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
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, 10, and 13-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Laughton et al., US PGPub 2020/0317472.
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Regarding claim 1, Laughton et al. discloses a guide device (A) for an elevator system (see abstract), comprising: a bracket (B); a plurality of rollers (C,D) mounted onto the bracket (B); wherein, at least one of the plurality of rollers (C,D) is mounted onto the bracket (B) through a damping device (see fig 1-2), the damping device (as described above) comprising: an oscillating rod (50), wherein a first end (80) of the oscillating rod (50) is rotatably mounted (via 90) onto the bracket (B), a second end (opposite 80) of the oscillating rod (50) is provided with a first notch (110), and the roller (D) is mounted onto the oscillating rod (50); a guide pin (114), wherein the guide pin (114) is mounted (via 95) onto the bracket (B)and passes through the first notch (110) of the oscillating rod (50); and one or more friction members (112), mounted onto the oscillating rod (50) and in frictional contact (due to elastomeric / rubber surface) with the guide pin (114) during oscillation of the oscillating rod (50.
Regarding claim 10, Laughton et al. discloses the guide device according to claim 1, wherein the bracket (B) comprises a base (8) and one or more columns (12,14) extending from the base (8), the first end (80) of the oscillating rod (50) is rotatably mounted (via 90) onto the base (8), and the guide pin (114) is connected (via 95) to the column (12) in a manner substantially parallel (see fig 2) to the base (8).
Regarding claim 13, Laughton et al. discloses the guide device according to claim 10, wherein the guide device (A) further comprises a limit pin (100) connected to the column (12) in parallel with the guide pin (114), where the limit pin (100) passes through a second through-hole (93) on the oscillating rod (50), and the limit pin (110) comprises a stopper (106) that limits a maximum extent of the oscillating rod (50) oscillating away from the guide rail (see [0001]).
Regarding claim 14, Laughton et al. discloses the guide device according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of rollers (C,D) comprise a first roller and a second roller (D’s) arranged side by side (see fig 1), and a third roller (C) with a rotation plane perpendicular (see fig 1) to those of the first roller and the second roller (D’s), where all of the first roller (D on right in fig 5), the second roller (D on left in fig 5), and the third roller (C) are mounted onto the bracket (B) through the damping device (as described above).
Regarding claim 15, Laughton et al. discloses an elevator system, comprising: an elevator car (see [0002]) and the guide device (as described above) according to claim 1, connected to the elevator car for guiding the elevator car to move along the elevator guide rail (see [0002]).
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) 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Laughton et al..
Regarding claim 11, Laughton et al. discloses the guide device according to claim 10, wherein the guide pin (114) comprises a first end (end in contact with 12) and a second end (end with 118) opposite to each other (see fig 2), and a guide pin body (column body of 114) between the first end (as described above) and the second end (as described above), where the first end (as described above) of the guide pin (114) is fixed (via 95) to the column (12). Laughton et al. disclose a spring (68) but not in the specified location. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to provide the spring in the specified location since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. One having ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to align with spring (68) with the guide pin (114) in order to increase the leverage acting on the spring and damping precision of the oscillating rod.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-6, 7-9, and 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, for the reasons identified in the Office Action dated 4/16/2026.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/13/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
On pages 5-6 of the Remarks, Applicant argues that Laughton’s resilient member (112) is a stop member and does not read on the friction member claimed in lines 11-12 of claim 1. Examiner respectfully disagrees. Laughton discloses a friction members (112), mounted onto the oscillating rod (50) and in frictional contact (due to elastomeric / rubber surface) with the guide pin (114) during oscillation of the oscillating rod (50). Specifically, 112 is mounted onto the rod (50) via recess 110. It is also in frictional contact with the guide pin 114. In [0045], 112 is described a gripping the guide pin (114). The grip is due to friction between the pin 112 and the friction member 112. Therefore friction member 112 reads on the disputed limitation and Applicants argument is not persuasive.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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, Robert Hodge can be reached at (571) 272-2097. 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
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