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 is the first action on the merits.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding Claim 12, lines 1-2, “The door handle assembly according to claim 4, wherein the abutment member is made of a flexible material” it is unclear if this claim is supposed to depend from claim 11 where the abutment member is first positively recited, or if this is a different abutment member in which case it is unclear as to where it is structurally located. For the purposes of examination, the limitation will be interpreted as “The door handle assembly according to claim 11, wherein the abutment member is made of a flexible material”.
Regarding Claim 15, line 1, “The door handle assembly according to claim 4, wherein the transmission return assembly comprises…” is unclear. It is not understood if this claim is supposed to depend from claim 14, where the transmission return assembly is first positively recited, or if this is a different transmission assembly, in which case it is unclear as to where it is structurally located. For the purposes of examination the limitation will be interpreted as “The door handle assembly according to claim 14, wherein the transmission return assembly comprises…”.
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) 1-7, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Murata US20200190848A1.
Regarding Claim 1, Murata teaches: A door handle assembly (Fig 2), comprising: a base (Fig 2, shows the space behind the door 22 where handle 40 is located, to which handle 40 is mounted to pivot on shaft 42. It is the position of the examiner that this shaft 42 is mounted to a physical base structure attached to the inside of the door 22 that is located behind the door but not shown to make door handle assembly components easier to see), the base defining a receiving space (Fig 2, the space behind the door 22 where handle 40 is located and sits); a handle (Fig 2: 40), the handle being arranged in the receiving space (shown in Fig 2) and movable relative to the base (P0051 describes door handle being moveable on axis of shaft 42, therefore it is moveable relative to the base); a transmission assembly (Fig 6: 72, 76, 78), the transmission assembly being rotatable relative to the base (Fig 6 shows 72 mounted around shaft S4 on which it is rotatable as described in P0058); and a door lock lever driving component (Fig 2: 34), the door lock lever driving component being connected to the transmission assembly (Fig 2: connected via 72, 76, 78, and 36, also described in P0062) and having a locked position (Fig 3B) and an unlocked position (Fig 11B), and the door lock lever driving component being movable relative to the base between the locked position and the unlocked position (Figs 3B and 11B show relative movement between door lock lever driving component 34 and the inside of door 22 which is the base, as it moves relative to fixed elements that are attached to the base such as 42 and S4), wherein a movement of the handle relative to the base is capable of driving the transmission assembly to rotate relative to the base (shown in Figs 14-15 and described in P0062), to drive the door lock lever driving component to move from the locked position to the unlocked position (shown in Figs 17A and 17B and described in P0062).
Regarding Claim 2, Murata teaches: The door handle assembly of claim 1, wherein the handle has an extended position (Fig 12) and a pulled position (Fig 14) and is movable between the extended position and the pulled position (shown going from Fig 12 to Fig 14), wherein a movement of the handle from the extended position to the pulled position is capable of driving the transmission assembly to rotate, to drive the door lock lever driving component to move from the locked position to the unlocked position (P0062).
Regarding Claim 3, Murata teaches: The door handle assembly of claim 2, wherein the handle further has a hidden position (Fig 4) and is movable between the hidden position and the extended position (P0064); and during a movement of the handle from the hidden position to the extended position, the handle is separated from the transmission assembly such that the movement of the handle does not drive the door lock lever driving component to move (Shown when comparing Figs 4 and 12, where transmission assembly 72 has not moved, therefore no driving of door lock lever driving component occurs via transmission assembly 72.).
Regarding Claim 4, Murata teaches: The door handle assembly of claim 3, wherein the transmission assembly comprises: a first rotating assembly (Fig 6: 72), the first rotating assembly being rotatable about a first axis relative to the base (Fig 6, first rotating assembly 72 rotates around axis of S4); and a second rotating component (Fig 2: 78), the second rotating component being rotatable about a second axis relative to the base (rotatable around axis of S5, comparing Fig 2 to Fig 16 shows the rotation of second rotating component 78), and the door lock lever driving component being rotatably connected to the second rotating component (comparing Fig 2 to Fig 16 shows that door lock lever driving component 34 is rotatably connected to second rotating member 78 via 36, also described in P0062); wherein the handle is capable of driving the first rotating assembly to rotate, and the first rotating assembly is capable of driving the second rotating component to rotate (P0062).
Regarding Claim 5, Murata teaches: The door handle assembly of claim 4, wherein the first axis is substantially perpendicular to the second axis (looking at Fig 2 and Fig 6 shows the axis of S4, the first axis, being substantially perpendicular to axis of S5, the second axis).
Regarding Claim 6, Murata teaches: The door handle assembly of claim 4, wherein the door lock lever driving component is rotatable about a third axis (Fig 2: third axis S1) relative to the second rotating component to move relative to the base(relative movement between second rotating component 78 and door lock lever driving component 34 is shown when comparing Figs 17B and 18A ); and the second axis and the third axis are arranged parallel to each other and offset by a distance (shown in Fig 2).
Regarding Claim 7, Murata teaches: The door handle assembly of claim 4, wherein the handle is provided with a driving aperture (Fig 4, gap between 40E and 40C), the first rotating assembly comprises a transmission arm (Fig 15A, 72B is the transmission arm), and at least a part of the transmission arm is received in the driving aperture (shown in Fig 4); and the transmission arm is separated from a wall of the driving aperture (Fig 4, 40E1) during the movement of the handle from the hidden position to the extended position (shown when comparing Figs 4 to Fig 12, during this movement transmission arm 72B is separated from wall 40E1 of driving aperture 40), and the handle drives the transmission arm during the movement of the handle from the extended position to the pulled position (shown going from Fig 12 to Fig 16).
Regarding Claim 16, Murata teaches: The door handle assembly of claim 3, further comprising: a handle return component (Fig 4: 82), the handle return component being configured to apply a force on the handle (P0064), to move the handle from the pulled position to the extended position (P0064).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-15 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.
Regarding Claim 8, none of the prior art discloses or renders obvious a door handle assembly having the combination of features recited in claim 8. The closest prior art of record, Murata US20200190848A1, teaches a door handle assembly having much of the claimed structure but fails to teach: a first arm, the first arm being rotatably connected to the base; a second arm, the second arm being rotatably connected to the base; and a handle body, the handle body being rotatably connected to the first arm and the second arm.
Regarding Claim 9, none of the prior art discloses or renders obvious a door handle assembly having the combination of features recited in claim 9. The closest prior art of record, Murata US20200190848A1, teaches a door handle assembly having much of the claimed structure but fails to teach: wherein the first rotating assembly is provided with a guide recess, and the second rotating component is provided with a guide protrusion, wherein the guide protrusion is capable of being at least partially received in the guide recess.
Regarding Claim 10, this is objected to due to its dependency on claim 9.
Regarding Claim 11, none of the prior art discloses or renders obvious a door handle assembly having the combination of features recited in claim 11. The closest prior art of record, Murata US20200190848A1, teaches a door handle assembly having much of the claimed structure but fails to teach: an abutment member, wherein the abutment member is arranged on the base, and the first rotating assembly is provided with a limiting portion; and the limiting portion is configured such that when the handle is in the hidden position, the abutment member abuts against the first rotating assembly such that the handle is maintained in the hidden position after being moved from the extended position to the hidden position.
Regarding Claim 12, is objected to due to its dependency on claim 11 (see 112b rejection above).
Regarding Claim 13, none of the prior art discloses or renders obvious a door handle assembly having the combination of features recited in claim 13. The closest prior art of record, Murata US20200190848A1, teaches a door handle assembly having much of the claimed structure but fails to teach: wherein the first rotating assembly is provided with a first gear, the second rotating component is provided with a second gear, and the first gear and the second gear mesh with each other such that rotation of the first rotating assembly about the first axis is capable of driving the second rotating component to rotate about the second axis.
Regarding Claim 14, none of the prior art discloses or renders obvious a door handle assembly having the combination of features recited in claim 14. The closest prior art of record, Murata US20200190848A1, teaches a door handle assembly having much of the claimed structure but fails to teach: a transmission return assembly configured to rotate the transmission assembly during a movement of the handle from the pulled position to the extended position, to drive the door lock lever driving component to move from the unlocked position to the locked position.
Regarding Claim 15 is objected to due to its dependency on claim 14 (see 112b rejection above).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER F CALLAHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5847. The examiner can normally be reached Mon through Thur 7:30am-5:30pm.
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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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/C.C./ Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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