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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 8 recites the limitation "the back wall". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Beaudry (US 8,657,076 B2). Beaudry discloses a sliding guide shoe (16) for guiding a moving component in an elevator shaft essentially vertically by at least one guide rail (18), said sliding guide shoe comprising,
Re claim 1, a frame part (24,26), comprising a supporting surface (center-facing surfaces of 24), a sliding part (20,22) disposed to be supported by the supporting surface, the sliding part comprising an inner surface (fig. 3: inside surface of 20) functioning as a sliding surface against the guide rail, and an outer surface (fig. 3: outer surface of 22 facing 26) arranged against the supporting surface, wherein the supporting surface and the sliding part have contact through contact points (fig. 3: contact points shown at the interface between 22 and 24) where the supporting surface of the frame part is in contact with the outer surface of the sliding part, said contact points are constituting a minor fraction of the corresponding surface of said outer surface of the sliding part (figs. 2-3 show the contact points being a minor fraction of the total surface), the contact points providing for at least one of the supporting surface and the sliding part capability to bend for absorbing guide rail imperfections (fig. 4A-C show 24 bending under loads due to guide rail imperfections).
Re claim 2, comprising fixing arrangement (fig. 1 shows the fixing arrangement as bolts) for fixing the sliding guide shoe to its mounting base (14).
Re claim 3, wherein the sliding part is configured to function as a sliding surface (surface of 20a) that rests directly against the guide rail.
Re claim 4, wherein the inner surface of the sliding part is made of polymer or polymer composite material, preferably of injection molded polyethylene (PE), high-density-polyethylene (HDPE) or ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) (col 4 ln 4-9).
Re claim 5, wherein at least one of the contact points is arranged to the frame part (fig. 2-3).
Re claim 6, wherein at least one of the contact points comprises a tab (fig. 3: protrusions of 24 that extends between the two 28s) being dimensioned to elastically bend under loads caused by guide rail imperfections (fig. 4A-C show 24 bending under loads due to guide rail imperfections).
Re claim 7, wherein at least one of the contact points is arranged to side walls of the supporting surface or to back wall of the supporting surface (fig. 3), and optionally at least one of the side walls and the back wall comprises two or more contact points.
Re claim 8, wherein the tab is formed of the same material as and integrated with the supporting surface (both tab and supporting surface are part of 24, which is made from elastomeric material).
Re claim 9, wherein at least one of the contact points comprises a bulge (24 is shown with a bulge that engages with 22) of the supporting surface extending towards the outer surface.
Re claim 10, wherein the frame part is arranged to constitute a trough-shaped space (fig. 3 shows the U-shaped trough defined by 26) for receiving the sliding part therein.
Re claim 11, wherein the frame part is arranged to constitute a skeleton-structure where empty spaces (spaces between 24) alternate with ribs (space occupied by 24), and wherein the supporting surface is arranged in said ribs (fig. 3).
Re claim 12, comprising a spring element positioned between the frame part and the back wall of the sliding part (24 is made from a resilient material, therefore is construed as a spring element).
Re claim 13, wherein the moving component is an elevator car (12) or a counterweight.
Re claim 14, an elevator (10), comprising the sliding guide shoe as claimed in claim 1 (see claim 1).
Re claim 15, being an elevator arranged to a finished building or to a construction time use (CTU) elevator (the elevator assembly shown in fig. 1 may be used in a finished building or during construction time use).
Conclusion
The cited prior art(s) made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MINH D TRUONG whose telephone number is (571)270-3014. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anna Momper can be reached at (571) 270-5788. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Minh Truong/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654