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 .
This Office Action is in response to applicant’s amendment filed on 6/22/26.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(4) because reference character “230” has been used to designate both as a hinge portion and as a clutch gear (par 61).
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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:
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, 3, 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2022030720 to Suh et al (Suh) in view of US Pat No 10,676,962 to Weinerman et al (Weinerman), US Pat No 1,646,181 to Babekuhl and.
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Regarding claim 1, Suh discloses an automatic opening (auto-open) door-lock device comprising a body cover (10) with a space inside and a motor (20) installed inside the body cover to provide a driving force.
The auto-open door-lock device comprises a locker (110) configured to couple with or decouple from a hook coming in from outside through rotation; a locker shaft (120) having it’s one end connected to the locker and formed at the center of rotation of the locker; a protruding piece (122) configured to connect to another end of the locker shaft and to induce rotation of the locker; a locker spring (130) configured to connect to one side of the locker and to provide a rotational restoring force to the locker; a rack slide (210) configured to provide a rotational force of the motor to the locker; and a pinion gear (310) configured to transmit the rotational force of the motor to the rack slide.
The rack slide comprises a rack gear configured to mesh with the pinion gear in a predetermined area of another end.
The device further comprises a slide spring (240) having one end coupling with the body cover and having another end connected to the rack slide and configured to linearly move the rack slide in the direction of the locker.
First, Suh fails to disclose that the rack slide comprises a track hole that is a space formed to rotate the protruding piece in a predetermined area of one end; and a stopper formed at one end of the track hole to induce the protruding piece to rotate.
Suh discloses a different mechanical way to operatively connect the protruding piece to the rack slide, by means of a secondary rack gear and a clutch gear on the protruding piece.
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Weinerman teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a locker lever (120) with a protruding piece (126) that is configured to engage a track hole (229) of a rack slide (174), and a stopper formed at one end of the track hole to induce the protruding piece to rotate.
When the rack slide (174) linearly moves, the protruding piece (126) is configured to directly meet a stopper (surface on 178), and movement of the rack slide rotates the protruding piece in direct contact with the stopper (from fig 5 to fig 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the connection between the locker and the rack slide described by Suh as a track hole on the rack slide, as taught by Weinerman, in order to provide a simpler way to operate the locker with less members and design.
Second, Suh fails to disclose that the device further comprises a hinge portion configured to extend passing the protruding piece formed at the other end of the locker shaft and to rotatably directly connect to the body cover.
Suh discloses that the locker is hinged to the base cover by the connection with the clutch gear (indirectly).
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Babekuhl teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a hinge portion extending from a shaft (11) that passes through a clutch gear (12) and is directly connected to a housing (18), so that a locker (9) can be secured to the housing and allow rotation of it.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the locker described by Suh, with a hinge portion, as taught by Babekuhl, in order to secure the locker with the housing while allowing rotation of it.
As to claim 3, Suh discloses that the device further comprises a locker locking slide (410) configured to insert into a locker fastening groove formed in the locker and to block rotation of the locker.
As to claim 5, Suh discloses that the pinion gear (310) includes a first pinion gear (311) and a second pinion gear (312) configured to share the center of rotation and to couple in a longitudinal direction, and the second pinion gear has gear teeth only in a predetermined area on the outer circumferential surface.
As to claim 6, Suh discloses that the second pinion gear (312) is configured to mesh with the rack gear.
Response to Arguments
With respect to the drawing objection, the previous objection has been withdrawn. However, a new one has been made on the record.
With respect to the 112 2nd paragraph rejection, the rejection has been withdrawn in view of the remarks, clearly defining the hinge portion.
With respect to the prior art rejection, applicant’s arguments 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.
At the instant, Babekuhl teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a hinge portion extending from a shaft that passes through a clutch gear and is directly connected to a housing, so that a locker can be secured to the housing and allow rotation of it.
Weinerman teaches that when the rack slide (174) linearly moves, the protruding piece (126) is configured to directly meet a stopper (surface on 178), and movement.
Therefore, the claims are still rejected over the cited prior art.
Prosecution has been closed.
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 CARLOS LUGO whose telephone number is (571)272-7058. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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/Carlos Lugo/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3675
July 22, 2026
Prosecution Insights