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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Kamimura et al. (U.S. Pub. App. 2017-0362855).
For claim 1, Kamimura et al. disclose, in Figures 1-13, a vehicle handle to be attached to a door of a vehicle such that the vehicle handle is operable to be pulled out, the vehicle handle comprising:
a handle body portion (16, 56) having an operation opening (33) for a cylinder lock (30, 64) to be attached to the door (Para. [0004, 0033]); and
a cap (38, 70A, 70B) configured to close the operation opening (33), wherein
an elastic locking portion (42a, 42c, 42d) is provided on one of the cap (38) and the handle body portion,
a locked portion (19a) is provided on the other of the cap and the handle body portion (16), and
the elastic locking portion (42a, 42c) is translationally moved along a door front surface in accordance with an attachment and detachment of the cap (38) with respect to the operation opening (33), and being elastically locked to and unlocked from the locked portion (The step portion 42d of the elastic locking portion resiliently engage the locking hole 41, during the locking and unlocking operation of the cap 38. The resilient movement of the elastic locking portion is translational along the surface of the door. Para. [0038].)
For claim 2, Kamimura et al. discloses the vehicle handle according to claim 1, wherein the elastic locking portion is a spring having both ends held by the handle body portion and an intermediate portion moving forward and backward with respect to a path for the attachment and detachment of the cap (When the elastic locking portion 42d resiliently engage the locking hole 41, the elastic locking portion acts as spring. Para. [0038].)
For claim 3, Kamimura et al. discloses the vehicle handle according to claim 2, wherein the elastic locking portion (42a, 42c, 42d) is formed of an elastic material and has an arc-shaped main body portion and locking bent portions formed at both ends of the arc-shaped main body portion, the elastic locking portion is configured to be held by engaging the locking bent portions to a spring locking portion formed in the handle body portion (Figures and 6.)
For claim 4, Kaminura et al. discloses the vehicle handle according to claim 1, except for wherein the locked portion is formed in the cap, and a locking surface of the locked portion is formed by a sloping surface inclined forward and downward, and the elastic locking portion is pressed-contact with the locking surface in a state of being engaged to the locked portion.
Kamimura et al. discloses locked portion 19a with sloping locking surface on the handle body portion 16, and the elastic locking portion (42a, 42c, 42d) on the cap 38. When cap 38 is pressed into the operation opening 43, the elastic locking portion is pressed-contact with the sloping locking surface of the locked portion. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have locked portion formed in the cap 38, and the elastic locking portion on the handle body portion 16, since it has been held that mere reversal of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Einstein, 8 USPQ 167. One skill in the art would realize that reversal of parts would yield the expected result of latching of the components for the intended environment.
Conclusion
Prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and provides examples of similar inventions. There are no suggestions in the prior art of record for combining any of the references to arrive at as claimed. A few of the prior art cited but not applied includes Beck (U.S. Pub. App. 2016-0145910), McWilliams (U.S. Pub. App. 2014-0125071), and Bartels (U.S. Pub. App. 2017-292297).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to NATHAN CUMAR whose telephone number is (571)270-3112. The examiner can normally be reached Monday thru Friday, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST.
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/NATHAN CUMAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675