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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see remarks in RCE, filed 4/29/26, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-4 and 9-15 under Moore (US 2021/0061376) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Smith (US 2021/0053407).
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) 16,19-21,23,26-31,36 and 40 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Smith (US 2021/0053407).
Regarding claim 16, Smith discloses a trailer, comprising:
an opening (opening in receptacle 520, see figures 5 and 8 or opening in receptacle 860), defined by a front-facing surface of a front wall (522) of the trailer; and
a trailer-defined connection counterpart (822,872);
wherein:
the opening is configured for receiving insertion of a towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart (850,870) of a towing vehicle; and
the trailer-defined connection counterpart is configured for connection to the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart (see figure 8A), with effect that communication between the towing vehicle and the trailer is established (see Par. 0180 and 0182).
Regarding claim 19, further comprising: a guide (the shape of the opening which is conical can be seen as a guide combined with the conical shape of the towing vehicle-defined connection); wherein: the opening and the guide are co-operatively such that the insertion of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart through the opening includes a guided displacement of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart by the guide.
Regarding claim 20, wherein: the guide (the shape of the opening which is conical can be seen as a guide combined with the conical shape of the towing vehicle-defined connection) and the trailer-defined connection counterpart are co-operatively configured for co- operating with the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart for effecting emplacement of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart in alignment with the trailer-defined connection counterpart (see figure 8A).
Regarding claim 21, wherein: the alignment of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart with the trailer-defined connection counterpart is along an alignment axis (axis of member 862, see figure 8A) that is a linear axis.
Regarding claim 36, the opening is a front-facing opening that faces in a forward direction (see figure 5).
Regarding claim 23, Smith discloses a trailer (504), comprising: an opening (opening in the receptacle 520, 860), defined by a front-facing surface of a front wall (522) of the trailer; a receptacle (822,872); and a trailer-defined connection counterpart (862); wherein: the trailer-defined connection counterpart is disposed within the receptacle (see figure 8A); the opening, the receptacle, and the trailer-defined connection counterpart are co-operably configured for co-operation with a towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart (850), of a towing vehicle, such that the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart is insertable into the receptacle, via the opening, for effecting emplacement of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart in a connection ready position relative to the trailer-defined connection counterpart, such that a connection-ready configuration is established (see figure 8A); and the trailer-defined connection counterpart is configured for co-operation with the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart such that, while the connection- ready configuration is established, in response to a connection-effecting relative displacement between the trailer-defined connection counterpart and the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart, a connection between the trailer-defined connection counterpart and the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart is established, with effect that communication between the towing vehicle and the trailer is established (see Par. 0182).
Regarding claim 28, further comprising: a guide (the shape of the opening which is conical can be seen as a guide combined with the conical shape of the towing vehicle-defined connection); wherein: the opening and the guide are co-operatively such that the insertion of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart through the opening includes a guided displacement of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart by the guide.
Regarding claim 29, wherein: the guide (the shape of the opening which is conical can be seen as a guide combined with the conical shape of the towing vehicle-defined connection) and the trailer-defined connection counterpart are co-operatively configured for co- operating with the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart for effecting emplacement of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart in alignment with the trailer-defined connection counterpart (see figure 8A).
Regarding claims 26 and 30, wherein: the emplacement of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart in the connection ready position relative to the trailer-defined connection counterpart is an alignment between the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart and the trailer-defined connection counterpart (see figure 8A).
Regarding claims 27 and 31, wherein: the alignment of the towing vehicle-defined connection counterpart with the trailer-defined connection counterpart is along an alignment axis (axis of member 862, see figure 8A) that is a linear axis.
Regarding claim 40, wherein the opening is a front-facing opening that faces in a forward direction (see figures 5 and 8A).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 35 and 39 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Smith. Smith opening is to the side of the trailer (see figure 5) and not centered on the front-facing surface of the front wall. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would modify Smith in order to move the opening to be anywhere on the front wall of the trailer, in order to be able to connect the different trucks via the trailer-defined connection counterpart.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15,33 and 42-48 allowed.
Claims 22,32,34,37,38 and 41 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.
Regarding claims 22 and 32, the art of record did not include “the guide includes a pair of converging surface configurations that are opposing one another; and the trailer-defined connection counterpart is disposed between the pair of converging surface configurations”.
Regarding claims 34 and 38, the art of record did not include “the trailer connection counterpart is disposed rearwardly of the front-facing surface of the front wall of the trailer”.
Regarding claims 37 and 41, the art of record did not include “the guide being disposed rearwardly of the front-facing surface of the front wall of the trailer”.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Marlon A Arce whose telephone number is (571)272-1341. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM - 4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at 571-272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARLON A ARCE/Examiner, Art Unit 3611 /VALENTIN NEACSU, Ph.D./Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611
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