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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claims 14-15 withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/15/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, “Elevator car” should be deleted and in its place the following should be inserted: “An elevator car”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2-8 are objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, “Elevator car” should be deleted and in its place the following should be inserted: “The elevator car”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 9 objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, “Elevator system” should be deleted and in its place the following should be inserted: “An elevator system”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 10-13 objected to because of the following informalities: In line 1, “Elevator system” should be deleted and in its place the following should be inserted: “The elevator system”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: In line 12, “a actuating” should be deleted and in its place the following should be inserted: “an actuating”. Appropriate correction is required.
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 2-5, 8, and 9-13 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 2, line 2, claim 3, lines 3 and 4, claim 4, line 3, and claim 10, line 7, the limitation “in particular” and “more particularly” are vague and indefinite. Is the limitation following “in particular” required? For example, in claim 2, is the opening rectangular or not? What exactly does in particular imply here? What structure is being claimed?
In claim 8, line 4, the limitation “and/or” is vague and indefinite. Where is the configuration where the hatch has both a handle and motor shown and described? What structure is being claimed?
What is the relationship between the “a hoistway” the “a plurality of landings” and the “elevator car” introduced in claim 9, lines 1-2 and those features introduced in claim 1? What structure is being claimed?
In claim 12, line 6, the limitation “and/or” is vague and indefinite. Where is the configuration where the elevator has both a control tool and controller shown and described? What structure is being claimed?
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, 4-5, and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Trottman, US PGPub 2015/0314991.
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Regarding claim 1, Trottman discloses elevator car (6) configured for moving in a hoistway (11) between a plurality of landings (1-4), the elevator car (6) comprising a floor (7) provided at a bottom (see fig 2) of the elevator car (6) and at least one floor hatch assembly (8) formed in the floor (7) of the elevator car (6);wherein the at least one floor hatch assembly (8) is movable between a closed configuration (floor elements 8 parallel with floor 7) and an open configuration (floor elements 8 pivoted to a vertical position); wherein the at least one floor hatch assembly (8), when arranged in the open configuration (as described above), provides an opening (9) in the floor (7) of the elevator car (6) that allows a person (see [0041]) to access a space (13) in the hoistway (11) below the elevator car (6) from inside the elevator car (6); and wherein, when the floor hatch assembly (8) is in the open configuration (as described above), the area of the opening (9) provided in the floor (7) of the elevator car (6) covers an area of at least 0,35 m2 (see [0040], opening may be .6m x .6m or .36m^2).
Regarding claim 4, Trottman discloses elevator car (6) according to claim 1, wherein the floor hatch assembly (8) comprises at least two hatches (8 on left and right in fig 2), wherein the at least two hatches (as described above) have in particular the same size (see fig 2).
Regarding claim 5, Trottman discloses elevator car (6) according to claim 4, wherein the at least two hatches (as described above), when arranged in their respective open configurations (as described above), provide a common opening (9) in the floor (7) of the elevator car (6).
Regarding claim 8, Trottman discloses elevator car (6) according to claim 1 wherein the elevator car (6) comprises a floor hatch motor (which unlocks doors) for moving the at least one floor hatch assembly (8) between its closed configuration and its open configuration (see [0071]).
Regarding claim 9, Trottman discloses elevator system (10) comprising a hoistway (11) extending between a plurality of landings (1-4), and at least one elevator car (6) according to claim 1 that is movable in the hoistway (11).
Regarding claim 10, Trottman discloses elevator system (10) according to claim 9 comprising: at least one floor hatch locking mechanism (30) for locking the at least one floor hatch assembly (8) in a closed configuration (see [0053]) when the elevator car (6) is not positioned at a predefined position (via interaction with 35) in the hoistway (11), and for unlocking the at least one floor hatch assembly (8) when the elevator car (6) is positioned at the predefined position in the hoistway (11); wherein the floor hatch locking mechanism (30) comprises in particular: a locking element (i.e. a bolt – see [0053]) provided at the elevator car (6), the locking element (as described above) being movable between a locked configuration (see [0055]) in which it locks the at least one floor hatch assembly (8), and an unlocked configuration in which it does not lock the at least one floor hatch assembly (8); and a actuating element (mechanism of locking unit described in [0055])), such as a roller, provided in the hoistway (11) and configured for moving the locking element (as described above) from the locked configuration (as described above) into the unlocked configuration (as described above) when the elevator car (6) is located at the predefined position (as described above).
Regarding claim 11, Trottman discloses elevator system (10) according to claim 10 comprising a door lock indicator (26) indicating whether the floor hatch assembly (8) is locked by the floor hatch locking mechanism (as described above).
Regarding claim 12, Trottman discloses elevator system (10) according to claim 9, further comprising a control tool (28) comprising at least one control element (control unit) that allows manually controlling the movement of the elevator car (6) in the hoistway (11), wherein the control tool (28) is a mobile control tool (see [0062]).
Regarding claim 13, Trottman discloses elevator system (10) according to claim 9, comprising a plurality of landing doors (connecting landings 1-4 with hoistway) provided at the plurality of landings (1-4), including a lowest landing door (door associated with landing 1) provided at the lowest landing (1), wherein the lowest landing door (as described above) does not comprise a manual unlocking mechanism (none detailed or shown).
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) 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Trottman.
Regarding claims 2-3, Trottman discloses the elevator car (6) according to claim 1 but does not specify the opening possesses the specified dimensions or is rectangular. It would have been an obvious matter of design choice to employ a opening with the specified dimensions since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA). One having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention would be motivated to employ a rectangular opening with the specified dimensions in order to employ the hatch within a rectangular elevator and maximize the pit access opening to facilitate maintenance operations within the pit.
Claim(s) 6-7 aree rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Trottman in view of Haapaniemi et al., US PGPub 2019/0112158.
Regarding claims 6-7, Trottman discloses elevator car (6) according to claim 1 but does not disclose a fixing mechanism in the open configuration releasable from inside the car.
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Haapaniemi et al. teaches a similar elevator hatch mechanism (see fig 4) further comprising at least one hatch assembly fixing mechanism (12b) for fixing the at least one floor hatch assembly (2a) in the open configuration (see fig 4-5). (claim 6)
wherein the at least one hatch assembly fixing mechanism (2a) is releasable only from inside (via controller in car interior) the elevator car. (claim 7)
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide the locking mechanism described by Haapaniemi et al. in the system disclosed by Trottman in order to stabilize the floor hatch in its open configuration and avoid unwanted closures to promote safety during maintenance operations.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Hodge can be reached at (571) 272-2097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MICHAEL A. RIEGELMAN
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3654
/MICHAEL A RIEGELMAN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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