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 .
Specification
The specification dated 2/27/2026 is accepted.
Claim Objections
The following claims are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1 recites “configured to adapt compatibility” on line 11, and then “said adapted compatibility” on line 14. On line 14 “adapted compatibility” is recited as if it is a noun, thus line 11 should read “configured to provide adapted compatibility”.
Claim 1 line 15 recites “rotational”, but should recite “rotation”
Claim 1 line 17 recites “the movable barrier”, but should recite “a movable barrier” as one has not yet been positively recited in the claim.
Claim 3 recite “of claim 2” on line 1, but clearly should recite “of claim 1”
Claim 19 recites “configured to adapt compatibility” on line 11, and then “said adapted compatibility” on line 14. On line 14 “adapted compatibility” is recited as if it is a noun, thus line 11 should read “configured to provide adapted compatibility”.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hsieh ‘505 (US 20100132505, hereinafter known as Hsieh ‘505).
Regarding claim 19, Hsieh ‘505 discloses an output drive adaptor apparatus for an operator assembly for a movable barrier (fig. 2, the examiner notes that the claim does not positively require an operator assembly or a movable barrier), the operator assembly including a motor (4) with a motor output shaft (41), an output drive (5, 6, and 61) to transfer drive to the movable barrier (paragraph 30), and
a transmission assembly (51) to transfer drive from the motor output shaft (41) to the output drive (5, 6, 61),
the output drive (5, 6, and 61) rotatable in a clockwise direction and in a counterclockwise direction, depending on whether the movable barrier is closing or opening (paragraph 38, it is well known that roller doors open and close depending on the direction of rotation of a drive),
wherein the output drive (5, 6, and 61) comprises a crown wheel (543) rotatable by the transmission assembly (functional language) about an output drive axis center of rotation and having an outer face provided with a plurality of attachment points (screw holes in fig. 3) spaced from said center of rotation, wherein the plurality of attachment points comprise two through holes and an elongated slot (the examiner again notes that the claim does not positively require the operator assembly, and thus also does not positively require the output drive),
wherein the output drive adaptor apparatus (540) is configured to be driven in rotation by the crown wheel (capable of this) and is further configured to adapt compatibility of the operator assembly to drive the movable barrier (intended use), the output drive adaptor apparatus being mountable to the outer face of the crown wheel (543, they work together) at the plurality of attachment points (capable of this) to provide said adapted compatibility and to rotate with the crown when about the output drive axis center of rotation to transmit drive from the crown wheel to the movable barrier (intended use),
wherein the output drive adaptor apparatus (540) is configured to be positioned between the crown wheel (543) and a carrier assembly (5) that is separate to the operator assembly and to which a movable barrier is mounted (capable of at least indirectly),
wherein the output drive adaptor apparatus further comprises one or more adaptor portions (540) configured to be removably mounted to the crown wheel (543) through engagement with the plurality of attachment points (via screw as shown in fig. 3 and 4) so as to be driven in rotation with the crown wheel (intended use), and an output drive portion (the teeth on 540) concentric with the crown wheel and arranged to operatively engage (at least indirectly) with the carrier assembly to drive motion of the movable barrier (intended use), such that rotation of the crown wheel by the transmission assembly is transmitted via the one or more adaptor portions to the output drive portion, and from the output drive portion, through said operative engagement, to the carrier assembly and the movable barrier, and wherein the output drive portion is operatively associated with each of the one or more adapter portions (functional language, the examiner again notes that much of the listed structure is not actually positively required by the claim).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 3-12, 14-15, and 17-18 are indicated as containing allowable subject matter.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2/27/2026 regarding claim 19 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The examiner repeats that claim 19 does not positively require an operator assembly or a movable barrier, thus much of the structure including structure that is successfully argued in regards to claim 1, is not positively required in claim 19. Thus, the above claim 19 rejection is found to teach all the limitations as claimed by the applicant.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MATTHEW R SHEPHERD whose telephone number is (571)272-5657. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Cahn can be reached at (571) 270-5616. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.S./Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/DANIEL P CAHN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3634