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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to the prior art rejection of claim 1, have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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:
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.
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) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hapke (US-7306266-B2) in view of Promutico (US-20210238888-A1). All citations refer to the Hapke reference unless otherwise noted.
With regards to claim 1, Hapke discloses a door lock assembly (10 Figure 1) for locking a door (15 Figure 1) of an electrical appliance (17 Figure 1, Abstract), the door lock assembly comprising:
a housing (32 Figure 2), the housing having spring abutment surfaces (surfaces of housing 32 abutting springs 26, Figure 2);
at least one bias spring (26 Figure 2), one end of the at least one bias spring abutting against the spring abutment surfaces (right end, Figure 2);
a rotating wheel seat (24 Figure 2), the rotating wheel seat being movably accommodated inside the housing, wherein at least one side of the rotating wheel seat is provided with barrel shaped cavities (barrel shaped cavities of seat 24 holding springs 26, Figure 2), the barrel shaped cavities are configured to accommodate the at least one bias spring (as shown Figure 2), and the barrel shaped cavities have cavity bottom surfaces (bottom surfaces of 24 abutting springs 26, Figure 2), such that the other end of the at least one bias spring abuts against the cavity bottom surfaces (as shown Figure 2);
a pin shaft (28 Figure 2), the pin shaft being fixedly mounted on the housing (Col. 4 Lines 37-40); and
a rotating wheel (18 Figure 2), the rotating wheel having a rotating shaft (27 Figure 1), and the rotating shaft being rotatably mounted on the rotating wheel seat (Col. 4 Lines 24-28), such that the rotating wheel can rotate within the rotating wheel seat in a door-opening direction (clockwise, Figure 2) or in a door-closing direction (counter-clockwise, Figure 2);
wherein the rotating wheel further has a cam structure (34 Figure 1), and the cam structure is configured to be capable of abutting against the pin shaft (as shown Figure 1), such that when the rotating wheel rotates within the rotating wheel seat in the door-opening direction or in the door-closing direction, the rotating wheel and the rotating wheel seat can move within the housing (between positions shown Figures 2-3), and the at least one bias spring can be compressed or spring back in the barrel shaped cavities during the movement of the rotating wheel seat within the housing (as shown Figures 2-3, Col. 4 Lines 48-55, Col. 5 Lines 10-14).
Hapke is silent on whether the housing extends over side walls of the barrel shaped cavities.
However, Promutico discloses a door lock assembly for an appliance (1 Figure 1) comprising internal latch components including a rotating wheel (44 Figure 3) and biasing element (43 Figure 3), wherein the mobile internal components are enclosed within a latch housing (2 Figure 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Hapke’s door lock assembly with a housing that extends over side walls of the barrel shaped cavities, with a reasonable expectation of success. One would have been motivated to provide such a housing to allow for the mounting of mobile internal components and prevent the ingress of undesired elements.
With regards to claim 2, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one bias spring includes two bias springs (26 Figure 2).
With regards to claim 3, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 2, wherein the barrel shaped cavities (barrel shaped cavities of seat 24 holding springs 26, Figure 2) are respectively provided on two sides (top and bottom sides, Figure 2) of the rotating wheel seat (24 Figure 2), and the barrel shaped cavities on the two sides of the rotating wheel seat are respectively configured to accommodate one of the two bias springs, such that the two bias springs respectively abut between the spring abutment surfaces (surfaces of housing 32 abutting springs 26, Figure 2) and the cavity bottom surfaces (bottom surfaces of 24 abutting springs 26, Figure 2) of the barrel shaped cavities, and the two bias springs can thus be compressed or spring back during the movement of the rotating wheel seat within the housing (as shown Figures 2-3, Col. 4 Lines 48-55, Col. 5 Lines 10-14).
With regards to claim 4, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 1, wherein a door hook hole (hole in 32 accommodating door hook 12, Figure 2) is provided in a surface of the housing (32 Figure 2), and the door hook hole is configured to receive a door hook (12 Figure 2) mounted on the door (15 Figure 1);
wherein inserting the door hook into the door hook hole (Figure 2 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Figure 3) or pulling out the door hook from the door hook hole (Figure 3 [Wingdings font/0xE0] Figure 2) causes the rotating wheel (18 Figure 2) to rotate around the rotating shaft (27 Figure 1) in the door-closing direction (counter-clockwise, Figure 2) or in the door-opening direction (clockwise, Figure 2).
With regards to claim 5, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 4, wherein the rotating wheel (18 Figure 2) comprises a rotating wheel head section (right section of 18, Figure 2), a rotating wheel middle section (middle section of 18, Figure 2) and a rotating wheel tail section (left section of 18, Figure 2), the rotating wheel middle section is provided with the rotating shaft (27 Figure 1), the rotating wheel head section is provided with lock hooks (16 Figure 2), the lock hooks are configured to be capable of engaging with the door hook (12 Figure 3), and inserting the door hook into the door hook hole or pulling out the door hook from the door hook hole causes the rotating wheel to rotate around the rotating shaft in the door-closing direction or in the door-opening direction (as shown Figures 2-3);
wherein the rotating wheel has a rotating wheel door-opening position (Figure 2) and a rotating wheel door-closing position (Figure 3) during rotation.
With regards to claim 6, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 5, wherein the rotating wheel tail section (left section of 18, Figure 2) is provided with the cam structure (34 Figure 1), the cam structure is provided with an inner side surface (34b Figure 4) and an outer side surface (34a Figure 4), the inner side surface has an inner-side stabilization point (pin shaft location of Figure 3), and the outer side surface has a cam outer-side stabilization point (pin shaft location of Figure 2); and
wherein when the rotating wheel is in the rotating wheel door-closing position (Figure 3), the pin shaft (28 Figure 2) is located at the inner-side stabilization point of the cam, and when the rotating wheel is in the rotating wheel door-opening position (Figure 2), the pin shaft is located at the cam outer-side stabilization point.
With regards to claim 7, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 6, wherein the rotating wheel seat (24 Figure 2) is provided with a rotating wheel stop part (bottom section of wheel seat pin shaft 28 abutting rotating wheel 18, Figure 2) thereon, and the rotating wheel stop part is configured to limit a rotation range of the rotating wheel, such that when the rotating wheel rotates from the rotating wheel door-closing position (Figure 3) to the rotating wheel door-opening position (Figure 2), the rotating wheel (18 Figure 2) can be stabilized at a position where the pin shaft is located at the cam outer-side stabilization point (pin shaft location of Figure 2).
With regards to claim 8, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 7, wherein the spring abutment surfaces (surfaces of housing 32 abutting springs 26, Figure 2) are provided opposite to the cavity bottom surfaces (bottom surfaces of 24 abutting springs 26, Figure 2);
wherein in the process of the rotating wheel (18 Figure 2) rotating from the rotating wheel door-closing position (Figure 3) to the rotating wheel door-opening position (Figure 2), a relative movement is generated between the cam structure (34 Figure 1) of the rotating wheel and the pin shaft (28 Figure 2), such that the position the pin shaft abutting against the cam structure moves from the inner-side stabilization point (pin shaft location of Figure 3) to the cam outer-side stabilization point (pin shaft location of Figure 2), and the rotating wheel seat (24 Figure 2) moves close to the spring abutment surfaces of the housing such that the pair of bias springs are compressed (Col. 4 Lines 48-55); and
wherein in the process of the rotating wheel rotating from the rotating wheel door-opening position (Figure 2) to the rotating wheel door-closing position (Figure 3), a relative movement is generated between the cam structure of the rotating wheel and the pin shaft, such that the position the pin shaft abutting against the cam structure moves from the cam outer-side stabilization point to the inner-side stabilization point, and the rotating wheel seat moves away from the spring abutment surfaces of the housing such that the pair of bias springs spring back from a compressed state (Col. 5 Lines 10-14).
With regards to claim 9, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 1, wherein the rotating wheel seat (24 Figure 2) is provided with rotating wheel receiving portions (internal portions of rotating wheel seat 24 receiving the rotating wheel 18, Figure 2) thereon, and the rotating wheel receiving portions are configured to mount the rotating shaft (27 Figure 1) of the rotating wheel (18 Figure 2), such that the rotating wheel can be rotatably mounted on the rotating wheel seat (as shown Figures 2-3).
With regards to claim 10, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 1, wherein the housing (32 Figure 2) is provided with pin shaft mounting portions (30 Figure 1) thereon, the pin shaft mounting portions have pin shaft mounting holes (see Figure 1), and the pin shaft mounting holes are configured to fixedly mount the pin shaft (28 Figure 2, Col. 4 Lines 37-40).
With regards to claim 11, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 1, further comprising:
a micro switch assembly (66 Figure 5), the micro switch assembly being configured such that the micro switch assembly is disconnected in the process of the rotating wheel (18 Figure 2) rotating from the rotating wheel door-closing position (Figure 3) to the rotating wheel door-opening position (Figure 2), and the micro switch assembly is triggered in the process of the rotating wheel rotating from the rotating wheel door-opening position to the rotating wheel door-closing position (Col. 6 Lines 20-31).
With regards to claim 12, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 11, wherein the rotating wheel seat (24 Figure 2) is further provided with a micro switch assembly actuating portion (68 Figure 5) thereon, and the micro switch assembly actuating portion is configured such that when the rotating wheel seat moves close to the spring abutment surfaces (surfaces of housing 32 abutting springs 26, Figure 2), the micro switch assembly actuating portion is disconnected from the micro switch assembly (66 Figure 5), such that the micro switch assembly is not triggered (Col. 6 Lines 20-31); and
when the rotating wheel seat moves away from the spring abutment surfaces, the micro switch assembly actuating portion comes into contact with the micro switch assembly, such that the micro switch assembly is triggered (Col. 6 Lines 20-31).
With regards to claim 13, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches an electrical appliance (17 Figure 1, Abstract) comprising the door lock assembly (10 Figure 1) of claim 1.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 14 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 14, Hapke in view of Promutico teaches the door lock assembly of claim 1, comprising a housing that encloses the internal latch components. Comparable lock housings are well known in the art and therefore such a modification would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. However, the prior art does not teach housing limiting holes defining grooves, and the side walls of each of the barrel shaped cavities include a limiting protrusion that reciprocates in a corresponding one of the housing limiting holes. Such an integrated structure is not made obvious by the combination of Hapke in view of Promutico. Therefore, 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.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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
/KRISTINA R FULTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675