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 § 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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Number 11,280,121 to Sardelli et al.
Sardelli et al. disclose a latch assembly for a closure member of a motor vehicle, comprising: a ratchet (30) and pawl (32) assembly; a power release mechanism (38) having a power release gear (56) movable by a motor (50) in a single direction to actuate the ratchet and pawl assembly; and a blocking mechanism (108) movable in response to movement of the power release gear between a blocking position, whereat rotation of power release gear is impeded, and an unblocking position, whereat rotation of the power gear is permitted, as in claim 1.
Sardelli et al. also disclose the blocking mechanism is maintained in the blocking position until a bumper (114) on the power release gear contacts the blocking mechanism, as in claim 2, wherein the blocking mechanism is automatically returned from the blocking position to the unblocking position upon the bumper urging the blocking mechanism away from the blocking position (via resilient member 110), as in claim 3, as well as the blocking mechanism is biased from the blocking position toward the unblocking position by a spring (110), as in claim 4.
Sardelli et al. further disclose the bumper contacting the blocking mechanism stops the rotation of the power release gear (column 11, lines 20-41), as in claim 5, wherein the power release gear moves in the single direction under the power of the motor from a home position to actuate the ratchet and pawl assembly and back to the home position upon the bumper contacting the blocking mechanism and stopping the rotation of the power release gear (column 11, lines 4-19), as in claim 6.
Sardelli et al. additionally disclose a power release cam (58) on the power release gear operably moves a pawl (32) of the ratchet and pawl assembly from a ratchet (30) holding position to a ratchet releasing position in advance of the bumper making contact with the blocking mechanism, as in claim 7, wherein the bumper and the power release cam are on opposite sides of the power release gear (as best shown in figured 2A and 2B), as in claim 8, and the power release gear rotates about a power release gear axis as the blocking mechanism moves between the blocking position and the unblocking position in generally parallel relation to the power release gear axis (as best shown in figure 3D), as in claim 9, as well as the blocking mechanism translates between a pair of walls of a housing of the latch assembly in response to rotation of the power release gear about the power release gear axis (actuation occurs the housing of the latch assembly), as in claim 10.
Sardelli et al. also disclose the blocking mechanism has a lock finger (122) arranged to snap into overhanging relation with a corner edge of one of the pair of walls to bring the blocking mechanism an unlocked position into a releasably locked position while in the blocking position (via 124), as in claim 11, wherein the blocking mechanism is biased into the releasably locked position by a spring (110), as in claim 12, and the blocking mechanism is automatically returned from the blocking position to an unblocking position upon the bumper urging the blocking mechanism against the bias imparted by the spring (the resilient member returns the blocking member), as in claim 13, as well as the blocking mechanism, while in the unlocked position, is automatically biased by the spring to the unblocking position (the resilient member urges the blocking member to unlocked position), as in claim 14.
Sardelli et al. further disclose a latch assembly for a closure member of a motor vehicle, comprising: a ratchet (30) movable between a striker (18) capture position and a striker releasing position; a pawl (32) movable between a ratchet holding position, whereat the ratchet is in the striker capture position, and ratchet releasing position, whereat the ratchet is movable to the striker releasing position; a power release mechanism (38) having a power release gear (56) movable by a motor (50) in a single direction, the power release gear having a power release cam (58) on one side and a power release bumper (114) on an opposite side; and a blocking mechanism (108) movable between a blocking position, whereat rotation of power release gear is impeded, and an unblocking position, whereat rotation of the power gear is permitted, wherein, while the latch assembly is in a latched state, whereat the ratchet is in the striker capture position, movement of the power release gear from a home position in the single direction causes the power release cam to operably drive the pawl from the ratchet holding position to the ratchet releasing position (column 11, lines 4-19), whereupon the ratchet moves from the striker capture position to the striker releasing position, and further causes the power release bumper to move from the unblocking position to the blocking position, whereat the rotation of power release gear in the single direction is impeded by the power release bumper, whereupon the power release gear is stopped in its home position and the power release bumper is moved from the blocking position to the unblocking position (column 11, lines 20-41), as in claim 15.
Sardelli et al. additionally disclose a stop lever (112) coupled to the blocking mechanism, wherein the stop lever is operably driven the power release cam to move the blocking mechanism between the unblocking position and the blocking position (column 11, lines 4-41), as in claim 16, wherein the power release gear rotates about a power release gear axis and the stop lever rotates about a stop lever axis, the power release gear axis extending generally transverse to the stop lever axis (as best shown in figure 3D), as in claim 17, and the stop lever is pivotably coupled to the blocking mechanism (figures 3C and 3D), as in claim 18, as well as the blocking mechanism moves between the blocking position and the unblocking position in generally parallel relation to the power release gear axis in response to the stop lever rotating about a stop lever axis (the respective planes are parallel to each other), as in claim 19, and where the blocking mechanism has a lock finger (122) arranged to snap under a bias of a spring into overhanging relation with a corner edge of a wall of a housing of the latch assembly to bring the blocking mechanism into a releasably locked position while in the blocking position (via 124), whereupon the blocking mechanism is automatically returned from the releasably locked position to an unlocked position upon the power release bumper urging the blocking mechanism against the bias of the spring, whereupon the spring biases the blocking mechanism to the unblocking position (the resilient member urges the blocking member to unlocked position), as in claim 20.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to door latch assemblies:
U.S. Patent Number 12,631,056 to Inan et al.; U.S. Patent Number 12,590,477 to Reusch; U.S. Patent Number 12,492,581 to Sanchez Rojas et al.; U.S. Patent Number 12,297,669 to Tomaszewski; U.S. Patent Number 12,188,284 to Knappe et al.; U.S. Patent Number 11,486,174 to Tanino et al.; U.S. Patent Number 11,377,882 to Schiffer; U.S. Patent Number 9,810,004 to Scholz et al.; U.S. Patent Number 9,677,305 to Bendel; U.S. Patent Number 6,550,825 to Ostrowski et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2006/0267350 to Ichinose et al.; U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2026/0028859 to Steffen et al.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER J BOSWELL whose telephone number is (571)272-7054. The examiner can normally be reached M-R: 9-4; F 9-12.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at 571-272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER J BOSWELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
CJB /cb/
September 2, 2026
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