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 .
This is the first action on the merits of application 19/395,256. Claims 1-16 are currently pending.
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.
Claims 1-3, 7, 11-12, 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 113415688 A (Feng et al.).
Regarding claim 1, Feng et al. disclose:
An elevator car roof protection device, comprising:
a guardrail (figure 1) arranged on a roof of an elevator car (“car top guardrail,” Abstract, line 1, elevator car not shown) and defining a protective area (interior area between rails 1, 2), wherein the guardrail is configured to be movable in a vertical direction relative to the roof under power drive such that the guardrail is adjustable to have different heights corresponding to different states of an elevator system (maintenance state and normal state as shown in figures 1 and 3, respectively);
a power portion (3) arranged on the roof and configured to provide the power to the guardrail; and
a control portion (car top maintenance box, not shown) arranged on the roof, wherein the control portion is electrically connected to the power portion and configured to control operation of the power portion (“the electric push rod 3 is connected with the direct current power supply in the car top maintenance box. through the direct current power supply in the car top maintenance box is electric push rod 3 power supply” page 4, second to last paragraph, lines 1-2 of the attached machine translation).
Regarding claim 2, Feng et al. further disclose:
wherein the guardrail is configured to have a first height relative to the roof when the elevator system is in a normal operation state (height of 2, figure 3), and have a second height relative to the roof when the elevator system is in a maintenance state (height of 2, figure 1), the second height being greater than the first height.
Regarding claim 3, Feng et al. further disclose:
wherein the guardrail comprise a first guardrail (annotated figure 1) and a second guardrail (annotated figure 1) adjacent to each other, the first guardrail being detachably connected to the second guardrail (at the corner shown in figure 2).
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Figure 1 of Feng, annotated by the Examiner
Regarding claim 7, Feng et al. further disclose:
wherein the guardrail comprises a first guardrail, a second guardrail and a third guardrail (annotated figure 1), the second guardrail and the third guardrail are respectively arranged on two sides of the first guardrail, and at least one of the second guardrail and the third guardrail is detachably connected to the first guardrail (the first guardrail is detachably connected to at least the second guardrail at the corner shown in figure 2).
Regarding claim 11, Feng et al. further disclose:
wherein the elevator car roof protection device further comprises:
a detection member (42) configured to generate a working signal that is transmitted to the control portion for control to stop the power portion from outputting the power when the guardrail reaches a preset height in the vertical direction (“when the movable guardrail 2 reaches the highest position (the national standard height), the bow 44 separated from the safety switch 42, the safety switch 42 reset, maintenance operation loop is connected, elevator normal operation loop is disconnected,” page 5, paragraph 5, lines 4-7);
and/or
a box arranged on the roof, at least a part of the control portion being arranged in the box (“direct current power supply in the car top maintenance box” page 2, second to last paragraph).
Regarding claim 12, Feng et al. further disclose:
wherein the detection member comprises a limit switch (42 is a limit switch), and the guardrail is configured with a mating portion (44) which triggers the limit switch to generate the working signal when the guardrail reaches the preset height.
Regarding claim 14, Feng et al. further disclose:
wherein the power portion comprises one or more electric devices (“3, electric push rod,” page 4, line 1), and the elevator car roof protection device comprises a base arranged on the roof (base, annotated figure 1), the electric device being mounted on the base and an output end of the electric device being connected to the guardrail (the output end of electric push rod 3 is connected to the movable guardrail, 2).
Regarding claim 15, Feng et al. further disclose:
An elevator car (not shown, Abstract, lines 1-2, “located at three sides of the car top”), wherein a roof of the elevator car is provided with an elevator car roof protection device according to claim 1 (the car top guardrail is mounted on the car top (i.e. car roof)).
Regarding claim 16, Feng et al. further disclose:
An elevator system, comprising:
one or more elevator cars (not shown), configured to run within an elevator hoistway (“in order to ensure the effective use of the elevator hoistway,” page 2, lines 4-5); and
an elevator car roof protection device according to claim 1, mounted on a roof of at least one of the elevator cars.
Claims 1, 8, 11, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by FR 2866665 A1 (Perea).
Regarding claim 1, Perea discloses:
An elevator car roof protection device, comprising:
a guardrail (2) arranged on a roof (32) of an elevator car (28) and defining a protective area (interior area between rails 2), wherein the guardrail is configured to be movable in a vertical direction relative to the roof under power drive such that the guardrail is adjustable to have different heights corresponding to different states of an elevator system (normal state and maintenance state as shown in figures 1 and 2, respectively);
a power portion (3) arranged on the roof and configured to provide the power to the guardrail; and
a control portion (4, including 3a and 22) arranged on the roof, wherein the control portion is electrically connected to the power portion and configured to control operation of the power portion (“The intervention box 4 is connected (not shown) to the actuators of all the guards provided on the roof.” page 4, paragraph 8, lines 4-5 of the attached machine translation).
Regarding claim 8, Perea further discloses:
wherein the elevator car roof protection device further comprises a base (8) arranged on the roof, and guide portions (5, 6, 11) mounted on the base and connected to the guardrail, at least one of guide portions (11) being connected to the power portion (3) and transmitting the power to the guardrail.
Regarding claim 11, Perea further discloses:
wherein the elevator car roof protection device further comprises:
a detection member configured to generate a working signal that is transmitted to the control portion for control to stop the power portion from outputting the power when the guardrail reaches a preset height in the vertical direction;
and/or
a box (22) arranged on the roof (figure 6), at least a part of the control portion being arranged in the box.
Regarding claim 13, Perea further discloses:
wherein the box is arranged in a position adjacent to a landing door of the elevator system (the box 22 is arranged on the door side of car 28, which is a position adjacent to a landing door of the nearest floor).
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.
Claims 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 113415688 A (Feng et al.) in view of CN 202211224508 A (Yang).
Regarding claim 4, Feng et al. teach:
The elevator car roof protection device according to claim 3, wherein the first guardrail and the second guardrail are detachably connected through a connecting assembly (figure 2).
Feng et al. do not teach the connecting assembly applying a preset force.
However, Yang teaches:
A guardrail assembly with first and second guardrails and a connecting assembly,
the connecting assembly comprising:
a first connecting member (figure 4), mounted on one of the first guardrail and the second guardrail, and having a first mating portion (17) and an operating portion (18, 19, 20, 21, 22); and
a second connecting member (23, 231), disposed on the other of the first guardrail and the second guardrail, and having a second mating portion (231);
wherein the operating portion is configured to apply a preset force (spring force of spring 19) to the first mating portion (17) to engage it with the second mating portion after the first connecting member and the second connecting member are mounted in place, such that the first guardrail and the second guardrail are detachably connected and move up and down together (in the combination with the movable guardrail of Feng et al. the first and second guardrails move up and down together when connected), and to make the first mating portion to disengage from the second mating portion when an acting force between the first guardrail and the second guardrail is greater than the preset force, such that the first guardrail is disconnected from the second guardrail (an acting force between the components connected by the connecting assembly that is greater than the spring force of spring 19 would act to disengage the mechanism and disconnect the first and second guardrails).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use the connection assembly of Yang with the car roof protection device of Feng et al. for ease of assembly and disassembly. All of the components required to connect and disconnect adjacent portions of the guardrail of Yang are formed in the connection assembly. The first mating portion automatically latches in the second mating portion when the guardrail components are properly aligned due to the spring force, and the first mating portion automatically withdraws from the second mating portion when a force exerted by rod 23 exceeds the spring force. Yang notes, “…the dismounting structure is simple, it does not need to use a lot of screws or bolts to fix;” Page 3, paragraph 7, lines 14-15 of the attached machine translation.
Regarding claim 5, Yang further teaches:
wherein the first connecting member has a receiving space (151), and the first mating portion is configured as a slider (17) movably arranged within the receiving space and abutting against the operating portion, the slider being moved toward the second mating portion under the action of the preset force to engage with the second mating portion.
Regarding claim 6, Yang further teaches:
wherein the slider has a first inclined surface, and the second mating portion has a second inclined surface matching the first inclined surface, the first inclined surface and the second inclined surface abutting against each other after the first connecting member and the second connecting member are mounted in place;
and/or,
the operating portion comprises a spring (19 of the operating portion is a spring).
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over FR 2866665 A1 (Perea) in view of US 11192750 B2 (Zhao).
Regarding claim 9, Perea teaches:
The elevator car roof protection device according to claim 8.
Perea does not teach:
wherein the guide portion has a limiting portion, and the elevator car roof protection device further comprises a limiting member configured to operably engage with the limiting portion such that the guardrail is fixed at a current height position.
However, Zhao teaches:
An elevator car roof protection device with a guide portion (110a), and
wherein the guide portion has a limiting portion (112), and the elevator car roof protection device further comprises a limiting member (140) configured to operably engage with the limiting portion such that the guardrail (123) is fixed at a current height position.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a limiting portion on the guide portion of Perea, as taught by Zhao, to secure the guardrail in the lowered and raised positions. Unintentional movement of the guardrail between the lowered and raised positions creates a safety hazard for maintenance personnel on the roof of the elevator car, the limiting portion and member of Zhao prevents such unintentional movement.
Regarding claim 10, Zhao further teaches:
wherein the limiting portion is configured as a slot (112 is a slot) having one or more limiting positions (141, 142), and the limiting member comprises a latch pin (112) which, when engaged with the limiting portion at different limiting positions, causes the guardrail to be fixed at different height positions (“The size and position of groove 112 is configured such that when the screw 140 is supported by the first fixing portion 141, the moving portion 120 (specifically the lifting portion corresponding to the groove 120 in the figures, i.e., the lifting portion 123 in FIG. 1) is in the retracted position, and when the screw 140 is supported by the second fixing portion 142, the moving portion 120 is in the extended position.” Col. 6, lines 1-8).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-11905141-B2, CN-109963804-A, CN-118062697-A, EP-2138440-A1, and JP-5217073-B2 are each cited to show a pivotable car roof protection device with a connecting assembly between components.
US-11548762-B2 is cited to show an elevator car roof having varying connecting assemblies.
CN-211496520-U, CN-113928951-A, EP-985628-A2, WO-2019180933-A1, WO-02085773-A1, US-6543584-B1, US-7510056-B2, US-20050230194-A1, US-20250002297-A1, JP-2015196572-A, and ES-2886763-A1 are cited to show vertically movable elevator car roof protection guardrails.
WO-2024088809-A1 and WO-2005026033-A1 are cited to show car roof protection devices with built-in control boxes.
US-12522470-B2 is cited to show a car roof protection device with a connecting assembly having a spring and inclined surface.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MICHELLE M MUDWILDER whose telephone number is (571)272-6068. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 11:00 am - 7:30 pm.
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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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/M.M.M./Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ROBERT W HODGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
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