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 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.
Claims 1-6 and 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Karrenberg [DE 102017008376].
Regarding claim 1: Karrenberg shows a gearshift device (see fig 1) for a mobility device, comprising a selection shaft (15) in which there are arranged a shuttle (24), a worm screw (23) and a guide tube (25) in which the worm screw (23) is positioned.
Regarding claim 2: Karrenberg shows wherein one of a plurality of ends (the two ends of the guide tube 25) of the guide tube (25) is inserted in a rotation-blocking element (22) so that the shuttle (24) can be prevented from rotating.
Regarding claim 3: Karrenberg shows wherein the guide tube (25) is formed by two blades (30a, 30a) arranged longitudinally with respect to the worm screw (23) and one on each side thereof.
Regarding claim 4: Karrenberg shows wherein the two blades (30a, 30a) are arranged about the worm screw (23) at between 45 degrees and 180 degrees along a length thereof (see fig 4).
Regarding claim 5: Karrenberg shows wherein the length of the guide tube (25) is determined such that the worm screw (23) is fully inserted therein (see fig 2).
Regarding claim 6: Karrenberg shows wherein the length of the guide tube (25) is identical to that of the worm screw (23, see fig 2).
Regarding claim 9: Karrenberg shows wherein a second end of the guide tube is formed by a second ring (15) inserted into an opening (see fig 4) formed in a rotation-blocking element (30).
Regarding claim 10: Karrenberg shows an electrically assisted mobility machine, having the gearshift device (see abstract) as claimed in claim 1
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 7 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Karrenberg [DE 102017008376] in view of Yamamoto [CN 107264714].
Regarding claims 7 and 8: Karrenberg does not explicitly show wherein a first end of the guide tube (84) is in the form of a ring (736) ending in a slot-shaped cutout (837), wherein the slot- shaped cutout collaborates with those of at least one anti-rotation washer fixed to the selection shaft. However Yamamoto shows wherein a first end of the guide tube (84) is in the form of a ring (736) ending in a slot-shaped cutout (837), wherein the slot- shaped cutout (837) collaborates with those of at least one anti-rotation washer fixed to the selection shaft (see fig 3).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to have made the guide tube having a first end and second end in form of engaging ring with the slots to securely engage and connect the input to the output and prevent any slippage during shifting.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618