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 Amendment
The reply filed on 2/10/2026 cancelled claims 1-4, and added new claims 5-8. Claims 5-8 are pending herein.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 5-8 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Applicant’s arguments not rendered moot have been addressed below.
Drawings
The previous objections to the drawings are withdrawn in light of the amendments, the objections that remain are detailed below.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the following:
Claim 6: The trailer of claim 5, wherein the container is at least one of a 20 foot container, a 40 foot container, or a 45 foot container.
Claim 7: The trailer of claim 5, wherein the chassis comprises pneumatic locking pins that are actuated via the pneumatic system to unlock the chassis from the subframe to allow the fifth wheel to move between the open and closed positions and to lock the chassis to the subframe when the fifth wheel is in the open and closed positions.
All of the claimed subject matter above must be shown and labeled with element numbers or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: “110.” Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The previous objections to the Specification are withdrawn in light of the amendments.
Claim Objections
The previous objections to the claims are withdrawn in light of the amendments, the objections that remain are detailed below.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The previous rejections to the claims under 35 USC 112 are withdrawn in light of the amendments, the objections that remain are detailed below.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention. Regarding claim 6, the claim recite the following limitations: “at least one of”, which is unclear, and therefore render the claims indefinite, for which appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The previous rejections to the claims under 35 USC 102 are withdrawn in light of the amendments, the rejections that remain are detailed below.
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) 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Arguin (US 4,400,004).
[Claim 5] Regarding Claim 5, Arguin disclose: A trailer (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 10+12) comprising: a frame (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 14) configured to support a container (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 13); and a subframe comprising a chassis (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 15+16) with a pneumatic system (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 32+33+34) configured to provide an air supply through the chassis for moving a fifth wheel of the chassis along a longitudinal axis between open and closed positions (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 18).
[Claim 6] Regarding Claim 6, Arguin discloses: wherein the container is at least one of a 20 foot container, a 40 foot container, or a 45 foot container (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 12+13).
[Claim 7] Regarding Claim 7, Arguin discloses wherein the chassis comprises pneumatic locking pins (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 28+29) that are actuated via the pneumatic system to unlock the chassis from the subframe to allow the fifth wheel to move between the open and closed positions (See, e.g., Fig.1-16) and to lock the chassis to the subframe when the fifth wheel is in the open and closed positions (See, e.g., Fig.1-16).
[Claim 8] Regarding Claim 8, Arguin discloses wherein the fifth wheel comprises a coupler (See, e.g., Fig.1-16, 18) configured to couple to another trailer when the fifth wheel is in the open position (See, e.g., Fig.1-16).
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.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure, and can be found on the attached Notice of References Cited.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES M DOLAK whose telephone number is (571)270-7757. The examiner can normally be reached on 9-530 EST Monday-Friday.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, J ALLEN SHRIVER can be reached on 303-297-4337. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES M DOLAK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613
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