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 .
Drawings
Figures 1 – 2 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
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Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsumoto JP H0999809 A (hereinafter Matsumoto).
Re. Cl. 1, Matsumoto discloses a seat comprising a recess (Fig. 3, Ref. 3) having an inner bottom surface (Fig. 3, Ref. 1a) and an inner side surface (See Fig. 3) defined by a trim (Fig. 1, Ref. 1), wherein the trim is formed of a single member three-dimensionally sewn (Fig. 3; Para. 0016), and has a bottom part (Fig. 3, Ref. 1a) that defines the inner bottom surface of the recess; and a side part (See Fig. 3) that defines the inner side surface of the recess, the bottom part and the side part being continuous to each other (Fig. 1, Ref. 1).
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.
Claims 2 – 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto in view of Aksan US 20120055922 A1 (hereinafter Aksan).
Re. Cl. 2, Matsumoto discloses the side part has a long strip shape (See Fig. 1) and at least a portion of an end of the bottom part and a portion of an end of the side part are sewn together except the continuous portion (See Fig. 3).
Re. Cl. 2, Matsumoto fails to disclose a protruding bottom part. Aksan teaches a cloth trim (Fig. 4, Ref. 100'; Para. 0030), wherein the trim is formed of a single member and has a bottom part that defines an inner bottom surface (Fig. 4, Ref. 110); and a side part that defines the inner side surface of the recess (Fig. 4, Ref. 102, 104, 106, 108), the bottom part and the side part being continuous to each other (See Fig. 4), wherein the side part has a long strip shape (See Fig. 4), the bottom part is continuous to a portion of the side part on a long side of the side part in a longitudinal direction thereof (Fig. 4, Ref. 110'), and protrudes from the continuous portion in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction (Fig. 4, Ref. 110'). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Matsumoto with Aksan's teaching of a protruding bottom part that protrudes from the continuous portion in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction. Doing so would expand the recess from a triangular prism to a rectangular prism to better suit the shape of the seatbelt buckle while maintaining the ease of manufacture and assembly.
Re. Cl. 3, Matsumoto discloses the the side part has facing ends sewn together in the longitudinal direction (See Fig. 3).
Re. Cl. 4, Matsumoto discloses wherein the bottom part has a rectangular shape in a plan view (See Fig. 3), and the facing ends of the side part sewn together are located between adjacent corners of the bottom part (See Fig. 3).
Claims 5 – 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto and Aksan as applied to claims 1 – 4 above, and further in view of Watanabe US 20200398718 A1 (hereinafter Watanabe).
Re. Cl. 5, Matsumoto discloses the seat is a vehicle seat (See Fig. 5), the recess serves as a belt buckle container (Fig. 5, Ref. F) configured to accommodate a belt buckle (Fig. 5, Ref. A).
Re. Cl. 5, Matsumoto as modified by Aksan fails to disclose a lower trim opening. Watanabe teaches that the seat is a vehicle seat (Fig. 1, Ref. 2), the recess serves as a belt buckle container (Fig. 1, Ref. 11,12) configured to accommodate a belt buckle (Fig. 1, Ref. 10) therein, and the trim has an opening (Fig. 11, Ref. OP2), defined between the location of the facing ends of the side part sewn together and one of the corners of the bottom part (See Fig. 7), where the end of the side part and the end of the bottom part are not sewn together (See Fig. 7),the opening allowing a belt (Fig. 2, Ref. 10b) to be inserted therethrough and connected to the belt buckle (See Fig. 11). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Matsumoto's invention with Watanabe's teachings of a lower trim opening for the seat belt. Doing so retains the seatbelt within the recess and the seat when the seat belt buckle is not in use.
Re. Cl. 6, Matsumoto as modified by Aksan discloses a bottom part of the trim, but fails to disclose a lower trim opening. Watanabe teaches at the opening of the trim (Fig. 11, Ref. OP2), the side part is folded back in a short direction of the side part to have a folded-back section (Fig. 7, Ref. E; Para. 0068) and the trim part is folded back in a direction perpendicularly intersecting a direction in which an edge side of the trim part extends to have a folded-back section (Fig. 7, Ref. E), the folded-back sections being sewn at overlapping portions respectively in the side part and the trim part (Fig. 7, Ref. SEW3, SEW4). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Matsumoto's invention with Watanabe's teachings of the trim parts folded over, overlapped, and sewn. Doing so creates the seat belt opening lining without any additional materials for manufacturing and cost efficiency.
Re. Cl. 7, Matsumoto as modified by Aksan discloses a bottom part of the trim, but fails to disclose a reinforcement plate. Watanabe teaches a reinforcement plate member (Fig. 2, Ref. 40) joined to the trim at a back surface (Fig. 4, Ref. 40d; Para. 0060) and made of material having higher stiffness than the trim (Para. 0059), wherein the trim and the reinforcement plate member are joined to each other through sewing along two lines extending parallel to each other in a plan view (Fig. 4, Ref. 43; Fig. 5, Ref. ST; Para. 0060). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Matsumoto's invention with Watanabe's teachings of a reinforcement plate to Matsumoto’s bottom part. Doing so provides additional support to the bottom of the recess, increasing the durability and extended lifespan.
Re. Cl. 8, Matsumoto as modified by Aksan discloses a bottom part of the trim, but fails to disclose a reinforcement plate. Watanabe teaches a portion of the side part of the trim (Fig. 5, Ref. 4S), and the reinforcement plate member (Fig. 5, Ref. 40) are joined together in a state where the portions overlap one another through the sewing along the two lines (Fig. 5, Ref. ST; Para. 0060). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Matsumoto 's invention with Watanabe's teachings of a reinforcement plate sewn to the trim. Doing so secures the reinforcement plate in place against the bottom of the recess.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Reber US-0091666-A, Tinsley US-1296140-A, Osawa JP-2001211966-A.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GELILA S KEBEDE whose telephone number is (571)270-0369. The examiner can normally be reached 6:00AM - 2:00PM, Mon - Thurs.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at (571) 272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GELILA KEBEDE/ Examiner, Art Unit 3632
/TERRELL L MCKINNON/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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