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 § 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 3 and 4 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.
In claim 3, lines 8 and 11, “a second wedge part” and “a third wedge part” are confusing and misleading, without the presence of “a first wedge part”. Thus, the claimed invention is ambiguous.
In claim 4, lines 10-11, “a fourth wedge part” and “a fifth wedge part” are confusing and misleading, without the presence of “a first wedge part”, “a second wedge part”, and “a third wedge part”. Thus, the claimed invention is ambiguous.
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.
Claims 1, 5 and 8-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by CN ‘125 (CN 110094125 A).
Regarding claim 1, CN shows a vehicle checker as claimed, including a check plate (2) that is a long link member having one end (4) to be attached to one of the body and the door, and having at least one main surface being an uneven surface (upper surface of arm 2, figs. 2 and 60; a housing (3) that is configured to allow insertion of the check plate therein and to be attached to the other of the body and door; a sliding guide (32) configured to guide the check plate by coming into sliding contact with the at least one main surface when the check plate moves relative to the housing in a longitudinal direction of the check plate; and an elastic member (33) that elastically urges the sliding guide in the direction in which the sliding guide comes into contact with the check plate, wherein the housing (1) includes a first housing member (31) made of resin material (see attached English translation), and including a basal part (bottom wall opposite top wall 31a, fig. 3) with main face to come into contact with the other of the body and the door, and an arch part (defined by top wall 31a and side walls 31b, extending from the other main face of the bottom wall) protruding from other main face of the basal part that is opposite to the one main face, the basal part and the arch part being integrally formed (“arch” shown in the cross-section view of fig. 3); and a second housing member (34) made of resin material (see English translation), accommodating the sliding guide (32) and the elastic member (33), and fixedly attached to the first housing member (3) through insertion into a hollow defined between the basal part and the arch part of the first housing member (fig. 4).
As to claim 5, the housing (3) includes a connecting member (35) that connects the first housing member (31) and the second housing member (34) to each other.
As to claim 8, the arch part (defined by top wall 31a and two side walls 31b) of the first housing member faces the other main face of the basal part, and has an arch ceiling wall (see “arch”/circular inner wall of top wall 31a, fig. 3) provided with an insertion window (30) which allows insertion of the check plate (2) therethrough and two arch side wall (31b) respectively connecting opposite side ends of the arch ceiling wall and the other main face of the basal part to each other.
As to claim 9, although CN does not specify the first housing (3) having a bolt or a nut for attachment to the door, the bolt or nut is an inherent element(s) for attachment of the housing to the door/body of the vehicle (see figs. 1A-1B and cited references).
As to claim 10, the elastic member of CN includes a coil spring (33) and the second housing member (34) includes an end coil restrictor (39, fig. 3) that restricts positional shaft of an end coil of the coil spring, the end coil position restrictor constituting a portion of an inner wall surface of the second housing member that faces a space accommodating the siding guide and the elastic member (fig. 4).
As to claim 11, at least one of the first housing member (31) or the second housing member further includes a check plate side surface restrictor (43) that restricts vibration of the check plate (2) in a direction intersecting the longitudinal direction of the check plate and a direction in which the sliding guide (32) comes into contact with the check plate at the movement of the check plate, the check plate sides surface restrictor constituting a portion to come into contact with or being adjacent to a side surface of a portion of the check plate to be inserted in the housing (also see figs. 3, 4 and 6).
As to claim 12, in a plan view of the sliding guide (32) in a direction in which the sliding guide comes into contact with the one main surface of the check plate, the sliding guide has an outer edge forming an ac at a position opposite to the basal part of the first housing member (fig. 4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6-7, and 13-20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 3-4 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See attached PTO-892.
Related prior art:
CN 106703668 B (CN) shows vehicle door checker including a check plate, a housing for the check plate, a sliding guide configured to guide the check plate, an elastic member urging the sliding guide towards the check plate, wherein the housing including a first housing member and a second housing member, and the second housing member is fixedly attached to the first housing member through insertion into the hollow of the first housing member.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHUCK MAH whose telephone number is (571)272-7059. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:00-3:00.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason San can be reached at 571-272-6531. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/CHUCK Y MAH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3677 CM
October 4, 2026
