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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 18 June 2026, with respect to the prior art rejection of claim(s) 1 have been considered, and in response the same art is applied to the amended claims. Although the amendments further limit the claimed invention, the Examiner maintains that the cited prior art is reasonably interpreted as teaching each and every one of the recited limitations. Applicant’s arguments are solely drawn to the newly amended limitations, and as such the new grounds of rejection do not rely on any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. See the updated rejection(s) below.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-9 and 12-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kamimura (US-10030413-B2).
With regards to claim 1, Kamimura discloses a door handle device (embodiment shown Figures 8-13, and particularly the alternative cylinder arrangement portion 65B and cover 70B shown Figure 13), comprising:
a base (60 Figure 9) including a handle arrangement portion (61 Figure 9) and a cylinder arrangement portion (65B Figure 13) and to be attached to a door (DB Figure 8), the cylinder arrangement portion provided adjacent to the handle arrangement portion and including a through-hole (67 Figure 9) penetrating from a vehicle exterior side (OUTSIDE, Figure 9) to a vehicle interior side (INSIDE, Figure 9);
a handle (56 Figure 8) rotatably attached to the handle arrangement portion so as to be exposed to the vehicle exterior side of the door and configured to operate a door latch device attached to the door to open (Col. 4 Lines 14-22);
a key cylinder (64 Figure 9) attached to the cylinder arrangement portion such that a keyhole is exposed to the vehicle exterior side via the through-hole and configured to operate the door latch device to unlock (as demonstrated Figures 2 and 11C); and
a cover (70B Figure 13) attached to the vehicle exterior side of the cylinder arrangement portion,
wherein the cover includes a cover main body (70b Figure 13) configured to exposably cover the keyhole including the through-hole, and an attachment portion (81, 82, 83, 84, 85 Figure 13) protruding from the cover main body,
the cylinder arrangement portion is provided with an attachment hole (86, 87, 88, 89, 90 Figure 13) for attaching the attachment portion (as shown Figure 8, Col. 9 Lines 33-49), and
the attachment hole is provided such that at least a part of the attachment hole is positioned between a first reference line passing through an upper end of the through-hole and extending in a left-right direction and a second reference line passing through a lower end of the through-hole and extending in the left-right direction, and between a third reference line passing through a left end of the through-hole and extending in an upper-lower direction and a fourth reference line passing through a right end of the through-hole and extending in the upper-lower direction, as seen along a direction in which an axis line of the through-hole extends (at least Kamimura’s attachment hole portion 86 is provided such that at least a part of the attachment hole is positioned between a first reference line passing through an upper end of the through-hole and extending in a left-right direction and a second reference line passing through a lower end of the through-hole and extending in the left-right direction, and between a third reference line passing through a left end of the through-hole and extending in an upper-lower direction and a fourth reference line passing through a right end of the through-hole and extending in the upper-lower direction, as seen along a direction in which an axis line of the through-hole extends, as shown Figure 13).
With regards to claim 2, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 1, wherein the attachment portion (82, 83, 84, 85 Figure 13) includes a pair of leg portions (82, 83 and 84, 85, Figure 13) protruding from the cover main body (70b Figure 13), each of the pair of leg portions includes a first leg portion (82, 84 Figure 13) protruding in a direction intersecting the cover main body (INSIDE, Figure 9) and a second leg portion (83, 85 Figure 13) continuous with an end portion of the first leg portion on the vehicle interior side and protruding in a direction away from the cover main body along the cover main body (UP/DOWN, Figure 8), and is movably attached relative to the attachment hole (87, 88, 89, 90 Figure 13), and the first leg portion is provided with a locking protrusion (distal protrusions of first legs 82, 84 Figure 13) that is locked to an edge of the attachment hole when the keyhole including the through-hole (67 Figure 13) is covered with the cover main body (as shown Figure 8, Col. 9 Lines 33-49).
With regards to claim 4, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 1, wherein one of the cover main body and the cylinder arrangement portion (65B Figure 13) is provided with a positioning projection piece (77 Figure 13) protruding toward the other of the cover main body and the cylinder arrangement portion, the other of the cover main body (70b Figure 13) and the cylinder arrangement portion is provided with a positioning hole (73 Figure 13) into which the positioning projection piece is to be inserted, and the positioning projection piece includes a contact portion that is to be brought into contact with a hole edge of the positioning hole (Figures 11A-11C, Col. 9 Lines 50-67).
With regards to claim 5, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 4, wherein the positioning projection piece (77 Figure 13) is provided with an inclined portion that is to be brought into sliding contact with the hole edge of the positioning hole (73 Figure 13) (as demonstrated by the sequence of Figures 11A-11C).
With regards to claim 6, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 1, wherein one of the cover main body and the cylinder arrangement portion (65B Figure 13) is provided with a lock portion (76 Figure 13) protruding from a side opposite to the attachment portion (82, 83, 84, 85 Figure 13) toward the other of the cover main body and the cylinder arrangement portion, and the other of the cover main body (70b Figure 13) and the cylinder arrangement portion is provided with a lock receiving portion (72 Figure 13) configured to lock the lock portion (Col. 9 Lines 50-67).
With regards to claim 7, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 6, wherein the attachment hole (87, 88, 89, 90 Figure 13) is provided on a side opposite to the handle arrangement portion (61 Figure 9) with respect to the through-hole (67 Figure 9), the lock portion (76 Figure 13) and the lock receiving portion (72 Figure 13) are provided adjacent to the handle (56 Figure 8), and an outer surface of the handle and an outer surface of the cover main body are flush with each other (as shown Figure 9).
With regards to claim 8, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 2, wherein one of the cover main body and the cylinder arrangement portion (65B Figure 13) is provided with a positioning projection piece (77 Figure 13) protruding toward the other of the cover main body and the cylinder arrangement portion, the other of the cover main body (70b Figure 13) and the cylinder arrangement portion is provided with a positioning hole (73 Figure 13) into which the positioning projection piece is to be inserted, and the positioning projection piece includes a contact portion that is to be brought into contact with a hole edge of the positioning hole (Figures 11A-11C, Col. 9 Lines 50-67).
With regards to claim 9, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 8, wherein the positioning projection piece (77 Figure 13) is provided with an inclined portion that is to be brought into sliding contact with the hole edge of the positioning hole (73 Figure 13) (as demonstrated by the sequence of Figures 11A-11C).
With regards to claim 12, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 2, herein one of the cover main body and the cylinder arrangement portion (65B Figure 13) is provided with a lock portion (76 Figure 13) protruding from a side opposite to the attachment portion (82, 83, 84, 85 Figure 13) toward the other of the cover main body and the cylinder arrangement portion, and the other of the cover main body (70b Figure 13) and the cylinder arrangement portion is provided with a lock receiving portion (72 Figure 13) configured to lock the lock portion (Col. 9 Lines 50-67).
With regards to claim 13, Kamimura discloses the door handle device according to claim 12, wherein the attachment hole (87, 88, 89, 90 Figure 13) is provided on a side opposite to the handle arrangement portion (61 Figure 9) with respect to the through-hole (67 Figure 9), the lock portion (76 Figure 13) and the lock receiving portion (72 Figure 13) are provided adjacent to the handle (56 Figure 8), and an outer surface of the handle and an outer surface of the cover main body are flush with each other (as shown Figure 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 10-11 and 14-15 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: Although the references of record show some features similar to those of applicant's device, the prior art fails to teach or make obvious the claimed invention. With regards to claim 3, the prior art fails to teach a vehicle door handle device and cover satisfying each and every limitation of the preceding claims and further wherein the second leg portion includes a slit extending from a tip end of the second leg portion toward the first leg portion, and a pair of elastic pieces positioned on both sides of the slit, and each of the pair of elastic pieces is provided with a locking claw protruding toward a side opposite to the slit. Therefore, such an arrangement is not taught by the prior art, nor can the Examiner find teaching or motivation to suggest such a modification to one of ordinary skill in the art without fundamentally altering the principles of operation of the device or otherwise relying upon the benefit of impermissible hindsight reasoning.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 Noah Horowitz, whose telephone number is (571)272-5532. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 11:00AM - 7:00 PM.
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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.
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/NOAH HOROWITZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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