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 .
Specification
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because of the inclusion of reference numerals. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 13-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication Number 2006/0125248 to Heeley et al.
Heeley et al. disclose a handle return assembly comprising at least a support (shown in figure 5), wherein the support comprises: a front surface and a rear surface, wherein the support comprises an abutment surface and wherein the rear surface is configured for being aligned with a door leaf’s front or rear side (figures 2 and 3), an opening (aperture within cam 12) extending from the front surface to the rear surface, wherein the opening defines an opening axis that extends through the opening and is normal to the rear abutment surface, the support further comprises at least a first bearing (top bearing 23), at least a first repositioner (top element 22) and at least a first biasing member (top springs 20), the first repositioner has a first cam bearing surface (top surface 18) facing towards the axis and defining a first distance between the first cam bearing surface and the axis (figure 5), the first bearing movably supports the first repositioner relative to the support to be movable between a first radially retracted position and a first radially extended position, wherein the first distance is smaller if the first repositioner is in the first radially retracted position than it is if the first repositioner is in the first extended position (paragraph 29), the support further comprises at least a second bearing (bottom bearing 23), at least a second repositioner (bottom element 22) and at least a second biasing member (bottom springs 20), the second repositioner has a second cam bearing surface (bottom surface 18) facing towards the axis and defining a second distance between the second cam bearing surface and the axis (figure 5), the second bearing movably supports the second repositioner relative to the support to be movable between a second radially retracted position and a second radially extended position, wherein the second distance is smaller if the second repositioner is in the second radially retracted position than it is if the second repositioner is in the second extended position (paragraph 29), characterized in, that the first repositioner is biased by the first biasing member and the second biasing member towards the first radially retracted position(paragraph 29), the second repositioner is biased by the first biasing member and the second biasing member towards the second radially retracted position(paragraph 29), wherein the first ends of the at least two biasing members are attached to the first repositioner and the opposite second ends of the at least two biasing members are attached to the second repositioner (paragraph 29), as in claim 13.
Heeley et al. also disclose a first portion of the first and/or second biasing member engages into a recess or behind an edge of the first repositioner, and a second portion of the respective biasing member engages into a recess or an edge of the second repositioner, the first and/or second biasing member is configured to load the first repositioner and the second repositioner towards each other (arrangement of the repositioners and biasing members area shown in figure 5), as in claim 14, and the first bearing or/and the second bearing is/are linear bearing(s) (figure 5), as in claim 15, as well as the first bearing and/or the second bearing is/are plain bearing(s) (figure 5), as in claim 16.
Heeley et al. further disclose the handle return assembly further comprises a cam plate (12) with a ring surface (19), wherein the cam plate is rotatably supported relative to the first repositioner and/or the second repositioner, wherein the first bearing surface or/and the second cam bearing surface abut(s) the ring surface (figure 5), as in claim 17, wherein the cam plate is unitary and/or coupled with a door handle shaft (9) and/or comprises a first coupling element configured to receive a second coupling element of the door handle shaft (paragraph 28), as in claim 18, and the door handle shaft has an input shaft (24) and an output shaft that are connected by a clutch, and wherein the cam plate is unitary with the input shaft and/or is coupled to the input shaft (described paragraph 35), as in claim 19, as well as the cam plate comprises at least two first cams that are azimuthally spaced from each other with an at least local minimum of a distance d from the ring surface being a function of an azimuth angle φ (figure 5), as in claim 20.
Heeley et al. additionally disclose a door handle (figure 1) comprising the handle return assembly according to claim 17 (figures 2 and 3), as in claim 21, wherein the door handle shaft has an input shaft (24) and an output shaft that are connected by a clutch, wherein the cam plate is unitary with the input shaft and/or is coupled to the input shaft (described paragraph 35), and wherein a handpiece (8) is coupled to the input shaft and a mortise lock is coupled to the output shaft, as in claim 22, and the cam plate is torque proof connected with the input shaft or is unitary with the input shaft (paragraph 28), as in claim 23, as well as a door with a door and the door handle according to claim 21 (paragraph 1), as in claim 25, and where a door with a door leaf and with the handle return assembly according to claim 13 (paragraph 1), as in claim 24.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The following patents are cited to further show the state of the art with respect to door handle return assemblies:
U.S. Patent Number 11,035,148 to Mitchell; U.S. Patent Number 10,316,544 to Mitchell; U.S. Patent Number 9,022,437 to Ludwig et al.; U.S. Patent Number 8,215,685 to Ellis; U.S. Patent Number 6,616,203 to Lenk et al.; U.S. Patent Number 6,598,440 to Armstrong; U.S. Patent Number 6,491,327 to Fan; U.S. Patent Number 5,433,495 to Uffner; U.S. Patent Number 4,982,986 to Gressett, Jr. et al.; U.S. Patent Number 4,925,222 to Loock; U.S. Patent Number 3,323,824 to James; German Patent Number 19614666 to Barcellona.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER J BOSWELL whose telephone number is (571)272-7054. The examiner can normally be reached M-R: 9-4; F 9-12.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Kristina Fulton can be reached at 571-272-7376. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER J BOSWELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
CJB /cb/
October 6, 2026
