DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-16, at least broadly, are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lindholm et al., US Patent 4,961,601. As in claim 1, a motor vehicle locking device comprising a locking mechanism which includes a rotary latch 22 and a pawl (broadly considered the upper surface 100 of 36), a spring (including 38), and an ejector lever 36 that is fixed to a bearing dome (at least broadly including 37), the ejector lever being preloaded by the spring to act upon a locking bolt which interacts with the locking mechanism, wherein the spring is formed as a leg spring which is fastened to the bearing dome defining an axis of the ejector lever. As in claim 2, the leg spring has a winding portion and encloses the bearing dome with the winding portion. As in claim 3, a housing, wherein the leg spring has a loose leg and a fixed leg, and the leg spring acts with the loose leg upon the ejector lever- while its fixed leg is fixed to the housing. As in claim 4, the winding portion is mounted on the bearing dome. As in claim 5, the loose leg engages under a contact edge of the ejector lever for the locking bolt resting on the contact edge. As in claim 6, the fixed leg engages in an opening in the housing in a locking manner. As in claim 7, the leg spring includes a winding portion from which the loose leg and the fixed leg extend, the loose leg and the fixed legs adjoining the winding portion atlatch includes a first a leg and a second leg that define an inlet mouth, and when the locking mechanism is in a closed position, the locking bolt is positioned in the inlet mouth with the ejector lever preloaded by the spring pressing the locking bolt against at least one of the first and second legs of the rotary latch. As in claim 12, the loose leg of the leg spring directly grips the ejector lever from underneath the contact edge. As in claim 13, the common axis of the ejector lever and the pawl is spaced at a distance from an axis of the rotary latch. As in claim 14, the ejector lever has a first arm that includes the contact edge for the locking bolt, and a second arm that is angled at an obtuse angle relative to the first arm. As in claim 15, the housing is L-shaped, and the fixed leg of the leg spring engages with a short leg of the L-shaped housing. As in claim 16, a long leg of the L-shaped housing is aligned perpendicularly relative to the short leg of the L-shaped housing, and the locking lever and the ejector lever are mounded on the long leg.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK A WILLIAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-7064. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine 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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/MARK A WILLIAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675