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 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.
Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu (CN 107724823 A).
Regarding claim 1, Liu teaches an actuating system for an actuatable door, comprising: a rotatable drive shaft (4); a rotatable latch shaft (9); a latching device comprising: at least two latches (11) that are non-rotatably mounted to the rotatable latch shaft and adapted for maintaining the actuatable door in a closed position when the at least two latches are in a latched position (fig. 1), a latch securing unit (7) that is adapted for maintaining the at least two latches in the latched position when the latch securing unit is in a securing position (fig. 1), and at least two lock lever counterparts (10) that are non- rotatably mounted to the rotatable latch shaft; and a locking device comprising: a lock lever (5) that is non-rotatably mounted to the rotatable drive shaft and adapted for engaging with the at least two lock lever counterparts to prevent the latch securing unit from disengaging from the securing position thereby locking the at least two latches in the latched position when the lock lever is in a locked position (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 2, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 1, wherein the lock lever (5) and the at least two lock lever counterparts (10) form at least two separate load paths when the lock lever is in the locked position (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 1, wherein the lock lever has a lock lever contact surface (surface of 5 which contacts 10) and the at least two lock lever counterparts (10) have respective lock lever counterpart contact surfaces (surface of 10 which contacts 5), and wherein the lock lever contact surface engages with the respective lock lever counterpart contact surfaces of the at least two lock lever counterparts when the lock lever is in a locked position (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 4, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 1, wherein the rotatable drive shaft (4) drives the rotatable latch shaft (9) via the latch securing unit (7).
Regarding claim 5, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 4, wherein the latch securing unit further comprises: a linking element (7) that couples the rotatable drive shaft with the rotatable latch shaft.
Regarding claim 6, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 5, wherein the linking element further comprises: a first bearing (annotated fig. 1) that rotatably couples the linking element with a rotatable drive shaft protrusion (annotated fig. 1) of the rotatable drive shaft, and a second bearing (annotated fig. 1) that rotatably couples the linking element with a rotatable latch shaft protrusion of the rotatable latch shaft (annotated fig. 1).
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Annotated Figure 1
Regarding claim 7, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 6, wherein a rotation of the rotatable drive shaft in latching direction (clockwise) causes, via the first bearing, a movement of the linking element in latching direction that causes, via the second bearing, a rotation of the rotatable latch shaft in latching direction (clockwise).
Regarding claim 8, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 7, wherein the latching device further comprises: a stop bolt (12) that stops the rotation of the rotatable latch shaft in latching direction when the at least two latches are in the latched position (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 9, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 8, wherein the latching device further comprises: an additional stop bolt (12 on opposite side) that stops the rotation of the rotatable drive shaft when the latch securing unit is in the securing position (stops rotation through rotatable latch shaft and latch securing unit).
Regarding claim 10, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 9, wherein the first bearing, the second bearing, the rotatable drive shaft, and the additional stop bolt of the latch securing unit form an overcenter clamp that is in an overcentered position in the securing position (annotated fig. 1).
Regarding claim 11, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 10, wherein, in the overcentered position, a rotation of the rotatable latch shaft against the latching direction causes a further rotation of the rotatable drive shaft into the latching direction (clockwise), thereby pushing the rotatable drive shaft protrusion against the additional stop bolt and maintaining the at least two latches in the latched position (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 12, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 10, wherein, in the overcentered position, only a rotation of the rotatable drive shaft against the latching direction (counterclockwise) causes the overcenter clamp to leave the overcentered position, thereby releasing the latch securing unit from the securing position (fig. 1; would release contact between 5 and 10).
Regarding claim 13, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 12, wherein a further rotation of the rotatable drive shaft against the latching direction causes, via the latch securing unit a rotation of the rotatable latch shaft against the latching direction, thereby releasing the at least two latches from the latched position (fig. 3 to fig. 4).
Regarding claim 14, Liu teaches a method of operating the actuating system of claim 1, comprising: from an unlatched position, rotating the rotatable drive shaft in latching direction to cause, via the latch securing unit, a rotation of the rotatable latch shaft in latching direction (clockwise) that causes a movement of the at least two latches into the latched position (fig. 1); from the latched position, further rotating the rotatable drive shaft in latching direction (clockwise) to cause a movement of the latch securing unit into the securing position; and from the securing position, further rotating the rotatable drive shaft in locking direction to cause a movement of the lock lever into the locked position (fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, Liu teaches the method of claim 14, further comprising: from the locked position, rotating the rotatable drive shaft against the locking direction to cause a movement of the lock lever from the locked position (fig. 3 to fig. 4), a movement of the latch securing unit from the securing position, and, via the latch securing unit, a rotation of the rotatable latch shaft against the latching direction that causes a movement of the at least two latches from the latched position (fig. 3 to fig. 4).
Regarding claim 16, Liu teaches an actuating system for an actuatable door, comprising: a rotatable drive shaft (4); a rotatable latch shaft (both portions of shaft 9); at least two latches (11) that are non-rotatably mounted to the rotatable latch shaft and configured to maintain the actuatable door in a closed position when in a latched state (fig. 1), at least two lock lever counterparts (10) that are non- rotatably mounted to the rotatable latch shaft; and a locking device comprising: a lock lever (5, both lock levers 5 are being interpreted as one lock lever with two ears 5 that move simultaneously because they are mounted on the same one piece axis) that is non-rotatably mounted to the rotatable drive shaft, wherein the lock lever is movable into a locked position in which the lock lever simultaneously engages the at least two lock lever counterparts to lock the rotatable latch shaft against rotation (both ears of lock lever 5 each engage a corresponding lock lever counterpart 10 as visible in figure 1).
Regarding claim 17, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 16, wherein the at least two lock lever counterparts are spaced apart along the rotatable latch shaft (both lock lever counterparts 10 are mounted along the rotatable latch shaft 9 which is being interpreted as a single, coaxial shaft mounted in two separate pieces) and are configured to provide at least two parallel load paths when engaged by the lock lever (two load paths created along both contact points between 5 and 10 visible in figure 1).
Regarding claim 18, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 16, wherein the lock lever (both parts of 5) engages each of the at least two lock lever counterparts (10) without driving rotation of the rotatable latch shaft (5 does not drive rotation of 9, it prevents rotation out of the latching position as shown in figure 1).
Regarding claim 19, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 16, further comprising a latch securing unit (7) that couples the rotatable drive shaft (4) and the rotatable latch shaft (both portions of shaft 9), wherein the lock lever (5), when in the locked position (fig. 1), is configured to prevent disengagement of the latch securing unit (prevents rotation of shaft 9 out of the latched position which prevents disengagement of the latch securing unit by preventing any movement in the latch securing unit).
Regarding claim 20, Liu teaches the actuating system of claim 16, wherein the rotatable latch shaft includes at least two latches (11) located at longitudinally opposite regions of the actuatable door (figs. 1, 2).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 01/22/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant asserts that Liu (CN 107724823 A) as utilized in the most recent rejection does not teach the subject matter of independent claims 1 and 14, the examiner disagrees. Initially, the applicant asserts that Liu does not disclose “at least two lock lever counterparts non-rotatably mounted to the rotatable latch shaft” as recited in claim 1. The examiner cited part 10 as the at least two lock lever counterparts mounted to the rotatable latch shaft 9. Each lock lever counterpart 10 is mounted to a portion of rotatable latch shaft 9 which is clearly visible in figure 1 of Liu’s drawings. The applicant also asserts that Liu does not disclose a locking device that prevents disengagement of a latch securing unit. The examiner disagrees and points to Liu’s part number 5 which is cited as the lock lever. The lock lever 5 has two portions each engaging one of the latch lever counterparts 10. As shown in figure 1, when the lock lever 5 is engaging the lock lever counterpart’s 10, rotation of the latch shaft out of the lathed position is not possible. Therefore, the lock lever 5 “prevents the latch securing unit (7) from disengaging from the securing position” as required by claims 1 and 14.
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 JAMES EDWARD IGNACZEWSKI whose telephone number is (571)272-2732. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 EST.
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/J.E.I./ Examiner, Art Unit 3675 /KRISTINA R FULTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675