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 . This is the first action on the merits of application 19/113,452. Claims 16-31 are currently pending.
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 door closing device of claim 25 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 § 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.
Claim 25 is 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 25 recites the limitation, “wherein a tensile force exerted by the drive means on the lever to move the contact body into the coupling position is less a force exerted by a door closing device on the shaft door.” This limitation renders the claim indefinite as it is unclear what the door closing device is and how it exerts a force on the shaft door.
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 16-19, 21-24, and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 5896952 A (Dohring et al., cited on the IDS filed June 18, 2025) in view of EP 3339233 A1 (Erny) and further in view of CN 110395630 A (Liu et al.).
Regarding claim 16, Dohring et al. teach:
A door system for an elevator, the door system having a shaft door (28), a car door (16.1, 16.2, 20.1, 20.2), a car door drive (22, 23, 24, 25) and a door coupling (1, 2, 3, 21) that couples the car door to the shaft door, the car door and the shaft door when coupled being movable between an open position and a closed position, the door system comprising:
wherein the car door drive includes a motor (22) and a drive means (25), the drive means moving the car door from the closed position to the open position and back to the closed position;
wherein the door coupling has a first part (1, 2, 3) arranged on the car door (figure 7) and a second part (21) arranged on the shaft door (figure 6);
wherein the second part of the door coupling has a vertically aligned first guide web (left 21, figure 5) projecting from the shaft door and a vertically aligned second guide web (right 21, figure 5) projecting from the shaft door, the first and second guide webs being arranged at a fixed guide web spacing (y, figure 5) from one another;
wherein the first part of the door coupling has a contact body (1, 2, figure 3), the contact body having a length dimension (b, figure 3) along a length direction that is greater than the guide web spacing, and the contact body having a width dimension (a, figure 4) along a width direction that is smaller than the guide web spacing (lines 39-42, col. 3);
wherein the contact body is arranged rotatably (rotatable at 3) on the car door between the first guide web and the second guide web when the car door and the shaft door are arranged together (shown in figure 5);
wherein the contact body (1, 2) is rotated from a decoupled position in which the contact body is arranged between the first and second guide webs with play due to the width dimension being smaller than the guide web spacing, into a coupling position in which the contact body touches the first and second guide webs.
Dohring et al. do not teach:
the car door having an electrically activated car door lock that locks and unlocks the car door when the car door is in the closed position;
the shaft door having an electrically activated shaft door lock that locks and unlocks the shaft door when the shaft door is in the closed position;
a lever connected to the drive means and the lever being rotationally fixed to the contact body; and
wherein the contact body is rotated, by movement of the drive means.
However, Erny teaches:
A door system for an elevator with a drive means (16) and a contact body (25) that rotates relative to a guide web (21, 22), and
a lever (24) connected to the drive means (16) and the lever being rotationally fixed to the contact body; and
wherein the contact body is rotated, by movement of the drive means (shown in progression from figure 2 to figure 3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to mechanically connect the contact body of Dohring et al. to the drive means, as taught by Erny, as a way to simplify the mechanism for pivoting the contact body. Erny, page 4, paragraphs 4-5 of the attached machine translation, “In a further development of the elevator system, the drive is coupled to the Mitnehmerkufe (Examiner’s note, “Mitnehmerkufe” refers to coupling member 21) means of a drive belt. It is advantageous that such a simplified design of the drive for moving the Mitnehmerkufe is possible. In addition, the drive can be coupled by means of a transmission member and / or a pivot member with the Mitnehmerkufe. Such a transmission member or such a pivoting member as well as further components of the car door can be used to transmit the driving force provided by the drive to Mitnehmerkufe.” The means of rotating the contact body of Dohring require multiple components that take up significant space in the head of the elevator car door, connecting the contact body to the drive means mechanically with a lever simplifies the overall design and reduces space requirements.
Dohring et al. and Erny are silent to each of the elevator car door and the shaft door having electrically activated door locks.
However, Liu et al. teaches:
A door system for an elevator, and
the car door having an electrically activated car door lock (car door lock switch 110) that locks and unlocks the car door when the car door is in the closed position (“a car door lock switch, closed when the car door is closed, disconnected when the car door is opened” page 3 of the attached machine translation, line 16); and
the shaft door having an electrically activated shaft door lock (landing door lock switch 120) that locks and unlocks the shaft door when the shaft door is in the closed position (“the landing door lock switch is closed when the landing door is closed, disconnected when the layer door is opened” page 3 of the attached machine translation, lines 17-18).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention for the door system of Dohring et al. and Erny to have electrically activated car door and landing door locks as taught by Liu et al. to improve safety. Liu et al., page 3, lines 12-13, “The technical problem to be solved by the invention is to provide an elevator control circuit, at the same time ensure safety, which can accurately realize the fault analysis.” Liu et al. teaches electrically activated car and landing door locks as part of a control circuit that checks safety conditions before allowing opening of the car door, including electrically activated car and landing doors.
Regarding claim 17, Dohring et al. further teach:
wherein the car door has at least one car door leaf (16.1, 16.2) and the shaft door has at least one shaft door leaf (the shaft door has two door leaves 28).
Regarding claim 18, Dohring et al. further teach:
wherein the contact body (1, 2), the first guide web (left 21) and the second guide web (right 21) are arranged above the car door and/or above the shaft door (1, 2, and 21 are arranged above the car door leaves and the shaft door leaves, figures 5, 6).
Regarding claim 19, Dohring et al. further teach:
including a pretensioning device (4) that applies a pretensioning force to the contact body (1, 2) in a direction of the decoupled position (“return spring 4 connected to the roller double lever to at least partially retract the axle into the guide sleeve to a predetermined starting setting.” Col. 5, lines 49-52).
Regarding claim 21, Dohring et al. further teach:
wherein the first guide web and the second guide web have a common guide web base (head part 29, figure 6).
Regarding claim 22, Dohring et al. further teach:
wherein the drive means (25) rotates around a first roller (left 24, figure 5) and a second roller (right 24).
Regarding claim 23, Dohring et al. further teach:
wherein the first roller is driven by the door drive (left 24 is driven by motor 22 and gear 23).
Regarding claim 24, Erny, further teach:
including a connector (23) connecting the lever to the drive means and the connector connecting a first end of the drive means (16) to a second end of the drive means (“a drive belt 16 is guided endlessly” page 5, paragraph 4, line 2 of the machine translation, as the belt 16 is designed to be endless a first end and a second end can be defined at the point 23 connects with the belt 16).
Regarding claim 26, Dohring et al. further teach:
wherein the car door has a first car door leaf (16.1) and a second car door leaf (16.2), the shaft door has a first shaft door leaf and a second shaft door leaf (both shaft door leaves indicated by 28), the door coupling couples the first car door leaf to the first shaft door leaf (figure 6).
Regarding claim 27, Dohring et al., Erny, and Liu et al. further teach:
An elevator comprising:
a car (upper and lower car structures 30, 38 shown in figure 6 of Dohring et al.);
the door system according to Claim 16;
a position-measuring device (detection switches 130, 140, Liu et al.) that detects a position of the car (“130 and 140 and flat layer detection switch is equipped on the car, and matched with the induction plate in the well, whose function is to detect car relative to the position of the landing sill.” Page 8, lines 6-7, Liu et al.); and
a control device (200, Liu et al.) receiving the detected position from the position-measuring device (130, 140, Liu et al.) and evaluating the position to control movement of the door system between the open position and the closed position (the open/closed position of switches 130, 140 affect whether 200 allows door switches 110, 120 to open, Liu et al.).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the position-measuring device and associated control device of Liu et al. with the elevator of Dohring et al. to prevent opening of the car and shaft doors when the car is not in a safe position near a landing. Page 11 of the translation of Liu et al., “relay 340 the car leaves the door opening area will be released, even when the adhesion of the contact 310.01, and the switch 130 and/or 140 contact ON failure occurs (always turned on), so that the car out of the door opening area after, it will cut off the safety circuit 100 via the contact 340.01 to ensure this will not cause risk.” When the car leaves the zone indicated by 130 and 140, the control device cuts off the safety circuit 100 and prevents opening of the doors for safety purposes.
Regarding claim 28, Dohring et al., Erny, and Liu et al. further teach:
A method for operating the elevator according to Claim 27 comprising steps of:
coupling the car door (16.1, 16.2, 20.1, 20.2, Dohring et al.) to the shaft door (28, Dohring et al.) by operating the car door drive to displace the drive means a first distance in a direction of the open position and thereby rotate the contact body until the door coupling is coupled (“By actuating the drive, the drive belt 16 is moved accordingly in the drive direction 36, 36’. With the help of the transmission member 24, this movement is transmitted to the car door shaft door coupling 20. Accordingly, the pivot member 25 is pivoted about its pivot axis 26 and, starting from the initial position of the first Mitnehmerkufe 21, the distance of the first Mitnehmerkufe 21 to the first coupling element 30 so far reduced that the first Mitnehmerkufe 21, the first coupling element 30 is actuated and the door contact 35 is switched.” Page 6, paragraph 4 of the translation of Erny, lines 1-6);
unlocking the car door and the shaft door by sending an electrical signal to the car door lock and the shaft door lock (by opening switches 100, 120, Liu et al.); and
opening the car door and the shaft door by operating the car door drive to displace the drive means a second distance in the direction of open position (position from figure 2 to figure 3, Erny et al.).
Regarding claim 30, Dohring et al., Erny, and Liu et al. further teach:
including closing the car door and the shaft door to the closed position (Erny, page 5 of the translation, lines 14-15, “wherein the illustrated door leaves, 6, 8 are movable by means of the drive arrangement from its closed position to its open position and vice versa.”).
Regarding claim 31, Dohring et al., Erny, and Liu et al. further teach:
closing the car door by operating the car door drive to move the drive means a third distance in a direction of the closed position until the car door and the shaft door are closed (Erny, page 5 of the translation, lines 14-15, “wherein the illustrated door leaves, 6, 8 are movable by means of the drive arrangement from its closed position to its open position and vice versa.”);
locking the car door and the shaft door (by closing switches 100, 120, Liu et al.); and
uncoupling the door coupling by operating the car door drive to move the drive means a fourth distance in the direction of the closed position (Erny, page 6, paragraph 3, lines 1-3, “In the decoupled state, that means u.a. During the process of the elevator car in the elevator shaft, which is carried out in a normal mode, the at least one driver skid 21, 22 is spaced from the coupling element 30 or from the coupling elements 30, 32 in such a way that collisions are avoided as far as possible. Accordingly, the first and second Mitnehmerkufe 21, 22 are in a driving position and according to the illustrated embodiment in a small distance from each other.” movement of drive means 16 into the closed position moves the contact body 25 into the decoupled state, allowing normal operation of the elevator. The door closing process involves movement of the drive means from the position shown in figure 3 to the position shown in figure 2 and further to a position where 25 is not in contact with 21 and 22 to allow movement of the elevator car).
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 5896952 A (Dohring et al., cited on the IDS filed June 18, 2025) in view of EP 3339233 A1 (Erny) and further in view of CN 110395630 A (Liu et al.) and further in view of US 6843363 B2 (Schwarze).
Regarding claim 20, Dohring et al., Erny, and Liu et al. teach:
The door system according to Claim 19.
Dohring et al., Erny, and Liu et al. do not teach:
wherein the pretensioning device is an elastomer torsion spring.
However, Schwarze teaches:
A pretensioned bearing device,
wherein the pretensioning device is an elastomer torsion spring (col. 3, lines 51-53, “the top and/or bottom swivel mount is configured to be a torsion spring bearing, in particular, a rubber torsion spring bearing,” rubber is a type of elastomer).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use an elastomer torsion spring, as taught by Schwarze, in the door system of Dohring et al., Erny, and Liu et al. for the durability and compact design. Schwarze, col. 3, lines 55-57, “due to the ruggedness and long service life of such torsion spring bearings as well as because of their compact design.”
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 25 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 of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The prior art of record fails to disclose or render obvious all of the limitations of independent claim 25. Erny is the only prior art of record that teaches a contact body of the door coupling mechanism that is connected to the drive means by a lever such that the drive means exerts a force on the lever to move the contact body into the coupling position. Erny does not teach a relationship between the force exerted by the drive means on the lever and a force exerted by a door closing device on the shaft door.
Claim 29 is 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. Regarding claim 29, the prior art of record fails to disclose or render obvious all of the limitations of the claim. The combination of Dohring et al., Erny, and Liu et al. teaches the method of claim 28. None of the cited prior art teaches a step of resetting the door drive to relieve the car and shaft door locks after the coupling of the car door to the shaft door and before unlocking the car door and shaft door.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US-5005673-A is cited to show an elevator door coupling system and method. US-20200039794-A1 and US-20210139285-A1 Are cited to show elevator door systems with coupling components connected to the door drive means. US-20210269284-A1, WO-2012165179-A1, and US-20190084806-A1 are cited to show elevator door control systems. US-20200283270-A1 is cited to show electronic elevator door locks.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE M MUDWILDER whose telephone number is (571)272-6068. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11:00 am - 7:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, ROBERT HODGE can be reached at (571)272-2097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/M.M.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ROBERT W HODGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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