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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 9/15/2023 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities:
In claim 8, lines 10-11, “regulate a displacement of the cable support member to the vehicle body-side support member to a linear displacement in one direction” should read “regulate a linear displacement of the cable support member to the vehicle body-side support member in one direction”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 8-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoneda et al. (JP Publication No. 2008190231; hereinafter Yoneda).
Regarding claim 8, Yoneda teaches an electric construction machine including an automotive vehicle body and a working mechanism attached to the vehicle body (Yoneda: Par. 16; i.e., the electric hydraulic excavator designated by the numeral 1 comprises a lower traveling body 1a and an upper rotating body… The upper rotating body 1c comprises … a multi-joint working arm unit 1f extending forward of the driver's cab),
the vehicle body being provided with a power feeding port for connection of a power feeding cable that supplies electric power to a power source (Yoneda: Par. 17; i.e., the electric hydraulic excavator 1 is equipped with a power supply device 50 for receiving a supply of electricity from an external power source),
characterized in that: the electric construction machine further comprising: a cable support member that is disposed to be capable of being displaced in a vehicle body-side support member attached to the vehicle body to grip the power feeding cable connected to the power feeding port (Yoneda: Par. 21; i.e., The tension detection means 3 includes a damper 14, which … has one end (the lower end in FIG. 1 ) fixed to the outer circumferential surface of the casing 6 of the slip ring 2 and the other end connected to the middle of the power supply cable 4 via a wire 5 that is a rope; Par. 22; i.e., The wire 5 is connected to a clamp 17 that holds the cable 4 at a position away from the power receiving part 2b of the casing 6 of the slip ring 2; the clamp (cable support member) supports the wire, grips the cable connected to the power receiving port, and is displaced by a damper fixed to the slip ring (vehicle body-side support member) attached to the vehicle body);
a guide member that is disposed between the cable support member and the vehicle body-side support member to regulate a displacement of the cable support member to the vehicle body-side support member to a linear displacement in one direction (Yoneda: Par. 22; i.e., clamp 17 that holds the cable 4 at a position away from the power receiving part 2b of the casing 6 via a roller 16 supported by a bracket 15 on the outer circumferential surface of the casing 6; the roller (guide member) is displaced between the clamp and the slip ring and regulates displacement of the clamp in one direction);
a load detecting sensor for detecting a changing quantity in response to the displacement of the cable support member to the vehicle body-side support member (Yoneda: Par. 21; i.e., The tension detection means 3 includes a damper 14 … and proximity switches 22a, 22b, which are displacement detectors that detect the tension of the power supply cable based on the expansion and contraction displacement of the damper 14);
and a controller configured to issue an alarm when a detection value of the load detecting sensor goes beyond a prescribed threshold value (Yoneda: Par. 38; i.e., when the detected tension exceeds a predetermined value, the alarm means 24 notifies the operator of this).
Regarding claim 9, Yoneda teaches the machine according to claim 8. Yoneda further teaches wherein the cable support member and the guide member are configured so that the cable support member can be displaced only in a horizontal direction (Yoneda: Par. 22; i.e., clamp 17 that holds the cable 4 at a position away from the power receiving part 2b of the casing 6 via a roller 16 supported by a bracket 15 on the outer circumferential surface of the casing 6; the roller regulates displacement of the clamp in a horizontal direction, as displayed in Figure 1).
Regarding claim 10, Yoneda teaches the machine according to claim 8. Yoneda further teaches wherein the vehicle body-side support member has an end part that extends from the vehicle body, and the cable support member is supported to be capable of being displaced on the end part of the vehicle body-side support member (Yoneda: Par. 16; i.e., The wire 5 is connected to a clamp 17 that holds the cable 4 at a position away from the power receiving part 2b of the casing 6 via a roller 16 supported by a bracket 15 on the outer circumferential surface of the casing; the slip ring comprises a casing which has a power receiving part extending from the vehicle body and the clamp is displaced relative to the power receiving part and supported by the roller).
Regarding claim 11, Yoneda teaches the machine according to claim 8. Yoneda further teaches an elastic member that is elastically deformed following the displacement of the cable support member (Yoneda: Par. 40; i.e., the tension detection means 3 includes a stretchable elastic body 14 having one end fixed to the power receiving means 2 and the other end connected to the power supply cable 4, and displacement detectors 22a, 22b that detect the tension of the power supply cable 4 based on the stretching displacement of this elastic body 14).
Regarding claim 12, Yoneda teaches the machine according to claim 8. Yoneda further teaches a changing member that changes in response to the displacement of the cable support member to the vehicle body-side support member (Yoneda: Par. 27; i.e., the extension and contraction of the power supply cable 4; as displayed in Figure 1, if the clamp is displaced towards the slip ring, the slack in the power supply cable changes),
wherein the changing member is fixed on both of the vehicle body side and the cable support member side (Yoneda: Par. 20; i.e., The power supply cable 4 is connected to the power receiving portion 2b; Par. 22; i.e., the wire 5 is connected to a clamp 17 that holds the cable 4),
and the load detecting sensor detects a load applied to the changing member as the changing quantity (Yoneda: Par. 21; i.e., The tension detection means 3 includes a damper 14 … and proximity switches 22a, 22b, which are displacement detectors that detect the tension of the power supply cable based on the expansion and contraction displacement of the damper 14).
Regarding claim 13, Yoneda teaches the machine according to claim 8. Yoneda further teaches a changing member that changes in response to the displacement of the cable support member to the vehicle body-side support member (Yoneda: Par. 27; i.e., the extension and contraction of the power supply cable 4; as displayed in Figure 1, if the clamp is displaced towards the slip ring, the slack in the power supply cable changes),
wherein the changing member includes a wire that is bridged over between the vehicle body side and the cable support member side (Yoneda: Par. 20; i.e., The power supply cable 4 is connected to the power receiving portion 2b; Par. 22; i.e., the wire 5 is connected to a clamp 17 that holds the cable 4),
and the load detecting sensor detects a tension of the wire as the changing quantity (Yoneda: Par. 21; i.e., The tension detection means 3 includes a damper 14 … and proximity switches 22a, 22b, which are displacement detectors that detect the tension of the power supply cable based on the expansion and contraction displacement of the damper 14).
Regarding claim 14, Yoneda teaches the machine according to claim 8. Yoneda further teaches wherein the controller, as methods of the alarm, gives a warning sound, a warning light, a warning display on a monitor, or executes a limit of movement (Yoneda: Par. 28; i.e., The warning means 24 is formed by a monitor display on a monitor panel in the operator's cab 1d (FIG. 5) that lights up or flashes when a signal from the controller 23 is ON. The warning means 24 may be any appropriate means, such as an alarm that emits sound or a lamp that emits light).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRANDON Z WILLIS whose telephone number is (571)272-5427. The examiner can normally be reached Weekdays 8:00-5:30.
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/BRANDON Z WILLIS/Examiner, Art Unit 3665