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
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 6, line 8, applicant claims “a control panel”, that been previously stated twice before. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention. Claim 6 is same apparatus claim as claim 1, trying to be put in method form but no clear method of use is actually being described.
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) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muo (PGPUB 2009/0218207).
With respect to claim 1, Mou teaches an elevator button bezel assembly for inhibiting an emergency call button in an elevator from being inadvertently engaged, said assembly comprising:
an call button (fig. 2, 24) being integrated into a control panel (paragraph 0033; 22 body of panel) of an elevator wherein said call button is configured to be engaged by a user (paragraph 0026; easily engaged by user) in the event; and
a bezel (fig. 2, 10) being positioned around said call button, said bezel having a depth being greater than a thickness of (fig. 2; depth is greater than 10 thickness) said call button such that said bezel extends outwardly beyond said call button (fig. 2, 10 sticks out further than button) wherein said bezel is configured to inhibit the user from inadvertently engaging (paragraph 0026; protected from accidental engagement) said call button by bumping against said call button.
Mou does not teach an elevator, and button for an emergency.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have an emergency button in elevator, as its well known in art. It has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be used solely for an emergency in elevator, employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (1987).
With respect to claim 2, Mou teaches said emergency call button is integrated into a forward surface (fig. 2, top is forward) of a mounting panel (fig. 2, 30), said mounting panel being positioned behind said control panel such that said emergency call button extends outwardly through an opening (fig. 2, hole thru 22) in said control panel;
said bezel comprises a bezel panel (fig. 3, 14) having a front surface (fig. 3, top of 14) and a back surface (fig. 3, bottom of 14), said bezel panel having an opening (fig. 3, hole thru 14) extending through said front surface and said back surface, said opening being centrally positioned on said bezel panel, said back surface of said bezel panel being positioned against a forward side of said mounting panel associated with said emergency call button such that said bezel panel is positioned between said mounting panel and a back side (fig. 2, bottom of 22) of said control panel; and
said emergency call button (fig. 2, button extends thru hole thru 22 for parts of button to be above and below) extends through said opening in said bezel panel.
With respect to claim 3, Mou teaches wherein said bezel includes an annular ring (fig. 3, 26) having a rear edge (bottom edge of 26) and a forward edge (fig. 3, top part of 26), said rear edge being bonded to (fig. 3, 26 seals onto 14) said front surface of said bezel panel having said annular ring surrounding said opening in said bezel panel such that said annular ring surrounds said emergency call button (fig. 3, 26 surrounds 24).
With respect to claim 4, Mou teaches wherein: said emergency call button is integrated into a forward surface of a mounting panel; and said bezel comprises:
a bezel panel (fig. 3, 14) having a front surface (fig. 3, top of 14) and a back surface (fig. 3, bottom of 14), said bezel panel having an opening extending (fig. 3, hole thru 14) said front surface and said back surface, said opening being centrally positioned on said bezel panel, said emergency call button extending through said opening; and
an annular ring (fig. 3, 26) having a rear edge (bottom edge of 26) and a forward edge (fig. 3, top part of 26), said rear edge being bonded to said front surface of said bezel panel having said annular ring surrounding said opening in said bezel panel such that said annular ring surrounds said emergency call button (fig. 3, 26 surrounds 24), a distance between said rear edge and said forward edge being greater than a thickness of said emergency call button such that said forward edge is spaced outwardly beyond an exposed surface of said emergency call button.
With respect to claim 5, Mou teaches an elevator button bezel assembly for inhibiting an emergency call button in an elevator from being inadvertently engaged, said assembly comprising:
an call button (fig. 2, 24) being integrated into a control panel (paragraph 0033; 22 body of panel) of an elevator wherein said emergency call button is configured to be engaged by a user (paragraph 0026; easily engaged by user) in the event of an emergency, said emergency call button being integrated into a forward surface (fig. 2, top of 22 would be forward) of a mounting panel, said mounting panel being positioned behind said control panel such that said call button extends outwardly through an opening (fig. 2, hole thru 22 for parts of button to be above and below) in said control panel; and
a bezel (fig. 2, 10) being positioned around said call button, said bezel having a depth being greater than a thickness of (fig. 2; depth is greater than thickness) said call button such that said bezel extends outwardly beyond said emergency call button wherein said bezel is configured to inhibit (paragraph 0026; protected from accidental engagement) the user from inadvertently engaging said emergency call button by bumping against said emergency call button, said bezel comprising:
a bezel panel (fig. 3, 14) having a front surface (fig. 3, top of 14) and a back surface (fig. 3, bottom of 14), said bezel panel having an opening extending (fig. 3, hole thru 14) through said front surface and said back surface, said opening being centrally positioned on said bezel panel, said back surface of said bezel panel being positioned against said forward surface of said mounting panel associated with said call button such that said bezel panel is positioned between said mounting panel and a back side (fig. 2, bottom of 22) of said control panel, said emergency call button extending through (fig. 2, button extends thru hole thru 22 for parts of button to be above and below) said opening in said bezel panel; and
an annular ring (fig. 3, 26) having a rear edge (bottom edge of 26) and a forward edge (fig. 3, top part of 26), said rear edge being bonded to said front surface of said bezel panel having said annular ring surrounding said opening in said bezel panel such that said annular ring surrounds said emergency call button (fig. 3, 26 surrounds 24), a distance between said rear edge and said forward edge being greater than a thickness of said emergency call button such that said forward edge is spaced outwardly beyond (fig. 2, 10 sticks out further than button) an exposed surface of said emergency call button.
Muo does not teach an elevator in event of emergency.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have an emergency button in elevator, as its well known in art. It has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be used solely for an emergency in elevator, employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (1987).
With respect to claim 6, Muo teaches a method of inhibiting an emergency call button in an elevator from being inadvertently engaged, the steps of said method comprising:
having a control panel (paragraph 0033; 22 body of panel) and an call button (fig. 2, 24) extending through said control panel;
providing a bezel (fig. 2; 10) comprising a bezel panel (fig. 3, 14) and an annular ring (fig. 3, 26) extending away from said bezel panel, said annular ring having a depth being greater than a thickness (fig. 2; depth is greater than thickness) of said call button; and
installing said bezel panel behind the control panel in said elevator such that annular ring surrounds (fig. 3, 10 surrounds button 24) said all button having said annular ring extending outwardly beyond an exposed surface (fig. 2, 10 sticks out further than button) of said emergency call button thereby inhibiting (paragraph 0026; protected from accidental engagement) said emergency call button from being inadvertently engaged.
Muo does not teach an elevator in event of emergency.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have an emergency button in elevator, as its well known in art. It has been held that a recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be used solely for an emergency in elevator, employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus satisfying the claimed structural limitations. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (1987).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ERICK DAVID GLASS whose telephone number is (571)272-8395. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri_8-5pm.
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/ERICK D GLASS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2846