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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because the line from reference character “210” does not lead to a power transmission shaft in Figures 8 and 10.
The drawings are objected to because the label of “LEP” that indicates the locked end position in Figure 3 should likely be labeled as UEP, indicating the unlocked end position, consistent with the unlocked end position shown in Figure 5.
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 Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities:
in line 25-26 of claim 1, “by having the linkage member to rotate and thus push a press-driving bar” should likely be --by rotating the linkage member and thus pushing a press-driving bar--
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1 and 3-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bogdanov et al., US 2022/0145668 A1, in view of Stephenson, US 2017/0102058 A1.
Claim 1: Bogdanov discloses an unlocking transmission mechanism for an electric control system of an emergency exit door lock ([0001]; [0069]), driven by the electric control system to unlock the emergency exit door lock ([0069]), the emergency exit door lock including a manual-operated press bar assembly (100), the unlocking transmission mechanism comprising:
a fixed base assembly (103, 460), fixed to a press-bar base of the emergency exit door lock ([0048]; Fig. 17);
a slidable base assembly (420), disposed at the fixed base assembly within a linear sliding stroke to be reciprocally movable in an unlocking-driving direction ([0072]);
a linear driving assembly (414, 426), to further drive the slidable base assembly to move in the unlocking-driving direction within the linear sliding stroke ([0072]);
a magnet (486), disposed on the slidable base assembly (Fig. 22; [0076]);
a transmission member (430), having a first pivotal shaft (470C) and a second pivotal shaft (470D), the first pivotal shaft being pivotally connected with the slidable base assembly (Fig. 19); wherein, when the slidable base assembly moves in the unlocking-driving direction within the linear sliding stroke ([0072]), the transmission member pivots about the first pivotal shaft to rotate the second pivotal shaft with respect to the first pivotal shaft (movement from Fig. 19 to Fig. 20);
a linkage member (114 and 440 form a linkage member), including a first linking end portion (114) and a second linking end portion (440), wherein the first linking end portion is pivotally connected with an end pivotal hole of the fixed base assembly (end pivotal hole for hinge 115A is near an end of the fixed base assembly (Fig. 18)); shown by movement between Figs. 19-20), the second linking end portion is pivotally connected with the second pivotal shaft (connected to shaft 470D; shown by movement from Fig. 19 to Fig. 20) and the emergency exit door lock is unlocked by having the linkage member to rotate ([0074]) and thus push a press-driving bar of the manual-operating press bar assembly with respect to the end pivotal hole (the linkage member forces a press-driving bar assembly to move relative to the end pivotal hole on the fixed base);
wherein, when an electromagnetic distance sensor of the electric control system (“Hall Effect sensor”) detects a distance of the magnet to ensure that the slidable base assembly has moved to an unlocked end position within the linear sliding stroke ([0076]), the electric control system has the power transmission shaft to stop driving the linear driving assembly ([0076]), a resilience provided by the manual-operated press bar assembly drives sequentially the linkage member, the transmission member and the slidable base assembly to move the slidable base assembly in a locking-driving direction opposite to the unlocking-driving direction to arrive at a locked end position within the linear sliding stroke ([0080]).
Bogdanov discloses an electric control system to unlock the emergency exit door lock, but is silent to the unlocking transmission mechanism driven by a power transmission shaft of the electric control system specifically.
Stephenson teaches a power transmission shaft (62) and a linear driving assembly (70, 72) driven by the power transmission shaft ([0027-29]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the linear driving assembly disclosed by Bogdanov to include a power transmission shaft of the electronic control assembly, as taught by Stephenson, with a reasonable expectation of success, to output motion from the motor and removably connect an assembly to the motor (Stephenson [0027]).
Bogdanov teaches a resilience drives the assembly to a locked position ([0049] (“a biasing member (e.g., spring) urging the push bar toward the extended position)), but does not specifically disclose the resilience provided by the manual-operated press bar assembly drives sequentially the linkage member, the transmission member and the slidable base assembly to move the slidable base assembly in a locking-driving direction opposite to the unlocking-driving direction to arrive at a locked end position within the linear sliding stroke.
Stephenson further teaches a resilience provided by a manual-operation press bar assembly ([0044-45]) drives sequentially a linkage member (106A), a transmission member (94A’), and a slidable base assembly (90) to move the slidable base assembly in a locking-driving direction opposite to the unlocking-driving direction to arrive at a locked end position within the linear sliding stroke ([0019], [0044]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the assembly disclosed by Bogdanov so that the resilience provided by the manual-operated press bar assembly drives sequentially the linkage member, the transmission member and the slidable base assembly to move the slidable base assembly in a locking-driving direction, as taught by Stephenson, to automatically return the assembly for re-latching the door when the press bar is released (Stephenson [0044]; Bogdanov [0080]) and practice the assembly disclosed by Bogdanov. One of ordinary skill in the art would understand the linkage member is coupled to movement of the press-bar, the transmission member is coupled to movement of the linkage member, and the slidable base assembly is coupled to movement of the transmission member; therefore the resilience provided by a manual-operation press bar assembly taught by Bogdanov, in view of Stephenson, will drive sequential movement of the linkage member, the transmission member, and the slidable base assembly as a result.
Claim 3: Bogdanov, in view of Stephenson, teaches the unlocking mechanism for an electric control system of an emergency exit door lock of claim 1, wherein the slidable base assembly is furnished with at least one positioning slot along the linear sliding stroke (Bogdanov 422), the fixed base assembly includes at least one positioning pin (Bogdanov 424), and the at least one positioning pin penetrates through the at least one positioning slot (Bogdanov Fig. 21), so as to limit a movement of the slidable base assembly in the unlocking-driving direction (Bogdanov [0073], [0075]).
Claim 4: Bogdanov, in view of Stephenson, teaches the unlocking transmission mechanism for an electric control system of an emergency exit door lock of claim 1, wherein the slidable base assembly includes two longitudinal standing plates (Bogdanov Fig. 21 depicts two longitudinal standing plates on the sides of the push plate 426) and a horizontal standing plate (Bogdanov Fig. 21 depicts a horizontal standing plate connecting the two longitudinal plates), the two longitudinal standing plates are parallel to each other in the unlocking-driving direction (Bogdanov Fig. 21), each of the two longitudinal standing plates is furnished with a positioning slot (Bogdanov Fig. 21), the fixed base assembly includes at least one positioning pin (Bogdanov Fig. 19), and the at least one positioning pin penetrates through the positioning slot of each of the two longitudinal standing plates (Bogdanov Fig. 21), so as to limit a movement of the slidable base assembly in the unlocking-driving direction (Bogdanov [0073]); wherein the horizontal standing plate is crossly connected fixedly with the two longitudinal standing plates by being perpendicular to the unlocking-driving direction (Bogdanov Fig. 21).
Claim 5: Bogdanov, in view of Stephenson, teaches the unlocking transmission mechanism for an electric control system of an emergency exit door lock of claim 4, wherein the magnet is disposed at the horizontal standing plate (depicted in Bogdanov Figs. 22 and 24).
Claim 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Bogdanov et al., US 2022/0145668 A1, and Stephenson, US 2017/0102058 A1, as applied to claim 1 above and further in view of Stensgaard, US 2016/0010731 A1.
Claim 2: Bogdanov, in view of Stephenson, teaches the unlocking transmission mechanism for an electric control system of an emergency exit door lock of claim 1, wherein the linear driving assembly includes:
a screw bar (Stephenson 70), fixedly connected with the slidable base assembly (Bogdanov [0075] (note that, as modified, screw 70 of Stephenson corresponds to the screw 414 of Bogdanov)), so as to drive the slidable base assembly synchronously to move in the unlocking-driving direction within the linear sliding stroke (movement from Bogdanov Figs. 19 to 20, as modified).
Stensgaard teaches a linear driving assembly that includes a screw guide sleeve (nut 6, tube 10, and nut 7 form a screw guide sleeve) driven by a power transmission shaft (3) to rotate ([0038]) and a screw bar (13) fixedly connected with a slidable base (9) engaging the screw guide sleeve by screwing ([0025], [0038]), wherein, when the screw guide sleeve is driven to rotate, the screw bar moves in the unlocking-driving direction within a linear sliding stroke (claim 1; [0039]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the linear driving assembly taught by Bogdanov, in view of Stephenson, to include a screw guide sleeve driven by a power transmission shaft to rotate and a screw bar fixedly connected with a slidable base engaging the screw guide sleeve by screwing, wherein, when the screw guide sleeve is driven to rotate, the screw bar moves in the unlocking-driving direction within a linear sliding stroke as taught by Stensgaard, in order to provide a self-regulating actuator and compensate for wear on the driven element (Stensgaard [0009], [0038]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Zehrung (US 6189939 B1) is related to a device comprising a fixed base, a slidable base, a linear driving assembly, a transmission member having two pivotal shafts, and a linkage member with a first linking end attached to a shaft on the fixed base, and a second linking end pivotally connected with the transmission member.
Geringer et al. (US 10107015 B2) is related to a device comprising a fixed base with an end hole, a linear driving assembly, a transmission member with two shafts, and a linkage member that has a portion connected with the hole and an end connected with one of the shafts.
Brennan et al. (US 2019/0383063 A1) is related to a device comprising a fixed base and a slidable base driven by a power transmission shaft, a transmission member with two pivotal shafts, and a linkage member with a first end connected with an end hole on the fixed base and a second end connected with the transmission member.
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/EGB/Examiner, Art Unit 3675
/KRISTINA R FULTON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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