Appeal No. 2004-1448
Application No. 09/454,723
BACKGROUND
The disclosed invention relates to a window covering (mini-blind) actuator having
an electric motor powered by a DC battery. Representative claim 37 is reproduced
below.
37. A window covering assembly with actuator, comprising:
a head rail, a rod rotatably disposed therein, and a window covering
engaged with the rod for moving the window covering when the rod is rotated,
the window covering being selected from the group of window coverings
consisting of: cellular shades, pleated shades, lift and tilt shades, horizontal
blinds, and vertical blinds;
at least one electric motor in the head rail and coupled thereto; and
at least one primary battery supported by the head rail for energizing the
motor to move the window covering when a control signal is received.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Shopp 5,274,499 Dec. 28, 1993
Riordan 5,552,769 Sep. 3, 1996
(filed Mar. 15, 1993)
Claims 37-40 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being unpatentable over
Riordan and Shopp.
Claims 41-44 have been allowed. Claims 2-36 have been canceled.
The status of instant claim 1 is unclear. Apparently, both the examiner and
appellants presume that the claim has been canceled. However, we fail to find any
amendment in the file wrapper canceling claim 1. The claim appears to be a duplicate
of claim 1 in U.S. Patent 6,060,852, which issued from parent application No.
-2-
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