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 .
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or (a)(2) as being anticipated by EP 1022193.
Claim 1. A shift device, comprising: a shift body (14 and portion between 36 and 22) having a shaft body (14 and portion between 36 and 22) that is rotatably supported; a plurality of projecting portions (36, 22) projecting out from the shaft body; and a mechanism portion (36, 22) provided at each of the plurality of projecting portions.
Claim 2. The shift device of Claim 1, wherein: one of the projecting portions is disposed at one side of the shaft body in a rotating direction of the shift body, and another of the projecting portions is disposed at another side of the shaft body in the rotating direction of the shift body (see figure 1).
Claim 3. The shift device of Claim 1, wherein one of the projecting portions and another of the projecting portions project out toward mutually opposite sides with the shaft body therebetween (see figure 1).
Claim 4. The shift device of Claim 1, wherein the projecting portions project out in directions orthogonal to a vertical direction of the shift body (see figure 1).
Claim 5. The shift device of Claim 1, wherein the projecting portions project out in a vertical direction of the shift body (see figure 1).
Claim 6. The shift device of Claim 1, wherein the mechanism portion is: an urging mechanism (one of 36 and 22) urging the shift body to a home position, a position detecting mechanism (other of 36 and 22) detecting a shift position of the shift body, or a locking mechanism (28) locking rotation of the shift body.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to VICTOR L MACARTHUR whose telephone number is (571)272-7085.
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/VICTOR L MACARTHUR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3618