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 Species I (Fig1-18b) in the reply filed on 11/04/2025 is acknowledged.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2, 13-15, 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Germer US 3744829.
Claim 1. Germer discloses an apparatus comprising:
a housing (created by wall of 48, 49));
a first actuator (76) transitionable between a first state (moved to push 35 to the right, fig3, unlatched) and a second state (moved to push 35 to the left, fig6, latched); and
a latching mechanism (fig1,7) with a first set of one (pair of 54 in set “19”) or more latches and a second (pair of 54 in set “20”) set of one or more latches, wherein:
each latch (each 54, fig7) in the first set of one or more latches is configured to be transitioned between a corresponding latched state (54 extend out) and a corresponding unlatched state (54 retracted in),
each latch (each 54, fig7) in the second set of one or more latches is configured to be transitioned between a corresponding latched state (54 extended out) and a corresponding unlatched state (54 retracted in),
each latch in the first set of one or more latches and each latch in the second set of one or more latches simultaneously transitions from the corresponding latched state to the corresponding unlatched state responsive to the first actuator transitioning from the first state to the second state, and
each latch in the first set of one or more latches and each latch in the second set of one or more latches simultaneously transition from the corresponding unlatched state to the corresponding latched state when the first actuator is in the first state. (fig1-7)
Claim 2. Germer discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism further comprises:
a first latch body (35, 35pair 54, 57,59,65 of set 19) including the first set of one (includes pair of 54 of 19) or more latches, the first latch body translatable relative to the housing (extend in and out) and between an extended position (fig6) relative to the housing and a retracted position (fig3) relative to the housing to cause each latch in the first set of one or more latches to be in a corresponding one of the corresponding latched state and the corresponding unlatched state (movement of body causes pair of 54 to move between latched and unlatched state);
a second latch body (35, 36, pair 54,57,59,65 of set 20) including the second set of one or more latches, the second latch body translatable relative to the housing and between an extended position relative to the housing and a retracted position relative to the housing to cause each latch in the second set of one or more latches to be in a corresponding one of the corresponding latched state and the corresponding unlatched state; and
a common cam member (41) rotatable about a first center axis (at 60, fig5) relative to the housing and between a first rotational position (fig3) relative to the housing and a second rotational position (fig6) relative to the housing;
wherein the common cam member has a first cam surface (one tooth of 41) and a second cam surface (another tooth of 41) collectively configured to simultaneously exert, responsive to the common cam member rotating from the first rotational position to the second rotational position, an opposing lateral force on a corresponding one of the first latch body and the second latch body and cause a corresponding one of the first latch body and the second latch body to simultaneously translate from the extended position to the retracted position such that each latch in the first set of latches and each latch in the second set of latches transitions from the corresponding latched state to the corresponding unlatched state. (fig3-7)
Claim 13. Germer discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein:
the first latch body comprises a first plate (rack 35 of set 19) including a first cam follower surface (teeth of rack);
the second latch body comprises a second plate (rack 36 of set 19) including a second cam follower surface (teeth of rack); and
the first cam surface and the second cam surface of the common cam member each exert an opposing lateral force on a corresponding one of the first cam follower surface of the first plate and the second cam follower surface of the second plate to cause a corresponding one of the first set of one or more latches and the second set of one or more latches to simultaneously transition from the corresponding latched state to the corresponding unlatched state responsive to the common cam member rotating from the first rotational position to the second rotational position. (fig3-6)
Claim 14. Germer discloses the apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the first latch body includes a side (if looked at from bottom side of apparatus, fig7) having a first region (side shown in fig 7) and a second region (opposing side of the side shown in fig 7) spaced apart from one another, a first latch (54 shown in set 19 in fig7) in the first set of one or more latches is located in the first region of the side, and a second latch (other 54 in set 19, not explicitly labeled, fig7) in the first set of one or more latches is located in the second region of the side.
Claim 15. Germer discloses apparatus of claim 2, wherein: the second latch body includes a side (if looked at from bottom side of apparatus, fig7) having a first region (side shown in fig7)and a second region (opposing side of the side shown in fig7) spaced apart from one another, a first latch (first 54 of set 20 in fig7) in the second set of one or more latches is located in the first region of the side, and a second latch (other 54 of set 20, not explicitly labeled, fig7) in the second set of one or more latches is located in the second region of the side.
Claim 20. Germer discloses the apparatus of claim 1, wherein the latching mechanism further comprises:
a first set of one (71 for set 19) or more force-biasing devices interposed between the housing and the first set of one or more latches, the first set of one or more force-biasing devices being configured to urge the first set of one or more latches (via pushing 53/54 down) from the unlatched position to the latched position; and
a second set of one (71 for set 20) or more force-biasing devices interposed between the housing and the second set of one or more latches, and the second set of one or more force-biasing devices being configured to urge the second set of one or more latches (by pushing 53/54 of 20 down) from the unlatched position to the latched position. (fig1-7)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-12, 16-19 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.
Regarding claim 3, references of record do not teach the first actuator including a cam element that is rotatable about the first center axis, the same axis upon which the common cam member (claim 2) also rotates.
Regarding claim 16, references of record do not teach one or more walls of the enclosure to cause those latches to move from the corresponding latched state to the corresponding unlatched state and permit the door to be moved to the closed position.
Regarding claim 17, although lockout devices do exist in the prior art, such prior art does not include the two sets of latches as disclosed in claim 1. For example, US 3501933 only teaches on latch (14). US 2220786 does not teach a set of first latches and a set of second latches. The use of the term “set” requires a group or collection of elements (See Merriam-Webster Online definition for “set” (noun)). Examiner can find no reason to combine or modify references of record without the use of impermissible hindsight.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Art is related to apparatus with locks.
Related but not relied upon prior art: US 7905521, US 2220786, GB 2278391.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARIA F. AHMAD whose telephone number is (571)270-1334. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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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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/F.F.A./
Examiner
Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675