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 .
This Office Action is in response to applicant’s election filed on 8/20/26.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of species 2, figs 10-14 in the reply filed on 8/20/26 is acknowledged.
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 1-4 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.
Claim 1 requires the following:
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At the instant, the limitation is indefinite. Here is the invention:
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451
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It is unclear from the claim language what the front surface side and rear surface side are. From the claim language, that could be anything. The specification discloses that these sides are the sides of the handle. Correction is required.
Claim 1 also requires the following:
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At the instant, the limitation is indefinite.
First, it is unclear what is “so as to drive a lock mechanism”. That could be any position of the lock mechanism, which has no support for any position.
Second, the transmission member 35 is an intermediate member between the handle and a lock switch 39.
As described, par 46, when the handle is pushed, the handle moves the transmission member 35. This movement will make the transmission member 35 to switch lock switch 39 to lock the system.
So, as described, the transmission member is operably attached to the base and is configured to operate a switch in response to the pushing operation of the handle so as to drive a lock mechanism to a lock position.
Therefore, in order to continue with the examination, the limitation will be interpreted as mentioned above. Correction is required.
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) 1 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pat No 11,578,512 to Ge et al (Ge) in view of US Pat No 8,646,819 to Do et al (Do) and US Pat No 6,072,403 to Iwasaki et al (Iwasaki).
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Regarding claim 1, Ge discloses a door handle device for vehicles, that comprises a base (102) to be attached to a vehicle door; a handle (104) rotatably supported by the base and subjected to a pulling operation pulled toward a front surface side from an initial position and a pushing operation pushed toward a rear surface side from the initial position; and a first biasing member (114) configured to bias the pulling-operated handle toward the initial position.
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The device further comprises a transmission member (306), a buffer member (304) configured to suppress an impact sound when the pulling-operated handle returns to the initial position, and the transmission member is provided with a holding portion (302) configured to hold the buffer member.
Ge fails to disclose that the transmission member is configured to operate in response to the pushing operation of the handle so as to drive a lock mechanism.
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Do teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a transmission member (32) and a buffer member (148) cooperating with a switch (136) in communication with a door lock mechanism.
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Iwasaki teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a handle (118) that will operate a switch (126) when is pushed, so as to operate an actuator of a door lock mechanism and unlock the mechanism.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the transmission member/buffer member described by Go configured to interact with an electronic member, as taught by Do to drive a lock mechanism, as taught by Iwasaki, in order to electronically unlock the lock mechanism.
As to claim 4, Ge discloses that the holding portion (202) is formed by recessing a front surface of the transmission member (at 218), the front surface facing the handle.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Pat No 11,512,508 to Couto Maquieira et al (Cuoto) in view of US Pat No 8,646,819 to Do et al (Do) and US Pat No 6,072,403 to Iwasaki et al (Iwasaki).
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Regarding claim 1, Cuoto discloses a door handle device for vehicles, that comprises a base (12) to be attached to a vehicle door; a handle (16) rotatably supported by the base and subjected to a pulling operation pulled toward a front surface side from an initial position and a pushing operation pushed toward a rear surface side from the initial position (fig 15); and a first biasing member (28) configured to bias the pulling-operated handle toward the initial position.
The device further comprises a transmission member (130), a buffer member (122) configured to suppress an impact sound when the pulling-operated handle returns to the initial position, and the transmission member is provided with a holding portion (by 136) configured to hold the buffer member.
Cuoto fails to disclose that the transmission member is configured to operate in response to the pushing operation of the handle so as to drive a lock mechanism.
Do teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a transmission member (32) and a buffer member (148) cooperating with a switch (136) in communication with a door lock mechanism.
Iwasaki teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a handle (118) that will operate a switch (126) when is pushed, so as to operate an actuator of a door lock mechanism and unlock the mechanism.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the transmission member/buffer member described by Cuoto configured to interact with an electronic member, as taught by Do to drive a lock mechanism, as taught by Iwasaki, in order to electronically unlock the lock mechanism.
As to claim 2, Cuoto discloses that the transmission member is swingably attached to the base, and the door handle device further includes a second biasing member (216) configured to bias the transmission member toward a side opposite to a swinging direction of the transmission member during the pushing operation.
As to claim 3, Cuoto discloses that a second biasing force by the second biasing member is capable of being greater than a first biasing force by the first biasing member (since it needs to return the transmission member and also acting on the handle, through the transmission member).
As to claim 4, Cuoto discloses that the holding portion (by 136) is formed by recessing a front surface of the transmission member, the front surface facing the handle.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS LUGO whose telephone number is (571)272-7058. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at (571)272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/Carlos Lugo/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3675
September 12, 2026
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