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(s) 1-2,11-12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) being anticipated by Hirozawa US 11479997.
Regarding claim 1, Hirozawa discloses an actuating device (18) for actuating at least one operable functional component of a vehicle door (locking mechanism of a door latch, i.e. door lock, col. 3 lines 7-10), wherein the actuating device has the following:
a pivot lever (22u,22L) which is pivotably mounted about an axis of rotation (not labeled, essentially about/at 14) and which, starting from an initial position (fig2), can be moved as required into a first actuating position (fig3) pivoted about the axis of rotation in a first direction (counter clockwise) of rotation or into a second actuating position (fig4) pivoted about the axis of rotation in a second direction (clockwise) of rotation opposite to the first direction of rotation manually;
a first force transmission mechanism (32L), in the form of a Bowden cable or with a Bowden cable, for transmitting at least part of a force generated when transferring the pivot lever from the initial position to the first actuation position to the at least one actuatable functional component of the vehicle door;
a second force transmission mechanism (32U), in the form of a Bowden cable or with a Bowden cable, for transmitting at least part of a force generated when transferring the pivot lever from the initial position to the second actuation position to the at least one actuatable functional component of the vehicle door; and
a coupling mechanism (the mechanism is the selective coupling of 36U in 34U, 36L in 34L) which is designed to selectively introduce at least part of the force generated when the pivot lever is moved from the initial position into the first actuating position or into the second actuating position exclusively into the first force transmission mechanism or into the second force transmission mechanism. (see fig1-4)
Regarding claim 2, Hirozawa discloses the actuating device according to claim 1, wherein the coupling mechanism is designed to decouple (see fig3 wherein 36U is decoupled from 34U thus decoupling the operative connection between 22U/L and 32U) an operative connection (the operative connection between the cables and 22) between the pivot lever and the second force transmission mechanism when the pivot lever is transferred from its initial position to the first actuating position, and to decouple (see fig4 wherein 36L is decoupled from 34L thus decoupling the operative connection between 32L and 22U/L) an operative connection between the pivot lever and the first force transmission mechanism when the pivot lever is transferred from its initial position to the second actuating position. (fig3-4)
Regarding claim 11, Hirozawa discloses the actuating device according to claim 1, wherein, in the first actuating position of the pivot lever, a door lock (col. 3 lines 7-10) of the vehicle door, which is a vehicle side door, is transferred into a mechanically locked state with the aid of the first force transmission mechanism (by actuating a force on 32L, the door lock is in the locked state (col. 3 lines 15-18, fig3)), and wherein, in the second actuating position (fig4) of the pivot lever, the door lock of the vehicle door is transferred into a mechanically unlocked state with the aid of the second force transmission mechanism (col3 lines 15-18).
Regarding claim 12, Hirozawa discloses the vehicle door comprising a door lock that can be transferred as required into a mechanically locked state or into a mechanically unlocked state, and wherein the vehicle door has the actuating device according to claim 1 configured to manipulate the door lock. (fig1-4, col. 3 lines 3-37)
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-10 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.
Regarding claim 3, references of record do not teach the pivot lever rotating in opposite directions to actuate the first and second force transmission mechanisms, wherein both are Bowden cables as well as the axis of rotation (of the pivot lever) and the pivot axis (of the coupling lever) are at least substantially perpendicular to each other. The key in Hirozawa is used to pivot 22U/L, however, if one were to consider 22U/L the coupling lever instead of the pivot lever and the key to be the pivot lever, Hirozawa would not meet the limitation of claim 3 that states the pivot axis of the coupling lever is perpendicular to the axis of rotation; the two axes would be considered coaxial. In US 10966520 and US 1652953, the axes are parallel (fig6). Examiner can find no reason to combine or modify references of record without the use of impermissible hindsight.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Art is related to actuating devices.
Related but not relied upon prior art: US 202002622799, US 10966520, US 1652953.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to FARIA F. AHMAD whose telephone number is (571)270-1334. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 8:30 am - 5:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine M. Mills can be reached at (571) 272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/F.F.A./
Examiner
Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675