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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement of 05/14/2025 has been received and reviewed.
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 1-10 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 1 recites “an elastic force of the first elastic member is equal to that of the second elastic member”. It is unclear what this means. Both elastic members apply force in opposite directions, and therefore cannot be equal. Additionally, if it is understood that the claim mean to recite equal and opposite, the forces of the springs would cancel out and the latch bolt would not be biased in any direction, which is not what it understood from the claims and specifications. Examiner will interpret the claim as best understood.
Claims 2-10 are rejected due to their dependency on a rejected claim.
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.
Claim(s) 1-2 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20170275918 to Colligan.
Regarding claim 1, Colligan discloses:
A silent lock (fig 1), comprising: a lock shell (110); a latch bolt (204. Note: Colligan teaches the use of different elements of the different embodiments interchangeably, see paragraph 0033) slidably connected to the lock shell, wherein the latch bolt is movable between a first retracted position (when 204 is retracted) where it is located inside the lock shell and a first extended position (fig 4) where it at least partially protrudes out of the lock shell; and a first elastic (170, see paragraph 0024, 170 is equivalent to 140 in the embodiment of fig 3) member and a second elastic member (172), wherein the first elastic member is connected to the latch bolt and the lock shell and biases the latch bolt toward the first extended position (fig 4), the second elastic member is connected to the latch bolt and the lock shell and biases the latch bolt toward the first retracted position (fig 3 and paragraph 0031), and when the latch bolt is located in the first extended position, an elastic force of the first elastic member is equal to that of the second elastic member (force of both springs act of the latch bolt in the extended position).
Regarding claim 2, Colligan discloses:
The silent lock according to claim 1, further comprising: a first guide shaft (guide shaft that 170 is coiled on), wherein a first end (right end as seen in fig 4) of the first guide shaft is connected to the latch bolt; a first baffle (152) fixedly arranged inside the lock shell, wherein the first baffle is provided with a first hole (hole through which the latch bolt extends), through which the first guide shaft slides, the first elastic member comprises a first spring (170) arranged around the first guide shaft, and the first spring is pressed between the latch bolt and the first baffle (via 160 seen in fig 4); and a movable plate (122), wherein the movable plate is located at a side of the first baffle (left side as seen in fig 3) facing away from the latch bolt and is connected to a second end (left end) of the first guide shaft, the second elastic member comprises a second spring (172) arranged around the first guide shaft (fig 4), and the second spring is pressed between the first baffle and the movable plate (fig 4).
Regarding claim 9, Colligan discloses:
The silent lock according to claim 1, further comprising: a pin (pin that connects 206 and 208 in fig 7), wherein the latch bolt has a mounting groove (opening of 206) and a first shaft hole (opening of 208), the first shaft hole extends in a length direction of the lock shell and is in communication with the mounting groove (figs 6 and 7), and the pin is connected to the latch bolt by passing through the first shaft hole and the mounting groove (fig 6); and an anti-release hook (210) having a second shaft hole (hole of 210), wherein the anti-release hook is arranged around the pin by inserting the pin through the second shaft hole and is fitted in the mounting groove in such a manner as to be pivoted relative to the pin (figs 6 and 7).
Regarding claim 10, Colligan discloses:
The silent lock according to claim 9, wherein damping agent is filled between a wall surface of the second shaft hole and an outer circumferential surface of the pin, or damping coating is provided on an outer circumferential surface of the pin (outer surface of the pin seen in the 2 holes in fig 6).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 3-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over US 20170275918 to Colligan in view of CN 106193826 to Liu.
Regarding claim 3, Colligan does not explicitly disclose:
The silent lock according to claim 2, further comprising: a detection tongue slidably fitted inside the lock shell, wherein the detection tongue is movable between a second retracted position where it is located inside the lock shell and a second extended position where it at least partially protrudes out of the lock shell, and a direction in which the detection tongue slides toward the second retracted position is consistent with a direction in which the latch bolt slides toward the first retracted position; a third elastic member, wherein the third elastic member is connected to the detection tongue and the lock shell and biases the detection tongue toward the second extended position; and a push sheet, wherein the push sheet is located inside the lock shell and is connected to the detection tongue, the latch bolt has a limiting surface facing the first baffle, and at least part of the push sheet abuts against the limiting surface.
However, Liu teaches that it is known in the art to comprise a detection tongue (3) inside the lock shell (2), wherein the detection tongue is movable between a second retracted position (fig 3) where it is located inside the lock shell and a second extended position (fig 2) where it at least partially protrudes out of the lock shell, and a direction in which the detection tongue slides toward the second retracted position is consistent with a direction in which the latch bolt slides toward the first retracted position (figs 2 and 3); a third elastic member (spring on 3), wherein the third elastic member is connected to the detection tongue and the lock shell and biases the detection tongue toward the second extended position (fig 2); and a push sheet (3a), wherein the push sheet is located inside the lock shell and is connected to the detection tongue (fig 2), the latch bolt has a limiting surface facing the first baffle (end surface of 5), and at least part of the push sheet abuts against the limiting surface (via 17a and 7). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Liu into Colligan at least because doing so would provide additional control over the lock by having a detection tongue.
Regarding claim 4, Colligan in view of Liu discloses:
The silent lock according to claim 3, further comprising: a second guide shaft (shaft of 3, Liu), wherein a first end (left end) of the second guide shaft is connected to the detection tongue; and a second baffle (opening of 2 that 3 extends from) fixedly arranged inside the lock shell, wherein the second baffle is provided with a second hole (hole of 3), through which the second guide shaft slides (figs 2 and 3), the third elastic member comprises a third spring (fig 2) arranged around the second guide shaft, and the third spring is pressed between the second baffle and the detection tongue (fig 2).
Regarding claim 5, Colligan does not explicitly disclose:
The silent lock according to claim 1, further comprising: a dead bolt assembly slidably connected to the lock shell, wherein the dead bolt assembly is movable between a third retracted position where it is located inside the lock shell and a third extended position where it at least partially protrudes out of the lock shell; and a first buffer member fixedly arranged inside the lock shell, wherein the dead bolt assembly abuts against the first buffer member when it is in the third retracted position.
However, Liu teaches that it is well known in the art for: a dead bolt assembly (4) slidably connected to the lock shell, wherein the dead bolt assembly is movable between a third retracted position (fig 2) where it is located inside the lock shell and a third extended position (fig 5) where it at least partially protrudes out of the lock shell; and a first buffer (12) member fixedly arranged inside the lock shell, wherein the dead bolt assembly abuts against the first buffer member when it is in the third retracted position (see fig 2). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Liu into Colligan at least because doing so would provide additional security over the lock by having a deadbolt.
Regarding claim 6, Colligan in view of Liu discloses:
The silent lock according to claim 5, wherein the dead bolt assembly comprises a plurality of dead bolts (fig 2, Liu) and a connecting frame (4b), the plurality of dead bolts are arranged and spaced apart from each other in a length direction of the lock shell (fig 2), and each of the plurality of dead bolts is slidably connected to the lock shell; and the connecting frame is located inside the lock shell (fig 2), and has a first end connected to each of the plurality of dead bolts and has a second end abutting against the first buffer member when the dead bolt assembly is in the third retracted position (4b, see fig 2).
Regarding claim 7, Colligan in view of Liu discloses:
The silent lock according to claim 6, comprising a second buffer member (6a, Liu), wherein the second buffer member is disposed inside the lock shell and is fixedly arranged between any two adjacent dead bolts (figs 2 and 5), and the second buffer member is sandwiched between a peripheral wall (front wall seen in fig 2) of the lock shell and the connecting frame (top portion of frame 4b) when the dead bolt assembly is in the third extended position (fig 5).
Regarding claim 8, Colligan in view of Liu discloses:
The silent lock according to claim 7, wherein the first buffer member comprises a support shaft (10a) and a flexible sleeve (2a), the support shaft is fixedly arranged inside the lock shell, the flexible sleeve is arranged around the support shaft, and the second end of the connecting frame abuts against the flexible sleeve when the dead bolt assembly is in the third retracted position (fig 2); and the second buffer member comprises a flexible block (4a).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Yahya Sidky whose telephone number is (571)272-6237. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 8:30-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christine Mills can be reached at (571) 272-8322. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Y.S./Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/CHRISTINE M MILLS/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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