DETAILED ACTION
Response to Amendment
The Amendment filed 11/24/2025 has been entered. Claims 1, 4-10, 12-14 and 16-20 remain pending in the application. Claims 2-3, 11 and 15 were cancelled.
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 17 and 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Levin (US 20230011491 A1).
Regarding claim 17, Levin teaches an automatic feed system (automatic feed can considered the system to be automatic, paragraph 0028, see Figure 5) for a trimmer comprising:
a line feed unit that is secured to a deck, the line feed unit containing a line and being configured to rotate relative to the deck to cause the line to spin within the deck (see Figure 5);
a drive motor (260) that is configured to cause the line feed unit to rotate;
one or more line securing members through which the line passes (220);
a feed motor (910) that is configured to control the one or more line securing members including to apply a holding force to the one or more line securing members to prevent the line from being fed (the worm gear apply a locking force);
a control system (control) that is configured to monitor the drive motor and the holding force applied by the feed motor to determine a current length of the line (detect via sensor and if the worm gear is on/off, paragraph 0045), wherein the control system is also configured to automatically feed the line when the current length of the line is determined to be less than a maximum or desired length (base on sensed data to unlock the worm gear when the system need to dispense more line, since the line can only be dispensed when the holding force is off, the system is interpreted as configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force, paragraph 0045).
Regarding claim 19, Levin teaches the control system causes the feed motor to cause the one or more line securing members to allow the line to be fed (paragraph 0028).
Regarding claim 20, Levin teaches he one or more line securing members are one of: opposing gears or rollers that pinch the line (roller next to 910, see Figure 9); opposing pinch members that pinch the line; or a rotating member with an opposing securing mechanism that pinch the line.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1, 4-10, 12-14 and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zha (US 20190269070 A1) in view of Levin (US 20230011491 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Zha teaches a trimmer having an automatic feed system (see Figures 2 and 4) comprising:
a drive motor (20) that causes the line to be spun;
a line that is configured to be spun to cut vegetation, the line also being configured to be fed to extend a length of the line (abstract);
one or more line securing members through which the line is fed (abstract); and
a control system (51) that is configured to dispensed the desired length (paragraphs 0022-0023).
Zha fails to teach a feed motor that controls the one or more line securing members including to apply a holding force to the one or more line securing members to prevent the line from being fed, a control system that is configured to monitor the holding force applied by the feed motor while the line is spun by the drive motor and to determine, from the holding force, when the line is less than a maximum or desired length, wherein the control system is also configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force to reach the maximum or desired length.
Levin teaches a mechanical set up for feeding a cutting line (see Figure 9), a feed motor (910, like 210, see paragraph 0039) that controls the one or more line securing members including to apply a holding force to the one or more line securing members to prevent the line from being fed (via self locking worm gear ,see Figure 9), wherein the control system is also configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force to reach the maximum or desired length (base on sensed data to unlock the worm gear when the system need to dispense more line, since the line can only be dispensed when the holding force is off, the system is interpreted as configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force, paragraph 0045).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill the art to modify the device of Zha to incorporate the mechanical set up for feeling a cutting line, as taught by Levin, in order to provide a mechanical system and control system for feeding a cutting line (see Figure 9 of Levin). The resulting device of modified Zha teaches a feed motor that controls the one or more line securing members including to apply a holding force to the one or more line securing members to prevent the line from being fed (as modified by Levin, added 910 of Levin), a control system that is configured to monitor the holding force applied by the feed motor while the line is spun by the drive motor and to determine, from the holding force, when the line is less than a maximum or desired length, wherein the control system is also configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force to reach the maximum or desired length (base on sensed data to unlock the worm gear when the system need to dispense more line, since the line can only be dispensed when the holding force is off, the system is interpreted as configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force, paragraph 0045).
Regarding claim 4, modified Zha further teaches the one or more line securing members comprise one of: opposing gears or rollers (as modified by Levin, rollers next to 910, see Figure 5 of Levin); a rotating member with an opposing securing mechanism (see Figure 9 of Levin).
Regarding claim 5, modified Zha further teaches the one or more line securing members are opposing gears or rollers, and wherein the line is pinched between the opposing gears or rollers (as modified by Levin, rollers next to 910, see Figure 9 of Levin).
Regarding claim 6, modified Zha further teaches the control system is configured to monitor a speed at which the line is spun (paragraphs 0022 and 0052-0053 of Zha).
Regarding claim 7, modified Zha further teaches a drive motor (20) that causes the line to be spun, wherein monitoring the speed at which the line is spun comprises monitoring the drive motor (paragraphs 0022 and 0052-0053 of Zha).
Regarding claim 8, modified Zha further teaches monitoring the drive motor comprises monitoring a torque created by the drive motor to cause the line to be spun at the speed (paragraphs 0022 and 0052-0053 of Zha).
Regarding claim 9, modified Zha further teaches automatically feeding the line based on the force to reach the maximum or desired length comprises one of: causing the one or more line securing members to rotate (rotate to detect force, paragraph 0063); ceasing to prevent the one or more line securing members from rotating; separating the one or more line securing members; or reducing a pinching force that the one or more line securing members apply to the line (see paragraph 0063 of Zha).
Regarding claim 10, modified Zha further teaches determining from the force when the line is less than a maximum or desired length comprises using a force when the line is at the maximum or desired length (as modified by Levin, lock and unlock worm gear).
Regarding claim 12, Zha teaches a trimmer (See Figure 2) having an automatic feed system comprising:
a line that is configured to be spun to cut vegetation, the line also being configured to be fed to extend a length of the line (abstract);
a drive motor (20) that causes the line to be spun;
one or more line securing members through which the line is fed; and
a control system (51) that is configured to automatically feed the line by (paragraph 0063).
Zha fails to teach a feed motor that controls the one or more line securing members including to apply a holding force to the one or more line securing members to prevent the line from being fed, monitoring a force caused by the line while the line is spun and has an unknown length; obtaining a known force caused by the line while the line is spun and has a known length; calculating, from the current force and the known force, a current length of the line; and automatically feeding the line to cause the line to have a maximum or desired length.
Levin teaches a mechanical set up for feeding a cutting line (see Figure 9), a feed motor (910, like 210, see paragraph 0039) that controls the one or more line securing members including to apply a holding force to the one or more line securing members to prevent the line from being fed (via self-locking worm gear ,see Figure 9), wherein the control system is also configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force to reach the maximum or desired length (base on sensed data to unlock the worm gear when the system need to dispense more line, since the line can only be dispensed when the holding force is off, the system is interpreted as configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force, paragraph 0045).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill the art to modify the device of Zha to incorporate the mechanical set up for feeling a cutting line, as taught by Levin, in order to provide a mechanical system and control system for feeding a cutting line (see Figure 9 of Levin). The resulting device of modified Zha teaches a feed motor (as modified by Levin, 910) that controls the one or more line securing members including to apply a holding force to the one or more line securing members to prevent the line from being fed, monitoring a force caused by the line while the line is spun and has an unknown length; obtaining a known force caused by the line while the line is spun and has a known length; calculating, from the current force and the known force, a current length of the line; and automatically feeding the line to cause the line to have a maximum or desired length (base on sensed data to unlock the worm gear when the system need to dispense more line, since the line can only be dispensed when the holding force is off, the system is interpreted as configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force, paragraph 0045).
Regarding claim 13, modified Zha further teaches the known length is the maximum or desired length (paragraph 0063).
Regarding claim 14, modified Zha further teaches the control system automatically feeds the line also by: monitoring a current speed of the line; wherein the known force corresponds with the current speed (paragraph 0063).
Regarding claim 16, modified Zha further teaches wherein automatically feeding the line comprises causing the one or more line securing members to allow the line to be fed (paragraphs 0063 and 0072).
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Levin (US 20230011491 A1) in view of Zha (US 20190269070 A1).
Regarding claim 18, Levin teaches all elements of the current invention as set forth in claim 17 above.
Levin fails to teach the control system monitors a force of the drive motor.
Zha teaches a trimmer with a control system that monitor the force for the dispensing of the line.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify the device of Levin to use the detection method of Zha, in order to better monitoring the speed at which the line is spun comprises monitoring the drive motor (paragraphs 0022 and 0052-0053 of Zha).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/24/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant's argument that Levin fails to teach holding force. Examiner disagree and notes that it appears that applicant is intend to claim a counter spin of the feed motor to apply the holding force, however the current claim only required a holding force from a part of the feed motor, therefore the worm gear 910 on the feed motor can apply a holding force on the line, thus meeting the limitation. Base on sensed data to unlock the worm gear when the system need to dispense more line, since the line can only be dispensed when the holding force is off, the system is interpreted as configured to automatically feed the line based on the holding force, paragraph 0045 of Levin.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LIANG DONG whose telephone number is (571)270-0479. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8 AM-6 PM.
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/LIANG DONG/Examiner, Art Unit 3724 2/27/2026