DETAILED ACTION
The following Non-Final Office Action is in response to the application filed 8/27/2025.
Status of the claims: Claims 1-8 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 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 3 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 3 recites “the end portions being located on a side opposite the cable end accommodation section side”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for “the cable end accommodation section side” in the claim, and it is unclear what exactly this is.
Claims are being examined as best understood.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because it is unclear if they are of sufficient quality so as to be easily readable when printed. The lines in Figures 1-4 are very light and it is very difficult to make out a lot of the details. 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 § 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 1-4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Broadhead et al US 8,966,820.
In regard to claim 1, Broadhead et al ‘820 disclose a carrier plate (20, Fig. 2) that is pulled by a cable (14a, Fig.14) to slide on a guide rail (16, Fig. 2) to raise and lower a window glass, the carrier plate comprising: a cable end accommodation section (152, Fig. 14) that accommodates an end of the cable (14a); and an accommodation groove (open space within 20) that accommodates the cable (14a) extending from the cable end accommodation section (152) to an outside of the carrier plate, wherein a protrusion (Fig. 14, shown below) that contacts the cable (14a) is formed only on one sidewall of two opposing sidewalls (shown below) of the accommodation groove.
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In regard to claim 2, Broadhead et al ‘820 disclose wherein the one sidewall is a sidewall located on a side (of 14a) opposite to a side on which the guide rail (16) is provided.
As best understood, in regard to claim 3, Broadhead et al ‘820 disclose wherein the protrusion (shown above) is formed at an end portion (top) of two end portions of the one sidewall in a longitudinal direction, the end portion being located on a side opposite to the cable end accommodation section (152) side.
In regard to claim 4, Broadhead et al ‘820 disclose wherein the one sidewall (left, above) protrudes (at the protrusion) more than another sidewall (right, above) of the two opposing sidewalls in the longitudinal direction.
In regard to claim 8, Broadhead et al ‘820 disclose a window regulator (10, Fig. 1), comprising the carrier plate (20).
Claims 1-4 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wakabayashi JP 2018066192.
In regard to claim 1, Wakabayashi ‘192 discloses a carrier plate (3, Fig. 2) that is pulled by a cable (52, Fig.2a) to slide on a guide rail (2) to raise and lower a window glass, the carrier plate comprising: a cable end accommodation section (32, Fig. 2a) that accommodates an end of the cable (52); and an accommodation groove (33, Fig. 2a) that accommodates the cable (52) extending from the cable end accommodation section (32) to an outside of the carrier plate, wherein a protrusion (at 33b, Fig. 2) that contacts the cable (52) is formed only on one sidewall (left) of two opposing sidewalls (left and right ) of the accommodation groove.
In regard to claim 2, Wakabayashi ‘192 discloses wherein the one sidewall (left) is a sidewall located on a side opposite to a side on which the guide rail (2) is provided.
As best understood, in regard to claim 3, Wakabayashi ‘192 discloses wherein the protrusion (33b) is formed at an end portion (bottom) of two end portions of the one sidewall in a longitudinal direction, the end portion being located on a side opposite to the cable end accommodation section (32) side.
In regard to claim 4, Wakabayashi ‘192 discloses wherein the one sidewall (left, above) protrudes (at the protrusion) more than another sidewall (right, above) of the two opposing sidewalls in the longitudinal direction.
In regard to claim 8, Wakabayashi ‘192 discloses a window regulator (100, Fig. 1), comprising the carrier plate (20).
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.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Broadhead et al US 8,966,820 in view of Arimoto et al US 2019/0169900.
In regard to claim 5, Broadhead et al ‘820 fail to disclose wherein a portion of the one sidewall that protrudes more than the other sidewall holds an elastic body to cushion an impact caused when the carrier plate contacts another member.
Arimoto et al ‘900 disclose an elastic body (42) to cushion an impact caused when the carrier plate (20) contacts another member (guide rail 12).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to modify the device of Broadhead et al ‘820 to include an elastic member as taught by Arimoto et al ‘900 for the purpose of reducing slack between the carrier plate and the guide rail. (paragraph [0028])
Claim 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wakabayashi JP 2018066192.
In regard to claims 6-7, Wakabayashi ‘192 fails to specifically discloses wherein when a surface of the carrier plate is viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface, a radius of curvature of a first portion of the protrusion located on the cable end accommodation section side is approximately the same as the radius of curvature of a second portion of the protrusion located on the side opposite to the cable end accommodation section side, wherein there is a linear portion between the first portion and the second portion. However, Wakabayashi ‘192 discloses that changing the shape/offset of lead out groove would be obvious for the purpose of providing a desired sliding resistance and sound suppressing effect (paragraphs [0037][0045])
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
