DETAILED ACTION
The Information Disclosure Statements filed on October 3, 2024 and August 29, 2025 have both been reviewed and considered by the Examiner.
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
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) 1-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Peham (EP 3589524 B1).
Peham discloses an access system for a vehicle comprised of a step plate 7 linearly extendible in an ejection unit with a walk-on upper side, shown as the top surface of the plate 7 in figures 3 and 4, and a bottom side, opposite the top in figures 3 and4, that faces a subsurface in the extended state and in the extended state is aligned essentially horizontally in a first walk-on sliding step position and inclined to the horizontal in a second walk-on ramp position. The system is further comprised of a sensor system with at least one electronic sensor 8, operable with the electric drive motor 18 to monitor the movement of the step from a stowed position, in figure 3, to an extended position, in figure 4. The sensor will stop the motor when an overrun protection element 20 encounters the platform or other obstacle. The overrun protection element 20 is arranged on the bottom side of the step plate, as shown in figure 3 and 4, and swivel-mounted in relation to the bottom side with a front contact surface arranged at its free end located at the front in the extension direction and essentially vertically arranged in the swiveled out position and with a floor contact surface facing away from the bottom side and aligned essentially parallel to the main extension plane of the bottom side in the swiveled out position, wherein the overrun protection element is mounted on the bottom side in such a way as to swivel out while extending the sliding step. The end of a pivot arm 30 extends out from a sleeve 26 to allow the element 20 to pivot at a hinge point 28, 32.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kim (KR 20220013146 A), Yang (KR 20190035071 A), Zeiner (WO 2018197161 A1), Park (KR 20140144386 A) and Kim (KR 100832111 B1) all show various types of vehicle steps and platforms.
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/Robert J McCarry Jr/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615
RJM
September 8, 2026
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