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 under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the electronics, as claimed in claim 10, must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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 1-10 are 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 1 requires the following:
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At the instant, the limitation is indefinite. Here is the invention:
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As shown, fig 1 shows the moving grip 11 in the rest position. However, the figure also shows that the moving grip will move inwardly, by being pushed inwardly. Therefore, the other position is a pushing position, not a pulling position.
Correction is required.
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, 4, 5, 7 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2510983 to Sainath in view of US Pat No 8,011,699 to Lane.
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Regarding claim 1, Sainath discloses an interior door handle mechanism for a vehicle, configured to be mounted to a receiving location (18) made within an interior lining (12) of the vehicle. The mechanism comprises a moving grip (20) being movable between a rest position (R) and a pushed position (A) to operate a door latch (not shown).
Sainath fails to disclose that the mechanism includes a support, a linear pulling device between the moving grip and a connection point with a cable to operate the door latch.
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Lane teaches that it is well known in the art to provide an interior door handle mechanism (30) for a vehicle that comprises a support (142) extending according to a main axis; a moving grip (146) configured to cooperate with the support and also movable between a rest position and a pushed position with respect to the support; and a linear pulling device (136) arranged to cooperate with the support and the moving grip. The linear pulling device being arranged to link the moving grip and an opening cable (28) of the vehicle. The linear pulling device being configured to pull on the opening cable by displacing a connection point of the opening cable with the linear pulling device according to the main axis only when the moving grip is moved from the rest position to the pushed position.
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 mechanism described by Sainath, as one that comprises a support, a linear pulling device between the moving grip and a connection point with a cable to operate the door latch, as taught by Lane, in order to provide a simple mechanism to operate the door latch.
As to claim 4, Lane teaches that the moving grip (146) is rotatably mounted on the support, the moving grip being movable between the rest position and the pushed position according to an actuating axis (at 145) with respect to the support.
As to claim 5, Lane teaches that the moving grip (146) presents an overall elongated form extending according to a corresponding extension axis, said extension axis forming an angle with the main axis that is getting smaller when moving from the rest position to the pulled position.
As to claim 7, Lane teaches that the support (142) includes an adapter (208) configured to fix a fitting of a sheath of the vehicle receiving the opening cable.
As to claim 9, Sainath, as modified by Lane, teaches an interior part of a vehicle that comprises the interior door handle mechanism according to claim 1, wherein the interior part has one receiving location (18) wherein the interior door handle mechanism is received so that at least a part of the moving grip is accessible in the rest position.
Claim(s) 2 and 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2510983 to Sainath in view of US Pat No 8,011,699 to Lane and further in view of US Pat No 5558372 to Kapes et al (Kapes).
As to claim 2, Sainath, as modified by Lane, teaches that the linear pulling device comprises a lever (Lane, 136) rotatably mounted on the moving grip so as to rotate around a rotation axis (Lane, 145) that is transversal to the main axis.
However, Sainath, as modified by Lane, fails to disclose that the lever is arranged to cooperate with a linear guide of the support that extends according to the main axis.
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Kapes teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a support (42) with a linear guide (66) to guide the movement of a cable (22) by the linear pulling device (40) that extends according to a main axis.
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 mechanism described by Sainath, as modified by Lane, with a linear guide, as taught by Kapes, in order to guide and support the end of the cable when operated by the pulling device.
However, Sainath, as modified by Lane, fails to disclose that the lever is arranged to cooperate with a linear guide of the support that extends according to the main axis.
As to claim 3, Kapes teaches that the linear guide (66) is an oblong opening within the support, the lever presenting a translation axle (82) configured to be guided within the oblong opening.
Claim(s) 6 and 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2510983 to Sainath in view of US Pat No 8,011,699 to Lane and further in view of DE 19837662 to Bayersdorfer et al (Bayersdofer).
As to claim 6, Sainath, as modified by Lane, teaches that the mechanism comprises a return element (Lane, 162) so as to move the moving grip in the rest position when the moving grip is not moved manually.
However, Sainath, as modified by Lane, fails to disclose that the return element is configured to cooperate with the support and with the moving grip. Lane teaches a different position of the return element to perform the same function of biasing the moving grip.
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Bayersdorfer teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a return element (19) that is configured to cooperate with a support (1) and with a moving grip (5).
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 return element described by Sainath, as modified by Lane, being positioned between the support and the moving grip, as taught by Bayersdorfer, in order to position the element at any convenient position within the mechanism without changing the function of returning the moving grip to the rest position.
As to claim 8, Sainath, as modified by Lane, fails to disclose that the support presents at least one fixation opening for installation within the vehicle. Sainath, as modified by Lane, teaches a different manner to fixing the support (Lane, 144).
Bayersdofer teaches that it is well known in the art to provide the support with at least one fixation opening (opening receiving screw 22) for installation within the vehicle.
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 support described by Sainath, as modified by Lane, with a fixation opening, as taught by Bayersdofer, in order to fixedly secure the support to the vehicle.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over GB 2510983 to Sainath in view of US Pat No 8,011,699 to Lane and further in view of US Pat No 11,549,289 to Miwa et al (Miwa).
As to claim 10, Sainath discloses that the interior part is a handle assembly (16). Sainath, as modified by Lane, teaches that the interior door handle mechanism is configured to lock and unlock a closing mechanism.
However, Sainath, as modified by Lane, fails to disclose that the handle assembly comprises electronics configured to lock and unlock a closing mechanism of a door.
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Miwa teaches that it is well known in the art to provide a handle assembly (14) with electronics (18) configured to lock and unlock a closing mechanism.
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 handle assembly described by Sainath, as modified by Lane, with electronics, as taught by Miwa, in order to automatically lock or unlock the closing mechanism.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CARLOS LUGO whose telephone number is (571)272-7058. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-6pm.
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/Carlos Lugo/
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3675
July 19, 2026
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