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) 1-8 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kunert (US 2012/0080923).
Claim 1- Kunert discloses a headrest comprising a supporting rod (22) and a headrest (fig. 2);
wherein the headrest body comprises: an inner frame (72) having a channel (114) that houses the support rod (fig. 8), and a front shell (30) and a rear shell (32);
wherein said inner frame is mounted on the supporting rod (figs. 7-8) in a slidable manner (¶ 36);
wherein the headrest is provided with a locking element (220), for the supporting rod (22), that has a locking position to prevent the inner frame from sliding and an unlocking position to allow the inner frame to slide (¶ 60);
wherein the front shell is movable relative to the rear shell (¶ 26), and the headrest is provided with first and second engaging elements (166, 214) which have an engagement position for preventing the front shell from moving and a disengagement position for allowing the front shell to move (¶ 62);
wherein the headrest is provided with a single control slider (212) that simultaneously controls switching positions of the locking element (220) and the engaging element (214);
wherein the control slider (212) has a body (fig. 12), the locking element (220) is directly and rigidly connected to the slider body (through integral formation at a first end 222, fig. 12) and the engaging element (214) is directly and rigidly connected to the slider body (slider second end 224 is angled around the element 214 to coupled thereto, fig. 12, ¶ 60).
Claim 2- Kunert discloses the headrest according to claim 1, wherein the control slider (212) is switchable from an inactive position, corresponding to the preventing positions of the locking and engaging elements (220, 214), to an active position corresponding to the allowing positions of the locking and engaging elements (¶ 66); and wherein a control element (210) switches the control slider from the inactive position to the active position (¶ 66).
Claim 3- Kunert discloses the headrest according to claim 2, wherein the control slider (212) is urged towards the inactive position by means of an elastic element (216), and wherein the control element (210) brings the control slider from the inactive position to the active position by overcoming the resistance of the elastic element (¶ 59).
Claim 4- Kunert discloses the headrest according to claim 2, wherein the inner frame (72) is mounted on the supporting rod (22) so as to be slidable along a first direction (vertical), and wherein the front shell (30) is movable relative to the rear shell (32) along a second direction (horizontal, fore-aft), which is perpendicular to the first direction (¶ 67-68).
Claim 5- Kunert discloses the headrest according to claim 4, wherein the control slider (212) switches from the inactive position to the active position, and vice versa, by translating along a third direction (horizontal, left-right), which is perpendicular to both the first direction (vertical) and the second direction (horizontal, fore-aft).
Claim 6- Kunert discloses the headrest according to claim 1, wherein the locking element (220) are made as one or more shaped wire elements (fig. 12), and wherein one or more notches (28) suitable for accommodating the locking element (220) are provided on the surface of the supporting rod (¶ 25, 60).
Claim 7- Kunert discloses the headrest according to claim 1, wherein the second engaging elements (166) are made as a rack profile (figs. 12-13) provided with a plurality of seats (defined between the teeth comprising the rack, ¶ 50) and the first engaging elements (214) are made as an engaging tooth (230), suitable for fitting into one of the seats of the rack profile (figs. 12, 14).
Claim 8- Kunert discloses the headrest according to claim 7, wherein the engaging tooth (230) is directly and rigidly connected to the body of the control slider (via the angled end 224 that hooks the neck portion of the engaging element 214, fig. 12).
Claim 15- Kunert discloses the headrest according to claim 1, wherein the inner frame (72) is mounted on the supporting rod (22) so as to be slidable along a first direction (vertical), and wherein the front shell (30) is movable relative to the rear shell (32) along a second direction (horizontal, fore-aft), which is perpendicular to the first direction (¶ 67-68).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-14 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.
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/T.A./Examiner, Art Unit 3636
/DAVID R DUNN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3636
