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) 1-4 are 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Zhu et al. (2023/0023969). Zhu et al. shows the use of a folding chair frame, comprising a support base (11) and a plurality of connection components (15-16), wherein an outer side surface of the support base is provided with a plurality of installation grooves (115) distributed along a circumferential direction thereof in a one-to-one correspondence with the connection components; each connection component comprises a first connection base (15) connected to a support rod (4) and a second connection base (16) connected to a foot rod (2), the first connection base and the second connection base are respectively rotatably connected to corresponding installation grooves, so that the connection component can be folded or unfolded, and when each connection component is unfolded, each support rod tilts upward and each foot rod tilts downward (Fig. 2), wherein the installation groove is provided with a limiting part, the first connection base is provided with a first fitting part (18), the second connection base is provided with a second fitting part (18), and when the connection component is unfolded, the first fitting part abuts against the limiting part to limit upward rotation of the first connection base relative to the support base, and the second fitting part abuts against the limiting part to limit upward rotation of the second connection base relative to the support base (Fig. 10). Regarding claim 2, the installation groove comprises two installation boards arranged opposite each other on a left side and a right side, the first connection base and the second connection base are hinged between the two installation boards, and the limiting part is disposed between tops of the two installation boards (see Fig. 5). Regarding claim 3, the first connection base comprises a first installation part (151-154) and a first connection part (155) fixed on the first installation part and connected to the support rod, the second connection base comprises a second installation part (161-164) and a second connection part (165) fixed on the second installation part and connected to the foot rod, and the first installation part and the second installation part are respectively rotatably connected to the installation groove; and the first fitting part is a limiting surface located on a side surface of the first connection part and close to the first installation part, and the second fitting part is a limiting tooth (18) protruding from the second installation part (Figs. 7-8). Regarding claim 4, Zhu et al. shows a rotation axis of the first connection base coincides with a rotation axis of the second connection base, and an angle limiting structure (153,163) is matched between the first connection base and the second connection base, to enable the first connection base and the second connection base to be relatively fixed. Regarding claim 7-10, Zhu et al. shows the use of a plurality connection components, which comprise base rods and back rods with the length of the back rods greater than the base rods (Figs. 1-2) and the foot rods have foot sleeves thereon. Zhu et al. further discloses that the support rods are telescopic with a self-locking function in order to support a flexible base surface (see para [0009; 0037-0038]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Reference Nos. 11,844,439 shows features of the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ANTHONY D BARFIELD whose telephone number is (571)272-6852. 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. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANTHONY D BARFIELD/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3636
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August 22, 2026
