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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Osada et al. JP 07-333917 A (hereinafter “Osada”).
Regarding claim 1, Osada, with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, discloses a solenoid device comprising:
a solenoid (18) having a plunger (18a, 18b) that is configured to perform a displacement operation in a first direction in which the plunger is retracted into a solenoid main body (refer to FIG. 4B) and in a second direction in which the plunger protrudes from the solenoid main body (refer to FIG. 4A);
a frame (12) with which the solenoid is provided;
and
a contact section (upper part of elongated hole 21a) that the plunger comes into contact with when the plunger moves in the second direction, wherein the solenoid main body is attached to the frame via a first attachment section (22 and/or 23) and
the contact section is attached to the frame via a second attachment section (17a and/or 17).
Claims 1 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada et al. JP 06-171769 A (hereinafter “Yamada”).
Regarding claim 1, Yamada with reference to FIGS. 2-4, discloses a solenoid device comprising:
a solenoid (11) having a plunger (shown protruding from 11 in FIG. 4) that is configured to perform a displacement operation in a first direction in which the plunger is retracted into a solenoid main body (refer to FIG. 3) and in a second direction in which the plunger protrudes from the solenoid main body (refer to FIG. 4);
a frame (1) with which the solenoid is provided;
and
a contact section (21) that the plunger comes into contact with when the plunger moves in the second direction, wherein
the solenoid main body is attached to the frame via a first attachment section (horizontal bottom section of 3B) and
the contact section is attached to the frame via a second attachment section (vertical side wall section of 3B).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the first attachment section and the second attachment section are integral.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-11, 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Kinosada JP 01-110435 A can be used in a 103 rejection to teach the majority of the limitations of claim 1 but is silent “a first attachment section” (solenoid 9, plunger 9a, contact section 7, frame 1, second attachment Q, refer to FIG. 2), such as a conventional bracket.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS A GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3094. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LUIS A GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653