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 Objections
Claim 13 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claim 13, line 3, “the “disengaged” position into the “engaged” position” is recited. In claim 1, these positions were amended to remove the quotation marks. For purposes of examination, the Examiner will interpret the claims to read “the disengaged position into the engaged position”.
Appropriate 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.
Claims 1, 2, 3, 9, 10, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi et al., JP 2004300828 A (hereinafter Kobayashi). Note: paragraph numbers are from the attached Espacenet machine translation of JP 2004300828 A.
Regarding claim 1, Kobayashi teaches a motor vehicle lock (latch unit 1), comprising:
a latch mechanism (latch unit 1; [0012]) including:
a rotary latch (unnumbered latch; [0012]) and
a detent pawl (unnumbered engaging member; [0012]),
an actuation lever chain including a coupling element (first engagement/disengagement lever 19; second engagement/disengagement lever 20) and an actuation lever (operating lever 17), the coupling element including a pushing member (20),
a stationary counter-blocking element (worm wheel 13; [0022] discusses 13 being pivotally mounted to case 11 therefore it is fixed in a station thereby meeting the Merriam-Webster definition 1 of stationary and the broadest reasonable interpretation of the term) configured to release the coupling element,
an electromotive actuator (motor 12) configured to apply force to move the coupling element of the actuation lever chain selectively into at least one of an engaged position (Fig 3 depicts 19 engaged with knob lever 15) and a disengaged position (Fig 4 depicts 19 disengaged with 15; [0021-0024]),
wherein the electromotive actuator acts via the pushing member on the coupling element mounted on the actuation lever ([0042 discusses motor 12 driving 13 to engage arm portion 20a of 20 to further act on and move 19),
wherein the pushing member includes a blocking element (arm portion 20a; 20a hinders 13 in the same manner as the instant invention thereby meeting the Merriam-Webster verb definition 1b of block and the broadest reasonable interpretation of the term) that acts reciprocally on the stationary counter-blocking element to release the coupling element [0042].
Regarding claim 2, Kobayashi teaches the motor vehicle lock of Claim 1, wherein the pushing member (20) in adjoining contact with the coupling element (19; 20) shifts the coupling element into the disengaged position (Fig 3; [0031] discusses 20a engaging 19b for movement).
Regarding claim 3, Kobayashi teaches the motor vehicle lock of Claim 1, wherein the coupling element (19; 20), when released from the pushing member (20), assumes the engaged position, under spring tension as the case may be ([0035] discusses 19 being biased into engagement).
Regarding claim 9, Kobayashi teaches the motor vehicle lock of Claim 1, wherein the actuation lever (17) has a repelling arm (shaft portion 17c) for applying force to the blocking element (20a; movement from Fig 3 to Fig 4 depicts the 17 applying force to 20, therefore 20a, when it translates).
Regarding claim 10, Kobayashi teaches the motor vehicle lock of Claim 1, wherein the electromotive actuator (12) is configured to electrically open the latch mechanism (1) in one direction ([0022] discusses how 12 rotates in an unlocking direction thereby meeting the definition of opening found in instant specification page 1 where the actuator unlocks the latch which then opens under the bias of an unclaimed spring) and is further configured to apply force to the pushing member (20) in another direction ([0031; 0042] discusses how 12, via 13, applies force to 20a is two directions therefore in another direction from the unlocking of the first limitation).
Regarding claim 13, Kobayashi teaches the motor vehicle lock of Claim 1, wherein the pushing member (20) is configured to move away from the coupling element (19; 20) such that the coupling element is shifted from the disengaged position (Fig 4) into the engaged position (see claim interpretation under claim 13 Claim Objection; Fig 3; movement from Fig 4 to Fig 3 depicts 19 shifting from disengaged to engaged by rotating to the left and 20 rotating away from the left to the right).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 4, while Kobayashi teaches wherein the pushing member is designed as an at least two-armed lever mounted in a pivoting manner, wherein the at least two-armed lever includes a first lever arm and a second lever arm; one of ordinary skill in the art would not find it obvious to modify Kobayashi as claimed in the instant application wherein the blocking member is designed as an at least two-armed lever mounted in a pivoting manner on the pushing member, wherein the at least two-armed lever includes a first lever arm and a second lever arm; without the use of impermissible hindsight and/or destroying the reference.
Regarding claims 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 12, they would be allowable because they pend from claim 4.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art for vehicle locks.
Hunt et al., US 7399010 B2, teaches a power-actuated motor-vehicle door latch with quick unlock with an actuation chain, a stationary counter-blocking element, an electromotive actuator, and a block element.
Taurasi et al., US 12577813 B2, teaches a closure latch assembly with single motor actuator configured to control multiple latch functions with an actuation chain, an electromotive actuator, and a block element.
Scholz et al., EP 2326779 B1, teaches a motor vehicle door lock with an actuation chain, an electromotive actuator, and a block element.
Kleefeldt et al., DE 4307523 B4, teaches a motor vehicle door lock with central locking drive with an actuation chain, an electromotive actuator, and a block element.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN A TULLIA whose telephone number is (571)272-6434. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5 ET.
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/STEVEN A TULLIA/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
