CTNF 19/032,866 CTNF 101635 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Drawings 06-22-07 The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character not mentioned in the description: “SCL” in figure 6. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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 Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15 AIA Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Nagai (US-20210221267-A1) . Nagai discloses a vehicle seat device. Claim 1 – Nagai teaches a vehicle seat structure comprising: a seat back main frame (element 22 in figure 2) that is linked to an end portion of a seat cushion (element 12 in figure 1) at a seat rearward side; and a seat back sub-frame (figure 3) that is linked by a plurality of wires to the seat back main frame (elements 66U and 66L in figure 4) , such that movement in a seat front-rear direction is restricted, and also so as to be movable in a roll direction (from the abstract, “a lower support wire and an upper support wire that limit rearward movement of the SB subframe and allow movement of the SB subframe about the roll axis”) , wherein the wires include a pair of upper-side support wires that is disposed on both sides in a seat width direction (element 66U in figure 4) , on an upper side in a seat up-down direction, and that connects the seat back main frame and the seat back sub-frame in the seat front-rear direction while inclining toward an inner side in the seat width direction from the seat rearward side toward a seat forward side (figure 4) , and a pair of lower-side support wires that is disposed on both sides in the seat width direction (element 66L in figure 4) , on a lower side in the seat up-down direction, and that connects the seat back main frame and the seat back sub-frame in the seat front-rear direction while inclining toward the inner side in the seat width direction from the seat rearward side toward the seat forward side (figure 4) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 2-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagai (US-20210221267-A1) alone . Claim 2 – Nagai does not teach a straight line connecting an upper-side intersection point at which imaginary lines extending from the upper-side support wires toward the seat forward side intersect and a lower-side intersection point at which imaginary lines extending from the lower-side support wires toward the seat forward side intersect passes through a steering wheel. Claim 3 – Nagai does not teach a straight line, and therefore does not teach that the straight line extends vertically. Claim 4 – Nagai does not teach a lower-side intersection point at which imaginary lines extending from the lower-side support wires toward the seat forward side intersect is situated on the seat forward side and also a seat upward side with respect to an upper-side intersection point at which imaginary lines extending from the upper-side support wires toward the seat forward side intersect. Claim 5 – Nagai does not teach a straight line connecting the lower-side intersection point and the upper-side intersection point is situated on the seat rearward side from a steering wheel. Nagai teaches a seat structure that is substantially the same as the claimed seat structure. If one were to draw imaginary lines, it would be the same. Nagai teaches, in paragraph [0040], that “the vehicle seat device 10 is mounted in a vehicle and is used as, for example, the driver’s seat”. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to place a steering wheel in the same location and to place the vehicle seat of Nagai in reference to the steering wheel to provide the user with a comfortable driving experience, thus allowing one of ordinary skill in the art to draw the imaginary lines in the same manner with the same intersection points. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TROY A LIBBY whose telephone number is (571)272-6676. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri; 7:30 AM - 2:30 PM EST. 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 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. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /T.A.L./Examiner, Art Unit 3636 /DAVID R DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3636 Application/Control Number: 19/032,866 Page 2 Art Unit: 3636 Application/Control Number: 19/032,866 Page 3 Art Unit: 3636 Application/Control Number: 19/032,866 Page 4 Art Unit: 3636 Application/Control Number: 19/032,866 Page 5 Art Unit: 3636 Application/Control Number: 19/032,866 Page 6 Art Unit: 3636
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