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 Objections
Claims 3 and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 3, line 3, “the blocking contour” should read –a blocking contour--. Please note that the blocking contour was introduced in claim 2 and since claim 3 depends from claim 1, the blocking contour has not yet been introduced in claim 3.
In claim 8, line 4, “the blocking contour” should read –a blocking contour--. Please note that the blocking contour was introduced in claim 2 and since claim 8 depends from claim 1, the blocking contour has not yet been introduced in claim 3.
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(s) 1-14, 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Torka (WO 2014019851 A2).
Regarding claim 1, Torka teaches a motor vehicle lock (figs. 13-20) comprising a lock latch (204) and a pawl arrangement (207), wherein the lock latch is pivotable into at least one locking position (fig. 15), in which the lock latch is in holding engagement with a locking part (202), and into an open position (fig. 20), in which the lock latch releases the locking part, wherein the pawl arrangement comprises a pivotably mounted pawl which interacts with the lock latch and is configured to be brought into an engagement position (fig. 15) and a disengagement position (fig. 20), a pivotably mounted intermediate lever (211) which interacts with the pawl and is configured to be brought into a basic position (fig. 15) and a deflection position (fig. 20), and a movably mounted blocking part (212) interacting with the intermediate lever, which can be brought into a locking position (fig. 15) and a release position (fig. 20), wherein, in the engagement position, the pawl locks the lock latch, which is in the respective locking position, against pivoting in its opening direction (clockwise in fig. 15), and, in the disengagement position, releases the lock latch into its opening direction (fig. 20), wherein, in the locking position, the blocking part blocks the intermediate lever, which is in the basic position, against pivoting in the deflection direction thereof (clockwise in fig. 15), and, in the release position, releases the intermediate lever in the deflection direction thereof (fig. 20), wherein, in the basic position of the intermediate lever, the pawl is in its engagement position or is pivotable into its engagement position (fig. 15), and wherein the intermediate lever upon pivoting from its basic position into its deflection position brings the pawl into its disengagement position (fig. 20), wherein the blocking part comprises a contour arrangement (220) with a pressing contour (annotated fig. 1), and in that during the movement of the blocking part in its release direction (clockwise in fig. 15), a force can be exerted by the blocking part via its pressing contour on the intermediate lever (through 219), owing to which a torque is produced on the intermediate lever about its intermediate lever pivot axis in the deflection direction thereof (figs. 15-20).
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Annotated Figure 1
Regarding claim 2, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contour arrangement of the blocking part has a blocking contour (annotated fig. 1) via which, in the blocking position, the intermediate lever, which is in the basic position, is blocked against pivoting in the deflection direction (blocks 219 from pivoting clockwise).
Regarding claim 3, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein a guide piece (219) of the intermediate lever is configured to be guided along the pressing contour and/or along the blocking contour.
Regarding claim 4, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the respective force, owing to which the torque is produced on the intermediate lever in the deflection direction thereof, can be exerted on the intermediate lever by the blocking part during the movement of the blocking part from the blocking position into the release position and/or from the release position into an end position (figs. 15-20 show the torque exerted on 211 through 219).
Regarding claim 5, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the contour arrangement (220) of the blocking part comprises a guide contour (annotated fig. 1) via which the intermediate lever can be braked during the pivoting from its basic position into its deflection position (slot prevents intermediate lever from moving faster than the blocking part), or wherein the intermediate lever cannot be braked by the blocking part during the pivoting from its basic position into its deflection position after the blocking part has passed from its blocking position into its release position.
Regarding claim 6, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein the contour arrangement (220) of the blocking part has a closed guide slot (220) which forms the pressing contour and the blocking contour (annotated fig. 1).
Regarding claim 7, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the intermediate lever forms a toggle lever mechanism together with the pawl (pawl 207 is pivotably mounted on the intermediate lever 211 via pivot axis 210).
Regarding claim 8, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the intermediate lever is in the basic position and the blocking part is in the blocking position, the blocking part is in supporting engagement via a supporting surface, in particular via the blocking contour (annotated fig. 1), with the intermediate lever and the force action line of the contact force between the intermediate lever and the blocking part runs through the blocking part pivot axis (217; annotated figure 1).
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Annotated Figure 2
Regarding claim 9, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the intermediate lever is in the basic position and the blocking part is in the blocking position, the blocking part is in supporting engagement via a supporting surface, (contour 220), with the intermediate lever and the force action line of the contact force between the intermediate lever and the blocking part runs past the blocking part pivot axis (217; annotated figure 1) in such a manner that, owing to the forces transmitted to the intermediate lever, a torque is always produced on the blocking part in a direction opposite to the release direction (constant contact with contour 220 provides a torque opposite to the release direction.
Regarding claim 10, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the intermediate lever is in the basic position and the blocking part is in the blocking position, the blocking part is in supporting engagement via a supporting surface, (contour 220), with the intermediate lever and the force action line of the contact force between the intermediate lever and the blocking part runs past the blocking part pivot axis (217; annotated figure 1) in such a manner that, owing to the forces transmitted to the intermediate lever, a torque is always produced on the blocking part the release direction (constant contact with contour 220 provides a torque in the release direction).
Regarding claim 11, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein when the lock latch is in the locking position and the pawl is in the engagement position (fig. 17 shows both of these positions), the pawl is in supporting engagement via a supporting surface with the lock latch (208, 209), and the force action line of the contact force between the lock latch and the pawl runs through the pawl pivot axis (fig. 17 shows this as the dashed line 221).
Regarding claim 12, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the geometrical lock latch pivot axis (205) of the lock latch and/or the geometrical intermediate lever pivot axis (214) of the intermediate lever and/or the geometrical blocking lever pivot axis (217) of the blocking lever are/is fixed with respect to the housing (205, 214 and 217 are fixed with respect to the housing).
Regarding claim 13, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein the lock latch (204) is pretensioned (pretensioned by a spring in the clockwise direction) in its opening direction and/or the pawl (207) is pretensioned counter to its disengagement direction (pretensioned by a spring clockwise which is counter to its disengagement direction) and/or the intermediate lever is pretensioned in its basic position and/or the blocking part is pretensioned in its blocking direction.
Regarding claim 14, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 1, wherein a drive arrangement (motor which drives 212 which is not shown) is provided, said drive arrangement being configured to drive the blocking part in its release direction and/or counter to its release direction.
Regarding claim 16, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 2, wherein the pressing contour and the blocking contour are spaced apart from each other and face each other (annotated figure 1).
Regarding claim 17, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 3, wherein a common guide piece (219) is configured to be guided along the pressing contour and along the blocking contour.
Regarding claim 18, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 5, wherein the guide contour and the pressing contour are spaced apart from each other and face each other and/or the guide contour adjoins the blocking contour (annotated figure 1).
Regarding claim 19, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 12, wherein the geometrical pawl pivot axis (210) of the pawl is arranged on the intermediate lever and follows the movements thereof (210 is mounted on 211) or is fixed with respect to the housing.
Regarding claim 20, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 13, wherein one and the same spring pretensions the pawl (single spring pretensions the pawl) and/or the intermediate lever and/or the blocking part.
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) 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Torka (WO 2014019851 A2) in view of Erices (DE 10100008 A1).
Regarding claim 15, Torka teaches the motor vehicle lock as claimed in claim 14, wherein a blocking part drive shaft (217) which transmits a rotational movement from the drive arrangement (gear teeth surrounding 217 transmit rotational movement) and with respect to which the blocking part is arranged for conjoint rotation and which runs coaxially with respect to the geometrical blocking part pivot axis (217) extends from the blocking part along the geometrical blocking part pivot axis.
Torka does not explicitly teach wherein the blocking part drive shaft extends through a housing wall of the motor vehicle lock to the drive arrangement.
Erices teaches a similar motor vehicle lock wherein the drive shaft (12) extends through a housing wall (13).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Torka with those of Erices in order to extend the drive shaft through a housing wall. Extending the drive shaft through a housing wall to a motor on the other side of the housing provides a layer of protection for the electric motor against water and other debris that could enter through the opening left for the locking part. All the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Conclusion
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/J.E.I./ Examiner, Art Unit 3675 /KRISTINA R FULTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675