September 14, 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 .
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 3-6, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by YOSHIDA et al. (U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2026/0097698 A1).
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As for Claims 1, 6, and 8, YOSHIDA et al. teach a chair comprising:
a cushion member 2;
a spring member 251C, 251D disposed along the cushion member; and
a vibrator 61Cd, 61Ce ,61Cf , 61Cg, 61Da, 61Db, 61Dc, 61D disposed between the cushion member and the spring member (See Figures 22A-23B), wherein
the vibrator includes a fixer 54 that fixes the vibrator to the spring member, and
the vibrator vibrates the spring member based on an input electrical signal (see paragraph [0187] where it reads “An eccentric motor is used in the vibrator 60. The present invention is not limited to the eccentric motor, and a linear vibration actuator or a piezoelectric element may be used in the vibrator 60.”) .
As for Claim 3, YOSHIDA et al. teach that the vibrator is fixed to a portion of the spring member opposite a portion of a thigh of a person seated on the chair, the portion being offset toward a buttock from a central portion of the thigh.
As for Claim 4, YOSHIDA et al. teach that the vibrator is fixed to each of two portions of the spring member opposite thighs of a person seated on the chair.
As for Claim 5, YOSHIDA et al. teach that the vibrator is fixed to a portion of the spring member that is opposite a back of a person seated on the chair (see Figures 25-26).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 7 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.
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.
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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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