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 .
This is the First Office Action on the merits of Application No. 19/339955, filed on 09/25/2025. Claims 1-15 are still pending in the application.
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 2-4, 7, 13, 15 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.
Regarding claims 2, 7, 13, 15, the phrase "in particular" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claims 2, 3, 13, the phrase "such as" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 4, the phrase "particularly" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
Regarding claim 7, the phrase "basically" renders the claim indefinite because it is unclear whether the limitations following the phrase are part of the claimed invention. See MPEP § 2173.05(d).
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent No. 8,820,483 to Ericson et al (henceforth referred to as Ericson).
Regarding claims 1-15, Ericson discloses elevator machine support structure comprising:
a machine bedplate (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 30) for supporting an elevator machine (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 35) on a first side (i.e. upper side) of the machine bedplate; and
a tension member dead end hitch (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 4) configured for mechanically coupling with an end of at least one elevator tension member (i.e. shown in Fig. 3, ref. 62);
wherein the tension member dead end hitch extends from a second side of the machine bedplate opposite to the first side (i.e. lower side).
Wherein the elevator machine support structure is made of a sheet material, in particular sheet metal, such as steel (i.e. Column 5, lines 45-46: “All of these pieces in this example comprise metal and are welded together”).
Wherein the machine bedplate comprises an upper horizontal wall (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 136) and a lower horizontal wall (i.e. Fig. 4, lower wall of ref. 30 that ref. 78 and 76 are mounted to), wherein the upper horizonal wall is configured for supporting the elevator machine on an upper side thereof (i.e. Fig. 4, ref. 35 is mounted on an upper side of ref. 30), and
wherein the tension member dead end hitch is mounted to the lower horizontal wall such as to extend from a lower side of the lower horizontal wall (i.e. Merk up of Fig. 4, dead end hitch extends from lower side of ref. 30).
Wherein the tension member dead end hitch comprises two legs (i.e. See mark up of Fig. 4) extending from the second side of the machine bedplate and a hitch portion (i.e. See Mark up of Fig. 4) extending, particularly horizontally, between the two legs in a distance from the machine bedplate.
Wherein each of the two legs comprises an upper portion that extends parallel to the machine bedplate (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 4) and that is fixed to the machine bedplate; and/or
wherein each of the two legs comprises a lower portion extending basically parallel to the machine bedplate, wherein the lower portions of the two legs are in particular mechanically coupled with each other.
Wherein the two legs and the hitch portion of the tension member dead end hitch are made of sheet metal (i.e. Column 5, lines 45-46: “All of these pieces in this example comprise metal and are welded together”).
Wherein the hitch portion extends basically parallel to the machine bedplate (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 4, hitch portion is parallel to the machine bedplate); and/or wherein portions of the two legs extend basically parallel to each other, wherein portions of the two legs extend in particular perpendicularly to the machine bedplate.
Wherein the hitch portion has a profile having a generally rectangular cross section (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 4, hitch portion is generally rectangular).
Wherein the elevator machine support structure comprises fixing elements, such as bolts, rivets or screws, for fixing the two legs to the machine bedplate and/or for fixing the hitch portion to the two legs; and/or
wherein the two legs are welded to the machine bedplate (i.e. Column 5, lines 45-46: “All of these pieces in this example comprise metal and are welded together”); and/or
wherein the hitch portion is welded to the two legs.
Wherein the hitch portion is configured for mechanically coupling with a plurality of tension member termination devices (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 44) associated with the ends of a plurality of elevator tension members (i.e. Fig. 3, shown in ref. 62).
Wherein the tension member dead end hitch comprises at least one tension member termination device, including a tension member fixing device (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 44), in particular at least one wedge clamp;
wherein the tension member termination device is supported by the tension member dead end hitch, particularly by the hitch portion, in a suspending manner (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 4, ref. 44 and hitch portion).
Elevator system comprising:
a hoistway (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 24) extending between a plurality of landings (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 52);
an elevator car (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 22) that is movable within the hoistway between the plurality of landings;
an elevator machine support structure according to claim 1;
an elevator machine (i.e. Fig. 5, ref. 35) for moving the elevator car; and
at least one elevator tension member (i.e. shown in Fig. 3, ref. 62) mechanically coupling the elevator car with the elevator machine for allowing the elevator machine to move the elevator car,
wherein the elevator machine is supported on the machine bedplate of the elevator machine support structure; and
wherein an end of the at least one elevator tension member is coupled to the tension member dead end hitch of the elevator machine support structure (i.e. shown in Fig. 4).
Wherein the at least one elevator tension member is a belt and/or wherein the at least one elevator tension member is coupled to the tension member dead end hitch by a tension member termination device, in particular including a tension member fixing device such as at least one wedge clamp.
Comprising a plurality of elevator tension members extending parallel to each other (i.e. shown in Fig. 3, ref. 62).
Wherein the elevator car is coupled to the elevator machine by the at least one elevator tension member using a 2:1 roping (i.e. Column 4, line 31: “2:1 roping ratio is shown”), wherein the elevator car is coupled to the elevator machine in particular using an underslung 2:1 roping, in which a portion of the at least one elevator tension member extends between elevator car pulleys (i.e. Fig. 3, ref. 65) mounted to a bottom of the elevator car; and/or
wherein the elevator system further comprises a counterweight (i.e. Fig. 2, ref. 60) that is coupled to the at least one elevator tension member, wherein the counterweight comprises in particular at least one counterweight pulley for mechanically coupling the counterweight to the at least one elevator tension member.
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Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
CN 216662143 to Fan teaches a bedplate for a machine mount at an upper surface and with rope termination mounted at a lower surface;
US Patent No. 10,689,229 to Fonteneau et al teaches a bedplate with a machine mount and rope terminal device;
CN 209957189 to Fu et al teaches a bedplate for a machine mount at an upper surface and with rope termination mounted at a lower surface;
WO 2010/148102 to Tian et al teaches a bedplate for a machine mount with rope termination device.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIEM M TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7825. The examiner can normally be reached M 9-5, W-F 10-2.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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