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 .
The following final office action is in response to the reply filed May 18, 2026.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the gear and the jack screw extending through the vehicle door panel must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). Note that only the jack screw is shown extending through the vehicle door panel. See figure 4, which shows the gear 26 extending above and parallel to the door panel 10. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
The claims are objected to because recitations such as “a vehicle door panel” on line 3 of claim 1 bring the clarity of the claims into question because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the door panel set forth above or is attempting to set forth a door panel in addition to the one set forth above.
The claims are objected to because recitations such as “a window regulator” on line 4 of claim 1 bring the clarity of the claims into question because it is unclear if the applicant is referring to the window regulator set forth above or is attempting to set forth another window regulator in addition to the one set forth above.
Claims 2-7, 15, 17 and 19 are objected to because the preamble of claims 2-7, 15, 17 and 19 do not agree with the preamble of claim 1 from which they depend.
Recitations such as “wherein worm” on line 1 of claim 2 bring the clarity of the claims into question because they are grammatically incorrect and confusing. Did the applicant mean to recite “wherein the worm”?
Recitations such as “wherein worm” on line 1 of claim 9 bring the clarity of the claims into question because they are grammatically incorrect and confusing. Did the applicant mean to recite “wherein the worm”?
Recitations such as “provides guiding” on line 2 of claim 19 bring the clarity of the claims into question because they are grammatically incorrect and confusing. Did the applicant mean to recite “provides a guiding”?
Recitations such as “provides guiding” on line 2 of claim 20 bring the clarity of the claims into question because they are grammatically incorrect and confusing. Did the applicant mean to recite “provides a guiding”?
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: the specification fails to provide support for both the gear and the jack screw extending through the door panel. Note that only the jack screw 24 (fig. 4) extends through the door panel 10. The gear 26 extends parallel to the door panel 10 rather than extending through the door panel 10 as required by lines 8-9 of claim 1.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of 35 U.S.C. 112(a):
(a) IN GENERAL.—The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor or joint inventor of carrying out the invention.
The following is a quotation of the first paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112:
The specification shall contain a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using it, in such full, clear, concise, and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same, and shall set forth the best mode contemplated by the inventor of carrying out his invention.
Claims 1-7, 15, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), first paragraph, as failing to comply with the written description requirement. The claim(s) contains subject matter which was not described in the specification in such a way as to reasonably convey to one skilled in the relevant art that the inventor or a joint inventor, or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the inventor(s), at the time the application was filed, had possession of the claimed invention. Note that claim 1 recites that both of the gear and the jack screw extend through the door panel. This is not supported by the original disclosure since only the jack screw 24 (fig. 4) extends through the door panel 10. The gear 26 extends parallel to the door panel 10 rather than extending through the door panel 10 as required by lines 8-9 of claim 1.
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 1-7, 15, 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lisak et al. (US 4956942) in view of Mrozowski et al. (US 2002/0008404).
With respect to claim 1, Lisak et al. discloses a window regulator and door panel assembly of a vehicle, comprising:
a vehicle door panel 42 (figs. 3 and 4);
a window regulator (see lines 49-53 of column 2 which discloses that the window 14 is movable between opened and closed positions which would require a window regulator); and
an apparatus for adjusting a location of a rail 12, 46 of the window regulator with respect to the vehicle door panel 42, the apparatus comprising:
a jack-screw 54 secured to a gear 62, the gear 62 and the jack-screw 54 being rotatably secured to and extending through (labeled below) the vehicle door panel, the jack screw 54 extending away from a surface (labeled below) of the vehicle door panel 42;
a bevel gear 64 rotatably secured to the vehicle door panel, the bevel gear 64 being configured to meshingly engage the gear 62; and
a nut 52 secured to the rail 12, 46, the jack-screw 54 extending through the rail 12, 46 and threadingly engaging the nut 52, wherein when the bevel gear 64 is rotated in a first direction the jack-screw 54 will rotate in either a clockwise direction and when the bevel gear 64 is rotated in a second direction, which is opposite to the first direction, the jack-screw 54 will rotate in a or counter clockwise direction, wherein movement of the jack-screw 54 in the clockwise direction or in the counter clockwise direction will cause the rail 12, 46 to move with respect to the vehicle door panel.
Lisak et al. is silent concerning a worm rotatably secured to the vehicle door panel, the worm being configured to meshingly engage the gear.
However, Mrozowski et al. discloses an apparatus for adjusting a location of a rail 234 (fig. 6) comprising a worm 270 (fig. 9) rotatably secured to a vehicle door panel 216, the worm being 270 configured to meshingly engage a gear 272, wherein rotation of the worm and the gear causes the rail 234 to move relative to the vehicle door panel 216.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to replace the two bevel gears 62 and 64 of Lisak et al. with a worm 270 and worm gear 272, as taught by Mrozowski et al., with a reasonable expectation of success to more accurately control the positioning of the rail relative to the vehicle door panel and to produce large torque in a small space.
With respect to claim 2, Lisak et al. discloses that the bevel gear 64 is accessible from outside of a vehicle door 10. Thus, when the bevel gear 64 is replaced by the worm and worm gear drive, the worm would also be accessible from outside the vehicle door 10.
With respect to claim 3, the apparatus 25 of Lisak et al., as modified above, is located at the lower area of the rail 12, 46 as shown in figure 1.
With respect to claim 4, Lisak et al., as modified above, discloses that the vehicle door panel provides a guiding 68 (fig. 3) for a tool 32 that is configured to engage a head of the worm 270 of Mrozowski et al. in order to provide a rotational force to the worm.
With respect to claims 5 and 6, the apparatus 25 of Lisak et al., as modified above, is located in a lower area of the rail 12, 46 as shown in figure 1.
With respect to claim 7, Lisak et al., as modified above, discloses that the vehicle door panel provides a guiding 68 (fig. 3) for a tool 32 that is configured to engage a head of the worm 270 of Mrozowski et al. in order to provide a rotational force to the worm.
With respect to claim 15, Lisak et al., as modified above, discloses that the worm 270 and the gear 272 of Mrozowski et al. would be located between the rail 12, 46 of the window regulator and the vehicle door panel 42. As shown in figure 4, at least a portion of 42 would be positioned below the worm 270 and the gear 272 of Mrozowski et al. and thus the worm 270 and the gear 272 of Mrozowski et al. would be positioned between the panel 42 and the rail 12, 46.
With respect to claim 17, Lisak et al., as modified above, discloses that the nut 52 is directly secured to the rail 12, 46.
With respect to claim 19, Lisak et al., as modified above, discloses that the vehicle door panel 42 provides guiding 68 (fig. 3) for access to the worm 272 of Mrozowski et al. by a tool 32.
Claims 8-14, 16, 18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lisak et al. in view of Mrozowski et al. as applied to claims 1-7, 15, 17 and 19 above.
Lisak et al., as modified above, is silent concerning the specific method steps by which the apparatus of Lisak et al., as modified above, is utilized.
However, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use the apparatus of Lisak et al., as modified above, as set forth in the method steps as set forth in claims 8-14, 16, 18 and 20 with a reasonable expectation of success to adjust the position of the window during assembly of the vehicle and during use of the vehicle.
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Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed May 18, 2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant argues that Lisak et al. fails to disclose the jack screw extending through the vehicle door panel. This is not found to be persuasive because, as set forth in the rejection above, Lisak et al. discloses a panel 42 and at least a portion of the jack screw 54 extends through the panel 42 as labeled above. It should be noted that the applicant’s “panel” 10 is not a continuously planar element and includes sections that are bent relative to other sections just like the panel 42 of Lisak et al. For an example of the applicant’s bent sections of the panel 10, see applicant’s figures 4-6.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 GREGORY J STRIMBU whose telephone number is (571)272-6836. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00-4:30 Monday-Friday.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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/GREGORY J STRIMBU/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3634
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