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 § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-4, 6-12, 14-18 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garcia (US 9,573,791 B2) in view of Villa (US 12,534,336 B2).
Claim 1: Garcia discloses a method of operating an elevator system comprising: a door jamb at a landing of the elevator system is opened to reveal a maintenance cabinet (1114) (column 6 lines 43-46) including an upper panel (upper cabinet 1114U) and a cover (cabinet door 1102L) of a lower panel (lower cabinet 1114L) (column 8 lines 1-3, column 6 lines 59-60) which are disposed in a cavity defined in the door jamb (column 7 lines 4-7), as shown in FIG. 6. The cover is unlocked and opened and the lower panel is removed from the cavity (column 6 lines 62-24, column 7 lines 22-26) such that one or more electrical and/or electro-mechanical elevator components is accessed and controlled using the lower panel (column 8 lines 15-19, 34-40). This reference fails to disclose a door of the door jamb to be opened to reveal the upper panel and cover.
However Villa teaches a method of operating an elevator system, where a door (132) covers a maintenance cabinet, and is opened to reveal the maintenance cabinet (column 6 lines 37-41), as can be seen from Fig. 1.
Given the teachings of Villa, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method disclosed in Garcia with providing a door of the door jamb to be opened to reveal the upper panel and cover. Doing so would provide an exterior covering having a decoration provided on an outer face which imitates the door jamb as taught in Villa (column 6 lines 42-44), thereby concealing the maintenance cabinet from passengers.
Claim 2: Garcia modified by Villa discloses a method as stated above, where a typical door jamb is redesigned to accommodate the maintenance cabinet, as is recognized in the art. Said redesigning comprises extending the cavity to below the upper panel to accommodate the lower panel, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 6 of Garcia, and extending the door to cover respective entireties of the upper panel, cover and the lower panel, as can be seen in Fig. 1 of Villa.
Claim 3: Garcia modified by Villa discloses a method as stated above, where the lower panel is shown in FIG. 15 of Garcia to include an intercommunication panel (gateway board 1516) (column 13 lines 39-43). These references fail to disclose the upper panel to comprise the intercommunication panel.
However it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the upper panel to comprise the intercommunication panel, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. Doing so would allow the intercommunication panel to be slid out independently from the lower panel as taught in Garcia (column 9 lines 47-53), thereby reducing the need to access to the electrical and/or electro-mechanical elevator components of the lower panel.
Claim 4: Garcia modified by Villa discloses a method as stated above, where the unlocking and opening the cover is disclosed in Garcia to comprise unlocking a keyed lock (column 6 lines 62-66).
Claim 6: Garcia modified by Villa discloses a method as stated above, where the lower panel is shown in FIG. 6 of Garcia to comprise a printed circuit board assembly for accessing and controlling one or more electrical and/or electro-mechanical elevator components.
Claim 7: Garcia modified by Villa discloses a method as stated above, where the upper panel is shown in FIG. 14A of Garcia to comprise a brake relay (manual brake release 1406) and one or more additional relays (disconnect switch 1402). The lower panel is shown to comprise one or more electrical elements. These references fail to disclose the lower panel to comprise the brake relay and the one or more additional relays.
However it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the lower panel to comprise the brake relay and the one or more additional relays, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. Doing so would allow all maintenance and service components to be slid out independently from the upper panel as taught in Garcia (column 9 lines 47-53), thereby reducing the need to access components of the upper panel.
Claim 8: Garcia modified by Villa discloses a method as stated above, where the one or more electrical elements comprise at least one or more fuses, one or more LEDs, one or more jumpers, one or more diodes and one or more varistors (column 2 lines 54-60), as is recognized in the art.
Claims 9 and 15: Garcia discloses a door jamb of an elevator system and an elevator system comprising a bulkhead/door jamb at a landing formed to define a cavity including a maintenance cabinet (1114) (column 6 lines 43-46) including an upper panel (upper cabinet 1114U), a lower panel (lower cabinet 1114L) and a cover (cabinet door 1102L) of the lower panel (column 8 lines 1-3, column 6 lines 59-60) which are disposed in the cavity (column 7 lines 4-7), as shown in FIG. 6. The lower panel is removed from the cavity when the cover is unlocked and opened (column 6 lines 62-24, column 7 lines 22-26). The lower panel is shown in FIG. 6 to comprise a printed circuit board assembly for accessing and controlling one or more electrical and/or electro-mechanical elevator components (column 8 lines 15-19, 34-40). This reference fails to disclose a door to cover the cavity such that the lower panel is removable with the door opened.
However Villa teaches an elevator system where a door (132) covers a maintenance cabinet, and is opened to reveal the maintenance cabinet (column 6 lines 37-41), as can be seen from Fig. 1.
Given the teachings of Villa, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the elevator system disclosed in Garcia with providing a door to cover the cavity such that the lower panel is removable with the door opened. Doing so would provide an exterior covering having a decoration provided on an outer face which imitates the door jamb as taught in Villa (column 6 lines 42-44), thereby concealing the maintenance cabinet from passengers.
Claims 10 and 16: Garcia modified by Villa discloses an elevator system as stated above, where the cavity is shown in FIG. 6 to accommodate the upper panel, the lower panel, and the cover. The door is configured to extend over respective entireties of the upper panel, cover and the lower panel, as can be seen in Fig. 1 of Villa.
Claims 11 and 17: Garcia modified by Villa discloses an elevator system as stated above, where the lower panel is shown in FIG. 15 of Garcia to include an intercommunication panel (gateway board 1516) (column 13 lines 39-43). These references fail to disclose the upper panel to comprise the intercommunication panel.
However it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the upper panel to comprise the intercommunication panel, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. Doing so would allow the intercommunication panel to be slid out independently from the lower panel as taught in Garcia (column 9 lines 47-53), thereby reducing the need to access to the electrical and/or electro-mechanical elevator components of the lower panel.
Claims 12 and 18: Garcia modified by Villa discloses an elevator system as stated above, where the cover is disclosed in Garcia to be normally positioned over the lower panel and locked in place by a keyed lock to prevent unauthorized access (column 6 lines 62-66). Components, including the cover, is fixed via bolts (column 5 lines 3-6), and therefore is normal screw-fastened over the lower panel
Claims 14 and 20: Garcia modified by Villa discloses an elevator system as stated above, where the upper panel is shown in FIG. 14A of Garcia to comprise a brake relay (manual brake release 1406) and one or more additional relays (disconnect switch 1402). The lower panel is shown to comprise one or more electrical elements. The one or more electrical elements comprise at least one or more fuses, one or more LEDs, one or more jumpers, one or more diodes and one or more varistors (column 2 lines 54-60), as is recognized in the art. These references fail to disclose the lower panel to comprise the brake relay and the one or more additional relays.
However it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the lower panel to comprise the brake relay and the one or more additional relays, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. Doing so would allow all maintenance and service components to be slid out independently from the upper panel as taught in Garcia (column 9 lines 47-53), thereby reducing the need to access components of the upper panel.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 13 and 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 5, 13 and 19: Although the prior art (US 9,573,791 B2) teaches removing the lower panel from the cavity by sliding a lower panel mounting bracket out of the cavity (column 7 lines 10-15), the prior art does not teach nor suggest the lower panel to be rotated away from the upper panel and a lower panel cover to be removed from the lower panel. The combinations of the claimed limitations are novel and found to be allowable over prior art. The cited references taken singly or in combination do not anticipate nor make obvious applicant's claimed invention.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 6,302,240 B1, US 6,321,877 B1, US 6,405,834 B1, US 2019/0119074 A1 and US 11,136,785 B2 pertaining to a door covered maintenance panel, and US 2018/0086603 A1 pertaining to a ceiling panel that is rotated and removed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER UHLIR whose telephone number is (571)270-3091. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Coupe can be reached at 571-270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Christopher Uhlir/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619 June 24, 2026
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