DETAILED ACTION
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, 3-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada et al. (US 2021/0300179 A1). Yamada discloses a zero turning radius mower steering sensor linkage (Fig. 8), comprising: a cam profile bracket 23 attached to a zero turning radius mower steering lever 12 and pivoting with the steering lever on a steering lever axis P1; and a rotary link 24 connected between a cam slot 31 in the cam profile bracket and a rotary sensor 13; the rotary link sliding in the cam slot to pivot a shaft 13b of the rotary sensor on a rotary sensor axis P2 displaced from the steering lever axis to control the speed of a rear drive wheel motor of the zero turning radius mower. A pin 32 on the rotary link slides in the cam slot. The cam profile bracket has a first surface (e.g., any of the surfaces of the cam profile bracket) attached to the steering lever (since all surfaces of the cam profile bracket are attached to the steering lever) and a second surface with the cam slot (Fig. 8). The cam slot is linear (Fig. 8). The steering lever rotates between a forward position and a reverse position on the steering lever axis; the shaft 13b of the rotary sensor rotates between a forward position and a reverse position on the rotary sensor axis displaced from the steering lever axis; and the rotary link is connected between the steering lever and rotary sensor to command a rotational speed of the drive wheel motor based on the steering lever position. The rotary link is slidably connected between the cam profile bracket and the shaft 13b of the rotary sensor which controls a traction drive motor speed; wherein said rotary link is in sliding engagement with the cam slot of said cam profile bracket such that said rotary link slides between a first end of the cam slot and a second end of the cam slot (Fig. 8).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed on November 6, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant’s arguments are directed to an invention (i.e., the invention shown in Figs. 1-7) other than the invention (i.e., the invention shown in Fig. 8) upon which the 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) rejection over Yamada et al. (US 2021/0300179 A1) is based.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 9 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.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 KEITH J FRISBY whose telephone number is (571)270-7802. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9:00AM - 5:00PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jason Shanske can be reached at (571)270-5985. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KEITH J FRISBY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3614
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