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 with traverse of Group I, Species 3, Claims 1, 4-7, 9-17 in the reply filed on 9/4/2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that examination of the claims without an election would not impose an undue search or examination burden because the claimed subject matter is sufficiently related. This is not found persuasive because the groups and species require a different field of search and recite mutually exclusive characteristics that would create a serious and examination burden if required to be examined together.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Claims 2-3, 8, and 18-20 have therefore been withdrawn.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph [0027]: “bots” (appearing multiple times) should be replaced with “bolts”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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, 4-7, 9-11, and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Schott (US 2004/0216271), herein referred to as ‘271.
For Claim 1, ‘271 discloses a door assembly comprising:
a hinge (20);
a door holder (14’’) attached to the hinge (20), wherein the door holder (14’’) defines a first opening (102);
a door (12’’) having a support (Annotated Figure 8B: A) that is receivable in the door holder (14’’), wherein the support (A) defines a second opening (101) that is alignable with the first opening (102) when the support (A) is positioned in the door holder (14’’); and
a locking device (103) that is insertable into the second opening (101) when the support (A) is positioned in the door holder (14’’) and the second opening (101) is aligned with the first opening (102) to lock the door (12’’) to the door holder (14’’), wherein the locking device (103) is removable from the second opening (101) by pulling on at least a portion of the locking device (103) so that the support (A) may be removed from the door holder (14’’).
For Claim 4, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 1 wherein the locking device (103) comprises a locking pin (103) that is insertable into the first (102) and second (101) openings when the support (A) is positioned in the door holder (14’’) and the second opening (101) is aligned with the first opening (102).
For Claim 5, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 4 wherein the locking pin (103) comprises a pin body (B) having a pin axis, a lock element (104) that is movably associated with the pin body (B) so that the lock element (104) is movable in a direction transverse to the pin axis.
For Claim 6, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 1 further comprising a frame member (12’) attached to the hinge (20), wherein the door (12’’) has a mass, the door holder (14’’) and the support (A) of the door each comprise an engagement feature (C, D), and the engagement features (C, D) are engageable with each other when the support (A) is positioned in the door holder (14’’) so that the door holder (14’’) supports at least a portion of the mass of the door (12’’).
For Claim 7, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 6 wherein the engagement feature (C, D) of one of the door holder and the support comprises an engagement member (C), and the engagement feature (C, D) of the other of the door holder and the support comprises a receptacle (D) that receives the engagement member (C) when the support (A) is positioned in the door holder (14’’).
For Claim 9, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 6 where the engagement features (C, D) are further cooperable with each other to align (as seen in Annotated Figure 8B) the first opening (102) and the second opening (101) when the support (A) is positioned in the door holder (14’’).
For Claim 10, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 6 wherein the engagement feature (D) of the door holder (14’’) comprises a surface (D) of the door holder (14’’), the support (A) comprises a support body (A) and the engagement feature (C) of the support (A) comprises a support member (C) that projects outwardly (as seen in Annotated Figure 8B) from the support body (A).
For Claim 11, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 6 wherein the door holder (14’’) comprises a door holder body (14’’), the engagement feature (D) of the door holder (14’’) comprises an engagement member (D) associated with the door holder body (14’’), the support (A) comprises a support body (A) and the engagement feature (C) of the support (A) comprises a support member (C) attached to the support body (A).
For Claim 16, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 1 wherein the door holder (14’’) and the support (A) of the door each comprise an alignment feature (C, D), and the alignment features (C, D) are cooperable with each other when the support (A) is positioned in the door holder (14’’) to align (as seen in Annotated Figure 8B) the first (102) and second (101) openings and so that door holder (14’’) and the support (A) are movable together with respect to a hinge axis (axis of 16) of the hinge (20).
For Claim 17, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 16 wherein the alignment feature (C) of one of the door holder and the support comprises an alignment member (C), and the alignment feature (D) of the other of the door holder and the support comprises a receptacle (D) that is configured to receive the alignment member (C) when the support (A) is positioned in the door holder (14’’).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Schott (US 2004/0216271), herein referred to as ‘271.
For Claim 13, ‘271 discloses the door assembly of claim 6 except further comprising an additional hinge attached to the frame member and an additional door holder attached to the additional hinge, and the door comprises an additional support that is receivable in the additional door holder. Paragraph [0045] indicates preferably two hinges are attached to each panel and support of at least one embodiment (as seen in Figures 1B and 10). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to apply an additional hinge attached to the frame member and an additional door holder attached to the additional hinge, and the door comprising an additional support that is receivable in the additional door holder, as taught by the embodiment of paragraph [0045] since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art (see MPEP 2144.04). The additional hinge, door holder, support, etc all being identical to that to the structure taught in Figure 8B. One would be motivated to make such a modification in order to increase the support of the door panel with respect to the frame.
For Claim 14, ‘271 as modified further teaches the door assembly of claim 13 wherein the additional door holder (14’’) and the additional support (A) each comprise an alignment feature (C, D), and the alignment features (C, D) are cooperable with each other when the additional support (A) is positioned in the additional door holder (14’’) so that the additional door holder (14’’) and the additional support (A) are movable together with respect to a hinge axis (axis of 16) of the additional hinge (20).
For Claim 15, ‘271 as modified further teaches the door assembly of claim 13 wherein the additional hinge is positioned on the frame member below the hinge, and the additional door holder is positioned below the door holder (as seen in Figures 1B and 10).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 12 is 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 12,516,559, US 6,845,546, and DE 3539576 are pertinent to applicant’s disclosure, but have not been relied upon in the current rejection.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jeffrey O'Brien whose telephone number is (571)270-3655. The examiner can normally be reached M-Th 7-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason San can be reached at (571) 272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Jeffrey O'Brien/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677
