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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 16, 34, & 42 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Claim 16 claims that the “incline member is movable relative to said base body along said incline path.” The claim upon which it depends, claim 1, claims that “an incline member movably mounted to said base body, said incline member being movable along an incline path.” The limitations of claim 16 are fully disclosed in claim 1, thus, claim 16 fails to further limit claim 1.
Claim 34 claims that the “incline member is movable relative to said base body along said incline path.” The claim upon which it depends, claim 17, claims that “an incline member movably mounted to said base body, said incline member being movable along an incline path.” The limitations of claim 34 are fully disclosed in claim 17, thus, claim 34 fails to further limit claim 17.
Claim 42 claims that the “incline member is movable relative to said base body along said incline path.” The claim upon which it depends, claim 35, claims that “an incline member movably mounted to said base body, said incline member being movable along an incline path.” The limitations of claim 42 are fully disclosed in claim 35, thus, claim 42 fails to further limit claim 35.
Applicant may cancel the claims, amend the claims to place the claims in proper dependent form, rewrite the claims in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claims complies with the statutory requirements.
PNG
media_image1.png
541
702
media_image1.png
Greyscale
Annotated Section of Jung Figure 5
PNG
media_image2.png
413
695
media_image2.png
Greyscale
Annotated Section of Jung Figure 13
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.
Claims 1, 3, 13, & 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Jung et al. US 20190135142 A1 (hereinafter Jung).
Re. Cl. 1, Jung discloses a support base (Fig. 4, Ref. 100) for a child restraint system suitable for placement on a vehicle seat, the child restraint system including an infant child seat and a convertible child seat; the support base comprising a base body (Fig. 4, Ref. 10), and a seat receiving assembly (See Fig. 4) comprising an incline member movably mounted to said base body (Fig. 4, Ref. 40), said incline member being movable along an incline path (See Fig. 13) between a first position (See Fig. 13) and a second position (See Fig. 14), and a seat attachment (Fig. 4, Ref. 30) rotatably connected to said incline member (Fig. 4, Ref. 32, 70), said seat attachment being rotatable relative to said incline member between a first rotational configuration (See Fig. 9 ) and a second rotational configuration (See Fig. 11).
Re. Cl. 3, Jung discloses that said seat attachment is rotatable relative to said incline member at any position of said incline member relative to said incline path (Para. 0078).
Re. Cl. 13, Jung discloses that said first rotational configuration is a forward- facing position (Fig. 9; Para. 0049) and said second rotational configuration is a rearward-facing position (Fig. 11; Para. 0051).
Re. Cl. 16, Jung discloses that said incline member is movable relative to said base body along said incline path (See Fig. 13).
PNG
media_image3.png
739
682
media_image3.png
Greyscale
Annotated Section of Anderson Fig. 8
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.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung.
Re. Cl. 7, Jung discloses at least one slot (Fig. 13, Ref. 41a), said incline member being coupled to said at least one slot (See Fig. 13), wherein said at least one slot defines said incline path of said incline member between said first position and said second position (See Fig. 13).
Re. Cl. 7, the preferred embodiment of Jung does not disclose an elongated slot. However, Jung teaches that it would be conventional (Para. 0008) for a base body (Fig. 1, Ref. 2) to further comprises at least one elongated slot (Fig. 2, Ref. 2d, 2e), the incline member being coupled to said at least one elongated slot (Fig. 1, Ref. 1b), wherein said at least one elongated slot defines said incline path of said incline member between said first position and said second position (Para. 0010). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with an elongated slot. Doing so would fully enclose the coupling means of the incline member for a more secure connection and to prevent accidental misalignment when being adjusted.
Claim 2, 4 – 6, 17 – 23, 31, 34 – 37, & 42 – 43 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung in view of Dingman et al. US 20220402413 A1 (hereinafter Dingman).
Re. Cl. 2, Jung discloses that the infant seat is installed at an upper side of the base body (Para. 0062).
Re. Cl. 2, Jung fails to disclose detachability. Dingman teaches a seat attachment configured to detachably connect to both the infant child seat and the convertible child seat (Para. 0059). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of detachable connect between the seat and seat attachment. Doing so allows a user to use the child seat as a carrier outside the vehicle, and allows for ease of access to the base for installation and adjustment.
Re. Cl. 4, Jung discloses that the seat attachment may be fixed to a seat belt (Para. 0060).
Re. Cl. 4, Jung fails to disclose a specific belt receiving path. Dingman teaches that a support base (Fig. 4A, Ref. 300) further comprises a belt receiving path (Fig. 4A, Ref. 52) for a vehicle belt (Fig. 4A, Ref. 50) associated with the vehicle seat and an exterior surface of said base body (Para. 0059). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of a belt receiving path. Doing so ensures the child restraint system is securely fastened to the seat.
Re. Cl. 5, Jung fails to disclose a belt tensioner. Dingman teaches a belt tensioner (Fig. 4A, Ref. 340) mounted to a base body, said belt tensioner being movable to apply a tension to the vehicle belt (Para. 0062). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of a belt tensioner. Doing so would “decrease the potential for improper, unsafe, or otherwise undesirable installation” (Para. 004).
Re. Cl. 6, Jung fails to disclose specific belt receiving path or a belt tensioner. Dingman teaches that said incline member is located remotely from said belt receiving path such that said tension applied to the vehicle belt by said belt tensioner is unaffected by movement of said incline member over said incline path (Para. 0059). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of the belt tensioner being unaffected by movement of the incline member. Doing so allows the seat to be adjusted relative to the base without needing to readjust the vehicle belt (Para. 0059).
Re. Cl. 17, Jung discloses a support base (Fig. 4, Ref. 100) for a child restraint system suitable for placement on a vehicle seat, the child restraint system including a child seat, the support base comprising a base body (Fig. 4, Ref. 10), an incline member (Fig. 4, Ref. 40) movably mounted to said base body, said incline member being movable along an incline path (See Fig. 13) between a first position (See Fig. 13) and a second position (See Fig. 14), and a seat attachment (Fig. 4, Ref. 30) rotatably connected to said incline member (Fig. 4, Ref. 32, 70), said seat attachment being rotatable relative to said incline member (See Fig. 9 - 11) between a first rotational configuration (See Fig. 9 ) and a second rotational configuration (See Fig. 11), wherein said incline member can move between said first position and said second position when said seat attachment is in said first rotational configuration and said second rotational configuration (Para. 0078).
Jung also discloses that the infant seat is installed at an upper side of the base body (Para. 0062).
Re. Cl. 17, Jung fails to disclose a detachable connection to the child seat. Dingman teaches that a seat attachment is configured to detachably connect to the child seat (Para. 0059).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of a seat attachment configured to detachably connect to the child seat. Doing so allows for easier access to the base body when installing and adjusting the child restraint system.
Re. Cl. 18, Jung discloses that said seat attachment is rotatable relative to said incline member at any position of said incline member relative to said incline path (Para. 0078).
Re. Cl. 19, Jung discloses that said incline member is movable along said incline path regardless at any rotational configuration of said seat attachment (Para. 0078).
Re. Cl. 20, Jung discloses that the seat attachment may be fixed to a seat belt (Para. 0060).
Re. Cl. 20, Jung fails to disclose a belt receiving path. Dingman teaches a belt receiving path (Fig. 4A, Ref. 52) for a vehicle belt (Fig. 4A, Ref. 50) associated with the vehicle seat and an exterior surface of said base body (Para. 0059). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of a belt receiving path. Doing so would define an area to “securely install and mount the [child] seat in the vehicle” (Para. 0003).
Re. Cl. 21, Jung fails to disclose a belt tensioner. Dingman teaches a belt tensioner (Fig. 4A, Ref. 340) mounted to a base body, said belt tensioner being movable to apply a tension to the vehicle belt (Para. 0062). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of a belt tensioner. Doing so prevents improper instillation of the child restraint system in the vehicle by preventing a loose or inadequately tensioned belt.
Re. Cl. 22, Jung fails to disclose a belt receiving path. Dingman teaches that said incline member is located remotely from said belt receiving path such that said tension applied to the vehicle belt by said belt tensioner is unaffected by movement of said incline member between said first position and said second position (Para. 0059). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of a belt tensioner unaffected by movement of said incline member. Doing so allows for the child restraint system to be adjusted without loosening the belt.
Re. Cl. 23, Jung discloses at least one slot (Fig. 13, Ref. 41a), said incline member being coupled to said at least one slot (See Fig. 13), wherein said at least one slot defines said incline path of said incline member between said first position and said second position (See Fig. 13).
Re. Cl. 23, the preferred embodiment of Jung does not disclose an elongated slot. However, Jung teaches that it would be conventional (Para. 0008) for a base body (Fig. 1, Ref. 2) to further comprises at least one elongated slot (Fig. 2, Ref. 2d, 2e), the incline member being coupled to said at least one elongated slot (Fig. 1, Ref. 1b), wherein said at least one elongated slot defines said incline path of said incline member between said first position and said second position (Para. 0010). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with an elongated slot. Doing so would fully enclose the connecting portion of the incline member and restrict the movement of the connection portion to a desired range.
Re. Cl. 31, Jung discloses that said first rotational configuration is a forward- facing position (Fig. 9; Para. 0049) and said second rotational configuration is a rearward-facing position (Fig. 11; Para. 0051).
Re. Cl. 34, Jung discloses that said incline member is movable relative to said base body along said incline path (See Fig. 13).
Re. Cl. 35, Jung discloses a support base (Fig. 4, Ref. 100) for a child restraint system, the support base being attachable to a vehicle seat by a vehicle belt, the support base comprising: a base body (Fig. 4, Ref. 10) having a top surface and a bottom surface (See Fig. 5), said bottom surface being positionable on the vehicle seat (See Fig. 5); an incline member movably mounted to said base body (Fig. 4, Ref. 40), said incline member being movable along an incline path (See Fig. 13) between a first position (See Fig. 13) and a second position (See Fig. 14).
Jung also discloses that the seat attachment may be fixed to a seat belt (Para. 0060).
Re. Cl. 35, Jung fails to disclose a specific belt receiving path. Dingman teaches a belt receiving path (Fig. 4A, Ref. 52) for receiving the vehicle belt to secure said support base to the vehicle seat, said belt receiving path being at least partially defined by a surface (Fig. 4A; Para. 0059), wherein said incline member is movable between said first position and said second position without impacting a position of the vehicle belt on said belt receiving path (Para. 0059). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of a belt receiving path. Doing so allows for a designated space for the belt such that the child restraint system is properly and securely attached to the vehicle and can be adjusted without affecting the attachment to the vehicle.
Re. Cl. 36, Jung fails to disclose a belt tensioner. Dingman teaches a belt tensioner (Fig. 4A, Ref. 340), said belt receiving path extending between said belt tensioner and said top surface of said base body (See Fig. 4A), wherein said belt tensioner is movable to apply a tension to the vehicle belt (Para. 0062). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of a belt tensioner. Doing so maintains a secure tension in the belt when the child restraint system is installed (Para. 0004)
Re. Cl. 37, Jung discloses at least one slot (Fig. 13, Ref. 41a), said incline member being coupled to said at least one slot (See Fig. 13), wherein said at least one slot defines said incline path of said incline member between said first position and said second position (See Fig. 13).
Re. Cl. 37, the preferred embodiment of Jung does not disclose an elongated slot. However, Jung teaches that it would be conventional (Para. 0008) for a base body (Fig. 1, Ref. 2) to further comprises at least one elongated slot (Fig. 2, Ref. 2d, 2e), the incline member being coupled to said at least one elongated slot (Fig. 1, Ref. 1b), wherein said at least one elongated slot defines said incline path of said incline member between said first position and said second position (Para. 0010). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with an elongated slot. Doing so would fully enclose the connecting portion of the incline member and restrict the movement of the connection portion to a desired range.
Re. Cl. 42, Jung discloses that said incline member is movable relative to said base body along said incline path (See Fig. 13).
Re. Cl. 43, Jung fails to disclose a belt receiving path. Dingman teaches that said incline member is movable between said first position and said second position without impacting a tension in the vehicle belt on said belt receiving path (Para. 0059). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of an incline member movable impacting a tension in the vehicle belt. Doing so allows for the adjustment of the child restraint system to the desired positions without affecting the tension of the belt and causing a weak or unsafe connection to the vehicle.
Claims 8 – 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung in view of Anderson et al. US 20180099588 A1 (hereinafter Anderson).
Re. Cl. 8, Jung discloses a base body comprising a seat portion (Fig. 4, Ref. 10).
Re. Cl. 8, Jung fails to disclose a back portion. Anderson teaches that said base body (Fig. 1, Ref. 18) further comprises a seat portion (Fig. 7, Ref. 181) and a back portion (Fig. 7, Ref. 182), said back portion being arranged at an angle relative to said seat portion (See Fig. 7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Anderson's teaching of a back portion. Doing so mates the child restraint system to the seat back as well as the seat bottom of the vehicle seat (Para. 0047) for a more secure installation.
Re. Cl. 9, Jung discloses a first leg and a second leg (Fig. 4, Ref. 41; Para. 0070)
Re. Cl. 9, Jung fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that an incline member (Fig. 9A, Ref. 15) further comprises a first leg and a second leg (See Fig. 8), each of said first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion (See Fig. 8), said upper portions of said first leg and said second leg being connected by a connecting member (See Fig. 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Anderson's teaching of an upper and lower portion. Doing so extends the length of the incline member for a wider range of orientations.
Re. Cl. 10, Jung fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that said upper portion is arranged within said back portion and said lower portion is arranged within said seat portion (See Fig. 12 & 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Anderson's teaching of arranging the upper and lower portion of the legs within the seat portion. Doing so extends the contact area between the base body and the incline member to securely extend the range of orientations.
Re. Cl. 11, Jung fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that an angle formed between said upper portion and said lower portion of said first leg and said second leg is equal to said angle formed between said seat portion and said back portion of said base body (See Fig. 12). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of the angles between the upper and lower portions of the legs and between the seat and back portion being equal. Doing so ensures that the incline member and base body are properly aligned to prevent an unwanted or unsafe orientation in the child seat.
Re. Cl. 12, Jung discloses that the infant seat is installed at an upper side of the base body (Para. 0062).
Re. Cl. 12, Jung fails to disclose anchors. Anderson teaches that said incline member further comprises a base anchor member (Fig. 7, Ref. 401, 402) connectable to a seat anchor member (Fig. 7, Ref. 401R, 402R) of at least one of the infant child seat and the convertible child seat (Para. 0057). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Anderson's teaching of connecting anchors. Doing so securely attaches the child seat to the incline member.
Claims 14 & 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung in view of Reaves et al. US 20190077282 A1 (hereinafter Reaves).
Re. Cl. 14, Jung discloses that said seat attachment further comprises an attachment member (Fig. 4, Ref. 31) that is in an axial overlapping arrangement the seat axis of rotation (Fig. 5, Ref. S; Para. 0065)
Re. Cl. 14, Jung fails to disclose a support platform. Reaves teaches a child restraint system (Fig. 6B, Fig. 600) comprising a support platform (Fig. 6B, Ref. 604) connectable to the infant child seat and the convertible child seat (Para. 0800), said support platform being in an axial overlapping arrangement the seat axis of rotation (Fig. 6A, Ref. Z; Para. 0080). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Reaves's teaching of a support platform such that the axes of rotation are aligned and the attachment member and support platform are in axial overlapping arrangement with each other. Doing so provides additional support to the attachment member as the support platform would directly receive child seat the while attachment member facilitates rotation.
Re. Cl. 15, Jung discloses that said attachment member further comprises an opening (See Fig. 4).
Jung further discloses a coupling bolt (Fig. 4, Ref. 32) along the axis of rotation (Fig. 5, Ref. S; Para. 0066) coupled with said incline member.
Re. Cl. 15, Jung fails to disclose a mounting post. Reaves teaches a mounting post (Fig. 6B, Ref. 626), said mounting post being receivable within an opening (Fig. 6E, Ref. 662; Para. 0800) to define an axis of rotation of said seat attachment (Fig. 6A, Ref. Z; Para. 0080). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Reaves's teaching of a mounting post. Doing so reduces force on the coupling bolt such that the bolt is less affected as the child restraint system is rotated and adjusted, extending the lifespan of the coupling system.
Claims 24 & 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung in view of Dingman as applied to claims 1 – 7, 13, 17 – 23, 31, 34, 35 – 37, & 42 – 43 above, and further in view of Dukes US 20030151284 A1 (hereinafter Dukes).
Re. Cl. 24, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose pinned connections. Dukes teaches that an inclined member is movably coupled to said base body via a first pinned connection and a second pinned connection (Fig. 6, Ref. 71 & 72). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung’s invention with Dukes's teaching of pinned connections. Doing so allows for a connection that restricts the range of motion of the incline member to the desired degrees of freedom.
Re. Cl. 25, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose a roller or track. Dukes teaches that the inclined member further comprises a roller (Fig. 1, Ref. 36), said roller being arranged within a track formed in said base body (Fig. 1, Ref. 25). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung’s invention with Dukes's teaching of a roller and a track. Doing so supports the adjustment of the incline member by providing a rotational point of contact with the base body.
Claims 26 – 30 & 38 – 41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung and Dingman as applied to claims 1 – 7, 13, 17 – 23, 31, 34, 35 – 37, & 42 – 43 above, and in further view of Anderson.
Re. Cl. 26, Jung discloses a base body comprising a seat portion (Fig. 4, Ref. 10).
Re. Cl. 26, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose a back portion. Anderson teaches that said base body (Fig. 1, Ref. 18) further comprises a seat portion (Fig. 7, Ref. 181) and a back portion (Fig. 7, Ref. 182), said back portion being arranged at an angle relative to said seat portion (See Fig. 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung’s invention with Anderson's teaching of a back portion. Doing so mates the child restraint system to the seat back as well as the seat bottom of the vehicle seat (Para. 0047) for a more secure installation.
Re. Cl. 27, Jung discloses a first leg and a second leg (Fig. 4, Ref. 41; Para. 0070)
Re. Cl. 27, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that said incline member (Fig. 9A, Ref. 15) further comprises a first leg and a second leg (See Fig. 8), each of said first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion (See Fig. 8), said upper portions of said first leg and said second leg being connected by a connecting member (See Fig. 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung’s invention with Anderson's teaching of an upper and lower portion. Doing so extends the range of motion of the incline member along its legs.
Re. Cl. 28, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that said upper portion is arranged within said back portion and said lower portion is arranged within said seat portion (See Fig. 12 & 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung’s invention with Anderson's teaching of arranging the legs within the seat portion. Doing so expands the range of motion of the incline member while securely housing the incline member within the base body by expanding the region of contact.
Re. Cl. 29, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that an angle formed between said upper portion and said lower portion of said first leg and said second leg is equal to said angle formed between said seat portion and said back portion of said base body (See Fig. 12). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung’s invention with Anderson's teaching of the angles between the upper and lower portions of the legs and between the seat and back portion being equal. Doing so prevents an improper installation of the incline member within the base body, as the incline member would match the region within the base body.
Re. Cl. 30, Jung discloses that the child seat is installed on the base body (Para. 0062).
Re. Cl. 30, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose anchors. Anderson teaches a base anchor member (Fig. 7, Ref. 401, 402) connectable to a seat anchor member (Fig. 7, Ref. 401R, 402R) of the child seat (Para. 0057). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung’s invention with Anderson's teaching anchors. Doing so detachably and securely fixes the child seat in place when installed onto the base body.
Re. Cl. 38, Jung discloses a base body comprising a seat portion (Fig. 4, Ref. 10).
Re. Cl. 38, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose a back portion. Anderson teaches that said base body (Fig. 1, Ref. 18) further comprises a seat portion (Fig. 7, Ref. 181) and a back portion (Fig. 7, Ref. 182), said back portion being arranged at an angle relative to said seat portion (See Fig. 7). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Anderson's teaching of a back portion. Doing so extends the range of contact area of the child restraint system on to the vehicle seat for a more secure connection between the two.
Re. Cl. 39, Jung discloses a first leg and a second leg (Fig. 4, Ref. 41; Para. 0070)
Re. Cl. 39, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that said incline member (Fig. 9A, Ref. 15) further comprises a first leg and a second leg (See Fig. 8), each of said first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion (See Fig. 8), said upper portions of said first leg and said second leg being connected by a connecting member (See Fig. 8). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Anderson's teaching of an upper and lower portion. Doing so extends the range of reclining positions of the child restraint system.
Re. Cl. 40, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that said upper portion is arranged within said back portion and said lower portion is arranged within said seat portion (See Fig. 12 & 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Anderson's teaching of arranging the legs within the seat portion. Doing so extends the contact area between the base body and the incline member to support the extended positions of the child restraint system.
Re. Cl. 41, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose the first leg and said second leg having an upper portion and a lower portion. Anderson teaches that an angle formed between said upper portion and said lower portion of said first leg and said second leg is equal to said angle formed between said seat portion and said back portion of said base body (See Fig. 12). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Dingman's teaching of the angles between the upper and lower portions of the legs and between the seat and back portion being equal. Doing so ensures that the incline member and base body are properly aligned to prevent an unwanted or unsafe orientation in the child seat.
Claims 32 – 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Jung and Dingman as applied to claims 1 – 7, 13, 17 – 23, 31, 34, 35 – 37, & 42 – 43 above, and in further view of Reaves.
Re. Cl. 32, Jung discloses that said seat attachment further comprises an attachment member (Fig. 4, Ref. 31) that is in an axial overlapping arrangement the seat axis of rotation (Fig. 5, Ref. S; Para. 0065)
Re. Cl. 32, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose a support platform. Reaves teaches a child restraint system (Fig. 6B, Fig. 600) comprising a support platform (Fig. 6B, Ref. 604) connectable to the child seat (Para. 0800), said support platform being in an axial overlapping arrangement the seat axis of rotation (Fig. 6A, Ref. Z; Para. 0080). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Reaves's teaching of a support platform such that the axes of rotation are aligned and the attachment member and support platform are in axial overlapping arrangement with each other. Doing so extends the lifespan of the seat attachment by mating the detachable child seat to the support platform, rather than directly to the attachment member.
Re. Cl. 33, Jung discloses that said attachment member further comprises an opening (See Fig. 4). Jung further discloses a coupling bolt (Fig. 4, Ref. 32) along the axis of rotation (Fig. 5, Ref. S; Para. 0066) coupled with said incline member.
Re. Cl. 33, Jung in view of Dingman fails to disclose a mounting post. Reaves teaches a mounting post (Fig. 6B, Ref. 626), said mounting post being receivable within an opening (Fig. 6E, Ref. 662; Para. 0800) to define an axis of rotation of said seat attachment (Fig. 6A, Ref. Z; Para. 0080). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Jung with Reaves's teaching of a mounting post. Doing so extends the lifespan of the coupling system by defining the axis of rotation on the unmoving mounting post rather than the coupling bolt.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Gold US 20060170262 A1, Hutchinson US 7735921 B2, and Anderson US 20170355287 A1.
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.
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.
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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/GELILA KEBEDE/ Examiner, Art Unit 3632
/TERRELL L MCKINNON/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3632
Prosecution Insights