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 and amendments, filed 30 June 2026, with respect to the objections to claims 1-2 and 19 and the prior art rejections of claims 1-5 and 12-16 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objections/rejections of 3 April 2026 have been withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, with respect to the prior art rejection of claim(s) 17-19 have been considered, and in response the same art is applied to the amended claims. Applicant’s arguments are solely drawn to the newly amended limitations, and as such the new grounds of rejection does not rely 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) 17-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Harris (US-3877267-A).
With regards to claim 17, Harris discloses a key (11 Figure 1) comprising:
a head (right end of 11, Figure 1);
a blade (12 Figure 1) comprising a surface (recessed surface of peg receivers located at 13-17, 19-23, 29 and 31, Figures 1-2) having a plurality of peg receivers and said peg receivers having a plurality of peg locations (13-17, 19-23, 29 and 31, Figures 1-2); and
a plurality of pegs (27, 32, 33 Figure 2) located in said peg receivers and extending beyond said surface (as shown Figures 2-3).
With regards to claim 18, Harris discloses the key of claim 17, wherein said peg receivers further comprise at least three peg locations (13-17, 19-23, 29 and 31, Figures 1-2).
With regards to claim 19, Harris discloses the key of claims 17, wherein said blade (12 Figure 1) further comprises first and second faces on an opposing sides (left and right side faces, Figure 2) of said blade and said pegs (27, 32, 33 Figure 2) are located on said first and second faces.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-5 and 12-16 allowed.
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 claims 1 and 14, the prior art teaches a key and lock combination comprising a casing, a body having a keyway, a plurality of pins slidably located within said body, said pins comprising a first recess and a second recess, and at least one locking member for allowing and preventing said relative movement of said body, wherein when all said second recesses are aligned with said locking member said relative movement is allowed by said locking member entering said second recesses. However, the prior art fails to teach a device wherein said first recess of said plurality of pins each have a first and second cam surface connected thereto and angled relative to each other, and a third and fourth cam surface connected thereto and angled relative to each other, wherein said first and second cam surfaces are located opposing said third and fourth cam surfaces, and that said cam surfaces engage said key so as to cause sliding movement of said pin. Therefore, such an arrangement is not taught by the prior art, nor can the Examiner can 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.
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.
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/NOAH HOROWITZ/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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