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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.84(h)(5) because Figure 1 show(s) modified forms of construction in the same view. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1-7 and 10-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by CN113277408.
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Regarding claim 1, CN113277408 discloses an arrangement (see fig 2-6) for replacing one or more elevator suspension ropes (4), the arrangement comprising an elevator shaft (see fig 2); and an elevator (see fig 2) with a car (7), a hoisting machinery (1), one or more suspension ropes (4), and a counterweight (8); the car (7) and the counterweight (8) being suspended by said one or more ropes (4) which are adapted to be guided over a traction sheave (connected to 1) comprised by the machinery (1) for moving the car (7) along the elevator shaft (as described above); wherein the car (7) and the counterweight (8) are arranged at any vertical height (see fig 2-6) in the shaft (as described above) when replacing said one or more ropes (4).
Regarding claim 2, CN113277408 discloses the arrangement according to claim 1, wherein the car (7) is arranged to be movable during the one or more rope replacement (see fig 3 vs fig 4).
Regarding claim 3, CN113277408 discloses the arrangement according to claim 1, comprising at least one reel (2) for new rope (3) arranged on a topmost landing (see location of 2 in fig 2) of the shaft (as described above).
Regarding claims 4 and 11, CN113277408 discloses the arrangement according to claims 1 and 10, comprising a comprising a rope reeling device (5,6) with a friction roller (sky wheels 5 and 6) arranged in connection with the machinery (1) for forming a tool (rope guide) for moving the rope (4) to be replaced.
Regarding claims 5 and 12, CN113277408 discloses the arrangement according to claims 1 and 10, wherein an end (end connected to top of 8) of the old rope (4) is adapted to be taken from the counterweight (8) to the bottommost landing (as shown in fig 2) of the shaft (as described above) and the new rope (3) is adapted to be moved from the landing (as described above) to the counterweight (8) without a technician visiting the shaft (as described above).
Regarding claims 6 and 13, CN113277408 discloses the arrangement according to claims 1 and 10, wherein a rope terminal (connection between 3 and 7) at the car end (connected with 7 on top) is adapted to be removed when the car is in halfway position (see fig 4) in the shaft (as described above)
Regarding claims 7 and 14, CN113277408 discloses the arrangement according to claims 1 and 10, wherein the old rope (4) is adapted to be guided (see fig 2) to the bottommost landing of the shaft (see fig 5), and simultaneously the new rope (3) is adapted to be fed (from 2) from the topmost landing (see location of 2).
Regarding claim 10, CN113277408 discloses a method for replacing one or more elevator suspension ropes (4) in an arrangement according to claim 1, comprising arranging the car (7) and the counterweight (8) at any vertical height (see fig 2-6) in the shaft (as described above) when replacing said one or more ropes (4).
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) 8 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN113277408 in view of Korvenranta, US PGPub 2021/0130131.
Regarding claims 8 and 15, CN113277408 discloses the arrangement according to claims 1 and 10, wherein a counterweight rope terminal (connection to 8) is adapted to be secured to the counterweight (8) when the car (7) is in a position in the shaft (as described above) that allows access (see fig 5) to the counterweight rope terminals (as described above). CN113277408 does not specify that the position that allows access is from a roof of the car.
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Korvenranta teaches a similar elevator system wherein access to the counterweight terminal (top of 3) is provided from the roof of the elevator car (2). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the roof access described by Korvenranta to the system disclosed by CN113277408 in order to facilitate the rope replacement with improved safety for the technician.
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN113277408 in view of Helenius et al., US PGPub 2019/0270615.
Regarding claim 9, CN113277408 discloses the arrangement according to claim 1, but does not specify the rope replacement is made of the specified material.
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Helenius et al. teaches a similar roping replacement system wherein the rope to be replaced comprises a load-bearing part made of a composite material, said composite material comprising reinforcing fibers, which consist of carbon fiber or glass fiber, in a polymer matrix. (see [0043]). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the fiber reinforced rope described by Helenius et al. to the system disclosed by CN113277408 in order to improve the roping strength and durability during replacement.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7956. The examiner can normally be reached 8-6 EST Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael Mansen can be reached at (571) 272-6608. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MICHAEL A. RIEGELMAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654