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 .
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Hagenbuch (U.S. Patent No. 7,326,023).
Regarding claim 1: Hagenbuch discloses a rear eject truck body comprising:
a truck body container including a floor, opposing sidewalls (Figs. 1 & 3; via eject body 12), and
an open rear end (via tailgate 16); an ejector blade (via ejector blade 18) configured to move along the floor between a retracted position and an extended position toward the open rear end of the truck body container (Figs. 5-6 & 8; via movable blade 18);
a tailgate extending across the open rear end of the truck body container and rotatable between an upper closed position and a lower open position, see for example (Figs. 16-17; via pivoting to open/close tailgate 16); and
a tailgate operating system comprising:
a pulley disposed near the rear end of the truck body container (Fig. 17; via 55),
a first tension line extending over the pulley (via 54), the first tension line including a rear end secured to the tailgate (Fig. 17; via secured 54 to tailgate 16) and a front end (Figs. 6, 8, 16; via tension line 54 secured to front of body 12 through lever 58), and
a coupler secured to the front end of the tension line and configured to selectively engage the ejector blade such that movement of the ejector blade facilitates opening and closing of the tailgate, see for example (Fig. 17; via sleds 30; “sleds 30…received and slide in corresponding guide tracks 32…arranged along the sidewalls 14 of the rear eject body 12”).
Regarding claim 2: wherein the tailgate is part of a rotating structure and movement of the tailgate to the lower open position causes the entire rotating structure to separate from the sidewalls of the truck body so as to avoid material buildup on the tailgate, see for example (Figs. 3, 6, 8; via tailgate 16 at its lower open position).
Regarding claim 3: wherein the pulley is disposed within one of the sidewalls (Fig. 14; via 55 positioned at the sidewalls of the body 12).
Regarding claim 4: wherein the pulley is in the vicinity of the tailgate when the tailgate is in the upper closed position, see for example (Figs. 1-5; via 55 at the vicinity of tailgate 16).
Regarding claim 5: wherein the first tension line includes a chain or cable secured to the tailgate and a release rod extending from the chain or cable to the coupler (Fig. 17; via chain 54).
Regarding claim 6: wherein the coupler is configured to engage the ejector blade upon operation of the ejector blade such that retraction of the ejector blade pulls the tailgate closed using the tailgate operating system, see for example (Fig. 17; via sleds 30 engage with ejector blade 18).
Regarding claim 7: wherein extension of the ejector blade releases the first tension line thereby allowing the tailgate to open by the force of gravity, see for example (Figs. 15-28; via the shown relation between blade 16 and tension line 54).
Regarding claim 8: wherein the first tension line extends along a first sidewall of the truck body, and wherein the tailgate operating system includes a second tension line that extends along a second sidewall of the truck body container (Fig. 17; via chains 54 in both sides of body 12).
Regarding claim 9: a haulage truck comprising: a vehicle including a plurality of tires (Figs. 1 & 3; via the shown wheels under truck 10); and a rear eject truck body disposed on the vehicle (via eject body 12).
Regarding claim 10: wherein the tires extend laterally outward under the opposing sides of the truck body container (Fig. 1; via the shown rear wheels positioned kind of beyond body 12 in both sides).
Regarding claim 11: wherein the first tension line extends over one of the tires (Fig. 4; via the shown tension chains at sidewalls 14 positioned above the tires).
12. A rear eject truck body comprising:
a truck body container including a floor, opposing sidewalls, and an open rear end (Fig. 5; via body 12);
an ejector blade configured to move along the floor between a retracted position and an extended position toward the open rear end of the truck body container (Fig. 6; via ejector blade 18);
a tailgate extending across the open rear end of the truck body container and rotatable between an upper closed position and a lower open position (via tailgate 16); and
a tailgate operating system comprising:
a pulley disposed near the rear end of the truck body container (Fig. 5; via 55),
a first tension line extending over the pulley (via chain tensioner 57), the first tension line including a rear end and a front end, and
a coupler secured to the front end of the tension line and configured to selectively engage the ejector blade such that movement of the ejector blade facilitates operation of the tailgate operating system, see for example (Figs. 14-18; via sleds 30); and
a rotating structure including a tailgate, secured to the truck body container by a hinged coupling, and attached to the rear end of the first tension line, wherein operation of the tailgate operating system moves the rotating structure from a closed position, in which the tailgate is adjacent to the opposing sidewalls of the truck body container, toward an open position such that the entire rotating structure separates from the sidewalls of the truck body container so as to avoid material buildup on the tailgate, see for example (Figs. 16-28; via the shown rotating structure of opening/closing tailgate 16).
Regarding claim 13: wherein the tailgate operating system includes a pulley and the first tension line extends over the pulley (via tension chains 57 over drums 55).
Regarding claim 14: wherein the first tension line includes a chain or cable secured to the tailgate and a release rod extending from the chain or cable to the coupler (via chains 57 secured to tailgate 16).
Regarding claim 15: wherein the coupler is configured to engage the ejector blade upon operation of the ejector blade such that retraction of the ejector blade pulls the tailgate closed using the tailgate operating system (via sleds 30 engaging with tailgate 16).
Regarding claim 16: wherein extension of the ejector blade releases the first tension line thereby allowing the tailgate to open by the force of gravity, see for example (Figs. 3-6; via tension chains 57 linked with gate 16 to get opened; inherently gravity considered as gate 16 rotated with gravity downwardly).
Regarding claim 17: wherein the first tension line extends along a first sidewall of the truck body, and wherein the tailgate operating system includes a second tension line that extends along a second sidewall of the truck body (Fig. 16; via tension chains 54 in both sides of body 12).
Regarding claim 18: a tailgate operating system for an open top rear ejects truck body, the tailgate operating system comprising:
a pulley disposed near a rear end of a truck body container (Figs. 16; via pulley mechanism 55 at end of body 16),
a first tension line extending over the pulley (via tension chain 54), the first tension line including a rear end and a front end, the rear end being secured to a tailgate that is operable between opening and closing an open end of the truck body container (via 54 linked to the front of body 12 and to the tailgate 16), and
a coupler secured to the front end of the tension line and configured to selectively engage an ejector blade of the rear eject truck body such that movement of the ejector blade facilitates operation of the tailgate, see for example (Figs. 16-18; via coupler 30 secured to chains 54).
Regarding claim 19: wherein the first tension line includes a chain or cable secured to the tailgate and a release rod extending from the chain or cable to the coupler (via chains 54 secured with tailgate 16).
Regarding claim 20: wherein the coupler is configured to engage the ejector blade upon operation of the ejector blade such that retraction of the ejector blade pulls the tailgate closed using the tailgate operating system, see for example (Figs. 15-17; via coupler 30 linked to ejector blade 16).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMEH TAWFIK whose telephone number is (571)272-4470. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
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/SAMEH TAWFIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731