DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restriction
Applicant’s election of claims 1-19, filed on 5/26/26, with respect to a restriction requirement of claims 1-20 is acknowledged. Therefore, claim 20 should cancel in the next response.
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)(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.
Claims 1, 3, 12, 14 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Vezain et al (4,489,329) [cited by applicant].
Vezain et al disclose an apparatus and a method of a latching mechanism system for holding and releasing a deployable component 3, the latching mechanism system comprising: a plurality of latching mechanisms A,B,C disposed on a spacecraft 2, each including a first component 3 attached to the deployable component and a second component 8 attached to the spacecraft, wherein in a stowed configuration each of the first components is held by a respective second component; and a rotating mechanism 4-7 disposed on the bottom surface of the deployable component (figs1-2) configured to rotate in a first direction (clockwise) to move the first component into the stowed configuration (fig1), and to rotate in a second direction (counter-clockwise) opposite to the first direction to release the first components from the stowed configuration (fig2).
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.
Claims 4-5, 7, 13 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103(a) as being unpatentable over Vezain et al (4,489,329) in view of Massey et al (5,966,104) [both cited by applicant].
Vezain et al had been discussed but fail to teach the first component is a pin, and the second component is a latch comprising a groove, and wherein the pin is oriented radially with respect to the rotating mechanism. However, Massey et al teach the first component is a pin, and the second component is a latch comprising a groove, and wherein the pin is oriented radially with respect to the rotating mechanism (figs2-6). It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skilled in the art to provide Vezain et al with the first component is a pin, and the second component is a latch comprising a groove, and wherein the pin is oriented radially with respect to the rotating mechanism for the purpose of limiting the pivoting segments as desired.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6, 8-11, 15 and 18 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. The patents to Braun, Bailey, Zekios, Taylor, Palmer, Sherwood and Hiller are cited as of interested and illustrated a similar structure to a latching mechanism system.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THO GIA PHAN whose telephone number is (571)272-1826. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F (8-430).
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Dimary Lopez can be reached on (571) 270-7893. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/THO G PHAN/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2845
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