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 15 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 15, line 1, “the lock assembly” has no antecedent basis in the claims. IN the interest of expediting examination, “the lock assembly” will be interpreted as --the latch and the striker.--
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 1-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Roatis et al. (US 2022/0298829).
With respect to claim 1, Roatis et al. disclose a lock assembly capable of use for a vehicle storage bin, the lock assembly comprising:
a striker 84 configured to be assembled onto one of a storage bin housing 200 and a door 202 (Roatis et al., paragraph [0050]);
a latch 60 configured to be assembled onto the other of the storage bin housing 200 and the door 202 (Roatis et al., paragraph [0050]);
signal receiver circuitry 18 to receive a control signal (“The PC board 170 . . . includes the logic necessary to understand and process the signals coming from the input device 172” Roatis et al., paragraph [0066]); and
an actuator 108 for actuating the latch 60 relative to the striker 84 to lock and unlock the latch from the striker in response to the control signal (Roatis et al., paragraph [0066]).
With respect to claim 2, this claim fails to recite any further limitations of the lock assembly. Instead, it recites a statement of intended use of the lock assembly. Regardless, Roatis et al. disclose that the input device may be a wireless signal (paragraph [0066]–which would be an input from a remote control device).
With respect to claim 3, this claim fails to recite any further limitation of the lock assembly. Instead, the claim further limits the remote control device which is not positively recited as part of the claimed subject matter. Regardless, Roatis et al. discloses that the remote control device comprises a phone (“mobile phones,” Roatis et al., paragraph [0066]).
With respect to claim 4, this claim fails to recite any further limitation of the lock assembly. Instead, the claim further limits the phone which is not positively recited as part of the claimed subject matter.
With respect to claim 5, Roatis et al. disclose that the lock assembly is configured to be moved to another vehicle storage bin (the lock assembly is removable (“The housing assembly may be coupled to the underlying structure through any number of different structures, including brackets, fasteners, adhesives,” Roatis et al., paragraph [0070]).
With respect to claim 6 Roatis et al. disclose that the latch 60 is configured to be installed on the door 202 that moves between an open position exposing a storage compartment of the vehicle storage bin and a closed position covering the vehicle storage compartment of the storage bin, and the striker 84 is located on the housing 200 (Roatis et al., paragraph [0069]).
With respect to claim 7, Roatis et al. disclose that the latch 60 is configured to be disassembled from the door 202, and the striker 84 is configured to be disassembled from the housing 200 (since the latch 50 and the striker 84 are attached by fasteners–see paragraph [0070]–the latch 60 and the striker 84 can be disassembled from their respective locations).
With respect to claim 8, Roatis et al. discloses that the latch 60 comprises a rotating locking arm 14, and the striker comprises a striker bar (as shown in Fig. 3 of Roatis et al.).
With respect to claim 10, Roatis et al. discloses a storage being that is capable of being used as one of a center console, a glovebox and a rear cargo storage bin.
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 1, 9-17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nielsen et al. (US 4,414,829) in view of Rahilly (US 2020/0410801).
With respect to claim 1, Nielsen et al. disclose the claimed lock assembly except for the signal receiver circuitry and the actuator. Nielsen et al. disclose a lock assembly capable of use for a vehicle storage bin, the lock assembly comprising:
a striker 76 configured to be assembled onto one of a storage bin housing 16/17/19 and a door 18 (as shown in Figs. 1-2 of Nielsen et al.); and
a latch 72 configured to be assembled onto the other of the storage bin housing 16/17/19 and the door 18 (as shown in Fig. 2 of Nielsen et al.)/
Rahilly teaches a similar lock assembly including a latch 122 on a door of a cabinet. Rahilly further teaches signal receiver circuitry 1134 to receive a control signal (“Rahilly, paragraphs [0080] and [0204]); and
an actuator 126 for actuating the latch 122 relative to a striker (cabinet body) to lock and unlock the latch 122 from the striker in response to the control signal (Rahilly, paragraph [0075]).
It 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, with a reasonable expectation of success, to combine the teaching of Rahilly with the lock assembly disclosed by Nielsen et al. for the advantage of automatically opening the lock assembly from a remote location.
With respect to claim 9, Nielsen et al. disclose that the striker 76 has a striker mounting arm 52 configured to engage the one of the storage bin housing 16/17/19 and the door 18 and the latch 72 has a latch mounting arm 72 configured to engage a first receiver 15 on one of the other of the storage bin housing 16/17/19 and the door 18(as shown in Figs. 2-3 of Nielsen et al.).
With respect to claim 11, Nielsen et al. disclose the claimed vehicle storage bin except for the signal receiver circuitry and the actuator. Nielsen et al. disclose a vehicle storage bin comprising:
a housing 16/17/19;
a first receiver 56 coupled to the housing 16/17/19 (as shown in Fig. 2 of Nielsen et al.);
a door 18;
a second receiver 15 coupled to the door 18 (as shown in Fig. 2 of Nielsen et al.);
a latch 72 installed on one of the first and second receivers (second receiver 15); and
a striker 76 installed on the other of the first and second receivers (first receiver 56);
Rahilly teaches a similar vehicle storage bin including a latch 122 on a door of a cabinet. Rahilly further teaches signal receiver circuitry 1134 to receiving a control signal (“Rahilly, paragraphs [0080] and [0204]); and
an actuator 126 for actuating the latch 122 between locked and unlocked positions in response to the control signal (Rahilly, paragraph [0075]).
It 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, with a reasonable expectation of success, to combine the teaching of Rahilly with the vehicle storage bin disclosed by Nielsen et al. for the advantage of automatically opening the lock assembly from a remote location.
With respect to claim 12, this claim fails to recite any further limitations of the vehicle storage bin. Instead, it recites a statement of intended use of the lock assembly. Regardless, Rahilly. disclose that the input device may be a wireless signal (paragraph [0066]–which would be an input from a remote control device).
With respect to claim 13, this claim fails to recite any further limitation of the vehicle storage bin. Instead, the claim further limits the remote control device which is not positively recited as part of the claimed subject matter. Regardless, Rahilly discloses that the remote control device comprises a phone (“smartphone,” Rahilly, paragraphs [0076]-[0079]).
With respect to claim 14, this claim fails to recite any further limitation of the vehicle storage bin. Instead, the claim further limits the phone which is not positively recited as part of the claimed subject matter.
With respect to claim 15, Nielsen et al. disclose that the lock assembly (the latch and the striker) is configured to be moved to another vehicle storage bin (the latch and the striker are removably as shown in Fig. 3 of Nielsen et al.)
With respect to claim 16, Nielsen et al. disclose that the latch 76 is configured to be installed on the door 18 that moves between an open position exposing a storage compartment of the storage bin 12 and a closed position (shown in Fig. 5 of Nielsen et al.) covering the storage compartment of the storage bin, and the striker 76 is located on the housing 16/17/19 as shown in Fig. 5 of Nielsen et al.).
With respect to claim 17, Nielsen et al. disclose that the latch 72 is configured to be disassembled from the door 18, and the striker 76 is configured to be disassembled from the housing 16/17/19 )as shown in Fig. 6 of Nielsen et al.)
With respect to claim 19, Nielsen et al. disclose that the striker 76 has a striker mounting arm 52 configured to engage the one of the storage bin housing 16/17/19 and the door 18 and the latch 72 has a latch mounting arm 72 configured to engage a first receiver 15 on one of the other of the storage bin housing 16/17/19 and the door 18 (as shown in Figs. 2-3 of Nielsen et al.).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lysik (US 2019/0176675) Nielsen et al. (US 4,414,829) in view of Rahilly (US 2020/0410801).
With respect to claim 20, Lysik discloses the claimed vehicle except for the first receiver, the second receiver, a latch installed on one of the first and second receiver, a striker installed on the other of the first and second receiver a signal receiver circuitry receiving a control signal and an actuator for actuating the latch. Lysik discloses a vehicle comprising:
a storage bin 22 comprising:
a housing 26;
a door 30; and
a lock assembly 34.
Nielsen et al. teaches a similar storage bin 12 including a first receiver 56 coupled to a housing 16/17/19;
a second receiver coupled to a door 15 (as shown in Fig. 2 of Nielsen et al.);
a latch 72 installed on one of the first and second receivers (installed on second receiver 15); and
a striker 76 installed on the other of the first and second receivers (installed on first receiver 56).
It 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, with a reasonable expectation of success, to combine the teaching of Nielsen et al. with the vehicle storage bin disclosed by Lysik for the advantage of easily changing the lock assembly on the bin for security reasons.
a signal receiver circuitry receiving a control signal; and an actuator for actuating the latch with an actuator between locked and unlocked positions in response to the control signal.3
Rahilly teaches a similar storage bin including a latch 122 on a door of a cabinet. Rahilly further teaches signal receiver circuitry 1134 to receiving a control signal (“Rahilly, paragraphs [0080] and [0204]); and
an actuator 126 for actuating the latch 122 between locked and unlocked positions in response to the control signal (Rahilly, paragraph [0075]).
It 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, with a reasonable expectation of success, to combine the teaching of Rahilly with the vehicle disclosed by Nielsen et al. for the advantage of automatically opening the lock assembly from a remote location.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 18 is 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claim 18 has been indicated as containing allowable subject matter primarily for the latch comprises a rotating locking arm, and the striker comprises a striker bar in combination with the first receiver coupled to the housing and the second receiver coupled to the door.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DANIEL J COLILLA whose telephone number is (571)272-2157. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 - 4:00.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amy Weisberg can be reached at 571-270-5500. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Daniel J Colilla/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3612
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