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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention 3 (Figures 9-12) in the reply filed on 2 September 2025 is acknowledged. Claims 2-4, 8-10 and 21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected species, there presently being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 5-7, 11-14 and 22-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Barnett (US-11920378-B2).
With regards to claim 1, Barnett discloses a lock (200 Figure 1A) comprising:
a latch (232 Figure 3A) configured to move between a latched position (Figure 1A) and an unlatched position (Figure 1B);
a blocker (306 Figure 3A) configured to move between a blocking position (Figure 4) and an unblocking position (Figure 5), wherein in the blocking position the blocker prevents movement of the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position (via blocker carrier 308, Cols. 11-12 Lines 51-4);
an interference element (356 Figure 3A) movable between a first position (Figure 4) in a path of the blocker to prevent movement of the blocker from the blocking position to the unblocking position, and a second position (Figure 5) out of the path of the blocker to permit movement of the blocker from the blocking position to the unblocking position (Cols. 11-12 Lines 51-4); and
an actuator (304 Figure 3A) coupled to the blocker and configured to selectively move the blocker between the blocking position and the unblocking position (Col. 9 Lines 36-49).
With regards to claim 5, Barnett discloses the lock of claim 1, further comprising at least one slot (412 Figure 3A) disposed in the latch (232 Figure 3A), wherein the blocker (306 Figure 3A) includes a pin (432 Figure 3A) configured to engage the at least one slot (via blocker carrier 308) when the blocker is in the blocking position (Figure 4).
With regards to claim 6, Barnett discloses the lock of claim 1, further comprising a blocker carrier (308 Figure 3A) configured to receive the blocker (306 Figure 3A), wherein the blocker carrier has a first blocker carrier position (Figure 6) and a second blocker carrier position (Figure 7), wherein the blocker is configured to move independently of the blocker carrier (Figures 4-7), wherein movement of the latch (232 Figure 3A) from the latched position (Figure 1A) to the unlatched position (Figure 1B) is configured to cam the blocker carrier from the first blocker carrier position to the second blocker carrier position (via cam surface 382, Figures 6-8), and wherein the blocker carrier is biased towards the first blocker carrier position (by means of biasing elements 400, Figures 6-8).
With regards to claim 7, Barnett discloses a method (Figures 6-12, Col. 12 Lines 5-13) for operating a roll-up door lock (200 Figure 1A) for a roll-up door (110 Figure 1A, Col. 1 Lines 24-31), the roll-up door lock including a latch (232 Figure 3A) configured to move between a latched position (Figure 1A) and an unlatched position (Figure 1B) and a blocker (306 Figure 3A) configured to move between a blocking position (Figure 4) preventing movement of the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position and an unblocking position (Figure 5) permitting movement of the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position (via blocker carrier 308, Cols. 11-12, 51-4), the method comprising:
providing an interference element (356 Figure 3A) in a first position (Figure 4) in a path of the blocker to prevent movement of the blocker from the blocking position to the unblocking position (Cols. 11-12, 51-4), the interference element being coupled to an actuator (304 Figure 3A);
sending a command (via controller 302, Figure 3A) to the actuator to move the interference element to a second position (Figure 5) out of the path of the blocker (Col. 9 Lines 36-49); and
allowing movement of the latch from the latched position to the unlatched position when the interference element is in the second position (Cols. 11-12, 51-4).
With regards to claim 11, Barnett discloses the method of claim 7, further comprising rolling up the roll-up door (Col. 1 Lines 24-31) when the latch (232 Figure 3A) is in the unlatched position (Figure 1B).
With regards to claim 12, Barnett discloses the method of claim 11, wherein the roll-up door lock (200 Figure 1A) is mounted within a channel (240 Figure 3A) of the roll-up door (110 Figure 1A, Col. 1 Lines 24-31).
With regards to claim 13, Barnett discloses the method of claim 7, further comprising engaging (via blocker carrier 308) a pin (432 Figure 3A) of the blocker (306 Figure 3A) with at least one slot (412 Figure 3A) disposed in the latch (232 Figure 3A) when the blocker is in the blocking position (Figure 4).
With regards to claim 14, Barnett discloses the method of claim 7, further comprising:
receiving the blocker (306 Figure 3A) within a blocker carrier (308 Figure 3A), wherein the blocker carrier has a first blocker carrier position (Figure 6) and a second blocker carrier position (Figure 7);
allowing movement of the blocker independently of the blocker carrier (Figures 4-7); and
camming the blocker carrier (via cam surface 382, Figures 6-8) from the first blocker carrier position to the second blocker carrier position in response to movement of the latch (232 Figure 3A) from the latched position (Figure 1A) to the unlatched position (Figure 1B), wherein the blocker carrier is biased towards the first blocker carrier position (by means of biasing elements 400, Figures 6-8).
With regards to claim 22, Barnett discloses the lock of claim 1, wherein the actuator (304 Figure 3A) comprises a motor (Col. 11 Lines 4-10) rotatable about an axis (central axis of pin 364, Figure 3A) parallel to a longitudinal axis (parallel to directions 250/252, Figure 3A) of the blocker (306 Figure 3A).
With regards to claim 23, Barnett discloses the lock of claim 5, wherein the at least one slot (412 Figure 3A) comprises a plurality of notches (410, 412 Figure 3A) disposed in a laterally extending edge (parallel to directions 250/252, Figure 3A) of the latch (232 Figure 3A).
With regards to claim 24, Barnett discloses in combination, the lock of claim 1 (200 Figure 1A) and a roll-up door (110 Figure 1A, Col. 1 Lines 24-31) including a corrugated surface defining an interior channel (240 Figure 3A), wherein the lock is mounted within the interior channel (see Figure 3A).
With regards to claim 25, Barnett discloses the combination of claim 22, wherein the latch (232 Figure 3A) is extendable beyond a side edge of the roll-up door (110 Figure 1A) for engagement with a wall (104 Figure 1A) adjacent to the roll-up door (Col. 8 Lines 4-29).
With regards to claim 26, Barnett discloses the method of claim 7, further comprising authenticating a credential received at an authentication device (of controller 302, Figure 3A) to determine if the credential is valid (Cols. 10-11, Lines 47-3), wherein sending the command (via controller 302, Figure 3A) to the actuator (304 Figure 3A) comprises sending the command from the authentication device to the actuator (Col. 9 Lines 36-49).
Additional Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-12435543-B2: A related door lock device.
US-11505967-B2: A related door lock device.
US-10240371-B2: A related door lock device.
US-8938998-B2: A related door lock device.
US-7221273-B1: A related door lock device.
US-6477872-B1: A related door lock device.
US-4565079-A: A related door lock device.
WO-2025095924-A1: A related door lock device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Noah Horowitz, whose telephone number is (571)272-5532. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 11:00AM - 7:00 PM.
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/NOAH HOROWITZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3675