DETAILED ACTION
The following Non-Final Office Action is in response to the application filed 3/13/2025.
Status of the claims: Claims 1-19 are hereby examined below.
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 4, line 2 recites “an ejecting-abutting portion”. Examiner presumes this should read – the ejecting-abutting portion --.
Claim 19 is objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 19, line 2 recites “the door opening and closing device”. Examiner presumes this should read – a door opening and closing device --.
Claim 19, line 7 recites “a door body”. Examiner presumes this should read – the door body --.
Appropriate correction is required.
Specification
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 5-8 and 10- 13 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.
It’s unclear what the “connecting portion” is referring to as this is not described in the specification or pointed out in the drawings. Examiner does not know what this is.
Claim 7 recites “rod-shaped”. It is unclear what exactly is required to be “rod-shaped”.
Claim 10 recites “being deflectably disposed”. It’s unclear what it means to be “deflectably disposed”.
Claim 13 recites “the door ejection surface is gradually extended in a direction away from a rotation center of the linkage wheel”. It is unclear what it means to be “gradually extended”.
Claims are being examined as best understood.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the connecting portion of claim 4 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 1-9,13,14,18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yasaka US 20170284144.
In regard to claim 1, Yasaka ‘144 discloses a door opening and closing device, comprising: a driving mechanism (M, 45,47 Fig. 1) comprising a linkage wheel (300, Fig. 7A), the linkage wheel (300) being rotatably disposed on a base (C, Fig. 1), a limit groove (401, Fig. 7) being disposed on a peripheral surface of the linkage wheel (300), the limit groove (401) having a door ejection surface (formed by 72) along a direction of the peripheral surface of the linkage wheel (300); a door rotation mechanism (32,34 Fig. 4) connected to the linkage wheel (300) and a door body (D, Fig. 1); a door ejection mechanism comprising a door ejection member (71, Fig. 7C) movably disposed on the base (C); a suspension mechanism (400, Fig. 7a) movably disposed on the base; wherein, in a condition that the door body (D) is closed, an end of the door ejection member (71) is located above the limit groove (401), and the suspension mechanism (400) is abutted against and held on the peripheral surface of the linkage wheel (300); in a condition that the linkage wheel (300) is rotated, the linkage wheel (300) push the door body (D), and then drives the door rotation mechanism (32,34)to continue to rotate the door body (D), wherein an end of the suspension mechanism (400) slides along the peripheral surface of the linkage wheel (300), and thus when the suspension mechanism (300) slides into the limit groove (401), the suspension mechanism (400) is abutted against and held in the limit groove (401) to provide an acting force to brake the rotation of the linkage wheel (300).
Yasaka ‘144 fails to disclose in a condition that the door body is closed, an end of the door ejection member is located in the limit groove. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to allow the ejection member to be actuated within the limiting groove instead of above it, as such would allow ejection and braking to occur within the same plane and provide a more compact and space saving design.
In regard to claim 2, Yasaka ‘144 discloses the suspension mechanism (400) comprises a suspension member (402) and an ejection- push member (403) ;the ejection-push member (403) is disposed on the base (C) and the suspension member (402) is movably disposed on the base (C), wherein the suspension member (402) is connected to the ejection-push member (403), and an ejecting-abutting portion (the end) that is disposed on the suspension member abuts against the linkage wheel (300);in a condition that the linkage wheel (300) is rotated to a state in which the limit groove (401) is opposite to the suspension mechanism (400), the ejection-push member (403) pushes the suspension member (402) to move, to make the ejecting-abutting portion (the end) to be ejected and abutted into the limit groove (401).
In regard to claim 4, Yasaka ‘144 discloses wherein the suspension member (402) is provided with the ejecting-abutting portion (the end) and a connecting portion (where tip meets 402) thereon , the ejecting-abutting portion (the end) ejecting and abutting against the linkage wheel (300), the connecting portion being connected to the ejection-push member (403).
In regard to claim 5, Yasaka ‘144 discloses wherein the ejection-push member (403) is an elastic member, an end of the elastic member
In regard to claims 3 and 6, Yasaka ‘144 fails to disclose how the suspension member is mounted. However, the examiner takes Official Notice that it is old and well known to locate an elastic push member with a slot or slidably embed a push member and elastic member within groove an done having ordinary skill in the art would have known to use such mounting arrangements as they are simple and effective.
In regard to claim 7, Yasaka ‘144 discloses wherein the suspension member (402) is rod-shaped, and is formed with the ejecting-abutting portion on an end.
In regard to claim 8, Yasaka ‘144 discloses wherein the elastic member (forming 403) is a spring.
In regard to claim 9, Yasaka ‘144 discloses wherein the limit groove (401) is C-shaped or V-shaped.
As best understood, in regard to claim 13, Yasaka ‘144 discloses wherein the door ejection surface (72) is gradually extended in a direction away from a rotation center of the linkage wheel (300).
In regard to claim 14, Yasaka ‘144 disclose wherein an avoidance surface (top surface of 304) is further provided on the peripheral surface of the linkage wheel (300), the avoidance surface (top surface of 304) being connected to the door ejection surface (72) and wherein after the door ejection member (71) is disengaged from abutting and holding with the door ejection surface (72), the door ejection member (71) is able to be reset and follow the avoidance surface (top of 304)
In regard to claim 18, Yasaka ‘144 discloses wherein a mounting groove (space within C) is disposed on the base (C), the door ejection member (7a) being movably disposed in the mounting groove.
In regard to claim 19, Yasaka ‘144 discloses an electrical apparatus, comprising: a box body (H, Fig. 1), a door body (D, Fig. 1) and a door opening and closing device comprising a driving mechanism (M, 45,47 Fig. 1) comprising a linkage wheel (300, Fig. 7A), the linkage wheel (300) being rotatably disposed on a base (C, Fig. 1), a limit groove (401, Fig. 7) being disposed on a peripheral surface of the linkage wheel (300), the limit groove (401) having a door ejection surface (formed by 72) along a direction of the peripheral surface of the linkage wheel (300); a door rotation mechanism (32,34 Fig. 4) connected to the linkage wheel (300) and a door body (D); a door ejection mechanism comprising a door ejection member (71, Fig. 7C) movably disposed on the base (C); a suspension mechanism (400, Fig. 7a) movably disposed on the base; wherein, in a condition that the door body (D) is closed, an end of the door ejection member (71) is located above the limit groove (401), and the suspension mechanism (400) is abutted against and held on the peripheral surface of the linkage wheel (300); in a condition that the linkage wheel (300) is rotated, the linkage wheel (300) .
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-12 and 15-17 are objected to as being dependent up 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 and amended 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEREMY C RAMSEY whose telephone number is (571)270-3133. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Wed 7:00-3:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Daniel Cahn can be reached at 571-270-5616. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEREMY C RAMSEY/Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/DANIEL P CAHN/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3634
