DETAILED ACTION
The communication dated 3/11/2025 has been entered and fully considered.
Claims 1-15 were amended. Claims 1-15 are currently pending.
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, 9-10, and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang U.S. Publication 2019/0309542 (henceforth referred to as Wang).
As for claim 1, Wang teaches an automatic opening module (Fig. 1A: part 100) for a door of a household appliance (paragraphs [0001]-[0002]), comprising: a housing (Fig. 1A: part 110); a transmission system (Fig. 2: parts 201 and 204), and a lever engaging pin (Fig. 1A: parts 101 and 103); wherein the transmission system and the lever engaging pin are received within the housing (Figs. 1A-1B); wherein a first part of the transmission system is operably coupled to the lever engaging pin (Fig. 6); and wherein a second part of the transmission system is configured to operably engage with an actuator of a door locking module such that actuation of the actuator causes the transmission system to move the lever engaging pin between a first, locked, position and a second, unlocked, position (paragraphs [0106] and [0115]-[0134]; Figs. 2 and 6).
As for claim 2, Wang further teaches that, when in the first, locked, position, the lever engaging pin is moved into the housing of the automatic opening module, and when in the second, unlocked position, at least part of the lever engaging pin is moved out of the housing of the automatic opening module (paragraphs [0115]-[0134]).
As for claim 3, Wang further teaches that the transmission system is a gear assembly, comprising a plurality of gears (Fig. 6).
As for claim 4, Wang further teaches that the first part of the transmission system comprises a first gear of the plurality of gears and the second part of the transmission system comprises a second gear of the plurality of gears (Fig. 6).
As for claim 5, Wang further teaches that the lever engaging pin comprises a rack gear portion that is operably coupled to the first part of the transmission system (Fig. 2).
As for claim 6, Wang further teaches that the first part of the transmission system comprises a clutch mechanism (Figs. 2 and 6).
As for claim 9, Wang further teaches a reset lever (Fig. 12A: part 1201).
As for claim 10, Wang further teaches that the reset lever is slidingly engaged with the lever engaging pin (Figs. 2 and 12B-13B).
As for claim 14, Wang further teaches that the housing comprises a first opening through which at least a portion of the lever engaging pin extends (Fig. 2).
As for claim 15, Wang further teaches that the housing comprises a second opening through which at least a portion of the second gear extends to operably engage with an actuator of a door locking module (Fig. 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-8 and 11-13 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
As for claims 7-8, Wang U.S. Publication 2019/0309542, the closest prior art, differs from the instant claims in failing to teach that the clutch mechanism comprises a clutch ring comprising at least two resilient tooth members. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the automatic opening module taught by Wang as claimed.
As for claims 11-13, Wang U.S. Publication 2019/0309542, the closest prior art, differs from the instant claims in failing to teach that the reset lever comprises a body and a resilient arm; and wherein an opening is defined between the body and the resilient arm. Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the automatic opening module taught by Wang as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LEVON J SHAHINIAN whose telephone number is (571)270-1384. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30am-6:00pm.
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/LEVON J SHAHINIAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1711
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