bicycle' should read 'between the bicycle'.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-4 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schmid (2009/0261633) in view of Krause et al (11,597,462).
Regarding claim 1 Schmid teaches a bicycle saddle comprising: a saddle part comprising a seating surface (Schmid, figs. 1 and 2), an engaging surface opposite to the seating surface (Schmid, fig. 3) and a seat tube part being a tubular body and connected with the engaging surface, wherein (seat tube: Schmid paragraph 13; fig 1[12]), an accommodating space (the general space on the underside of the seat as seen in fig. 3), is defined in the saddle part and the seat tube part (hole: Schmid paragraph 14), and the saddle part and the seat tube part are integrally formed with each other and made of a same material (Schmid, paragraph 14; figs. 1 and 3). Schmid fails to teach a thinning structure formed on at least one part of the seating surface. Krause teaches a bicycle saddle (Krause, saddle shell [22] and saddle cushion [26], fig. 3; paragraph 17) and further teaches the thinning structure formed on at least one part of the seating surface (Krause, fig.9). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the filing date of the invention was filed to provide the saddle taught by Schmid with the thinning structure formed on at least one part of the seating surface as disclosed by Krause to improve rider comfort (Krause, col 2, lines 18-20).
Regarding claim 2, Schmid in view of Krause teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 1. Schmid also teaches the engaging surface defines a lower hollow structure (hole: Schmid, paragraph 1; figs 1 and 3 [21]).
Regarding claim 3. Schmid in view of Krause teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 1, and further teaches the thinning structure is disposed along a longitudinal direction of the seating surface and corresponds to a straddling area of the saddle part (elastomer body: Krause fig. 9, [32]: column 12, lines 10-12).
Regarding claim 4, Schmid in view of Krause teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 1, and further teaches the saddle part further comprises an opening formed in the thinning structure (elastomer filling in the accommodating space: Krause, figs. 3, 8a, and 9 [32]) and an elastomer filled in the accommodating space via the opening and coated with a cladding layer (edge elements: Krause, fig. 5 [48,50]).
Regarding claim 10, Schmid in view of Krause teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 1, and further teaches a preset angle is defined between the engaging surface and the seat tube part defines (Schmid, figs. 1 and 3).
Claims 5-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schmid in view of Krause as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hung (US 2008/0246314).
Regarding claim 5, Schmid in view of Krause teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 1, but fails to teach a reinforcing ring deposited at a junction of the engaging surface and the seat tube part, and an outside diameter of the reinforcing ring gradually increases toward the engaging surface. Hung teaches a bicycle saddle assembly wherein the saddle part further comprises a reinforcing ring deposited at a junction of the engaging surface and the seat tube part (a bottom positioning base: Hung, fig. 2, [50]), and an outside diameter of the reinforcing ring gradually increases toward the engaging surface (suspension means: Hung (fig. 2, 5 6, [16]; paragraph 19, 24). It would have been obvious to one ordinary skill in the art at the prior to the filing date of the invention to provide the saddle structure disclosed in Schmid in view of Krause with the reinforcing ring taught by Hung to damp vibration from the bicycle frame during riding (Hung, paragraph 31).
Regarding claim 6, Schmid in view of Krause in further view of Hung teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 5, and further teaches a reinforcing rib unit having at least one of outer reinforcing rib and inner reinforcing rib (reinforced ribs: Schmid, paragraph 14).
Regarding claim 7, Schmid in view of Krause in further view of Hung teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 6, and further teaches the reinforcing rib unit has at least one outer reinforcing rib, the outer reinforcing rib is a protrusive structure extending outward from the junction of the engaging surface and the seat tube part (Schmid, paragraph 14, figs. 1, 2, and 3).
Regarding claim 8, Schmid in view of Krause in further view of Hung teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 6, and further teaches the reinforcing rib unit has several outer reinforcing ribs disposed at two sides of the seat tube part along a longitudinal direction of the saddle part (Schmid, paragraph 14, figs. 1, 2, and 3).
Regarding claim 9, Schmid in view of Krause in further view of Hung teaches the invention as discussed in reference to claim 6, and further teaches the reinforcing rib unit has at least one of inner reinforcing rib, the inner reinforcing rib is disposed radially within the tubular body of the seat tube part, and at least one end of the inner reinforcing rib connects to an inner wall of the seat tube part (Schmid, paragraph 14, figs. 1, 2, and 3).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER S MAXIE whose telephone number is (571)270-3217. The examiner can normally be reached 8am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, David Dunn can be reached at (571) 272-6670. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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CSM
/DAVID R DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3636
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