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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because in line 4, the word “slide” should be changed to “slides”. 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 § 102
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.
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, 4, 5, 7, 10-12, 15, 17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Korean (Korean Patent Publication 101063708).
Re claim 1, Korean discloses a vehicle console comprising a housing having sidewalls (110, figure 3) defining a storage compartment and a top access opening (the opening of 110 in figure 3), a lid (120, figure 3) coupled to the housing via a pair of pivot brackets (see the annotated figure below) and moveable between a closed position covering the top access opening and an open position exposing the side top access opening, a pair of rails (see the annotated figure below, the left and right rails) provided on the lid; and a pair of slide elements (see the annotated figure below, the elements on the left and right side of the device) coupled to one end of the pair of pivot brackets (the slide elements are indirectly coupled to the pivot brackets) and engaged within the pair of rails configured to allow the lid in the open position to slide from an upward vertical position (shown in figure 6) to a downward stowed position (shown in figure 4).
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Re claim 4, the pair of pivot brackets is coupled to the housing via a pivot pin (150).
Re claim 5, the pair of pivot brackets each have a curved shape (see the annotated figure above).
Re claim 7, the pair of rails are located in a bottom side of the lid (the rails are vertically on a bottom side rather than a top side in figure 3).
Re claim 10, a latch connector is provided (a locking device, see paragraph 9 of the Description of Embodiments) for connecting the lid to the housing in the closed position.
Re claim 11, the vehicle console is a center console (as shown by the figures).
Re claim 12, Korean discloses a vehicle center console comprising: a housing (110, figure 3) having sidewalls defining a storage compartment and a top access opening (see the annotated figure above); a lid (120, figure 3) coupled to the housing via a pair of pivot brackets (see the annotated figure above) and moveable between a closed position covering the top access opening (shown in figure 4) and an open position exposing the top access opening (shown in f figure 6), wherein the pair of pivot brackets are pivotable coupled to the housing (via pivot pin 150), a pair of rails (see the annotated figure above) provided on the bottom of the lid (the rails are vertically on a bottom side rather than a top side in figure 3); and a pair of slide elements (see the annotated figure above) coupled to one end of the pair of pivot brackets (the slide elements are indirectly coupled to the pivot brackets) and engaged within the pair of rails configured to allow the lid in the open position to slide from an upward vertical position (as shown in figure 6) to a downward stowed position (as shown in figure 4).
Re claim 15, the pair of pivot brackets is coupled to the housing via a pivot pin (150).
Re claim 17, the pair of pivot brackets each have a curved shape (see the annotated figure above).
Re claim 20, a latch connector is provided for connecting the lid to the housing in the closed position (a locking device, see paragraph 9 of the Description of Embodiments).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 3, 6, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 18, and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claims 2, 3, 13, and 14 is the inclusion in the claims of the limitations directed to the slide elements include first and second T-shaped slides. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record. There is no suggestion or motivation in the prior art of record to modify the slide elements of Korean Patent Publication 101063708 to be T-shaped.
The primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claims 6 and 16 is the inclusion in the claims of the limitations directed to a friction contact member spring biased between one of the pair of rails and one of the pair of slides. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record. There is no suggestion or motivation in the prior art of record to modify the slide elements and rails of Korean Patent Publication 101063708 to include a spring biased friction contact member.
The primary reason for the indication of allowable subject matter in claims 8, 9, 18, and 19 is the inclusion in the claims of the limitations directed to the lid comprising a deployable table having a first table and a second table, wherein the first table member folds on the second table member in a stowed position and pivots about a hinge to an open position. Such limitations, in combination with the rest of the limitations of the claims, are not disclosed or suggested by the prior art of record. US2024/0190321 discloses a sliding lid with a first table and a second table but the table and the lid assembly of the reference would not function with the pivoting lid disclosed by Korean Patent Publication 101063708. US2024/0190321 does not teach or suggest pivoting the table assembly as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited references all disclose vehicle consoles.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jason S Morrow whose telephone number is (571)272-6663. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m..
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/JASON S MORROW/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612
September 16, 2026
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