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 .
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)(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) 1-3, 5-13 and 15-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by World Patent Application Number 2020/056289 to Cato et al.
Cato et al. disclose a hoop lock (9) comprising: a lock body that comprises a housing (27) and a locking apparatus (16) accommodated in the housing (figure 6); and a closing hoop (10) that has at least one end (17) that is selectively locked to the lock body or released from the lock body by way means of the locking apparatus (figure 6), wherein an armoring is applied to at least one of the closing hoop (via 1) and the housing (via 28) of the lock body by way of buildup welding (6), as in claim 1.
Cato et al. also disclose the armoring comprises a hard metal (paragraph 28), as in claim 2, and the armoring is formed in the form of at least one armor bead (6), as in claim 3, wherein the armor bead extends over at least approximately the total length of the housing and/or over at least approximately the total length of the closing hoop (figure 2), as in claim 5, as well as the armor bead is a continuous armor bead (figure 2), as in claim 6, and where the armor bead is formed by a plurality of segments (7, 8) spaced apart from one another, as in claim 15.
Cato et al. further disclose the armoring is formed at at least one of a side surface and of the housing (figures 2 and 3 show the placement of the armoring), as in claim 7, wherein the armoring is formed at an outer side surface of the housing (shown in figures 6 and 7), as in claim 17, as well as the armoring is formed at an outer edge of the housing (shown in figures 6 and 7), as in claim 18, and wherein the armoring is formed centrally at at least one side surface of the housing, at at least one side surface of the housing offset from its center, in the region of at least one edge of the housing, and/or partly or completely at at least one edge of the housing (shown in figures 6 and 7), as in claim 8.
Cato et al. additionally disclose at least two side surfaces of the housing and/or at least two side surfaces of the closing hoop are provided with an armoring (shown in figures 6 and 7), as in claim 9, wherein at least two oppositely disposed side surfaces of the housing are provided with an armoring (figures 2 and 7), as in claim 21, and the armoring is formed in a depression (joints in 27) provided at a side surface of the housing (figure 7), as in claim 10, as well as the closing hoop is formed by a plurality of jointed bars (1, 10, 32-34) connected to one another in an articulated manner and the armoring is formed at at least one of the jointed bars (figure 6), as in claim 11, wherein the armoring is formed at a narrow side of the jointed bar (figure 2), as in claim 12, as well as the armoring is formed in a depression (junction of 7 and 8) provided at a side surface of the jointed bar (figure 2), as in claim 13.
Cato et al. also disclose the armoring is formed at at least one of a side surface and an edge of the closing hoop (figures 2 and 3), as in claim 16, wherein the armoring is formed at an outer side surface of the closing hoop (figures 2 and 3), as in claim 19, and the armoring is formed at an outer edge of the closing hoop (figures 2 and 3), as in claim 20.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 4 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over to Cato et al., as applied above.
Cato et al. disclose the invention substantially as claimed. However, Cato et al. do not disclose the thickness of the bead. It is common knowledge in the prior art to utilize a weld bead strong enough to secure desired components in the same field of endeavor for the purpose of strengthening the armor of the hoop lock. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to utilize a bead having a width between 5 and 10 mm, and a thickness between 0.5 and 5 mm in order to provide a reinforced connection between the associated components.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to armored padlock assemblies:
U.S. Patent Number 12,428,876 to Cato et al.; U.S. Patent Number 9,890,561 to Perrenoud et al.; U.S. Patent Number 9,512,640 to Kyllonen et al.; U.S. Patent Number 4,561,272 to Goldstein et al.; U.S. Patent Number 3,976,434 to Shwayder; U.S. Patent Number 3,453,846 to Owen et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2024/0344367 to Abrahams; U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2024/0011332 to Kemper et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2005/0092038 to Becker et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2004/0093914 to Vito.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER J BOSWELL whose telephone number is (571)272-7054. The examiner can normally be reached M-R: 9-4; F 9-12.
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/CHRISTOPHER J BOSWELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
CJB /cb/
January 6, 2026