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 .
This is the First Office Action on the merits of Application No. 18/942773, filed on 11/11/2024. Claims 1-20 are still pending in the application.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3, 6-7, 9-11, 13-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0276830 to Kashiwakura (henceforth referred to as Kashiwakura).
Regarding claims 1-3, 6-7, 9-11, 13-20, Kashiwakura discloses a car door device (i.e. Fig. 1) for an elevator (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 3), comprising: a car door (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 42) moving laterally to open and close an opening (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 30) of the car; and engaging body (i.e. Fig. 1 ref. 5) engaging with an engaged body (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 92) of a landing door (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 61) when the car door moves, the engaging body being movably provided between a first state (i.e. Fig. 3) and a second state (i.e. Fig. 8); and a connection bar (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 583) for operatively connecting the engaging body with another mechanical element (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 58), wherein the connection bar includes a bar main body (i.e. Fig. 3, vertical bar of 583 with oval slot at upper and lower end); and a bar material is used as the bar main body (i.e. given that the vertical bar, ref. 583, is made of material), wherein the connection bar material is provided, in at least one location in a longitudinal direction, with a thin part (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 583 have oval slots cut out, wherein the material on either sides of the oval slots in a width direction is thinner than the material width of the rest of the bar) formed along a direction (i.e. width direction) crossing the longitudinal direction (i.e. vertical direction of the bar of ref. 583), so that a portion of the bar material can be broken off (i.e. functional language: the thinner sides surrounding the oval slots is a weak point of the bar, ref. 583, and can be broken off).
Wherein a thin part is formed at several locations in the longitudinal direction of the bar material (i.e. Fig. 583, thinner material on either sides of oval slots at the top and at the bottom section of the bar).
Wherein a thin part is formed at equal intervals (i.e. Fig. 3, thinner material on either sides of the oval cut out formed equally at the upper and lower section of the bar, ref. 583) in several locations in the longitudinal direction of the bar material.
Wherein a thin part is a recess (i.e. Fig. 3, thinner material on either sides of oval cut out of ref. 583 considered recessed material from the entire width of the bar).
Wherein the connection bar includes a reinforcing bar (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 3 indicates reinforcing bar fastened to the main bar of ref. 583) joined to the bar main body so that the reinforcing bar is made to support and abut against a thin part formation region in the longitudinal direction of the bar main body.
Wherein a bar material has an elongated hole (i.e. Fig. 3, oval cutout is in the shape of elongated hole) formed along the longitudinal direction of the bar material, and a thin part (i.e. Fig. 3, thinner material on either sides of the oval cut out) is formed in an elongated hole formation region in the longitudinal direction of the bar material.
Wherein an elongated hole is formed near one end (i.e. Fig. 3, oval cut out at the upper end of the bar, ref. 583) is formed near an end of the bar material, and a predetermined region (i.e. in this case the middle region) in the longitudinal direction of the bar material including the other end of the bar material is an elongated hole non formation region.
Wherein an elongated hole has a width of 25% to 60% of a width of the bar material (i.e. Fig. 3, oval slot shown appear to be over 25% of the total width of the bar).
Wherein an elongated hole (i.e. Fig. 3, oval cut out of bar material is at center of the bar) is formed so that a center line in the width direction of the elongated hole accords with a centerline in the width direction of the bar material.
Wherein one end of the bar main body is a closed end where an elongated hole does not reach an edge of the bar main body (i.e. mark up of Fig. 3, oval slot at lower end of bar does not reach an edge of the bar main body).
Wherein the bar main body and the reinforcing bar are plate type members, a thin part (i.e. Fig. 3, material on either sides of the oval cut out of ref. 583) is formed on one surface of the bar main body and the reinforcing bar is made to support and abut against the reverse surface of the bar main body (i.e. mark up of Fig. 3, indicated reinforcing bar is a plate fastened to the main bar of ref 583 in the back surface).
Wherein a thin part (i.e. Fig. 3, material on either sides of the oval cut out of ref. 583) is formed at equal intervals in several locations (i.e. Fig. 3, material on either sides of the oval cut out of ref. 583 at upper region and at lower region of the bar) in the longitudinal direction of the bar main body, the reinforcing bar includes fastening points (i.e. Fig. 3 shows two fasteners at the upper cut out and two fasteners at the lower cut out) at equal intervals in several locations in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing bar, a pitch of the fastening points in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing bar accords with a pitch of the thin part of the longitudinal direction of the bar main body, and the bar main body and the reinforcing bar are joined by at least two fasteners (i.e. Fig. 3, at least four fasteners shown on bar, ref. 583).
Wherein the bar main and the reinforcing bar are plate type members, a thin part (i.e. Fig. 3, material on either sides of the oval cut out of ref. 583) is formed on one surface of the bar main body and also formed at equal intervals in several locations (i.e. Fig. 3, material on either sides of the oval cut out of ref. 583 at upper region and at lower region of the bar) in the longitudinal direction of the bar main body, the reinforcing bar includes fastening points (i.e. Fig. 3 shows two fasteners at the upper cut out and two fasteners at the lower cut out) at equal intervals in several locations in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing bar, a pitch of the fastening points in the longitudinal direction of the reinforcing bar accords with a pitch of the thin part of the longitudinal direction of the bar main body, the reinforcing bar is made to support and abut against the reverse surface of the bar main body (i.e. mark up of Fig. 3, indicated reinforcing bar is a plate fastened to the main bar of ref 583 in the back surface), and the bar main body and the reinforcing bar are joined by at least two fasteners (i.e. Fig. 3, at least four fasteners shown on bar, ref. 583).
Wherein when the engaging body moves, a compression load (i.e. via force from ref. 58 acts on the bar) acts on the connection bar.
An elevator (i.e. Fig. 1) comprising a car door device according to claim 1.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5, 8, 12 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent Application No. 2016/0130116 to Kitazawa teaches an elevator door coupler with connection bar;
EP 1266860 to Vandenbussche teaches an elevator door coupler with a connection bar;
US Patent No. 7,077,242 to Cocher teaches an elevator door coupler with a connection bar.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIEM M TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7825. The examiner can normally be reached M 9-5, W-F 10-2.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654