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 .
This Office Action is in response to applicant’s RCE filed on 7/23/26.
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.
Claim(s) 11-14, 16-19 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 102010003007 to Grochala in view of EP 0874119 to Mingrone, US Pat No 8,020,901 to Watanabe and US Pat No 4,432,576 to Wartian.
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Regarding claims 11-13, Grochala discloses a method of installing a handle set and escutcheon assembly on a swing door.
The method comprises aligning a base plate assembly (1) with a portion of a first surface of the swing door, the base plate assembly including an elongated base plate (2) having lateral sides and longitudinal sides; and mechanically coupling an interior escutcheon (10) to the base plate.
First, Grochala fails to disclose that the assembly further comprises another escutcheon at the other side of the door, wherein it comprises a handle mechanically connected to a spindle hub, a spindle and at least one blind internally threaded post, such that the attachment fasteners are captured within the blind internally-threaded posts and concealed by the exterior escutcheon when viewed from the exterior surface of the swing door
Grochala discloses that the escutcheon is configured to be attached to another escutcheon at the opposite side of the door. The assembly can comprise a handle, spindle hub and a spindle.
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Wartian teaches that it is well known in the art to provide an escutcheon assembly that comprises an exterior escutcheon (82) at an exterior side of a door (12), a handle (16) mechanically connected to a spindle hub (not shown), a spindle (28) and, wherein, the escutcheon further comprises at least one blind internally threaded post (84) that receives an attachment fastener (86) to connect the escutcheon to an inside escutcheon (14) at the other side of the door.
The attachment fastener (86) are captured within the blind internally-threaded posts and concealed by the exterior escutcheon when viewed from the exterior surface of the swing door.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the assembly described by Grochala with at least one blind internally threaded post, as taught by Wartian, in order to aid in securing the assembly to the door and prevent unauthorized withdraw from the exterior of the door.
Second, Grochala fails to disclose that the base plate assembly further comprises upper shuttle and a lower shuttle proximate opposing lateral side of the base plate, each of the upper and lower shuttles normally biased in opposing directions by at least one resilient biasing mechanism and translatable axially within an interior of the base plate, each of the upper and lower shuttles further including a projection; and that the escutcheon includes ramped surfaces on opposing lateral ends thereof. Wherein, one of the lateral ends defines a recessed portion, adjacent one of the ramp surfaces, that is closed and inaccessible from the exterior and a slotted portion at the other lateral end, that is accessible from the exterior, to permit disengagement of the escutcheon from the base plate.
Grochala discloses the use of spring clips (17) to secure the base plate to the escutcheon.
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Mingrone teaches that it is well known in the art to provide an escutcheon assembly that comprises a base plate assembly (4) including an elongated base plate (13) having lateral sides and longitudinal sides, and an upper shuttle and a lower shuttle (18) proximate opposing lateral sides of the base plate, each of the upper and lower shuttles normally biased in opposing directions by at least one resilient biasing mechanism (19) and translatable axially within an interior of the base plate, each of the upper and lower shuttles further including a projection (20); and an escutcheon (1) includes ramped surfaces (21) on opposing lateral ends thereof.
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Watanabe teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a cover (16) to be mounted to a base (12), wherein it comprises latching connections at each side, having one of the sides defining a recessed portion (at B) that is closed and inaccessible from the exterior, and a slotted portion at the other lateral end (at A), that is accessible from the exterior, to permit disengagement of the escutcheon from the base plate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the engagement/mounting described by Grochala, as one that uses shuttles, as taught by Mingrone, and only accessible from one side, as taught by Watanabe, in order to facilitate the user to engage/disengage the mounting of the elements and provide a stronger engagement between the two pieces.
As to claim 14, Grochala, as modified by Mingrone, Watanabe and Wartian, will teach the method of installation as claimed. Furthermore, Wartian teaches a 2nd escutcheon that is configured to be mounted on the opposite side of the door and coupled to the other assembly.
As to claim 16, Mingrone teaches that the upper and lower shuttles are translatable within upper and lower recesses (17) of the base plate.
As to claim 17, Mingrone teaches that the upper and lower recesses (17) are defined by laterally extending ledges integral with or connected to an interior surface of the base plate.
As to claim 18, Mingrone teaches that each of the at least one resilient biasing mechanism abuts the laterally extending edges.
As to claim 19, Grochala discloses that the assembly further comprises at least one internally-threaded post (4) proximate each of the base plate lateral sides, the internally-threaded posts for receiving an attachment fastener to secure the base plate assembly to the exterior escutcheon assembly on opposing surfaces of the swing door.
As to claim 21, Grochala, as modified by Mingrone, Watanabe and Wartian, teaches that the method has the step of mechanically coupling the interior
escutcheon to the base plate does not require rotation or pivoting of the interior escutcheon with respect to a longitudinal axis of the base plate.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-10 are allowed.
Claim 22 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.
Response to Arguments
The current amendment overcomes the previous drawing objection.
With respect to claim 1, the current amendment overcomes the prior art rejection, since the prior art fails to disclose that the slotted portion will receive one of the projections and is configured to receive the tool.
As to claim 11, applicant argues that Wartian fails to disclose the connection of the base plate and escutcheon.
As clearly shown above in the rejection, Wartian is only used to demonstrate that a blind threaded post is well known in the art. Therefore, the argument is not persuasive.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS LUGO whose telephone number is (571)272-7058. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6pm.
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/Carlos Lugo/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3675
September 17, 2026
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