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 .
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6, 10-11 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Curry (US-12305423-B2).
With regards to claim 1, Curry discloses a clutch module (Figure 3A) of an electronic lock (100 Figure 1A), comprising a housing (device housing shown Figure 1A), wherein the housing is equipped with:
a lock cylinder connecting member (148 Figure 4A), the lock cylinder connecting member being configured for connecting with a mechanical lock cylinder (106 Figure 1A) or a switch knob, and the lock cylinder connecting member being rotatable (Col. 6 Line 63 – Col. 7 Line 6) between a locking position (Figure 2a, Col. 5 Lines 15-28) and an unlocking position (Figure 2B, Col. 5 Lines 15-28);
a first meshing cog (138 Figure 4B), the first meshing cog being connected to the lock cylinder connecting member (Col. 7 Lines 21-35);
a second meshing cog (140 Figure 4B), the second meshing cog being connected to the lock cylinder connecting member (Col. 7 Lines 21-35);
a restoring member (144, 146 Figure 4B);
a clutch (126 Figure 4A), the clutch being connected to restoring member (Col. 7 Lines 21-35), and the clutch being equipped with a damping device (156 Figure 4A); and
a driving device (116 Figure 2A), the driving device being connected to the clutch (Col. 6 Lines 16-23), and the driving device comprising a driving state (motor 116 actuating in either direction) and a non-driving state (motor 116 deactivated);
wherein when the driving device is in the driving state, the driving device drives the clutch to be connected to the first meshing cog or the second meshing cog, and the driving device drives the first meshing cog or the second meshing cog to rotate (Col. 7 Line 53 – Col. 8 Line 13), thereby driving the lock cylinder connecting member to rotate to the locking position or the unlocking position (Col. 8 Lines 13-27);
when the driving device is in the non-driving state, the restoring member causes the clutch to disengage from the first meshing cog or the second meshing cog (Col. 8 Lines 35-57).
With regards to claim 2, Curry discloses the clutch module of the electronic lock according to claim 1, wherein the clutch (126 Figure 4A) comprises an upper cover body (118 Figure 3A), a lower cover body (108 Figure 3A), a clutch input cog (132 Figure 4A), and a clutch output cog (142 Figure 4A);
the upper cover body is connected (via fasteners 130, Figure 3B) to the lower cover body to form an installation cavity (interior to 108, Figure 3A);
the clutch input cog, the clutch output cog, and the damping device (156 Figure 4A) are provided inside the installation cavity (as shown Figure 3A).
With regards to claim 3, Curry discloses the clutch module of the electronic lock according to claim 2, wherein the damping device (156 Figure 4A) is positioned between the upper cover body (118 Figure 3A) and the clutch output cog (142 Figure 4A).
With regards to claim 6, Curry discloses the clutch module of the electronic lock according to claim 1, wherein the restoring member is an elastic restoring member (144, 146 Figure 4B), one end of the elastic restoring member is connected to the housing (device housing shown Figure 1A), and an opposite end of the elastic restoring member is connected to the clutch (126 Figure 4A);
when the driving device (116 Figure 2A) stops driving (Col. 8 Lines 35-57), the clutch disengages from the first meshing cog (138 Figure 4B) or the second meshing cog (140 Figure 4B) under an elastic restoring force of the elastic restoring member (Col. 7 Lines 21-35).
With regards to claim 10, Curry discloses the clutch module of the electronic lock according to claim 2, wherein the driving device comprises a motor (116 Figure 2A) and a motor output cog (120 Figure 4A), the motor is configured for driving the motor output cog to rotate (Col. 8 Lines 13-27), and the motor output cog is engaged and connected with the clutch input cog (132 Figure 4A).
With regards to claim 11, Curry discloses the clutch module of the electronic lock according to claim 2, wherein the clutch (126 Figure 4A) is engaged and connected with the first meshing cog (138 Figure 4B) or the second meshing cog (140 Figure 4B) through the clutch output cog (142 Figure 4B, Col. 7 Lines 21-35).
With regards to claim 20, Curry discloses an electronic lock (100 Figure 1A), comprising the clutch module (Figure 3A) of the electronic lock according to claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 7-9 and 12-19 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.
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.
With regards to claim 4, Curry discloses the clutch module of the electronic lock according to claim 3, wherein the damping device is a damping spring. However, Curry does not disclose that the damping spring abuts against the upper cover body and the clutch output cog through elastic force. Such an arrangement is not taught by the prior art, nor can the Examiner can find teaching or motivation to suggest such a modification to one of ordinary skill in the art without fundamentally altering the principles of operation of the device or otherwise relying upon the benefit of impermissible hindsight reasoning.
With regards to claim 7, Curry discloses the clutch module of the electronic lock according to claim 6, wherein the elastic restoring member is a restoring elastic sheet clip. However, Curry does not disclose that the restoring elastic sheet clip comprises a first elastic sheet arm and a second elastic sheet arm, the upper cover body is convex to form a first rocking arm, the lower cover body is convex to form a second rocking arm, and the first elastic sheet arm and the second elastic sheet arm clamp the first rocking arm or the second rocking arm through elastic force. Such an arrangement is not taught by the prior art, nor can the Examiner can find teaching or motivation to suggest such a modification to one of ordinary skill in the art without fundamentally altering the principles of operation of the device or otherwise relying upon the benefit of impermissible hindsight reasoning.
With regards to claim 12, Curry discloses the clutch module of the electronic lock according to claim 2. However, Curry does not disclose that the housing is further equipped with a speed changing gear group, the first meshing cog and the second meshing cog are engaged and connected with the speed changing gear group, and the speed changing gear group is connected to the lock cylinder connecting member, so that the driving device drives the first meshing cog to rotate, and drives the lock cylinder connecting member to rotate to the locking position or the unlocking position through the speed changing gear group. Such an arrangement is not taught by the prior art, nor can the Examiner can find teaching or motivation to suggest such a modification to one of ordinary skill in the art without fundamentally altering the principles of operation of the device or otherwise relying upon the benefit of impermissible hindsight reasoning.
Additional Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-12110714-B1: A related electronic lock device.
US-8141400-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-7770423-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-12448815-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-12428874-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-20240068271-A1: A related electronic lock device.
US-11802423-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-11459794-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-11443572-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-10253526-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-10012274-B2: A related electronic lock device.
US-9051762-B2: A related electronic lock device.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Noah Horowitz, whose telephone number is (571)272-5532. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 11:00AM - 7:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton, can be reached at (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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/NOAH HOROWITZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3675