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 Final Office Action on the merits of Application No. 18/886558, filed on 09/16/2024. Claims 1-16, 19-22 are still pending in the application.
Claim Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: the last line in claim 7 recites “above the compensation member”, however, Claim 1 and application arguments recite “above the compensation pulley”. Examiner believes this to be a typo and will proceed as the arguments stated “above the compensation pulley”. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-4, 6-11, 15-16, 19-22 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by EP 3162751 to Kantola et al (henceforth referred to as Kantola).
Regarding claims 1-4, 6, 19-20 Kantola discloses an elevator system (i.e. Fig. 1A), comprising:
an elevator car (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 102) configured to move in an elevator shaft (i.e. given);
a counterweight (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 104A, 104B) associated with the elevator car, in the counterweight being configured to move in the elevator shaft;
a compensation member (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 112A, 112B) coupled to the elevator car and the counterweight, the compensation member being diverted by a compensation pulley (i.e. Fig. 1B, ref. 114) disposed in an elevator pit (i.e. Fig. 1A, not referenced but pit ground shown; and
a manual rescue device (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 118) disposed in the elevator shaft being mechanically coupled to the compensation member, the manual rescue device comprising an interface (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 124) configured to receive a tool (i.e. paragraph 0023: “The mechanical interface 124 may receive a cam, … by a user, causes rotation of the wheel 102”) to operate the manual rescue device,
wherein a rotating axis (i.e. Fig. 1A, axis through ref. 124) of the manual rescue device is disposed above the compensation pulley.
Wherein the interface is configured to receive a mechanical tool (i.e. paragraph 0004: “The mechanical interface is configured to receive a cam for manually rotating the wheel to move the elevator car”).
Wherein the interface is configured to receive an electrical tool (i.e. paragraph 0005: “The mechanical interface is configured to receive a an electric tool for rotating the wheel to move the elevator car”).
Further comprising a controller comprising a rescue controller (i.e. paragraph 0007: “control means configured to control the release of the brakes of the elevator car”), wherein the controller is configured to enable access to the manual rescue device.
Wherein the manual rescue device is configured to be movable between an operating position (i.e. paragraph 0024: “when a maintenance or a rescue situation occurs… turns the apparatus 118 to a use position”) in which the rescue device is mechanically coupled to the compensation member and an inactive position (i.e. paragraph 0024: “in a normal operation… the apparatus 118 is turned to an idle position”) in which the rescue device is disconnected from the compensation member.
Wherein the manual rescue device is disposed above a lowest landing floor (i.e. above the pit floor shown in Fig. 1A) to enable operation of the manual rescue device with the tool via an opening (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 124 is an opening in the device, ref. 118) for the lowest landing floor to move the elevator car in a rescue situation (i.e. paragraph 0024: “when a maintenance or a rescue situation occurs”).
Wherein a bottom of the manual rescue device (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 118) is disposed above a top of the compensation pulley (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 114)
Regarding claims 7-11, 15-16, 21-22, Kantola discloses a rescue method (i.e. Fig. 3) in an elevator system (i.e. Fig. 1A), the method comprising:
setting an elevator car (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 102) to a rescue control mode via a rescue controller (i.e. paragraph 0007: “control means configured to control the release of the brakes of the elevator car”);
opening, using the rescue controller, hoisting machinery brakes to allow a movement of the elevator car (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 302); and
operating, with a tool (i.e. paragraph 0023: “The mechanical interface 124 may receive a cam, … by a user, causes rotation of the wheel 102”) via an opening (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 124), a manual rescue device (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 118) disposed in the elevator shaft being mechanically coupled to a compensation member (i.e. Fig. 1B, ref. 112A, 112B) via an interface (i.e. Fig. 1A, ref. 124) configured to receive the tool to move the elevator car in a rescue situation (i.e. paragraph 0024: “when a maintenance or a rescue situation occurs”),
wherein a rotating axis (i.e. Fig. 1A, axis of ref. 124) of the manual rescue device is disposed above the compensation member.
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) 5, 12-14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over EP 3162751 to Kantola et al in view of US Patent Application Publication No. 2018/0290862 to Copeland et al (henceforth referred to as Copeland).
Regarding claims 5, 12-14, Katola does not specifically teach aa landing door nor a door locking mechanism designed to prevent a manual opening of the landing door. However, hoistway door locking mechanisms to prevent manual opening of the landing doors are well known and common in the art. Copeland teaches a typical traction type elevator system (i.e. Fig. 1) with compensation rope (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 32) and compensation pulley (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 34) and teaches that each hoistway door has associated door locks (i.e. paragraph 0014: “each of the hoistway doors has an associated door lock”). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use door locks on each of the associated hoistway doors as taught in Copeland in the elevator system as taught in Katola to prevent users from opening hoistway doors and falling into the shaft when the elevator car is not present at the landing and there would have been reasonable expectation of success.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-18 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIEM M TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7825. The examiner can normally be reached M 9-5, W-F 10-2.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654