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 Amendment
Applicant’s response filed 12/11/2025 to a restriction requirement has been entered. Applicant has elected Group I, claims 1-17 and Claim 18 is withdrawn from consideration. The election was made without traverse.
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.
Claims 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Regarding Claims 1-17
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the positionally fixed element.” There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 2-17 are also rejected for being dependent on a rejected base claim.
Regarding Claim 10
Claim 10 recites the limitation “have or product different magnetic permeabilities” It is unclear what applicant is referring to by the phrase “have or product.” Appropriate correction is required.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-17 are rejected but would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the above stated 112 rejection and including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Regarding claims 1-17 Wassermann et al. (EP 3879136 A1) teaches a locking unit comprising: a housing (10)through which a longitudinal axis passes; a piston (20) which is adjustable along the longitudinal axis between a retracted retraction position and an extended extension position (Fig 1-3), wherein the locking unit serves for locking a movement of the piston, which can be acted upon with a pressure of a fluid (Fig 1-3), wherein the piston (20) has a first latching receptacle (51) and a second latching receptacle (52); a solenoid (30) having an armature (34) and an armature rod (36) connected to the armature (34); at least one latching element (61), wherein the piston (20) is fixed by retaining interaction of the at least one latching element (61) with one of the first latching receptacle (51) and the second latching receptacle (52) of the piston; a guide element (40) fixedly connected to the armature or to the armature rod (34, 36) of the solenoid (30), wherein the guide element (40) is adjustable along the longitudinal axis of the housing (10) between a blocking position and a release position, wherein, depending on the position, the guide element (40) pushes the at least one latching element radially outward; and a sensor unit comprising a permanent magnet (80), a multidirectional Hall sensor (90) for detecting a magnetic field of the permanent magnet (80) (Fig 1).
However, Wassermann is silent regarding having a magnetic field changing means, wherein the magnetic field changing means being arranged fixedly on the piston in the detection range such that different magnetic permeabilities are formed along the longitudinal axis in the detection range.
Similarly, Kleinert et al (US 2005/0098400 A1), Hoelzle et al. (EP 3667129 A1) and Schmid et al. (WO 02/10619 A1) all teach similar devices that are pertinent to applicant’s claimed invention but they all remain silent about the above stated missing limitations.
Conclusion
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/ABIY TEKA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3745
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