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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group III and Species I, drawn to claims 2-6 and 10-14, in the reply filed on 2/4/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1, 7-9, 15-17, and 20-21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Group and/or Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Examiner further withdraws claims 10-13 because they are drawn to nonelected Species II.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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) 2-5 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kesler (US 2,514,498). Kesler discloses an elevator system (fig. 1) including:
Re claim 14, an elevator car (14) with a transportation compartment (15); a rack or rail (7) along which the elevator car is configured to be driven; and an elevator drive mechanism (fig. 2) configured to drive the elevator car along the rack or rail, wherein the elevator drive mechanism includes at least one elevator drive motor (21) and at least one elevator drive cassette (mechanical components shown in fi. 2) configured for use in driving the movement of the elevator car along the rail or rack, the elevator drive cassette including: a driven pinion (42) and drive shaft (22) configured to be driven by the at least one drive motor; a mechanical coupling (mechanical linkages shown in fig. 2); at least one further pinion (40) configured to be driven by the driven pinion or drive shaft via the mechanical coupling (fig. 2 shows the mechanical linkage where 40 is driven by 21 via 22), wherein both the driven pinion and at least one further pinion are configured to engage the same rail or rack (fig. 2).
Re claim 2, wherein the mechanical coupling includes: a first transfer gear (23) configured to be driven by the drive shaft; an idler gear (24) configured to be driven by the first transfer gear; and a second transfer gear (29, associated with 40) configured to be driven by the idler gear, the second transfer gear being configured to drive the at least one further pinion (fig. 2).
Re claim 3, wherein the first transfer gear, the idler gear, the second transfer gear, the driven pinion, and the at least one further pinion, are provided in a stack (fig. 2), with the first transfer gear, the idler gear, the second transfer gear provided in one layer of the stack (fig. 2: 23,24,29 are shown at the foreground compared to 40 and 42; this front plane is the first layer of the stack), and the driven pinion and the at least one further pinion provided in a second layer of the stack (fig. 2: 40 and 42 are shown in the background, on the same plane as the rack or rail 7; this back plane is the second layer of the stack).
Re claim 4, further including one or more rollers (41a) configured to engage a part of the rail or rack, and/or another part of the elevator system with which the elevator drive cassette is used (41a is to engage another part of the elevator system).
Re claim 5, wherein the at least one further pinion includes at least two further pinions (40,41).
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) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kesler (US 2,514,498) in view of Kolkmann (WO 2014/202614). Kesler discloses the elevator system (fig. 6). Kelser does not disclose:
Re claim 6, wherein the cassette is configured to be secured and removed from a frame of an elevator drive mechanism as a unitary piece.
However, Kolkmann teaches an elevator system (fig. 15):
Re claim 6, wherein the elevator drive cassette is configured to be secured and removed from a frame (34) of the elevator drive mechanism as a unitary piece (fig. 15 shows the drive cassette contained within the housing of bearing plates 28 such that it all the components within the housing would be removed as a unitary piece by moving the housing).
It would have been obvious to person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the drive cassette as a unitary piece, as taught by Kolkmann, for quick assembly and disassembly during maintenance.
Conclusion
The cited prior art(s) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH D TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-3014. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 pm.
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/Minh Truong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654