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 Objections
Claims 2-11 are objected to because of the following informalities: the phrase “an elevator brake” in line 1 should be re-written as “the elevator brake” because claim 1 already discloses “an elevator brake”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1, 2, 7-12, 14 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WU CN207226893U.
Regarding claim 1, WU discloses
An electromagnetic device (Figs. 1-3) for an elevator brake, wherein the electromagnetic device is configured to be provided in the number of at least two (Electromagnets 2 and 3) in the elevator brake, and each of the electromagnetic devices comprises: a fixed member (Item 13), which is fixed relative to an elevator power device (The traction motor base) and provided with at least one electromagnetic member (Item 2) for providing an electromagnetic force after being energized
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; a movable member (Item 9), which is arranged between the fixed member and a friction (Item 11) member of the elevator brake, and arranged to be movable relative to the fixed member (Item 9 is arranged between items 13 and 11 when view in counterclockwise direction); and a force supply member (Item 14), which is arranged to provide a force in an opposite direction to the electromagnetic force to the movable member, so that when the elevator brake is in a first state (Away), the movable member is driven by the force to move toward the friction member and bring the friction member into contact with the elevator power device to provide a braking force for stopping an elevator car (Elevator).
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WU does not explicitly disclose and when the elevator brake is in a second state, the electromagnetic force is provided to overcome the force to urge the movable member to move toward the fixed member so that the friction member is out of contact with the elevator power device. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective fling date of the claimed invention to disengage the brake after the brake has been applied is a necessary step during the normal operation of the elevator, which is a second state where the electromagnetic force is provided to overcome the force to urge the movable member to move toward the fixed member so that the friction member is out of contact with the elevator power device. The brake is engaged and disengaged during its operation which PHOSITA would appreciate. Therefore, the feature of the second state as mentioned above includes nothing more than normal control of the elevator brake.
Regarding claim 2, WU discloses
, wherein the electromagnetic device further comprises a damper (Item 10) arranged between the fixed member and the movable member.
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Regarding claim 7, WU discloses
, wherein the fixed member is fixedly connected to the elevator power device after passing through the movable member via a connector (Item 5).
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Regarding claim 8, WU discloses
, wherein a guide bushing (Nut) is provided between the connector and the movable member.
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Regarding claim 9, WU discloses
, wherein the fixed member and the movable member are configured into an I-shape, a V-shape, or a U-shape (Fig. 3 shows I shaped fixed and movable members).
Regarding claim 10, WU discloses
, wherein the movable member is configured into a flat plate shape (Fig. 3 shows I shaped fixed and movable members).
Regarding claim 11, WU discloses
, wherein the force supply member comprises a spring arranged between the fixed member and the movable member.
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Regarding claim 12, WU discloses
An elevator brake, comprising at least two electromagnetic devices for the elevator brake according to claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic device is arranged such that in the first state, the force provided by the force supply member drives the movable member to move toward the friction member and brings the friction member into contact with the elevator power device to provide a braking force for stopping the elevator car, and that in the second state, the electromagnetic force is provided to overcome the force to urge the movable member to move toward the fixed member, so that the friction member is out of contact with the elevator power device (See claim 1 rejection for detail).
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Regarding claim 14, WU discloses
, wherein the elevator brake comprises at least two electromagnetic devices that are different from each other (Fig. 3 shows two separate sets of electromagnetic devices).
Regarding claim 15, WU discloses
An elevator system (fig. 3), comprising the elevator brake according to claim 12 (See claim 12 rejection for detail).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-6 and 13 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. Claim 3 discloses details of the electromagnetic member and claim 13 discloses an orientation of the electromagnetic devices.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
IIIan et al. (US 2013/0081905 A1) disclose a brake assembly.
Bitzi et al. (US 2017/0291794 A1) an elevator brake.
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/BICKEY DHAKAL/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2896