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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-9 and 15-21 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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) 1-9 and 15-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dubravin US 5865483 A (hereinafter Dubravin) in view of Fraser US 5586796 A (hereinafter Fraser).
In regards to claim 1, Dubravin teaches a door handle assembly (see fig 1), comprising: a housing (42); and a handle (38) connected to the housing, the handle comprising: a rigid section (164a and 254) that is configured to maintain a fixed position relative to the housing during operation of the door handle assembly (see fig 2), wherein the rigid section is offset from a door in a first direction (see reference image 1); and an actuatable section (174a, 172a and 142) configured for actuation between a latched position and an unlatched position (when pulled) during operation of the door handle assembly, wherein the actuatable section is arranged adjacent to the rigid section ()see figs 2 and 3) when the actuatable section is in the latched position, wherein the actuatable section follows a surface profile of the rigid section when the actuatable section is in the latched position (see figs 2 and 3), wherein the actuatable section is offset from the door in the first direction when the actuatable section is in the latched position (see reference image 2, as it would be pulled further), wherein, when the actuatable section is in the unlatched position, at least part of the actuatable section extends further from the door in the first direction than any part of the rigid section (see fig 2), and wherein, when the actuatable section is in the latched position: the handle and the door define a contiguous gripping space configured to receive one or more user digits for gripping the rigid section or the actuatable section, a region between the rigid section and the door defines a first portion of the contiguous gripping space, and a region between the actuatable section and the door defines a second portion of the contiguous gripping space (see reference image 1).
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Reference image 1
However, Dubravin does not teach a housing comprising one or more housing plates wherein the rigid section and actuatable is offset from the one or more housing plates in a first direction.
Fraser teaches a housing (39 and 40) comprising one or more housing plates (39 and 40) on the door frame.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the time of filing of the invention, to have provided Dubravin with a housing (39 and 40) comprising one or more housing plates in order to reinforce the door (framer abstract).
In regards to claim 2, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein the surface profile comprises an at least partially planar profile (Dubravin: see fig 2) or an at least partially curved profile.
In regards to claim 3, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein, when in the latched position, the actuatable section and the rigid section form a continuous surface profile (Dubravin: between 254 and 180a see fig 25 and note fig 13) except for a continuous gap defined between the actuatable section and the rigid section.
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In regards to claim 4, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 3.
However, Dubravin in view of Fraser does not teach wherein, when in the latched position, the continuous gap comprises a gap width of no more than 1 centimeter. Dubravin is silent on the dimensions of the gap.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a gap width of no more than 1 centimeter, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.05.
In regards to claim 5, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 3.
However, Dubravin in view of Fraser does not teach wherein, when in the latched position, the continuous gap comprises a gap length of greater than 1 centimeter. Dubravin is silent on the dimensions of the gap.
However, Dubravin does not teach wherein, when in the latched position, the continuous gap comprises a gap width of no more than 1 centimeter. Dubravin is silent on the dimensions of the gap.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a gap length of greater than 1 centimeter, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.05.
In regards to claim 6, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 1.
However, Dubravin does not teach wherein, when in the latched position, a shortest distance between the actuatable section and the rigid section is no more than 1 centimeter.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a shortest distance between the actuatable section and the rigid section is no more than 1 centimeter, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.05.
In regards to claim 7, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 1 wherein, when in the latched position, a distance (Dubravin: distance of the gap)is between the actuatable section and the rigid section along a continuous segment of an edge (Dubravin: inner edge) of the actuatable section.
However, Dubravin is silent on if the distance is no more than 1 centimeter.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the distance is no more than 1 centimeter, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.05.
In regards to claim 8, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 7.
However, Dubravin is silent on wherein the continuous segment of the edge of the actuatable section is longer than 1 centimeter.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the continuous segment of the edge of the actuatable section is longer than 1 centimeter, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. See MPEP 2144.05.
In regards to claim 9, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 7, the continuous segment comprises at least one straight segment and at least one curved segment (Dubravin: see fig 27, the left side has both a curved and a straight segment).
In regards to claim 15, Dubravin teaches a door handle assembly, comprising: a housing (42); and a latching assembly comprising: a handle (38) connected to the housing, the handle comprising: a rigid section (254 and 164A) that is configured to maintain a fixed position relative to the housing during operation of the door handle assembly, wherein the rigid section is offset from the door in a first direction (see reference image 1); and an actuatable section (174A), wherein the actuatable section is configured for actuation between a latched position and an unlatched position during operation of the door handle assembly (see fig 2), wherein the actuatable section is offset from the door in the first direction when the actuatable section is in the latched position (as it is a pull see fig 2), wherein, when the actuatable section is in the latched position, i)_the handle and the door define contiguous gripping space configured to receive one or more user digits for gripping the rigid section or the actuatable section, (ii) the contiguous gripping space faces at least a second direction (see reference image 1) that is transverse to the first direction iii a region between the rigid section and the door defines a first portion of the contiguous gripping space, and (iv) a region between the actuatable section and the door defines a second portion of the contiguous gripping space (see reference image 1); a first extension member (142) operatively connected to the actuatable section that extends transverse to the second direction in a third direction (at least the radius see reference image 1) when the actuatable section is in the latched position; and a second extension member (180a) that extends from the first extension member in a fourth direction (see reference image 1, at least partially) that is transverse to the third direction when the actuatable section is in the latched position (see fig 2), wherein the second extension member extends to and is operatively connected to a pivot (166a), wherein the second extension member extends further from the first extension member in the fourth direction than the actuatable section of the handle extends from the first extension member in the fourth direction (since the actuatable section does not extend from 142 in the fourth direction) when the actuatable section is in the latched position, and wherein rotation of the latching assembly about the pivot is configured to cause actuation of a latch (56).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the time of filing of the invention, to have provided Dubravin with a housing (39 and 40) comprising one or more housing plates in order to reinforce the door (framer abstract).
In regards to claim 16, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein the first direction is parallel to the third direction.
In regards to claim 17, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein the second direction is parallel to the fourth direction (see reference image 1).
In regards to claim 18, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein the second direction is opposite a direction of an insertion direction of user digits for operating the latching assembly (Dubravin: see fig 2).
In regards to claim 19, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein the door handle assembly further comprises an exterior latching assembly (Dubravin: 36, at least as it’s on the exterior side of the door) operatively connectable to the latch, and wherein the exterior latching assembly is configured to rotate about an exterior pivot (Dubravin: 166) that is offset from the pivot (Dubravin: see fig 2).
In regards to claim 20, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein a portion of the second extension member is substantially coplanar with the one or more housing plates (Dubravin see figs 1 and 2, a plane may include both the plate and the second extension member).
In regards to claim 21, Dubravin in view of Fraser teaches the door handle assembly of claim 15, wherein the pivot is positioned further from the first extension member in the fourth direction than the actuatable section of the handle is positioned from the first extension member when the actuatable section is in the latched position (as the actuatable section is connected to the first extension member; see Dubravin fig 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PETER H WATSON whose telephone number is (571)272-5393. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9 - 5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine M Mills can be reached at (571) 272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PETER H WATSON/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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