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) 1-2, 6 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)as being anticipated by Takei et al. (WO 2022209494 A1). Takei et al. shows the use of a seat (201) for a saddle-ride type vehicle, the seat comprising: a bottom plate (210) extending in a front-rear direction; a pad (230) placed on the bottom plate and extending in the front-rear direction; a skin material (220) covering the pad; and a heater (233) provided on an upper portion of the pad, wherein the heater comprises a base fabric extending in the front-rear direction on the upper portion of the pad, a heater wire (Fig. 26) provided on the base fabric, and a temperature sensing element (245) provided on a front portion of the base fabric, and the temperature sensing element is disposed in a front portion of the pad (as Takei et al. has disclosed that temperature sensing element can be located in the front or rear of the pad). Regarding claim 2, the front portion of the pad is provided with a recess (as shown in Fig. 20 the recess is formed as a result of the convex/concave shape of the front portion of the pad) and the temperature sensing would be disposed therein at a front portion of the pad. Regarding claim 6, the pad has an upper surface and left and right side surfaces and the heater includes a first heater part disposed on the upper surface and second heater parts disposed on the side surfaces (as shown in Fig. 26, where in the heater wire is extends in a front to rear direction and laterally on the pad). Regarding claim 9, Takei et al has disclosed that a controller (244) is connected to the heater wire and the temperature sensing element via a harness (see Fig. 24) provide on a reverse side (15) of the bottom plate as the controller is located on the bottom side of the bottom plate (as a result of the fluid supply device (240) mounted on the back surface (15) of the bottom plate).
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.
Claim(s) 3-5,7 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takei et al. in view of Matsushima (JP 2012076547A). Takei et al. shows all of the teachings of the claimed invention except the use of a wiring connected to the heater and temperature sensing element via a joining part along with first and second basic fabric parts, first and second heat generating regions and through hole for passing a harness electrically connected to the temperature sensing element and heater. Matsushima shows the use of a base fabric (20) having a joining part (24,25) that has a wiring (30) that connects a heater (31) and temperature sensing element (51), wherein the temperature sensing element and joining part are in a recess (as shown in Figs. 2,7). Regarding claims 4, Matushima shows the heater comprising a first heat generation region positioned in a rear portion of the pad (Figs. 2,57) and a second heat generating region (Fig. 5) disposed in front of the first heat generating region and a density of the heater wire in the second heat generating region is lower than a density of the heater wire in the first generating region (see Fig. 5), as the forward edge of the second region has less wires therein and the rear region as more heater wires disposed therein adding to the density of the heater wire. Regarding claim 5, the second region has two laterally spaced columns of heater wires therefore having two parts disposed laterally from one another. Regarding claim 7, Matsushima shows the basic fabric includes a first fabric part (20) configuring a first heater part (31) and second base fabric parts (24,25) configuring second heater parts (30) and basic fabric connection parts (21,22) connecting the first and second basic fabric parts, The heater wire included a first heater wire part (31a) on the first basic fabric part and second heater wire parts (34,35) on the second basic fabric parts and heater connection parts (32,33) provided on the basic fabric connection parts and connecting the first and second heater wire parts wherein a wire length of each heater connection part (32,33) on the basic fabric is longer that a length of each base fabric connection part between the first and second heater parts (see Fig. 5). Regarding claim 10, Matsushima shows the use of a through hole (15a) in a bottom plate (15) and pad (Fig. 7) that allows a harness (52) electrically connected to the temperature sensing element and the heater to pass through (Fig. 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to modify the seat of Takei et al. with the teachings of the Matsushima in order to allow for a more compact, tamper-proof installation of the heater and temperature sensing element while providing additional heat and comfort to a user.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 8 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Reference Nos. 7,178,866, 10,793,218 and 2020/0216133 show 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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July 11, 2026
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