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 § 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 9 recites the limitation "the exciting action arm" in Line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kunz (6,231,486).
Consider Claim 1, Kunz discloses a vehicle running board, comprising a first swing arm (14), a second swing arm (16), a movable bracket (18), a running board bracket (34), an exciting member (60), and a running board body (40), wherein when in use, a first end (at 14a) of the first swing arm and a first end ( at16a) of the second swing arm are rotatably attached to a vehicle (via 12, C4, L 49-51), the first end of the first swing arm being rotatable around a first axis (14a), and the first end of the second swing arm being rotatable around a second axis (16a); the movable bracket is connected to a second end (at 14b) of the first swing arm and a second end (at 16b) of the second swing arm, and is rotatable around a third axis (14b) and a fourth axis (16b) respectively with respect to the first swing arm and the second swing arm; the movable bracket is configured to make extension or retraction motion between a retraction position (Fig. 4) and an extension position (Fig. 1); the running board bracket (34) is movably connected to the movable bracket (18), and is rotatable around a fifth axis (30) under the exciting action of the exciting member (60); and the running board body is disposed on the running board bracket.
Consider Claim 2, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the exciting member corresponds (60) to a first end (50) of the running board bracket (34), and the running board body (40) is disposed at a second end (37) of the running board bracket (34): the first end and the second end of the running board bracket are rotatable around the fifth axis (30); and the exciting member (60) acts on the first end (50) of the running board bracket to drive the running board bracket to rotate (C7, L 19-27).
Consider Claim 3, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein when the running board bracket (34) moves along with the movable bracket (18) from the extension position (Fig. 1) to the retraction position (Fig, 4), the exciting member (60) abuts against the first end (50) of the running board bracket to enable the running board bracket to rotate around the fifth axis (30).
Consider Claim 4, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a fixed bracket (12), wherein when in use, the first swing arm (14) and the second swing arm (16) are attached to the vehicle through the fixed bracket (C3, L 53-59); and the first end of the first swing arm and the first end of the second swing arm are movably connected to the fixed bracket (12) and are rotatable around the first axis (14a) and the second axis (14b) respectively.
Consider Claim 5, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the exciting member (60) corresponds to a first end (50) of the running board bracket (34), and the running board body (40) is disposed at a second end (37) of the running board bracket; the first end and the second end of the running board bracket are rotatable around the fifth axis (30); and the exciting member (60) acts on the first end (50) of the running board bracket to drive the running board bracket to rotate (C7, L 19-27).
Consider Claim 6, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein when the running board bracket (34) moves along with the movable bracket (18) from the extension position (Fig. 1) to the retraction position (Fig. 4), the exciting member (60) abuts against the first end (50) of the running board bracket (34) to enable the running board bracket to rotate around the fifth axis (30).
Consider Claim 7, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein a first end (50) of the running board bracket has an exciting action arm (35), and the running board body (40) is disposed at a second end (37) of the running board bracket; and when the running board bracket (34) moves along with the movable bracket (18) from the extension position (Fig. 1) to the retraction position (Fig. 4), the exciting action arm (35) moves close to the exciting member (60) and abuts against the exciting member (60), and the exciting member (60) drives the running board bracket (34) to rotate around the fifth axis (30).
Consider Claim 8, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a fixed bracket (12), wherein when in use, the first swing arm (14) and the second swing arm (16) are attached to the vehicle through the fixed bracket (12): and the first end (at 14a) of the first swing arm (14) and the first end (at 16a) of the second swing arm (16) are movably connected to the fixed bracket and are rotatable around the first axis (14a) and the second axis (16a) respectively.
Consider Claim 9, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein a surface (curved side of cylindrical rotation pin 60), in contact with the exciting action arm (35), of the exciting member is a curved surface.
Consider Claim 10, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the exciting member (60) is a raised (above 15) structure integrated with the fixed bracket (12) on the fixed bracket (12).
Consider Claim 11, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the exciting member (60) is fixed.
Consider Claim 12, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a fixed bracket (12), wherein when in use, the first swing arm (14) and the second swing arm (16) are attached to the vehicle (C3, L 53-59) through the fixed bracket (12): and the first end (at 14a) of the first swing arm (14) and the first end (at 16a) of the second swing arm (16) are movably connected to the fixed bracket (12) and are rotatable around the first axis (14a) and the second axis (16a) respectively.
Consider Claim 13, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the exciting member (60) is located on the fixed bracket (12).
Consider Claim 14, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the exciting member (60) is a raised (above 15) structure integrated with the fixed bracket (12) on the fixed bracket (12).
Consider Claim 15, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein a surface (curved side of cylindrical rotation pin 60), in contact with the exciting action arm (35), of the exciting member (60) is a curved surface.
Consider Claim 16, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a fixed bracket (12), wherein when in use, the first swing arm (14) and the second swing arm (16) are attached to the vehicle through the fixed bracket (12): and the first end (at 14a) of the first swing arm and the first end (at 16a) of the second swing arm are movably connected to the fixed bracket and are rotatable around the first axis (14a) and the second axis (16a) respectively.
Consider Claim 17, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the exciting member (60) is located on the fixed bracket (12).
Consider Claim 18, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the exciting member (60) is a raised (above 15) structure integrated with the fixed bracket (12) on the fixed bracket (12).
Consider Claim 19, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein a surface (curved side of cylindrical rotation pin 60), in contact with the exciting action arm (35), of the exciting member is a curved convex surface.
Consider Claim 20, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the movable bracket (18) has an avoidance position (Fig. 1) to avoid swinging of the exciting action arm (35).
Consider Claim 21, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a rotation drive member (60), the rotation drive member being capable of driving the running board bracket (34) to rotate around the fifth axis (30).
Consider Claim 22, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the movable bracket (18) and the running board bracket (34) are provided with corresponding abutting surfaces (32, 39); and when the running board bracket (34) extends out in place, the movable bracket (18) abuts against the running board bracket (34).
Consider Claim 23, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses wherein the movable bracket (18) is provided with a mounting portion (24) extending towards the running board bracket (34), and the running board bracket is movably mounted on the mounting portion of the movable bracket.
Consider Claim 24, Kunz discloses all the limitations of the claimed invention, as described above, and further discloses comprising a swinging drive member (42), the swinging drive member being capable of driving the first swing arm or the second swing arm to rotate and swing (C6, L53-C7, L 10).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRYAN A EVANS whose telephone number is (571)270-7022. The examiner can normally be reached 9-4 EST Monday-Friday.
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/BRYAN A EVANS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613