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 .
The examiner acknowledges applicant’s amendments to claims 1-10, 14, 15, and 18-30 and the cancellation of claims 11-1316, and 17 filed May 29, 2026.
Drawings
Color photographs and color drawings are not accepted in utility applications unless a petition filed under 37 CFR 1.84(a)(2) is granted. Any such petition must be accompanied by the appropriate fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(h), one set of color drawings or color photographs, as appropriate, if submitted via the USPTO patent electronic filing system or three sets of color drawings or color photographs, as appropriate, if not submitted via the via USPTO patent electronic filing system, and, unless already present, an amendment to include the following language as the first paragraph of the brief description of the drawings section of the specification:
The patent or application file contains at least one drawing executed in color, specifically, Figures 1-7. Copies of this patent or patent application publication with color drawing(s) will be provided by the Office upon request and payment of the necessary fee.
Color photographs will be accepted if the conditions for accepting color drawings and black and white photographs have been satisfied. See 37 CFR 1.84(b)(2).
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the access opening of claim 10 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). Specifically, applicant filed a change to Figure 8 including a new reference character “275” positioned on the solid structure of the frame 216, however, there is no opening shown in Figure 8 corresponding to the new reference character “275,” and therefore, the access opening of claim 10 is still not shown in the drawings. No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: In Paragraph 5, line 7, the phrase "for electrical engagement to communicate electrical power" should be changed to "for electrical engagement for electrical communication," and in Paragraph 60, line 5, the phrase "can provide electrical power" should be changed to "can provide electrical communication.".
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 2, 9, 15, 20, 22, 23, and 30 are objected to because of the following informalities:
In regards to claim 1, line 5, the phrase “for selective engagement to block opening of the storage door” should be changed to “for selective engagement with an electronic lock assembly to block opening of the storage door,” in line 8, the phrase “an electronic lock assembly” should be changed to “the electronic lock assembly,” in lines 11 and 13, each instance of the phrase “for electrical engagement” should be changed to “for the electrical engagement” since the electrical engagement recited throughout the claim is a singular or the same electrical engagement, in lines 17 and 18, the phrase “a least one resilient suspension member” should be changed to “at least one resilient suspension member,” in line 29, the phrase “so as to disengage with” should be changed to “so as to disengage from,” and in lines 31 and 32, the phrase “the latch opening” should be changed to “the lock opening.”
In regards to claim 2, the claim should read as follows after the preamble: “wherein the haps includes at least one electrical terminal configured for engagement with the at least one electrical termina of the carriage assembly for electrical communication.”
In regards to claim 9, line 2, the word “complimentary” should be changed to “complementary.”
In regards to claim 15, line 3, the phrase “at least one electrical terminal outward from the carriage” should be changed to “at least one electrical terminal along with the terminal housing outward from the carriage” so as to make it clear that the at least one electrical terminal does not move on its own outward from the carriage.
In regards to claim 20, line 2, the phrase “at least one of the hasp and the terminal housing” should be changed to “each of the haps and the terminal housing.”
In regards to claim 22, the claim should read as follows after the preamble: “wherein the carriage is slidably arranged within the catch housing so as to slide between a distal position away from the door frame and a proximal position proximate to the door frame.”
In regards to claim 23, line 2, the phrase “at least one rail” should be changed to “two rails,” and in line 3, the phrase “the at least one rail” should be changed to “the two rails.”
In regards to claim 30, lines 6, 8, and 9, each instance of the phrase “for electrical engagement” should be changed to “for the electrical engagement,” in lines 12 and 13, the phrase “a least one resilient suspension member” should be changed to “at least one resilient suspension member,” in line 23, the phrase “disengage with” should be changed to “disengage from,” and in line 24, the phrase “allow movement relative” should be changed to “allow movement of the storage door relative” since without the recitation of the storage door, there is no structure allowed for movement relative to the storage door-door frame threshold.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-10, 14, 15, and 18-29 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In regards to claim 1, lines 5 and 6, it is unclear with which structure of the device the catch assembly is “for selective engagement to block opening of the storage door.” It is understood from the specification that the catch assembly cannot block opening of the storage door on its own without engagement with the electronic lock assembly, and will be examined as such. See claim objections above.
In regards to claim 2, the relationship between the “at least one electrical terminal” of the electrical assembly, as recited in claim 2, and the “at least one electrical terminal” of the carriage assembly, as recited in claim 1, is unclear from the claim language. It is understood from the specification that the at least one electrical terminal of the electrical assembly of claim 2 is equivalent to the at lest one electrical terminal of the carriage assembly of claim 1, and will be examined as such. See claim objections above.
In regards to claim 20, the claim as written because of the phrase "at least one of" does not require that both the hasp and the terminal housing have magnetic members, and therefore, the recited magnetically encouraged physical contact cannot occur. For examination purposes, the claim has been examined as requiring each of the hasp and the terminal housing having a magnetic member. See claim objections above.
In regards to claim 22, the relationship between the “carriage,” as recited in claim 22, and the “carriage,” as recited in claim 1, is unclear from the claim language. It is understood from the specification that the carriage of claim 22 is equivalent to the carriage of claim 1, and will be examined as such. See claim objections above.
In regards to claim 23, it is unclear how the carriage assembly is mounted within the catch housing with a single rail, as suggested by the phrase “at least one rail.” It is understood from the specification that the carriage assembly can only be mounted using two rails to ensure its proper movement, and therefore, the claim will be examined as reciting two rails. See claim objections above.
In regards to claims 3-10, 14, 15, 18, 19, 21, and 24-29, these claims are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) because they depend from claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 30 would be allowable if amended in accordance with the claim objections set forth in the current Office Action.
Claims 1-10, 14, 15, and 18-29 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Although the references of record show some features similar to those of applicant’s device, the prior art fails to teach or make obvious the claimed invention.
In regards to claims 1 and 30, Perplies (EP 2385193 A2) discloses that the terminal suspension includes at least one resilient suspension member 33, but fails to disclose that the at least one resilient suspension member is coupled between the terminal housing and a carriage of the carriage assembly, if considering the carriage to be element 18. The terminal housing of Perplies is part of the carriage 18, and therefore, the at least one suspension member 33 is not coupled between the terminal housing and the carriage. The examiner can find no motivation to modify the device of Perplies without employing improper hindsight reasoning and without destroying the intended structure and operation of the device.
Response to Arguments
In light of applicant’s amendments to the drawings and specification, the drawing objections set forth in Paragraphs 7 and 8 of the previous Office Action are withdrawn. The objections to the drawings set forth in Paragraphs 6 and 9 of the previous Office Action are maintained.
The objections to the specification set forth in Paragraph 10 of the previous Office Action is maintained since the specification was not amended in accordance with the objections.
In light of applicant’s amendments to the claims, most of the claim objections and rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) set forth in the previous Office Action are withdrawn. Some of the objections and rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been maintained, and new objections and rejections under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) have been set forth in the current Office Action based on applicant’s amendments to the claims.
Conclusion
22. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
23. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALYSON MERLINO whose telephone number is (571)272-2219. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7 AM to 3 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine 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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/ALYSON M MERLINO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675 August 6, 2026
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