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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention I claims 1-12 in the reply filed on 5/26/2026 is acknowledged.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claim(s) 1-9 and 11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kreil (US 20120261944 A1) in view of Jurgensen (US 4912892 A) and Wang et al. (CN 113232495 A).
Regarding claim 1, Kreil discloses a control system (Kreil, Fig. 1, having controller 25) of a recreational vehicle (Kreil, 10 in Fig. 1) having an outer wall (Kreil, 14 in Fig. 1) and a slide out assembly (Kreil, 12 in Fig. 1), comprising: a controller (Kreil, 25 in Fig. 1); an actuator (Kreil, 34 in Fig. 2) operably coupled to the controller (Kreil, paragraph 18 and 28, controller connected to and controls the actuator), the actuator configured to controllably move the slide out assembly between a closed position and an open position (Kreil, abstract and paragraph 18, retracted position and extended position); a seal assembly (Kreil, 50/54 in Fig. 3) comprising an inlet (Kreil, 63 in paragraph 25); and a fluid pressure device (Kreil, 65 in Fig. 8 and paragraph also described an air delivery system, such device delivers air therefore affecting the pressure), the fluid pressure device being fluidly coupled (Kreil, Fig. 8, coupled through tube 65) to the inlet of the seal assembly; pressurize the seal assembly when the slide out assembly is in the closed position (Kreil, paragraph 21, inflate the seal at the retracted position).
Kreil fails to disclose a power source configured to provide electrical power to the controller; fluid pressure device operably coupled to the controller and the controller is configured to operably control the fluid pressure device.
Jurgensen teaches a power source (Jurgensen, Col. 1 lines 48-49 and Col. 5 lines 30-33, power source powers control system) configured to provide electrical power to the controller.
Jurgensen is considered to be analogous art because it is in the same field of RV expandable units as Kreil.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system as taught by Kreil to incorporate the teachings of Jurgensen with a reasonable expectation of success and have a power source to the controller. Doing so provides the necessary power to the controller for it to function properly.
Wang teaches fluid pressure device operably coupled to the controller and the controller is configured to operably control the fluid pressure device (Wang, second to last paragraph on page 4 of machine translation, controller controls the gas source assembly and controls the air charging/discharging).
Wang is considered to be analogous art because it is in the same field of inflatable seal in vehicles as Kreil in view of Jurgensen.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system as taught by Kreil in view of Jurgensen to incorporate the teachings of Wang with a reasonable expectation of success and have the fluid pressure device coupled to the controller. Doing so allows the controller to automatically and actively control the seal operation to increase user convenience.
Regarding claim 2, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the actuator comprises a base (Kreil, 36 in Fig. 2) and a rod (Kreil, 38 in Fig. 2), the rod being movable between an extended position and a retracted position (Kreil, capable when using the known mechanism taught in paragraph 18 - hydraulic cylinders); wherein, the controller is configured to control the rod to move to the extended position when the slide out assembly is in the open position, and the controller is configured to control the rod to move to the retracted position when the slide out assembly is in the closed position (Kreil, claim 10, controller connected to the actuator to move the slide out assembly).
Regarding claim 3, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor (Kreil, 57 in Fig. 8) operably coupled to the controller (Kreil, paragraph 24), the sensor configured to detect a pressure in the seal assembly (Kreil, paragraph 24, air pressure sensor).
Regarding claim 4, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 3, wherein the controller is configured to control movement of the actuator based on the pressure in the seal assembly (Kreil, paragraph 28, stops actuator based on pressure reading).
Regarding claim 5, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 3, wherein the actuator is configured to move the slide out assembly based on the pressure in the seal assembly (Kreil, paragraph 26, power the actuator 34 to further compress).
Regarding claim 6, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the seal assembly is coupled to the slide out assembly (Kreil, Fig. 3), the seal assembly being disposed between the slide out assembly and the outer wall in the closed position (Kreil, Fig. 3 and paragraph 26).
Regarding claim 7, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to operably control the fluid pressure device (Wang, second to last paragraph on page 4 of machine translation, controller controls the gas source assembly and controls the air charging/discharging) to increase pressure in the seal assembly based on a position of the slide out assembly relative to the open position and the closed position (Kreil, paragraph 21, inflate the seal, which increases pressure, at the retracted position or the extended position).
Regarding claim 8, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 1, further comprising a valve assembly operably coupled to the seal assembly, the valve assembly being in communication with the controller; wherein, the controller is configured to actuate the valve assembly to reduce a pressure in the seal assembly (Wang, second to last paragraph on page 4 of machine translation, relief valve can discharge the air to control the pressure).
Wang is considered to be analogous art because it is in the same field of inflatable seal in vehicles as Kreil in view of Jurgensen.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system as taught by Kreil in view of Jurgensen to incorporate the teachings of Wang with a reasonable expectation of success and have a valve assembly. Doing so allows active, safe, and automatic control of the seal assembly for increased convenience and efficiency.
Regarding claim 9, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 1, further comprising a first sensor and a second sensor (Kreil, sensors 55 in Fig. 2), the first sensor and second sensor being in communication with the controller (Kreil, paragraph 22), wherein the first sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller when the slide out assembly is in the closed position (Kreil, paragraph 22, can send on-signal) and the second sensor is configured to send a signal to the controller when the slide out assembly is in the open position (Kreil, paragraph 22, can send off signal).
Regarding claim 11, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 1, further comprising a switch (Jurgensen, 90 in Fig. 3) disposed in electrical communication between the power source and the controller (Jurgensen, Col. 5 lines 31-34); wherein, when the switch is enabled, the switch is configured to electrically couple the power source to the controller; wherein, when the switch is disabled, the switch is configured to electrically decouple the power source from the controller (Jurgensen, Col. 5 lines 31-34, disabled in the off position and enabled in the on position).
Jurgensen is considered to be analogous art because it is in the same field of RV expandable units as Kreil.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the earliest effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the system as taught by Kreil to incorporate the teachings of Jurgensen with a reasonable expectation of success and have a switch. Doing so allows user to conveniently operate the slide out assembly and the seal as desired, and prevents accidental operation.
Regarding claim 12, the combination of Kreil in view of Jurgensen and Wang teaches the control system of claim 11, wherein when the switch is enabled, the actuator is electrically coupled to the power source (after combination, since the actuator is electrically coupled to the controller as taught in paragraph 18 of Kreil, and Jurgensen teaches the controller is couple to the power source through the switch).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 10 is 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The primary reason for the allowance of the claims is the inclusion in the claims of the limitations directed to when the controller does not receive a signal from either the first sensor or the second sensor, the controller is configured to determine the slide out assembly is at a position between the open position and the closed 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. The closest prior art is Kreil, which teaches a controller 25 and sensors 55. However, Kreil fails to teach when the controller does not receive a signal from either the first sensor or the second sensor, the controller is configured to determine the slide out assembly is at a position between the open position and the closed position.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited references that are not relied upon all disclose vehicle having inflatable seals.
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/WENWEI ZHUO/Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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