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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 21, 23-25, and 27-30 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 21, 24-25, and 27-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masoncup et al. US 4556872 A (hereinafter Masoncup), in view of Foote US 3423969 A (hereinafter Foote), Nilsson WO 2021221549 A1 (hereinafter Nilsson), and Banse US 20220220774 A1 (hereinafter Banse).
In regards to claim 21, Masoncup teaches a locking device comprising: a body including a locking pin (28 or 29); a power supply (43) for supplying electrical power to circuit components of the locking device; ; and ; and a shackle (16) having two arms insertable into the body, a first arm (15) of the two arms having: a groove (26 and/or 27) in a bottom portion thereof to engage with the locking pin when the locked portion of the rotatable locking cam directly engages the locking pin in the locked position and the shackle is in a closed state (see fig 3); wherein the body also includes a first switch (103) positioned below a first end of a second arm of the two arms of the shackle when the second arm is received in the body (see fig 1) and a second switch (104) positioned below a first end (end above 83) of the first arm of the two arms of the shackle when the first arm is received in the body (see fig 1), each of the first switch and the second switch being coupled to provide a signal indicating if the corresponding arm of the shackle is in an open state or the closed state (see figs 3 and 6), the second arm of the two arms being free to be withdrawn from the body when the rotatable locking cam is in the locked position and the shackle is cut (see fig 2), the first switch indicating a tampering event has occurred when the rotatable locking cam and the locking pin remain is in the locked position and the shackle is cut based on the locking determining, from the signal provided by the first switch, that the second arm is in the open state and, from the signal provided by the second switch, that the first arm is in the closed state (see fig 6 and Col 7 lines 41-56).
However, Masoncup is silent on a rotatable locking cam having a locked portion and an unlocked portion the rotatable locking cam being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position.
Foote teaches a rotatable locking cam 28’ having a locked portion (portion contacting 25 and 25 in fig 5)and an unlocked portion (portion not contacting 25 or 26 in fig 5) the rotatable locking cam being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position (see fig 5).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Masoncup with a rotatable locking cam having a locked portion and an unlocked portion the rotatable locking cam being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position such as in Foote, in order to provide a conventional and well-known way of actuating the latch of Masoncup.
However, Masoncup does not teach a ball plunger and a raceway positioned above the groove, the raceway being sized and shaped to engage with the ball plunger and hold the first arm of the shackle in the body when the rotatable locking cam is in the unlocked position.
Nilsson teaches a similar device with a ball plunger (65) and a raceway (66, 75, and 77) positioned above the groove, the raceway being sized and shaped to engage with the ball plunger and hold the first arm of the shackle in the body when the rotatable locking cam is in the unlocked position (see fig 2C).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Masoncup with a ball plunger a raceway such as in Nilsson.
In order to guide the shackle with reduced friction and allow withdrawal of the shackle, allowing fast and easy replacement (see Nilsson page 5 lines 10-20).
The examiner would like to note it would logically follow that the raceway would be above the groove of Masoncup (wrt Masoncup fig 1) as Masoncup’s groove is at the lower end of the shackle while Nilsson’s racetrack is positioned at an upper end of the padlock (see Nilsson fig 5).
Additionally, Masoncup does not teach a lock processing unit.
Banse teaches a lock processing unit (21) similarly used in determining the state of a padlock.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Masoncup with a lock processing unit such as in Banse in order to transmit the state of the lock to a user device (see para 35).
In regards to claim 24, Masoncup in view of Foote, Nilsson, and Banse teaches the locking device of claim 21, wherein the first switch and the second switch are electromechanical switches, the second switch being configured to indicate if the shackle is in the open position or the closed position (Masoncup: see figs 1 and 6).
In regards to claim 25, Masoncup in view of Foote, Nilsson, and Banse teaches the locking device of claim 24, wherein the first switch is and the second switch are connected in series, wherein a change in state of one of the first switch or the second switch changes a state of a shackle detection switch circuit (Masoncup: see fig 6).
In regards to claim 27, Masoncup in view of Foote, Nilsson, and Banse teaches the locking device of claim 21, wherein the raceway is configured to provide for the shackle to be removed from the body (Nilsson page 5 lines 10-20).
In regards to claim 28, Masoncup in view of Foote, Nilsson, and Banse teaches the locking device of claim 21, wherein each of the unlocked portion and the locked portion extend from the rotatable locking cam towards a same arm of the shackle (Foote during different rotational positions of 28’).
In regards to claim 29, Masoncup in view of Foote, Nilsson, and Banse teaches the locking device of claim 21, wherein the locked portion is positioned vertically above the unlocked portion (due to the breadth of “portion” the locking portion may be considered a portion of the upper half 28’ above the unlocking portion of the lower half of 28’ from the perspective of Foote fig 1).
In regards to claim 30, Masoncup in view of Foote, Nilsson, and Banse teaches the locking device of claim 21, wherein the rotatable locking cam is configured to rotate in a first direction to move the locking device from a locked state to an unlocked state (Col 3 line 70- Col 4 line 1) and a second direction to move the locking device from an unlocked state to a locked state (Col 4 lines 15-17).
Claim(s) 21 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masoncup in view of Kajuch et al US 6401501 B1 (hereinafter Kajuch) and Nilsson.
In regards to claim 21, Masoncup teaches a locking device comprising: a body including a locking pin (28 or 29); a power supply (43) for supplying electrical power to circuit components of the locking device; ; and ; and a shackle (16) having two arms insertable into the body, a first arm (15) of the two arms having: a groove (26 and/or 27) in a bottom portion thereof to engage with the locking pin when the locked portion of the rotatable locking cam directly engages the locking pin in the locked position and the shackle is in a closed state (see fig 3); wherein the body also includes a first switch (103) positioned below a first end of a second arm of the two arms of the shackle when the second arm is received in the body (see fig 1) and a second switch (104) positioned below a first end (end above 83) of the first arm of the two arms of the shackle when the first arm is received in the body (see fig 1), each of the first switch and the second switch being coupled to provide a signal indicating if the corresponding arm of the shackle is in an open state or the closed state (see figs 3 and 6), the second arm of the two arms being free to be withdrawn from the body when the rotatable locking cam is in the locked position and the shackle is cut (see fig 2), the first switch indicating a tampering event has occurred when the rotatable locking cam and the locking pin remain is in the locked position and the shackle is cut based on the locking determining, from the signal provided by the first switch, that the second arm is in the open state and, from the signal provided by the second switch, that the first arm is in the closed state (see fig 6 and Col 7 lines 41-56).
However, Masoncup is silent on a rotatable locking cam having a locked portion and an unlocked portion the rotatable locking cam being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position or a lock processing unit.
Kajuch teaches a pin (144) and a rotatable locking cam (180) having a locked portion (convex portion )and an unlocked portion (concave portion) the rotatable locking cam being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position (see fig 5) and a lock processing unit (136) in communication with a sensor (224).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Masoncup with the pin and rotatable locking cam having a locked portion and an unlocked portion the rotatable locking cam being rotatable between a locked position and an unlocked position and a lock processing unit such as in Kajuch, in order to improve convenience (see Kajuch Col 8 lines 47-62) with reduced power consumption.
However, Masoncup does not teach a ball plunger and a raceway positioned above the groove, the raceway being sized and shaped to engage with the ball plunger and hold the first arm of the shackle in the body when the rotatable locking cam is in the unlocked position.
Nilsson teaches a similar device with a ball plunger (65) and a raceway (66, 75, and 77) positioned above the groove, the raceway being sized and shaped to engage with the ball plunger and hold the first arm of the shackle in the body when the rotatable locking cam is in the unlocked position (see fig 2C).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Masoncup with a ball plunger a raceway such as in Nilsson.
In order to guide the shackle with reduced friction and allow withdrawal of the shackle, allowing fast and easy replacement (see Nilsson page 5 lines 10-20).
The examiner would like to note it would logically follow that the raceway would be above the groove of Masoncup (wrt Masoncup fig 1) as Masoncup’s groove is at the lower end of the shackle while Nilsson’s racetrack is positioned at an upper end of the padlock (see Nilsson fig 5).
In regards to claim 23, Masoncup in view of Kajuch and Nilsson teaches the locking device of claim 21, wherein the locking pin is configured to fall out of the groove of the shackle upon the shackle moving upwardly relative to the locking pin (see Kajuch fig 5).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER H WATSON whose telephone number is (571)272-5393. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 - 5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine M Mills can be reached at (571) 272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER H WATSON/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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