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 .
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-7, 11-13, 16-17, and 19-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 9407821 U.
Regarding claims 1 and 11, DE 9407821 U discloses an apparatus, comprising: a strap assembly (Figs. 1-5) configured to couple with a seatback (2) of a vehicle; and the strap assembly, comprising: a strap (7) configured to couple an object with the seatback of the vehicle.
Regarding claims 2 and 12, DE 9407821 U discloses at least a portion of the strap configured to dispose within a housing of the seatback (Fig. 5) of the vehicle; the seatback of the vehicle comprising a first opening and a second opening (Fig. 5, noting the opening containing 9 and the other openings 6); and the strap, comprising: a first segment configured to escape the housing via the first opening; and a second segment configured to escape the housing via the second opening (Fig. 1, noting the ability to have 2 straps).
Regarding claims 3 and 13, DE 9407821 U discloses a member (noting either 8 or 9) configured to couple with a first segment of the strap (noting one instance of 7) and a second segment of the strap (noting the other instance of 7); and the first segment of the strap configured to move, via the member (noting the hook 8 can attach to a middle portion of a second strap), relative to the second segment of the strap, to couple the object with the seatback of the vehicle.
Regarding claims 6 and 16, DE 9407821 U discloses a mechanism (noting winding roller 9) configured to couple with the seatback of the vehicle; and the mechanism configured to adjust a position of the object.
Regarding claims 7 and 17, DE 9407821 U discloses a housing (5) integrated with the seatback of the vehicle; the strap assembly configured to couple with the housing (Fig. 1).
Regarding claims 19-20, DE 9407821 U discloses coupling a strap assembly with a seatback of a vehicle (Fig. 1); and the strap assembly including a strap (7) configured to couple an object with the seatback of the vehicle, disposing at least a portion of the strap within a housing of the seatback of the vehicle (Fig. 5).
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.
Claim(s) 4-5, 8, 14-15 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 9407821 U in view of Vanderpool et al. (US 2019/0217784 A1)(Vanderpool).
Regarding claims 4-5, 8, 14-15 and 18 DE 9407821 U does not specifically disclose the seatback of the vehicle configured to define a recess; and the recess configured to receive at least a portion of the object, a housing configured to couple with the seatback of the vehicle; and the housing configured to provide structural support to the seatback of the vehicle with the object coupled with the seatback of the vehicle via the strap, a housing configured to couple with the seatback of the vehicle; and the housing separate from the seatback of the vehicle.
Vanderpool demonstrates a similar seatback securing mechanism including the seatback of the vehicle configured to define a recess (96); and the recess configured to receive at least a portion of the object, a housing (74) configured to couple with the seatback of the vehicle; and the housing configured to provide structural support to the seatback of the vehicle with the object coupled with the seatback of the vehicle via the strap (Fig. 3), a housing configured to couple with the seatback of the vehicle; and the housing separate from the seatback of the vehicle (Fig. 5).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to take the device of DE 9407821 U and have the seatback include a recess and a removable housing containing the object securing structure because such a change would allow the housing to be removed and replaced or replaced with a reconfigured housing and would increase the versatility as demonstrated by Vanderpool.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 9407821 U in view of KR 102469968 B1 and DE 102017220507 A1.
Regarding claim 9, DE 9407821 U does not specifically disclose the seatback of the vehicle comprising a slot to couple the object with a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle; and the object configured to receive, from the HVAC system, air to cool or air to heat the object.
KR 102469968 B1 demonstrates a seatback securing device including the seatback of the vehicle (Fig. 3) comprising a slot (222) to couple the object with a fan system, the object configured to receive air from the fan system.
DE 102017220507 A1 demonstrates a seatback object securing system interconnected with a Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system of the vehicle (Page 2-3, 2nd to last paragraph).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to take the device of DE 9407821 U and include a slot (as taught by KR 102469968 B1) for providing air to an object, and connect it to the HVAC system of a vehicle (as taught by DE 102017220507 A1) because such a change would allow the user to affect the status of a held object by allowing air to blow thereon.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 9407821 U in view of Margis et al. (US 20160249073 A1)(Margis).
Regarding claim 10, DE 9407821 U does not specifically disclose the seatback of the vehicle comprising a slot to couple the object with an energy storage device of the vehicle; and the object configured to receive power from the energy storage device.
Margis demonstrates a seatback attachment device including a seatback of the vehicle comprising a slot (58) to couple the object with an energy storage device of the vehicle (Paragraph 0038); and the object configured to receive power from the energy storage device.
It would have been obvious to take the device of DE 9407821 U and include slots that have data and/or power ports in order to allow power/data to be transmitted from the seatback as demonstrated by Margis.
Conclusion
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/M.T.T./Examiner, Art Unit 3734
/NATHAN J NEWHOUSE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3734
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