DETAILED ACTION
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fretwell (US 6,102,648).
In re claim 1, Fretwell teaches a passenger ingress and egress assistance apparatus, comprising: a case (M) having a cavity defined therein; a moving body configured to move in the cavity of the case in a longitudinal direction of the case (fig. 1, 7); a platform configured to be stowed in and deployed from the cavity of the case (figs. 1-2); a hinge mechanism configured to pivotally connect the platform to the moving body (fig. 2, col. 6, ln 42-57); and a driver (132) configured to move the moving body .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 are 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.
Claims 4-20 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: In re claim 4, the limitation directed to “a platform configured to be stowed in and deployed from the cavity of the case; a hinge mechanism configured to pivotally connect the platform to the moving body, wherein the hinge mechanism comprises: a shaft disposed between the moving body and the platform; and a first actuator configured to rotate the shaft; and a driver configured to move the moving body” is neither anticipated by nor obvious over the prior art. Likewise, in re claim 19, the limitation directed to “a case mounted on the floor, the case having a cavity defined therein; a moving body configured to move in the cavity of the case in a longitudinal direction of the case; a platform configured to be stowed in and deployed from the cavity of the case; a hinge mechanism configured to pivotally connect the platform to the moving body, wherein the hinge mechanism comprises a shaft disposed between the moving body and the platform, wherein the platform is connected to the shaft through a first lift bar, a second lift bar, and a bracket assembly” is neither anticipated by nor obvious over the prior art.
For example, attention is directed to Fretwell as discussed above. However, Fretwell fails to teach the above referenced limitations.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to EREZ GURARI whose telephone number is (571)270-1156. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00AM-6:30PM.
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/EREZ GURARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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