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 .
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 9, 14-15 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.
In claim 9, line 3-4, the limitation “the pulley is rotatably mounted on the intermediate member and fixedly connected to the support rod through the intermediate member, and/or a gripping portion is provided at the second end of the tension member” is vague and indefinite. What exactly does the “and/or” expression mean here? Are the intermediate member and gripping portion related or connected structures? Is the intermediate member optional? What structure is being claimed?
What is the relationship between the “an elevator landing door” from claim 9, line 2 and the “an elevator landing door” from claim 1, line 1?
What is the relationship between the “an elevator landing door” from claim 14, line 4, claim 14, line 8, and the “an elevator landing door” from claim 1, line 1?
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.
Claim(s) 1, 9-10, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Xin, CN 219238954.
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Regarding claim 1, Xin discloses an unlocking device (see fig 1) of an elevator landing door (see abstract), comprising: a support rod (10); a pulley (11) arranged on the support rod (10) and wounded with a tension member (13); and an operating rod (14) connected to a first end (lower end in fig 1) of the tension member (13), a second end (connected to 9) of the tension member (13) extends along (operating rod extends vertically in fig 1, as 13 travels between 11 and 9, it extends vertically downward, so although not parallel with the operating rod, it extends in the same direction) a length direction (top to bottom) of the operating rod (14) after wounding around the pulley (11); wherein the operating rod (14) is provided with an actuating portion (rubber skid proof sleeve – see claim 5) for an operator, after operating the operating rod (14) to cause the actuating portion (as described above) to engage (via 13, rotating 4) an unlocking member (4) of the elevator landing door (as described above), to unlock the elevator landing door (as described above) by pulling the second end (as described above) of the tension member (13) to actuate the unlocking member (4) through the actuating portion (as described above).
Regarding claim 9, Xin discloses the unlocking device (as described above) of an elevator landing door according to claim 1, wherein the unlocking device (as described above) of an elevator landing door (see abstract) further comprises an intermediate member (1), a gripping portion (9) is provided at the second end (as described above) of the tension member (13).
Regarding claim 10, Xin discloses an elevator system, comprising: an unlocking device (as described above) of an elevator landing door (see abstract) according to claim 1, arranged in a pit (elevator well bottom pit) of an elevator shaft (pit) for an operator to unlock the elevator landing door (as described above).
Regarding claim 14, Xin discloses an unlocking method of an elevator landing door (see abstract), comprising steps of: arranging the unlocking device (as described above) of an elevator landing door according to claim 1 in a pit (pit) of an elevator shaft (elevator well bottom pit); operating an operating rod (14) of the unlocking device (as described above) of an elevator landing door (as described above) to cause the actuating portion (as described above) to engage the unlocking member (4) of the elevator landing door (as described above) when the elevator landing door (as described above) needs to be unlocked; and pulling the second end (as described above) of the tension member (13) of the unlocking device (as described above) of an elevator landing door (as described above) to unlock the elevator landing door (as described above) by actuating the unlocking member (4) through the actuating portion (as described above).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3, 4-8, 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.
Claim 15 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 following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Claims 2-3 are patentable over the prior art of record because the teachings of the references taken as a whole do not show or render obvious the combination set forth in claim 2, including every structural element recited in the claims, especially, the configuration wherein the operating rod comprises a body and an extension portion which are connected and have a length extending in a longitudinal direction and a transverse direction of the operating rod respectively, and the actuating portion and the first end of the tension member are provided on the extension portion and are arranged such that when the operator operates the operating rod and the tension member to unlock the elevator landing door, a portion of the tension member located between the first end of the tension member and the pulley forms a preset angle with a portion of the tension member located between the second end of the tension member and the pulley.
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest the elements of the elevator system as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the system in the manner required by the claims.
Claims 4-8 are patentable over the prior art of record because the teachings of the references taken as a whole do not show or render obvious the combination set forth in claim 4, including every structural element recited in the claims, especially, the configuration wherein the support rod is provided with an engaging portion configured to match at least one mating portion on a bracket provided on an inner wall of a pit of an elevator shaft, for enabling the support rod to be operably arranged in at least one position on the bracket.
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest the elements of the elevator system as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the system in the manner required by the claims.
Claims 11-13 are patentable over the prior art of record because the teachings of the references taken as a whole do not show or render obvious the combination set forth in claim 11, including every structural element recited in the claims, especially, the configuration wherein a bracket is provided on an inner wall of the pit of the elevator shaft, at least one mating portion is provided on the bracket, and the mating portion is configured to match the engaging portion provided on the support rod such that the support rod is operably arranged in at least one position of the bracket.
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest the elements of the elevator system as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the system in the manner required by the claims.
Claim 15 is patentable over the prior art of record because the teachings of the references taken as a whole do not show or render obvious the combination set forth in claim 15, including every method step and associated structural element recited in the claims, especially, the configuration wherein: arranging the support rod of the unlocking device of an elevator landing door, when not in use, on a first bracket arranged on the inner wall of the pit of the elevator shaft, and arranging the support rod, when in use, on a second bracket arranged on the inner wall of the pit of the elevator shaft such that the plane where the pulley is located is substantially parallel to the plane where the elevator landing door is located, the second bracket being arranged above the first bracket; and/or pulling the second end of the tension member, after a preset angle between a portion of the tension member between the first end of the tension member and the pulley, and a portion of the tension member between the second end of the tension member and the pulley is formed.
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest the elements of the elevator method as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the method in the manner required by the claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7956. The examiner can normally be reached 8-6 EST Monday - Friday.
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MICHAEL A. RIEGELMAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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