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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on March 14, 2025, is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 11-20 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 11 recites the limitation "the side" in line 9, “the axial direction” in lines 10-11, and “the expansion” in line 11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim.
Claim 12 depends from claim 11 and, therefore has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
Claim 12 recites the limitation "the whole contact face" in line 1 and “the associated contact projection”. It is unclear if this structural element is a new recitation or refers back to “contact face” as recited in claim 1 and also if “the associated contact projection” is another new structural element different from just “contact projection”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. For purposes of compact prosecution, the examiner has interpreted that “the whole contact face” is the “contact face” and “the associated contact projection” is the “contact projection”.
Claim 13 depends from claim 11 and therefore has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
Claim 13 recites the limitation “the associated contact projection”. It is unclear if “the associated contact projection” is another new structural element different from just “contact projection”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for these limitations in the claim. For purposes of compact prosecution, the examiner has interpreted that “the associated contact projection” is the “contact projection”.
Claim 14 depends from claim 13, which depends from claim 11. Therefore, claim 14 has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
Claim 15 depends from claim 11 and, therefore has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
Claim 16 depends from claim 15, which depends from claim 11. Therefore, claim 16 has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
Claim 17 depends from claim 11 and, therefore has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
Claim 18 depends from claim 11 and, therefore has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
Claim 19 depends from claim 11 and, therefore has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
Claim 20 depends from claim 11 and, therefore has the same 112 2nd paragraph deficiency.
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.
Claims 11-17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 19927427A1.
As to claim 11, DE 19927427A1 discloses a belt retractor (10), as illustrated in Figures 1-9, comprising a frame (11), a belt reel (12) arranged rotatably in the frame, a locking mechanism by which the belt reel (12) can be locked in the frame, and a load limiter (13,18) which is releasably coupled to the belt reel (12), wherein for coupling the load limiter at least one load-transmitting latch (21) is provided which is arranged on the belt reel (12) and is held in a coupling position by a support ring (45), wherein the support ring (45) can be moved out of a support position into a release position using an actuator (26) (see Figure 3), wherein the support ring includes a contact projection (24) associated with the load- transmitting latch (21) on the side of which the load-transmitting latch abuts with a contact face (see Figure 2), the contact projection having an expansion in the axial direction which at least corresponds to the expansion of the contact face in the axial direction (see Figure 9).
With claim 12, it is best interpreted that the whole contact face of the load-transmitting latch abuts on the associated contact projection (see Figure 9).
With claim 13, the load-transmitting latch and the associated contact projection of the support ring are arranged in a cutout on the belt reel (see Figure 2).
With claim 14, the belt retractor is arranged to displace the load-transmitting latch radially inside the cutout using the load limiter, once the support ring is moved out of a support position toward a release position (see Figures 2 and 4).
With claim 15, a plurality of load-transmitting latches (21) is provided and the support ring (45) for each of the load-transmitting latches has a contact projection (24) associated with the respective load-transmitting latch (21) (see Figures 2 and 4).
With claim 16, the plurality of load-transmitting latches is arranged symmetrically (see Figures 2 and 4).
With claim 17, the support ring includes at least one circumferential holding portion by which the support ring is fastened in the support position to an extension of the belt reel (see Figure 2).
With claim 19, the load limiter in the support position of the support ring is connected to the belt reel via the load-transmitting latch for transmitting a torque and in the release position of the support ring has no contact to the load-transmitting latch (see Figure 4).
With claim 20, the support ring has a symmetric design (see Figure 2).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all 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. Yanagawa’552, Uchibori, Sasahara, Yanagawa’733, and Tanaka are cited as being relevant art, because each prior art discloses a belt retractor comprising a frame and a belt reel.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEPHEN VU whose telephone number is (571)272-1961. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 7:00 am - 3:30 pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Victoria Augustine can be reached at (313) 446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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STEPHEN VU
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/STEPHEN A VU/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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