June 23, 2026
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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in China on 05/26/2024. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the CN202321355941.8 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because Applicant uses the word “invention” on line 1 of the Abstract, which is improper language for the Abstract. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 1-2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0415292 A1) in view of Bullard et al. (U.S. Patent No. 8,671,483 B2).
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Xiao teaches the structure substantially as claimed including a sofa capable of being integrally compressed 9see the Abstract where it reads “In the device, the foam layer and the spring assembly are configured in their entirety, so that before transportation a spring compressor is used to compress the sofa in its entirety, providing convenience for transportation and avoiding inconvenient transportation due to excessive volume, after transportation to the designated location, the compressed package opens to enable the spring means disposed inside it to quickly return to a full shape.”), comprising an integral sofa body formed by being at least supported by compressible springs, wherein the integral sofa body comprises bases, backrests and armrests, wherein the bases are all formed by being supported by compressible springs, and all the springs are parallel to one another, such that the integral sofa body can be completely compressed. But it is not clear if the backrests and the armrests are all formed by being supported by compressible springs.
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However, Bullard et al. teach the concept of inclluding compressible springs in backrests (see column 8, lines 33-44 where it reads “For example, the fiber pad can have one layer of a needle punched shoddy pad made from a combination of waste fibers that may include polyester, rayon, cotton acrylics and about 10% polypropylene fibers that is thermically bonded to a polyester loft layer having a minimum of 10% low melt fibers. This composition has the advantage of being low cost and also provides for an easily controllable insulation since the shoddy pad may offer thickness and density variations that affect the comfort factor of the cushion. For example, in an instance where the pocketed coils were to be very soft (in a back cushion, for example)…..”). It would have been obvious and well within the level of ordinary skill in the art for the backrests and the armrests, as taught by Xiao, are also formed by being supported by compressible springs, as taught by Bullard et al., since the pocketed coils taught by Bullard et al. are very soft and the backrest and armrests would be very soft and easier to compress for packaging and it would also prevent the occupant from feeling the springs when seated on the sofa.
As for Claim 2, both Xiao and Bullard et al. teach that more than one of the springs are arranged in front-back and left-right directions to form a spring layer, and at least one spring layer is arranged in an up-down direction.
As for Claim 4, Bullard et al. teach that the springs is a pocket spring wrapped in a non-woven bag 26.
As for Claim 8, Xiao and Bullard et al teach that after the bases, the backrests and the armrests are assembled into the sofa, the springs in the bases, the backrests and the armrests are all placed vertically.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0415292 A1) in view of Andreotti (U.S. Patent No. 9,913,538 B2).
Xiao teaches the structure substantially as claimed including a sofa capable of being integrally compressed 9see the Abstract where it reads “In the device, the foam layer and the spring assembly are configured in their entirety, so that before transportation a spring compressor is used to compress the sofa in its entirety, providing convenience for transportation and avoiding inconvenient transportation due to excessive volume, after transportation to the designated location, the compressed package opens to enable the spring means disposed inside it to quickly return to a full shape.”), comprising an integral sofa body formed by being at least supported by compressible springs, wherein the integral sofa body comprises bases, backrests and armrests, wherein the bases are all formed by being supported by compressible springs, and all the springs are parallel to one another, such that the integral sofa body can be completely compressed. But it is not clear if the backrests and the armrests are all formed by being supported by compressible springs.
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However, Andreotti teaches the concept of inclluding compressible springs in cushions. It would have been obvious and well within the level of ordinary skill in the art for the backrests and the armrests, as taught by Xiao, are also formed by being supported by compressible springs, as taught by Bullard et al., since the pocketed coils taught by Bullard et al. are very soft and the backrest and armrests would be very soft and easier to compress for packaging and it would also prevent the occupant from feeling the springs when seated on the sofa.
As for Claim 2, both Xiao and Andreotti teach that more than one of the springs are arranged in front-back and left-right directions to form a spring layer, and at least one spring layer is arranged in an up-down direction
As for Claim 3, Andreotti teaches the use of an auxiliary material layer such as layer 128, 132, 140, 148, 152 that can be arranged between the spring layers.
As for Claim 4, Andreotti teaches that the springs is a pocket spring wrapped in a non-woven bag 124.
As for Claim 5, Andreotti teaches the concept of the bases further comprising a soft material (any of the aforementioned layers 128, 132, 140, 148, 152) and a wrapping layer 112, an upper surface of the base is covered with the soft material, and the base covered with the soft material is placed in the wrapping layer 112.
As for Claim 6, Andreotti teaches a filling layer (any of the aforementioned layers 128, 132, 140, 148, 152) that is further arranged in the wrapping layer, and the filling layer can be compressed in a compression direction of the springs.
As for Claim 7, Andreotti teaches that the soft material is sponge.
As for Claim 8, Xiao and Andreotti teach that after the bases, the backrests and the armrests are assembled into the sofa, the springs in the bases, the backrests and the armrests are all placed vertically.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Xiao (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2024/0415292 A1) in view of Bullard et al. (U.S. Patent No. 8,671,483 B2), as applied to claims 1-2 above, and further in view of Cheney et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No.2024/0108138 A1).
Xiao in view of Bullard et al. teach the structure substantially as claimed but is silent as to whether or not the compressible sofa includes detachable feet.
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However, Cheney et al. teaches a similarly compressible sofa that includes detachable feet 48. It would have been obvious and well within the level of ordinary skill in the art for the sofa, as taught by Xiao, to include detachable feet 48, as taught by Cheney et al., since the feet allows the sofa to be supported on a supporting surface.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure because it teaches structures and concepts similar to those of the present invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rodney B. White whose telephone number is (571)272-6863. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM-5:00 PM.
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, David R. 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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/Rodney B White/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
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