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(s) 1-2 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vaidyanathan (US 20110173969 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Vaidyanathan teaches a method of actuating a latch assembly, the method comprising: applying a first current (para. 0046) to a first shape memory coil spring (118) disposed in a side housing of the latch assembly, the first shape memory coil spring increasing in length (para. 0030) in response to the first current; and stopping the first current to the first shape memory coil spring (phase change stopping), the first shape memory coil spring decreasing in length in response to the first current stopping (para. 0030).
Regarding claim 2, Vaidyanathan teaches the method of claim 1, wherein the first shape memory coil spring translates a spacer (142a) in response to increasing in length.
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) 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Vaidyanathan (US 20110173969 A1) In view of Alexander (US 20150330118 A1).
Regarding claim 3, Vaidyanathan teaches the method of claim 1, however does not explicitly teach wherein a pawl assembly transitions from a retracted state to an erected state in response to the first shape memory coil spring increasing in length in response to the first current.
Alexander teaches a similar shape memory actuator utilized in a vehicle latch assembly wherein a pawl assembly (81, 82) transitions from a retracted to an erected state (1 lengthening) in response to the first shape memory coil spring (83) increasing in length in response to the first current.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to combine the teachings of Vaidyanathan with those of Alexander in order to Utilize the actuation method to release a pawl assembly. The shape memory actuator is utilized to remotely actuate a device and utilizing it for a pawl assembly allows for remote actuation of a lock apparatus. All the claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination yielded nothing more than predictable results to one of ordinary skill in the art.
Regarding claim 4, Vaidyanathan in view of Alexander teaches the method of claim 3, Alexander further teaches wherein the pawl assembly remain in the erected state in response to the first shape memory coil spring decreasing in length in response to the first current stopping (para. 0064, 71 doesn’t pivot which doesn’t move 81 from the erected position until the other spring is energized, even after the first coil is deenergized).
Regarding claim 5, Vaidyanathan in view of Alexander teaches the method of claim 4, Alexander further teaches further comprising applying a second current to a second shape memory coil spring (84) disposed in the side housing of the latch assembly, the second shape memory coil spring increasing in length in response to the second current (para. 0064), the pawl assembly transitioning from the erected state to the retracted state in response to the second shape memory coil spring increasing in length in response to the second current (para. 0064).
Conclusion
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/J.E.I./ Examiner, Art Unit 3675 /KRISTINA R FULTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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