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 .
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 friction plates stacked inside the mater housing with the lead screw passing through holes in the plate of claims 8 and 18 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered. The friction plates 236 are only shown in box diagram form in figure 5 with no connection to the lead screw or master housing.
The drawings are objected to because:
Per 37 C.F.R. 1.84(l) all lines, numerals, and letters should be clean, durable, black, and well defined. All of the lines in figures 1, 3, and 4 are blurry and pixelated and most are grey instead of black.
Per 37 C.F.R. 1.84(q) lead lines are required for every reference character except those indicating the surface or cross section on which they are placed, which should be underlined. The underlined reference numeral 1 for the supporting rod assembly in figures 1 and 2 does not indicate a surface and as such should not be underlined but instead should have a lead line with an arrow to indicate the structure overall per 37 C.F.R. 1.84(r)(1).
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.
Claims 8 and 18 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 8 and 18 recite “the plurality of friction plates are stacked inside the master housing in an axial direction of the master housing, the lead screw passes through the plurality of friction plates, and inner walls of through holes in the plurality of friction plates for the lead screw to pass through are in friction fit with the lead screw, to axially limit the master inner guide pipe”. As noted in the above drawing objections the friction plates are only shown in block diagram format with no structural relationship to the lead screw or housing or inner pipe. The disclosure only includes a limited description of the friction plate in paragraph [0029] that does not add any support beyond the claims. As such it is difficult to determine the structural relationship, i.e. the plates could be at the end of the screw near the motor, further along the screw towards the nut/inner pipe, or elsewhere. Claims will be interpreted broadly as the screw engages friction plates somewhere.
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(s) 1-7, 9-17, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 114753736 to Long (hereinafter Long) in view of US patent 7648189 to Porat (hereinafter Porat).
Regarding claims 1 and 11, the vehicle (claim 11) with the supporting rod (claim 1) applied to a special shaped door (intended use) is shown in Long in figures 1-7 with
a vehicle (with body 10) with
a supporting rod assembly including:
a master drive supporting rod (40), the master drive supporting rod comprising a master housing (figure 6, with 406) , a master guide pipe (figure 6, with 405), a master end cover (figure 6, right end), and a drive assembly (with motor 401, screw 402, and nut 403), the master guide pipe being movably connected to the master housing, an end of the master guide pipe (figure 6, right end) that faces away from the master housing being fixedly connected to the master end cover, and the drive assembly being arranged in the master housing and being in transmission fit with the master end cover; and
a driven supporting rod (50), the driven supporting rod comprising a slave housing (figure 7, with 501), a slave outer guide pipe (figure 7, with 502), a slave end cover (figure 7, left end), and a slave elastic assembly (with 503,504,506), the slave outer guide pipe being movably connected to the slave housing by the slave elastic assembly, an end (figure 7, left end) of the slave outer guide pipe away from the slave housing being fixedly connected to the slave end cover, the slave housing being fixedly connected to the master housing (indirectly), and the slave end cover being fixedly connected to the master end cover Indirectly.
However, the master guide pipe is an inner pipe not an outer pipe (i.e. forming the exterior) in Long.
An outer pipe is shown in Port in the embodiment of figures 4-10 where the master drive supporting rod (with screw 17’ and nut 16’) includes a mater outer pipe (14’) forming the exterior of the supporting rod assembly (6’).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the vehicle and supporting rod assembly of Long with the outer pipe of Porat because out pipes provided the known benefit of a protective cover over all the telescoping parts.
Regarding claims 2 and 12, the slave elastic assembly (with 503,504,506) comprises a first slave elastic member (with 504,506), the first slave elastic member has a fixed member (504) and a movable member (506), the movable member is movable relative to the fixed member, the fixed member is connected to the slave housing, and the movable member is connected to the slave end cover (figure 7, left end) in Long.
Regarding claims 3 and 13, the first slave elastic member (with 504,506) is a gas spring, the fixed member (504) is a cylinder, the movable member (506) is a piston rod, one end of the piston rod is movably arranged in the cylinder, and the other end (figure 7, left end) of the piston rod is connected to the slave end cover in Long.
Regarding claims 4 and 14, the slave elastic assembly (with 503,504,506) further comprises a second slave elastic member (503), the second slave elastic member is sleeved on the first slave elastic member (figure 7), two ends of the second slave elastic member are arranged on the slave housing and the slave end cover respectively, and the slave outer guide pipe is sleeved on the second slave elastic member in Long.
Regarding claims 5 and 15, the second slave elastic member (503) is a helical spring in Long.
Regarding claims 6 and 16, the drive assembly (with motor 401, screw 402, and nut 403) comprises a driving motor (401), a lead screw (402), and a master inner guide pipe (405), the driving motor (401) is arranged in the master housing (with 406), the lead screw (402) is in transmission connection with the driving motor, the master inner guide pipe (405) is in threaded connection with the lead screw (via nut), the master inner guide pipe is connected to the master end cover, and, when provided with Porat, the master outer guide pipe is sleeved on (i.e. covers) the master inner guide pipe in Long.
Regarding claims 7 and 17, the drive assembly further comprises a master elastic member (407), the master elastic member is sleeved on the master inner guide pipe (405), two ends of the master elastic member are connected to the master housing (figure 6, left end) and the master end cover respectively (figure 6, right end), and, when provided with Porat, the master outer guide pipe is sleeved on the master elastic member in Long.
Regarding claims 9 and 19, one driven supporting rod is provided, the slave housing is arranged on a side of the master housing in Long.
However, the housing and end covers are not side by side in Long.
A side by side arrangement is shown in Porat in the embodiment of figure 4-10 where the drive supporting rod and slave supporting rod are side by side.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the vehicle and supporting rod assembly of Long, having the outer pipe of Porat, with the side by side arrangement of Porat because the side by side arrangement allows for fewer attachments points and less overall space taken up.
Regarding claims 10 and 20, the master housing is provided with a first end (figure 6, left end), the master end cover is provided with a second end (figure 6, right end), one of the first end and the second end is configured to be hinged (figure 5) to a vehicle door (20) of the vehicle, and the other of the first end and the second end is configured to be hinged to a vehicle body (10) of the vehicle in Long.
Claim(s) 8 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Long and Porat as applied to claims 6 and 16 (as well as claims 1-5, 7, 9-15, 17, 19, and 20) above, and further in view of CN 111042695 to Li (hereinafter Li).
Regarding claims 8 and 18, Long does not show friction plates.
Friction plates are shown in Li in figure 1-7b where screw (231) engages friction plates (figures 7a-b).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the vehicle and supporting rod assembly of Long, having the outer pipe of Porat, with the friction plates of Li because friction plates can provided damping to the screw drive.
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 CATHERINE A KELLY whose telephone number is (571)270-3660. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 9:30am-5:30pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Coupe can be reached at 571-270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CATHERINE A KELLY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
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