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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in the Republic of Korea on 02/08/2024. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the KR10-2024-0019283 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55. Please see the Retrieval Failure document mailed on 05/28/2025.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 4-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 4 recites the limitation "the link part" in 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For the purposes of examination, claim 4 has been amended to depend from claim 2 which first recites “a link part” in the claim disclosure.
Claims 5-20 are rejected based on their dependency on claim 4.
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)(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) 1-4,9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a(2) as being anticipated by Amante US 11976496.
Regarding claim 1, Amante discloses a door handle for a door of a vehicle (According to Merriam-Webster online a vehicle is a “means for carrying or transporting something,” therefore a plane – Amante background – is considered a vehicle) comprising:
a handle unit (500); and
an opening/closing unit (pair of 510, 516, 700, 704, 706, 708, 716, springs 514) that pushes the handle unit to an exterior (outside of panel) of a door panel or pull the handle unit to an interior (into the panel) of the door panel, wherein, in response to the handle unit being pressed toward the interior of the door panel while being laid flush with the door panel, the handle unit protrudes to the exterior of the door panel and switches to an open mode, and wherein, in response to the handle unit being pressed while it is in the open mode, the handle unit retracts to the interior of the door panel and switches to a storage mode. (col. 6 lines 10-46)
Regarding claim 2, Amante discloses the door handle of claim 1, wherein the opening/closing unit includes a link part (700,704, pair 510,516,716,708), which is connected to both sides of the interior of the handle unit and is disposed to be rotatable (700 and 704 are the rotatable part of the link part, see fig7b).
Regarding claim 3, Amante discloses the door handle of claim 2, wherein the link part includes: a first link (top 510, fig6a/6b), which is connected to a first side (top side, fig6a/6b) of the handle unit; and a second link (bottom 510, fig6a/6b), which is connected to a second side (bottom side, fig 6a/6b) of the handle unit.
Regarding claim 4, Amante discloses the door handle of claim 2, wherein the opening/closing unit includes an operating part (706 interior space), which moves the link part so that components (704 moves closer to the recessed part of 716, see fig 7a) of the link part move away from or closer to each other.
Regarding claim 9, Amante discloses the door handle of claim 4, further comprising: a driving part (514) that actuates the operating part to switch between the open mode and the storage mode. (fig1-7b)
Regarding claim 10, Amante discloses the door handle of claim 4, further comprising: a cover part (side wall of 504, see fig6b) that covers the operating part.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 and 11-20 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 5 claims do not teach the two gear rack system with the pinion gear as recited, as well as preceding limitations of claim 4 and 1. Amante does not teach a gear system. Lang US 20130127185 teaches a flushed handle wherein the link part (38 and 40) move away from each other has the handle moves, however, Lang does not teach the movement of the handle unit of claim 1 in response to the handle unit being pressed. Och US 20160298366 teaches a requirement to push the handle unit towards the interior panel to move it to an open mode, and two links that move away or toward each other however does not teach the handle unit, when in the open position, being pressed to switch it back to a storage mode. Rather, when handle unit is let go after actuated, a spring mechanism is used to return it to its storage mode. Examiner can find no reason to combine or modify references of record without the use of impermissible hindsight.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Art is related to door handles.
Related but not relied upon prior art: US 20160298366, US 20130127185, US 20200071973.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARIA F. AHMAD whose telephone number is (571)270-1334. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine M. Mills can be reached at (571) 272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/F.F.A./
Examiner
Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675