DETAILED ACTION
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office 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 .
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 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 1-6 and 8-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Palmer (US 2,237,949)
Regarding claim 1, Palmer discloses an exterior vehicle door handle, comprising:
a base (34), provided with a handle cavity (Fig.3) and configured for being mounted on a vehicle door (7); and
a handle grip (21), configured to be pulled to open the vehicle door and rotatably mounted on the base between a closed position (Fig.3, solid lines) and an open position (43, Fig.3, dotted lines lines), wherein, when the handle grip is in the closed position, an outer surface of the handle grip does not protrude from an outer surface of the vehicle door (Shown flush with 7 Fig.3) and covers the handle cavity, and when the handle grip rotates from the closed position to the open position by rotating towards an interior of the handle cavity, the handle grip does not protrude from the outer surface of the vehicle door and the handle cavity is exposed (Fig. 3) so that a user puts a hand into the handle cavity to open the vehicle door by pulling the handle grip.
Regarding claim 2, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein when the handle grip is in the closed position, the outer surface of the handle grip is flush with the outer surface of the vehicle door (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 3, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle door (7) covers a portion of the handle cavity (Fig.3); when being in the closed position, the handle grip (21) covers another portion of the handle cavity; and when being in the open position, the handle grip abuts, in the vehicle door, against the portion of the vehicle door covering the handle cavity (Fig.3).
Regarding claims 4 and 14, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 1, wherein the handle grip is provided with a rotating shaft (3 2), the handle grip (21) is rotatably mounted on the base by the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is located at a lower edge of the handle grip when the handle grip is in the closed position (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 5, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 1, further comprising:
a driving device (49), wherein the driving device is configured for being connected to a vehicle door lock and connected to the handle grip, and the driving device drives the handle grip to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position when the vehicle door lock is unlocked;
wherein an angle by which the handle grip rotates from the closed position to the intermediate position is greater than an angle by which the handle grip rotates from the intermediate position to the open position (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 6, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 5, wherein the handle grip (21) is configured to rotate from the closed position to the intermediate position by rotating about 110° to about 120° (Fig.3 including) towards the interior of the handle cavity; and
the handle grip (21) is configured to rotate from the intermediate position to the open position by rotating about 50° to about 60° towards the interior of the handle cavity.
Note: what is or is not “about 110° to about 120°” and “about 50° to about 60°” cannot be objectively determined, rather than indefinite, the recitation is taken broadly as any.
Regarding claim 8, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 5, wherein the driving device comprises:
a push rod (58), one end of the push rod being configured for being drive-connected to the vehicle door lock (8); and
an unlocking crank (53), the unlocking crank being drive-connected to the handle grip and connected to another end of the push rod by an unlocking push rod buckle (59).
Regarding claim 9, Palmer discloses a vehicle door assembly, comprising: a vehicle door (7); and the exterior vehicle door handle (21, Fig.1) according to claim 1.
Regarding claim 10, Palmer discloses the vehicle door assembly according to claim 9, wherein the vehicle door comprises:
an exterior vehicle door panel (7, Fig.1) and an interior vehicle door panel (Fig.3, wherein the exterior vehicle door panel is mounted on an outer side of the interior vehicle door panel, the base (34) is mounted (Fig.3) on the exterior vehicle door panel and arranged between the exterior vehicle door panel and the interior vehicle door panel (Fig.3), and the exterior vehicle door panel is provided with a handle opening (Fig.3, defined by 34, 21, 22), a position of the handle opening corresponds to a position of the handle cavity.
Regarding claim 11, Palmer discloses the vehicle door assembly according to claim 10, wherein one side of the exterior vehicle door panel (7, Fig.3) facing the interior vehicle door panel is provided with a first positioning protrusion (44) and a second positioning protrusion (42) spaced apart in an up-down direction; the base is provided with a first fixing lug (51) and second fixing lugs (57); the base is arranged between the first positioning protrusion and the second positioning protrusion (Fig,5); the first fixing lug is fixed on one side of the first positioning protrusion facing the interior vehicle door panel (Fig.3 Fig.5); and the second fixing lugs are fixed on one side of the second positioning protrusion facing the interior vehicle door panel (Fig.3 Fig.5).
Regarding claim 12, Palmer discloses a vehicle (Fig.1), comprising the vehicle door assembly according to claim 9.
Regarding claim 13, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 2, wherein the vehicle door (7) covers a portion of the handle cavity (Fig.3, defined by 34, 21, 22); when being in the closed position, the handle grip (21) covers another portion of the handle cavity; and when being in the open position, the handle grip abuts, in the vehicle door, against the portion of the vehicle door covering the handle cavity (Fig.3).
Regarding claims 15, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 3, wherein the handle grip (21) is provided with a rotating shaft (32), the handle grip is rotatably mounted on the base by the rotating shaft, and the rotating shaft is located at a lower edge of the handle grip when the handle grip is in the closed position (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 16, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 2, further comprising:
a driving device (49), wherein the driving device is configured for being connected to a vehicle door lock (8) and connected to the handle grip (21), and the driving device drives the handle grip to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position when the vehicle door lock is unlocked;
wherein an angle by which the handle grip rotates from the closed position to the intermediate position is greater than an angle by which the handle grip rotates from the intermediate position to the open position (Fig.3, solid lines to dotted phantom second position).
Regarding claim 17, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 3, further comprising:
a driving device (49), wherein the driving device is configured for being connected to a vehicle door lock and connected to the handle grip (21), and the driving device drives the handle grip to an intermediate position between the open position and the closed position when the vehicle door lock is unlocked (Fig.3);
wherein an angle by which the handle grip rotates from the closed position to the intermediate position is greater than an angle by which the handle grip rotates from the intermediate position to the open position (Fig.3).
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.
Claims 7, 19 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Palmer (US 2,237,949) in view of Vasi et al. (US 9,518,410).
Regarding claim 7, Palmer discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 5, wherein the driving device is a motor (5), the motor is mounted outside the base (Fig.1), and the motor is drive-connected to the handle grip and configured for communication of the vehicle door lock.
Palmer does not disclose: the driving device is a motor.
Vasi et al. teaches the driving device is a motor (5) for the purpose of remote automatic operation.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the time the invention was effectively filed to modify Palmer with the driving device is a motor (5) as taught by Vasi et al. for the expected benefit of remote automatic operation.
Regarding claim 19, Palmer as modified by Vasi et al. discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 6, wherein the driving device (5; Vasi et al.) is a motor (5 Vasi et al.), the motor is mounted outside the base, and the motor is drive-connected to the handle grip (21; Palmer) and configured for communication of the vehicle door lock.
Regarding claim 20, Palmer as modified by Vasi et al. discloses the exterior vehicle door handle according to claim 7, wherein the driving device comprises:
a push rod (58; Palmer), one end of the push rod being configured for being drive-connected to the vehicle door lock; and
an unlocking crank (53; Palmer), the unlocking crank being drive-connected to the handle grip (21; Palmer) and connected to another end of the push end by an unlocking push rod (59; Palmer) buckle.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments from the response filed on December 3rd 2025 have been fully considered and will be addressed below in the order in which they appeared.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on the reference combination applied in the prior rejection of record for teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure as it may affect the patentability of applicant’s claimed invention is listed on the attached PTO-892.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Thomas L. Neubauer whose telephone number is 571.272.4864. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM through 5:00 PM EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina R. Fulton can be reached on 571.272.7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/T. L. N./
Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/KRISTINA R FULTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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