Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
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) 1-9, 11-12, and 17-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Pub. No. 2021/0052085 to Wang et al.
Claim 1, Wang discloses a foldable and adjustable bed, comprising: a base frame comprising a front support frame (112/17b) and a rear support frame (111/13a) hinged to each other at a first end (16); a support platform (fig. 1-5) comprising an upper limb board 1 and a front seat board 2 disposed on the front support frame, and a rear seat board 3 and a lower limb board 5 disposed on the rear support frame; wherein the front seat board is fixed to a rear portion of the front support frame and hingedly connected to one end of the upper limb board; wherein the rear seat board is fixed to a front portion of the rear support frame and hingedly connected to one end of the lower limb board; a front drive assembly 120 comprising a front drive actuator 26 and a front drive bracket 26d coupled to the front support frame and the upper limb board, configured to rotate the upper limb board relative to the front seat board; and a rear drive assembly 130 comprising a rear drive actuator 21 and a rear drive bracket 21c coupled to the rear support frame via first and second lifting wheels and the lower limb board, configured to rotate the lower limb board relative to the rear seat board; wherein the front support frame and the rear support frame are configured to fold toward each other to transition the bed from an expanded state to a storage state, and wherein in the storage state, the front drive actuator, the rear drive actuator, the front drive bracket, and the rear drive bracket are arranged in a staggered configuration (fig. 12).
Claim 2, Wang discloses the bed wherein the front drive assembly and the rear drive assembly are configured such that movement envelopes of the drive assemblies overlap in a vertical direction without mechanical interference when the bed is folded in the storage state (fig. 12).
Claim 3, Wang discloses the bed, wherein the front drive bracket is positioned toward one of a front side and a rear side of the front support frame, and the rear drive bracket is positioned at a corresponding opposite side of the rear support frame to facilitate the staggered configuration in the storage state (fig. 12).
Claim 4, Wang discloses the bed, wherein the front drive actuator is positioned on one of a left side and a right side of the front support frame, and the rear drive actuator is positioned on an opposite side of the rear support frame.
Claim 5, Wang discloses the bed wherein the front drive bracket comprises: a front rotation rod 14a rotatably mounted to a pair of front side rails (113/13c) of the front support frame; and a pair of front lifting rods (14c,d) fixed respectively to two end portions of the front rotation rod, wherein rotation of the front rotation rod by the front drive actuator causes the front lifting rods to drive the rotation of the upper limb board
Claim 6, Wang discloses the bed wherein each of the front lifting rods includes at least one roller (24,25) configured to abut and slide against the upper limb board during rotation.
Claim 7, Wang discloses the bed wherein the front drive actuator has a first end connected to a front rail (112/17b) of the front support frame via a first front connection bracket (fig. 2) and a second end connected to the front rotation rod of the front drive bracket via a second front connection bracket 21c, such that an operation of the front drive actuator causes the rotation of the front rotation rod.
Claim 8, Wang discloses the bed further comprising a front support bar (19b,c) having a first end fixed to the front support frame and a second end fixed to the front seat board (fig. 3 & ).
Claim 9, Wang discloses the bed wherein the front support bar is connected to the front drive bracket via a clamp structure defined by members within the bracket 21c that hold the outer tube and the middle bar (fig. 9).
Claim 11, Wang discloses the bed wherein the rear drive bracket comprises a rear drive bracket (19c,d) fixed to a bottom of the lower limb board and a hinge portion 21c coupled to the rear drive actuator.
Claim 12, Wang discloses the bed wherein the rear drive actuator has a first end connected to a rear rail of the rear support frame via a rear connection bracket 21d and a second end connected to the hinge portion of the rear drive bracket, such that an operation of the rear drive actuator causes the rotation of the lower limb board.
Claim 17, Wang discloses the bed further comprising a connecting link (19b,d) pivotably connected between the rear support frame and the leg board to guide movement of the leg board.
Claim 18, Wang discloses the bed wherein the bed is capable of resting directly on a floor surface without support legs.
Claim 19, Wang discloses the bed wherein in the storage state, portions of the front support frame are nested within an interior of the rear support frame (fig. 12).
Claim 20, Wang discloses the bed wherein the front support frame and the rear support frame each comprise a generally rectangular structure (fig. 1 & 12).
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) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pub. No. 2021/0052085 to Wang et al. in view of U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0376624 to Anderson.
Claim 10, Wang discloses the bed, but is silent to a clamp including a clamp member and hoop sleeve. Anderson discloses a clamp structure comprises a clamping member 146; a hoop sleeve 144 disposed around the clamping member having mounting ears defined by arms (138a,b) with fixing holes 170 receiving fasteners (158a,b). Selecting from a plethora of known attachment means is considered an obvious modification and it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the clamp structure disclosed in Anderson with the frame of Wang with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have provided an equivalent and alternative means to engage the actuator to the frame [0038]-[0042].
Claim(s) 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Pub. No. 2021/0052085 to Wang et al. in view of EP 3,834,667 to Wang et al.
Claims 13-14, Wang discloses the bed, but is silent to having a pad. Wang ’667 discloses a plurality of pads 128 disposed at a bottom of a base frame capable of elevating the base frame above a resting surface (fig. 6). It would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the pads disclosed in Wang ‘667 with the frame of Wang with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have allowed the bed frame of Wang to be placed upon the floor [0037].
Claim 15, Wang discloses the bed wherein at least one of the upper limb board and the lower limb board includes an opening capable of preventing interference with the front drive actuator and/or the rear drive actuator during operation (fig. 2-4).
Claim 16, Wang, as modified, discloses the bed wherein the pads and the avoidance openings are capable of defining a motion envelope for the drive assemblies distributed above and below the base frame, thereby reducing a vertical clearance required between the base frame and the supporting boards.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
U.S. Pat. No. 11,766,131 to Bellingroth discloses an adjustable bed.
U.S. Pub. No. 2023/0404275 to Wang et al. discloses an adjustable bed.
U.S. Pub. No. 2021/0259432 to Mao et al. discloses an adjustable bed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FREDRICK C CONLEY whose telephone number is (571)272-7040. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm.
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/FREDRICK C CONLEY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3679
