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 .
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Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement filed August 9, 2024 has been considered.
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Claim Status
Claims 1-20 are pending. Claim 1 is rejected. Claims 2-8 are objected to as depending from a rejected claim but are indicated as containing allowable subject matter if rewritten in independent form as set forth below. Claims 9-20 are allowed.
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References Used
Reference 1 (Primary) - CN 113799815 A
Reference 2 - CN 110194189 A
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Claim Rejections - 35 U.S.C. 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for the obviousness rejection 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.
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Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Reference 1 in view of Reference 2.
Claim Text
(L1) 1. A train hatch module comprising: (L2) a hatch cover provided at the front of a lower part of a train and configured to be opened or closed while rotating in a lateral direction, wherein the hatch cover exposes a coupling of the train to the outside when opened; (L3) a rotation support configured to support the hatch cover while making contact with an inner surface of the hatch cover and rotate about an upper rotation shaft connected to an upper end of the rotation support and a lower rotation shaft connected to a lower end of the rotation support; (L4) a lower base connected to a hatch body of the train and located below the coupling; and (L5) a lower rotation center member located at an upper end of the lower base and provided with the lower rotation shaft about which the rotation support rotates, (L6) wherein the lower base has a lower movement through-hole formed therein, and (L7) wherein the train hatch module further includes a locking module configured to pass through the lower movement through-hole and protrude upward from the lower base.
Analysis
(L1) Reference 1 discloses an opening and closing mechanism installed at the front of a train, and Reference 2 discloses a locomotive hatch opening and closing mechanism. (L2) Reference 1 discloses shroud 4 mounted on support arm 3 and opened and closed with rotation of support arm 3 to expose or cover the train-front coupler region (FIGS. 1-9). Reference 2 discloses left hatch door 7.1 and right hatch door 7.2 in annular hood 2 and states that the doors open for train coupling (paragraphs 35-38; FIGS. 1-3). (L3) Reference 1 discloses curved support arm 3 supporting shroud 4, with first end 301 rotatably arranged on base plate 2 and second end 302 rotatably arranged on mounting frame 1. Reference 2 corroborates upper rocker arms 1.1 and 1.2 connected through rotating shafts 1 and 2 to upper mounting plate 1.3, and lower rocker arms 5.1 and 5.2 connected through rotating shafts 3 and 4 to lower mounting plate 5.3 (paragraphs 39-41; FIGS. 1-4 and 10-11). (L4) Reference 1 discloses base plate 2 fixed at the lower end of support arm 3 in the train-front installation. Reference 2 discloses lower mounting plate 5.3 fixed at the bottom of annular hood 2 by lower mounting seat 5.4 (paragraphs 37 and 40; FIGS. 1 and 4), providing the lower base below the coupling. (L5) Reference 2 discloses lower rocker arms 5.1 and 5.2 connected through rotating shafts 3 and 4 to lower mounting plate 5.3, directly providing lower rotation centers on the lower base. (L6) Reference 2's claim 1 and paragraphs 6, 37, and 42 disclose that the free end of locking drum 4.2 passes successively through lower mounting plate 5.3 and the bottom of annular hood 2. The plate therefore necessarily contains the lower movement through-hole shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. (L7) Reference 2 discloses manual locking device 4 on lower frame assembly 5. Locking drum 4.2 passes through lower mounting plate 5.3, and its above-plate portion connects to adjusting rod 4.1, which drives slider 4.3 in slide rail 4.4 to lock and unlock hatch door 7 (paragraphs 6, 16-19, and 42-50; FIGS. 4-9). The locking module therefore passes through the plate and extends upward to the operative adjusting-rod and slider connection.
Motivation
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to mount Reference 2's manual locking device 4 through the lower base plate of Reference 1's train-front hatch mechanism so locking drum 4.2 passes through the plate and extends upward to its adjusting-rod connection. Reference 2 uses the same train-front hatch environment and places locking drum 4.2 through lower mounting plate 5.3, the same plate that carries rotating shafts 3 and 4 for lower rocker arms 5.1 and 5.2, to drive the hatch between locked and unlocked states without an additional power source. Integrating that disclosed through-plate lock with Reference 1's base plate 2 places the lock at the existing lower pivot interface, shortens the actuation and restraint path, and retains Reference 1's curved support-arm and shroud arrangement. The structures perform their known functions together: Reference 1's support arm rotates the shroud, while Reference 2's locking drum, adjusting rod, slider, and slide rail selectively hold or release the hatch from the lower plate. The result would have been predictable.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is objected to as being dependent upon rejected claim 1 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of claims 1 and 2, and if the rewritten claim otherwise satisfies the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112. The applied art does not teach the added relationship in which the through-plate locking module itself moves laterally along the lower movement through-hole to a laterally facing first end in the locking mode. Reference 2 rotates locking drum 4.2 and drives slider 4.3 along separate slide rail 4.4; it does not move the drum laterally along the opening through lower mounting plate 5.3. The focused groove and through-hole searches did not locate that added relationship.
Claim 3 is objected to as being dependent upon rejected claim 1 through claim 2 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of claims 1-3, and if the rewritten claim otherwise satisfies the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112. Claim 3 inherits claim 2's missing lateral-through-hole travel and further requires the locking module at a second through-hole end facing toward the train center in an operating mode. The applied art does not directly teach those two state-specific ends in the same lower-base opening.
Claim 4 is objected to as being dependent upon rejected claim 1 through claim 2 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of claims 1, 2, and 4, and if the rewritten claim otherwise satisfies the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112. Claim 4 inherits claim 2's missing relationship and further requires a locking plate member at the lower end of the rotation support contacted by the locking module at the first through-hole end. Reference 2's slide rail 4.4 is a distinct slider guide; the applied art does not directly disclose the claimed plate-and-through-hole-end contact arrangement.
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon rejected claim 1 through claims 2 and 4 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of claims 1, 2, 4, and 5, and if the rewritten claim otherwise satisfies the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112. Claim 5 inherits the missing claim 2 and claim 4 relationships and further requires a separately defined first locking-plate end member contacting the locking module in the completely closed state. The applied art does not directly teach that added end-member relationship.
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon rejected claim 1 through claims 2, 4, and 5 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of claims 1, 2, and 4-6, and if the rewritten claim otherwise satisfies the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112. Reference 2's first stop block 8 and second stop block 9 limit lower-rocker-arm swing, but the applied art does not directly disclose the claimed upward first locking-plate fixing member at a front area of the lower base contacting the claimed locking plate in the completely closed state.
Claim 7 is objected to as being dependent upon rejected claim 1 through claims 2, 4, and 5 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of claims 1, 2, 4, 5, and 7, and if the rewritten claim otherwise satisfies the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112. The applied art does not teach first and second locking-plate end members on opposite sides of the plate both contacting the same locking module in the same completely closed state. The focused search did not locate that simultaneous two-ended closed-state sandwich.
Claim 8 is objected to as being dependent upon rejected claim 1 through claims 2, 4, 5, and 7 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, and 8, and if the rewritten claim otherwise satisfies the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112. Claim 8 inherits claim 7's missing relationship and adds a second locking-plate fixing member protruding upward from a lateral area of the lower base and contacting the same locking plate in the completely closed state. The focused search did not locate the claimed second closed-state lateral stop.
Claims 9-20 are allowed. The applied art does not teach or suggest the independent claim 9 relationship in which the first protruding support is connected to and protrudes from a middle end of the rotation support in the lateral direction of the train while supporting the inner surface of the hatch cover. Reference 2's lower rocker arms 5.1 and 5.2 extend between lower mounting plate 5.3 and the hatch-door inner surfaces, but they do not disclose a protruding support connected to the middle end of Reference 1's curved support arm 3. The focused inner-surface, central-support, lateral-support, curvature, attachment, and reinforcing-support searches did not locate a direct teaching of that arrangement. Claims 10-20 are allowed by virtue of their dependency from allowed claim 9; no separate rejection is made on the inferential curvature, common-middle, four-pair, or reinforcing-contact theories.
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Conclusion
Claim 1 is rejected. Claims 2-8 are objected to as depending from a rejected claim but are indicated as containing allowable subject matter if rewritten in independent form to include all limitations of the identified base and intervening claims. Claims 9-20 are allowed.
Art Considered but Not Applied
US 2021/0229718 A1 was compared for a lower-frame pivot beside an upward pin-through-aperture lock but was not applied because Reference 2 supplies a closer same-field train-hatch through-lower-plate arrangement. US 5,732,758 was compared for inner-panel supports, removable fasteners, and opposed bracket links but was not applied because claims 9-20 are allowed and its use would require inferential common-middle, curvature, four-pair, and permanent-reinforcement adaptations. US 2020/0240201 A1 was compared for sliding-groove travel and state-specific stops but was not applied because it does not disclose the through-plate locking module itself moving laterally along the lower-base opening.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON C SMITH whose telephone number is (703)756-4641. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/Jason C Smith/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
Prosecution Insights