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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because reference numerals “314” and “316” (first mentioned in the specification, lines 23-24 of page 10) are not shown in the figures. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Figures 1-3 should be designated by a legend such as --Prior Art-- because only that which is old is illustrated. See MPEP § 608.02(g). Corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The replacement sheet(s) should be labeled “Replacement Sheet” in the page header (as per 37 CFR 1.84(c)) so as not to obstruct any portion of the drawing figures. If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 1-15 are 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.
In claim 1, lines 7-8, “at least one slider (320) provided on one side of the torsion bars” is confusing. It is not clear whether the “at least one slider” (including an embodiment having exactly one slider) is provided on one side of the two torsion bars or is provided on one side of EACH of the torsion bars.
In claim 3, lines 1-2, it is not clear whether the slider is provided in one torsion bar or provided on each of the torsion bars, i.e., it is not clear which of the torsion bars receives the slider.
In claim 3, line 2, “an operating part” should be “the operating part”.
In claim 7, lines 2-3, “a direction of an operating axis” is vague and indefinite, without defining a reference within the door checker.
In claim 11, it is not clear how the case is related/linked to “the leg part (314) and the bend part (316) of the torsion bar (310)”, since there are multiple leg parts and bend parts.
Note that other claims, depending from the rejected claims, are also considered vague and indefinite.
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.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Gruber ‘350 (US 8,869,350 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Gruber shows a door checker as claimed (e.g., figures 8-11), including a checker arm (12a); and a door checker (50a) through which the checker arm passes and moves, wherein the checker arm comprises one or more operation surfaces (30a) and the door checker comprise a pair of torsion bars (52a, 54a); at least one slider (70a, 72a) provided on one side of the torsion bars; and at least one case (62a, 62a) which connects and fixes the pair of torsion bars to each other, and the operation surface of the checker arm is configured to be formed in a lateral surface of the checker arm (fig. 8).
As to claim 2, each of the torsion bars comprises an operating part (60, see fig. 2); a leg part (56a) which extends in an upward or downward direction from the operating part; and a bend part (58) which is bent and extends from the leg part.
As to claim 3, the slider (70a, 72a) is provided in the operating part of the torsion bar (fig. 8).
As to claim 4, the slider has a guide groove (figs. 9-10) having a recessed structure on a surface thereof facing the operation surface of the checker arm.
As to claim 5, the slider is configured to at least partially surround the operating part of the torsion bar (molded around feet 60, col. 4, lines 50-57).
As to claim 6, the slider is formed, through injection-molding, on the operating part (60, see fig. 7 and its description).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-15 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include 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. See attached PTO-892.
Related prior art:
US 2003/0159243 A1 (Audisio) shows a door checker for vehicles, including a checker arm, a door checker comprising two opposite rollers, a torsion spring biasing the rollers against the lateral surfaces of the checker arm, and an upper case and a lower case enclosing the door checker.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUCK MAH whose telephone number is (571)272-7059. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00-3:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason San can be reached at 571-272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHUCK Y MAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677 February 6, 2026