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 is the First Office Action on the merits of Application No. 19/107120, filed on 02/27/2025. Claims 1-15 are still pending in the application.
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 1-8 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 recites the limitation "hollow sleeve" in line 12. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 3-9, 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent No. 2,696,969 to Branick (henceforth referred to as Branick).
Regarding claims 1, 3-8, Branick discloses a support device (i.e. Fig. 3) for a lifting platform (i.e. Fig. 1), the support device comprising:
a support element (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 17), which is designed to bear a load to be lifted;
a hollow bushing (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 10), which is fastenable on an outer side to the lifting platform in a continuously adjustable manner (i.e. bushing, ref. 10, capable of being continuously adjustable when adjusting ref. 13);
the hollow bushing has a cavity (i.e. “lifting plunger 10 is tubular”), in order to receive the support element via a rectilinear insertion movement along an insertion axis (i.e. Fig. 3, axis extending vertically along the middle of ref. 8);
a stop element (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 15) arranged in the cavity that is configured such that an insertion depth (i.e. Fig. 3 – Fig. 4) of the support element in the hollow bushing is settable in a stepwise manner (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 16) and the insertion depth is dependent on a relative rotational position between the support element and the hollow sleeve about the insertion axis (i.e. Fig. 3 – Fig. 4).
Wherein the stop element has a recess (i.e. Fig. 5, lowest ref. 16), wherein the support element, in a first relative rotational position (i.e. Fig. 4), rests on the stop element in a region of an edge (i.e. Fig. 5, higher ref. 16) of the recess and, in a second relative rotation position, engages the recess (i.e. Fig. 3).
Wherein the stop element is at least partially a flat part, on an end face of which the recess is arranged,
wherein the edge of the recess adjoins a first bearing surface of the stop element and a second bearing surface of the stop element formed at a bottom of the recess (i.e. See Mark up of Fig. 5),
wherein the support element, in the first relative rotational position (i.e. Fig. 4), rests on the first bearing surface and, in the second relative rotational position (i.e. Fig. 3), engages in the recess and rests on the second bearing surface.
Wherein the support element and the stop element are rotated by 90 degrees relative to each other between the first and second rotational positions (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 5 show multiple bearing surfaces that is capable of accepting a 90 degree rotation of the support element).
Wherein the stop element is interchangeably arranged in the cavity (i.e. functional language, ref. 17 is capable of being replaced/exchanged).
Wherein the support element is interchangeable (i.e. functional language, ref. 17 is capable of being replaced/exchanged).
Wherein the support element comprises a support member (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 17’), detachably connectable to the support element.
Regarding claims 9, 13, Branick discloses a support device (i.e. Fig. 3) for a lifting platform (i.e. Fig. 1), the support device comprising:
a support element (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 17’), which is designed to bear a load to be lifted;
a hollow bushing (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 10), which is fastenable on an outer side to the lifting platform in a continuously adjustable manner (i.e. bushing, ref. 10, capable of being continuously adjustable when adjusting ref. 13);
a spacer element (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 17 separates ref 17’ from ref. 10), which can be arranged between the support element and the hollow bushing,
the hollow bushing has a first cavity (i.e. “lifting plunger 10 is tubular”), in order to receive the support element via a rectilinear insertion movement along a first insertion axis (i.e. Fig. 3, axis extending vertically along the middle of ref. 8);
wherein a first stop element (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 15) arranged in the first cavity that is configured such that a first insertion depth (i.e. Fig. 4) of the support element in the hollow bushing can be set in a stepwise manner (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 16) and the first insertion depth is dependent on a relative rotational position between the spacer element and the hollow bushing, and wherein the spacer element has a second cavity (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 5), in order to receive the support element at a second insertion depth (i.e. Fig. 3).
In which the spacer element has a sleeve like design (i.e. ref. 17 has a long design) and, at one axial end, has two slots (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 18 is pointing to two cavities that are mutually offset at different heights) which are mutually offset around the circumference and have different slot depths, wherein the first stop element of the hollow bushings engages in one of the slots on the basis of the relative rotational position between the spacer element and the hollow bushing.
A lifting platform, in particular a vehicle lifting platform (i.e. Title), with at least one lifting column (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 1) and a support arm (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 19) which is movable along a lifting axis (i.e. Fig. 1, dotted and solid line of ref. 19: arm can pivot and is capable to move up and down) of the lifting column.
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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) 2 and 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US Patent No. 2,696,969 to Branick in view of US Patent No. 11,820,632 to Kritzer (henceforth referred to as Branick and Kritzer, respectively).
Regarding claims 2 and 14, Branick does not specifically teach the outer side of the hollow bushing has an external thread. However, hollow bushings with external threads are known in the vehicle lifting art. Kritzer teaches a vehicle lifting device (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 2, 3) with support arms (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 12, 14) comprising a support (i.e. Fig. 10, ref. 58) attached to corresponding arms with hollow bushings with external threads (i.e. not referenced but bushing with external threads shown with ref. 58 in Fig. 10) for maximum adjustability of the support underneath cars with differing frames. It would have been reasonable expectation of success to use the hollow bushings with external threads as taught in Kritzer as the bushing in the lift as taught in Branick for maximum adjustability and to eliminate all the smaller screws (i.e. ref. 13) needed to install the smooth sleeved bushing and there would have been reasonable expectation of success.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if re-written in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
KR 10-2017-0133939 to Kim teaches a support for a vehicle lift;
KR 10-2008-0097509 to Sung teaches a support for a vehicle lift;
DE 20 2024 103 304 to Charara et al teaches a support for a vehicle lift.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIEM M TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7825. The examiner can normally be reached M 9-5, W-F 10-2.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654