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, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakuma, et al. (2002/0020250).
Sakuma discloses a roof handle 1 for vehicles, comprising at least one bearing block 2 on which a handle body 11 is held and which is fixable to an opening 41 on a vehicle roof 4, the opening being surrounded by an edge (see Figure 6), wherein the at least one bearing block comprises an insertion part 26 which is configured to be inserted through the opening with at least one clamping body 3 that is configured to be positioned to reach behind the edge of the opening, and further comprising a latch 20 that is configured to be inserted into the insertion part 26, by means of which the at least one clamping body can be locked in the position reaching behind the edge. The latch 20 is configured to be pushed into a channel 22, 33 on the insertion part 26. A recess 22 for the reception of the at least one clamping body 3 is formed in a wall on the insertion part 26. The latch 20 is configured to be latched in a locked position on the bearing block 2. The at least one clamping body 3 has a substantially cylindrical shape. The at least one clamping body 3 comprises at least one cutting edge 32 which can be driven at least partially into the edge in the opening 41. The two clamping bodies 3 are provided on opposite sides of the insertion part 26, each said clamping body 31 being supported on the edge of the opening 41. The roof handle includes two said bearing blocks (see Figures 1 and 2) on which the handle body is pivotably held.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 7, 10, 13 and 14 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. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The recitation of the recess is formed as a cage which holds the clamping body loosely on the insertion part; the at least one clamping bod is movable outwards from the insertion part; the latch comprising at least one bendable web; the at least one clamping body is made of a wound wire; the handle body includes at least one pressing piece in combination with the rest of the recited elements is clearly not disclosed in the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art recited discloses common inventive concepts as the claimed present invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Faye M. Fleming whose telephone number is (571)272-6672. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Vivek Koppikar can be reached at (571) 272-5109. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/FAYE M FLEMING/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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