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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 02/27/2026 has been entered.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 02/27/2026 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 4, 9, 11-14,16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Isliker [EP 3591673 A1], see machine translation.
Claim 1, Isliker discloses a detent solenoid [1], comprising: an armature assembly [7] comprising a groove [15/18]; a coil [3] arranged for displacing the armature assembly [7]; and a detent [10] arranged for seating in the groove [figures 1 and 2]; a housing [4] at least partially surrounding the coil [3]; a cover plate [5] fixed to the housing [4]; and a shaft pilot [11] fixed to the cover plate [5], wherein: the shaft pilot comprises a radial hole [14]; and the detent [10] is disposed in the radial hole [14; figures 1 and 2].
Claim 3, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 1 wherein: the armature assembly [7] comprises: an armature; and a shaft fixed in the armature; and the groove [15/18] is disposed in the shaft [figures 1 and 2].
Claim 4, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 3 wherein the armature is made of a ferrous material [ ferromagnetic armature 7; see highlighted portions of page 3 and 4].
Claim 9, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 1 wherein: the armature assembly [7] comprises an armature; and when the coil [3] is energized [figure 2], at least a portion of the armature [7] is surrounded by the shaft pilot [11; figures 1 and 2].
Claim 11, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 1 further comprising a return spring [8], wherein: the armature assembly [7] comprises an armature ;the return spring is arranged axially between the armature and the shaft pilot [11]; and the return spring is arranged to urge the armature assembly towards a rest position [figure 1].
Claim 12, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 11 wherein: the armature [7] and the shaft pilot [1] comprise respective cylindrical depressions [see figures 1 and 2, the depressions that align spring 8]; and in the rest position [figure 1], a length of the return spring [8] is less than a distance between the respective cylindrical depressions [figures 1 and 2, the ends of the depressions are outside of the spring ends axially].
Claim 13, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 11 wherein, when the coil [3] is energized, the armature [7] is axially displaced towards the shaft pilot [11], compressing the return spring [figure 2].
Claim 14, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 1 wherein the detent [10] is seated in the groove [15/18] when the armature assembly is in a rest position [figure 1].
Claim 16, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 1 further comprising a drawn sleeve [9] fixed in the coil [3] and arranged to guide the armature assembly [7; figures 1 and 2].
Claim 17, Isliker discloses the detent solenoid of claim 1 further comprising a second detent, wherein: the detent and the second detent are disposed circumferentially opposite one another [highlighted portion of page 4]; and respective central axes of the detent and the second detent are aligned so that radial forces from the detent and the second detent acting on the armature assembly are balanced [highlighted portion of page 4].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-8 and 10 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.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Bernard Rojas whose telephone number is (571)272-1998. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. thru Fri. 7:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shawki S Ismail can be reached at (571) 272-3985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BERNARD ROJAS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2837
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