DETAILED ACTION
The following Non-Final Office Action is in response to the RCE filed 8/18/2025.
Status of the claims: Claims 9-23 and 25-29 are hereby examined below.
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.
Claims 9,10,23,26,27 and 29 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al KR 20180059081 in view of Eggers DE4313732 and Huh KR 20210039719.
In regard to claim 9, Lee et al ‘081 disclose a rail system comprising:
A guide rail (100), the guide rail defining a channel.
The guide rail including a vertical portion which is orientated substantially vertical and a horizontal portion which is orientated substantially horizontal. (shown below)
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A plurality of stationary magnets (110,120) mounted in at least one of the vertical portion and the horizontal portion of the guide rail (100).
A carriage (200) having a plurality of wheels (340)(350), the carriage adapted for travel along the guide rail (100), the carriage being adapted for (functional language) attachment of a door panel.
Wherein the wheels (340) are magnets (via 342), at least a portion of each wheel being located within the channel (of guide rail 100).
Wherein movement of the carriage (200) along the vertical portion and the horizontal portion of guide rail (100) is brought about by a magnetic field generated by the stationary magnets (112) acting on the wheels (340), such that the wheels of the carriage move relative to the guide rail.
Lee et al ‘081 fails to disclose:
A door panel.
The stationary magnets are electromagnets and movement of the carriage along the guide rail is brought about by a fluctuating magnetic field generated by the stationary electromagnets acting on the wheels.
Huh ‘719 discloses:
The carriage (31) being adapted for attachment of a door panel (3).
Eggers ‘732 discloses:
The magnets (I,II) are electromagnets and movement of the carriage along the guide rail is brought about by a fluctuating magnetic field generated by the electromagnets (I,II) acting on the wheels.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to modify the device of Lee et al ‘081 to include a door panel as taught by Huh ‘719 in order to provide a means to close off an opening.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to modify the device of Lee et al ‘081 to make the stationary magnets be electromagnets as taught by Eggers ‘732 as such is shown to be a known method of propulsion using magnets. Such would eliminate the for a separate driving motor as required by Lee et al ‘081.
In regard to claims 10 and 23, Lee et al ‘081 as modified by Huh ‘719 and Eggers ‘732discloses:
Wherein movement of the carriage (200, Lee et al ‘081) along the guide rail raises or lowers the door panel (3, as taught by Huh ‘719) with respect to the horizontal portion of the guide rail (100, Lee et al ‘081). (movement of the carriage in the vertical direction will raise or lower the door panel)
In regard to claim 26, Lee et al ‘081 discloses:
The carriage (200) is configured for the attachment of extension arms (at connecting shaft 302) having additional wheels.
In regard to claim 27, Lee et al ‘081 discloses:
Wherein the wheels (340,350) have an outer covering (204).
In regard to claim 29, Lee et al ‘081 discloses:
Wherein each of the plurality of wheels are single magnets. (each wheel is singular and comprised of magnetic components which create a singular magnetic wheel)
Claims 11 and 19-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al KR 20180059081 and Eggers DE4313732 and Huh KR 20210039719 as applied to claim 10 and further in view of KR101454302.
In regard to claim 11, Lee et al ‘081/Eggers ‘732/Huh ‘719 fail to disclose:
A plurality of the guide rails, each guide rail having a vertical portion and a horizontal portion, a plurality of the electromagnets and a plurality of the carriages.
Wherein the plurality of guide rails includes a first guide rail and a second guide rail, the first guide rail and the second guide rail being spaced apart.
The plurality of carriages includes one carriage mounted on the first guide rail and one carriage mounted on the second guide rail.
The door panel is attached to the one carriage mounted on the first guide rail and to the one carriage mounted on the second guide rail; and the door panel is moved by coordinated movement of the one carriage on the first guide rail and the one carriage on the second guide rail.
KR ‘302 discloses:
A plurality of the guide rails (27a,27c)(27b,27) and a plurality of the carriages (21, top and bottom).
Wherein the plurality of guide rails (27a,27c)(27b,27) includes a first guide rail (27a,27c) and a second guide rail (27b,27), the first guide rail and the second guide rail being space apart.
The plurality of carriages (21) includes one carriage mounted on the first guide rail and one carriage mounted on the second guide rail.
The load (15) is attached to the one carriage on the first guide rail and to the one carriage on the second guide rail.
The load is moved by coordinated movement of the carriage on the first guide rail and the carriage on the second guide rail.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the device of Lee et al ‘081/Eggers ‘732 to include a second guide rail spaced from the first and a second carriage in the guide rail attached to the load as taught by KR ‘302 in order to help keep the load stable when in motion. As Lee et al ‘081 discloses the guide rail includes electromagnets, it would have been obvious to include electromagnets in the second guide rail to help move the carriage of that rail.
In regard to claims 19-20, Lee et al ‘081 as modified by Huh ‘719 discloses:
The door panel (3, Huh ‘719) is a sectional panel door.
In regard to claim 21, Lee et al ‘081 as modified by Eggers ‘732 and Huh ‘719 fails to specifically disclose:
Wherein the first guide rail and the second guide rail are aligned at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane such that movement of the carriages along the first guide rail and the second guide rail raises or lowers the load with respect to the horizontal plane.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, to modify the device of Lee et al ‘081/Eggers ‘732/ KR ‘302 to orient the first and second guide rails at an angle with respect to a horizontal plane such that movement of the carriages along the first and second guide rail raises or lowers the load since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. Such an orientation would be dependent on a user’s desired starting and ending location and would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art.
Claims 12-18 and 28 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al KR 20180059081, Eggers DE4313732and KR101454302 and Huh KR 20210039719 as applied to claim 11 and further in view of Brimer et al 4,171,493.
In regard to claim 12, Lee et al ‘081/Eggers ‘732/Huh ‘719/KR ‘302 fail to disclose:
Wherein each guide rail comprises a brake engaging surface, and at least one carriage mounted on each guide rail includes a brake having a shape configured to engage the brake engaging surface, wherein the brake engages the brake engaging surface of the guide rail to limit movement of the at least one carriage when power supply to the electromagnets is interrupted.
Brimer et al ‘493 disclose:
The guide rail comprises a brake engaging surface (31), and at least one carriage mounted on each guide rail includes a brake (24,25,26) having a shape configured to engage the brake engaging surface, wherein the brake engages the brake engaging surface of the guide rail to limit movement of the carriage when power supply to the electromagnets is interrupted. (abstract)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to modify the device of Lee et al ‘081/Eggers ‘732/Huh ‘719/ KR ‘302 to include the brake engaging the brake engaging surface when power supply to the electromagnets is interrupted as taught by Brimer et al ‘493 in order to serve as a fail-safe mechanism to automatically stop the device when power stops. (column 1, lines 5-10)
In regard to claims 13-14 and 17, Lee et al ‘081 as modified by Huh ‘719 disclose:
The door panel (3, Huh ‘719) is a sectional panel door.
In regard to claim 28, Lee et al ‘081 as modified by KR ‘302 discloses:
Each guide rail (110) includes a pair of spaced apart opposing channels (formed to the side walls and top and bottom walls of the channel), at least a portion of each wheel (340,350) fitting into the pair of spaced apart opposing channels such that the wheel is held within the channel as it travels along the guide rail.
In regard to claims 15,16 and 18, Lee et al ‘081 as modified by Eggers ‘732/Huh ‘719/KR ‘302 disclose:
Wherein movement of the carriages along the first guide rail and the second guide rail raises or lowers the door panel with respect to the horizontal portions of the first and second guide rails.
Claims 22 and 25 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lee et al KR 20180059081, Eggers DE4313732 and Huh KR 20210039719 as applied to claims 9 and 10 and further in view of Brimer et al 4,171,493.
In regard to claims 22 and 25, Lee et al ‘081/Eggers ‘732/Huh ‘719 fail to disclose:
Wherein each guide rail comprises a brake engaging surface, and at least one carriage mounted on each guide rail includes a brake having a shape configured to engage the brake engaging surface, wherein the brake engages the brake engaging surface of the guide rail to limit movement of the at least one carriage when power supply to the electromagnets is interrupted.
Brimer et al ‘493 disclose:
The guide rail comprises a brake engaging surface (31), and at least one carriage mounted on each guide rail includes a brake (24,25,26) having a shape configured to engage the brake engaging surface, wherein the brake engages the brake engaging surface of the guide rail to limit movement of the at least one carriage when power supply to the electromagnets is interrupted. (abstract)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention, with a reasonable expectation of success, to modify the device of Lee et al ‘081/Eggers ‘732/Huh ‘7193 to include the brake engaging the brake engaging surface when power supply to the electromagnets is interrupted as taught by Brimer et al ‘493 in order to serve as a fail-safe mechanism to automatically stop the device when power stops. (column 1, lines 5-10)
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/29/2024 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to applicant’s argument that Lee et al ‘081 fails to disclose a guide rail having a vertical and horizontal portion, the examiner respectfully disagrees. As shown in the marked up figure above, the rail has both a vertical and horizontal portion. As such, the claimed limitations are met.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY C RAMSEY whose telephone number is (571)270-3133. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Wed 7:00-3:30.
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/JEREMY C RAMSEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/DANIEL P CAHN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3634