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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because of the following informalities:
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 “plurality of segments” as set forth in claims 4 and 5 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
The lead line for reference character 223 in Fig. 31 should contact the corresponding structure.
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: 130.
Each distinct part, including modified parts, should be labeled with a distinct reference character to be in compliance with 37 CFR 1.84(p). Note at least the following informalities:
The parts labeled with reference characters 10, 20, 100, 121, 122, 210, 220, 240, 250, 611, 612 and 621 in the embodiment shown in Figs. 11-16 are distinct (i.e., modified) from the parts denoted by these same reference characters in at least the embodiment shown in Figs. 2-10.
The parts labeled with reference characters 10, 20, 100, 120, 210, 220 and 250 in the embodiment shown in Figs. 17-21 are distinct (i.e., modified) from the parts denoted by these same reference characters in at least the embodiments shown in Figs. 2-10 and 11-16, respectively.
The parts labeled with reference characters 10, 20, 50, 100, 120, 123, 210, 220, 230, 250, 253, 611, 612, 621 and 622 in the embodiment shown in Figs. 22-25 are distinct (i.e., modified) from the parts denoted by these same reference characters in at least the embodiments shown in Figs. 2-10, Figs. 11-16 and Figs. 17-21, respectively.
The parts labeled with reference characters 10, 20, 40, 110, 120, 122, 210, 220 and 250 in the embodiment shown in Figs. 26-32 are distinct (i.e., modified) from the parts denoted by these same reference characters in at least the embodiments shown in Figs. 2-10, Figs. 11-16, Figs. 17-21 and Figs. 22-25, respectively.
The parts labeled with reference characters 10, 20, 40, 100, 120, 122, 210, 220, 240, 250, 611, 612, 621 and 622 in the embodiment shown in Figs. 33-36 are distinct (i.e., modified) from the parts denoted by these same reference characters in at least the embodiments shown in Figs. 2-10, Figs. 11-16, Figs. 17-21, Figs. 22-25 and Figs. 26-32, respectively.
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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
2. 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.
Claims 10 and 11 are 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 applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 10, the limitation “a second limiting mechanism” renders the claim indefinite because no “first limiting mechanism” has been set forth in any claim from which claim 10 depends.
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)(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 1-17 and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chen et al. (CN 112976929A; hereinafter “Chen”).
Regarding claim 1, Chen discloses a moving device 100 comprising: a body 10 and wheels 20 (comprised of front wheels 201 and rear wheels 202) arranged at a bottom of the body to drive the moving device to move (note at least Figs. 1 and 14; second-to-last paragraph on page 6 of the English-language machine translation), each of the wheels comprising a rim 21 and a tire 22, wherein the tire is detachably connected to the rim (the second-to-last full paragraph on page 7 of the English-language machine translation) and comprises a first end at 241 and a second end at 242 (note at least Fig. 7), the first end and the second end are detachably connected such that the first end and the second end can be disconnected to allow the tire to be detached relative to the rim (the last full paragraph on page 7 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 2, Chen further discloses the first end abuts the second end in a circumferential direction of the wheel (Figs. 6 and 8).
Regarding claim 3, Chen further discloses the first end and the second end are arranged in an overlapping manner (Figs. 7 and 8).
Regarding claim 4, Chen further discloses the tire comprises a plurality of segments 24 of assembly parts sequentially connected in an end-to-end manner (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 5, Chen further discloses the number of the segments of the assembly parts of the tire is three or less (can be “two” per the last full paragraph on page 7 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 6, Chen further discloses the tire and the rim are detachably connected through a tongue-and-groove engagement mechanism (Figs. 7 and 8).
Regarding claim 7, Chen further discloses the wheel comprises a first limiting mechanism (comprised of groove part 2111 on the rim and protruding part 222 on the tire as shown in Figs. 3-6) configured to limit the relative movement of the rim and the tire in the circumferential direction of the wheel (Figs. 3-6; first paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 8, Chen further discloses the first limiting mechanism comprises a first limiting structure 2111 arranged on the rim and a second limiting structure 222 arranged on the tire and configured to engage with the first limiting structure (Figs. 3-6; first paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 9, Chen further discloses the first limiting mechanism comprises a protrusion 222 and a groove 2111 configured to engage with each other, wherein one 2111 of the protrusion and the groove is arranged on the rim, and the other one 222 of the protrusion and the groove is arranged on the tire (Figs. 3-6; first paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 10, Chen further discloses the wheel comprises a second limiting mechanism 223 configured to limit the relative movement of the rim and the tire in an axial direction of the wheel (Fig. 2; third paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 11, Chen further discloses the second limiting mechanism comprises a first stop structure (“end faces” of the rim per third paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation) arranged on the rim and a second stop structure 224 arranged on the tire and configured to engage with the first stop structure (Fig. 2; third paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 12, Chen further discloses the tire comprises an elastic material (fourth paragraph on page 10 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 13, Chen further discloses the body comprises a housing (unlabeled portion of 10 shown to be axially outboard of each wheel 202 in Fig. 1) arranged on an outer side of the wheel and in a projection plane perpendicular to the axial direction of the wheel, a projection contour of the housing partially overlaps with a projection contour of the wheel (best shown in Fig. 14).
Regarding claim 14, Chen further discloses in the axial direction of the wheel a distance between the housing and an outer side of the wheel is less than a width of the wheel in the axial direction of the wheel (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 15, Chen further discloses the wheel comprises a locking mechanism (either the corresponding groove part 2111 on the rim and protruding part 222 on the tire as shown in Figs. 3-6 that fixes the tire and rim in the circumferential direction as evident from Figs. 3-6 and the first paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation OR the stop structures 224 and corresponding end faces of the rim that fix the tire and rim in the axial direction as evident from Fig. 2 and the third paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation OR pin 244 which fixes the tire and the rim in the radial direction inasmuch pin 244 allows the tire to be tightly sleeved upon the rim as evident from Figs. 6-8) that is configured to fix the tire and the rim in at least one direction, whereby the at least one direction comprises at least one of the following: the axial direction, a radial direction and the circumferential direction of the wheel (Figs. 2-6; first and third paragraphs on page 9 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 16, Chen further discloses the locking mechanism 244 is configured to fix the tire and the rim together in at least the radial direction of the wheel (evident from Figs. 6-8 and the third paragraph on page 8 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 17, Chen further discloses the rim comprises a fixing portion 2111 and the tire comprises a connecting portion 222, wherein the connecting portion and the fixing portion are adaptively connected (Figs. 3-6; first paragraph on page 9 of the English-language machine translation).
Regarding claim 20, Chen further discloses the moving device is a self-moving device, and the self-moving device comprises a robot cleaner (second-to-last paragraph on page 6 of the English-language machine translation).
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 18 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Qi Chen (CN 209346903 U; hereinafter “Qi”).
Regarding claim 18, although Chen further discloses an engagement portion at 211 configured to engage with the tire and be evenly distributed in the circumferential direction of the wheel is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the rim (Fig. 5), Chen fails to disclose the fixing portion of the rim being arranged on an inner circumferential surface of the rim.
Qi, however, teaches a rim 113 comprising a fixing portion 111 arranged on an inner circumferential surface of the rim (Fig. 4) and adaptively connected to a connecting portion 122 of the tire 120 (Fig. 4).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the moving device of Chen so that the fixing portion is arranged on an inner circumferential surface of the rim, such as taught by Qi, as a well-known alternative connecting arrangement that would have a reasonable expectation of success in predictably providing a secure connection between the rim and the tire.
Claims 17 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chen in view of Daniel (US 1,410,460).
Chen fails to disclose the connecting portion being detachably connected to the fixing portion through a buckle.
Daniel, however, teaches a rim (comprised of felly 11 and rim 12) comprising a fixing portion (radially inner surface of 11) and a tire 13 comprising a connecting portion (opening 21 in 13), wherein the connecting portion is detachably connected to the fixing portion through a buckle (buckle 20 on strap 19 as shown in Fig. 4 and described in lines 79-85 of page 1).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the moving device of Chen so that the connecting portion is detachably connected to the fixing portion through a buckle, such as taught by Daniel, as a well-known alternative connecting arrangement that would have a reasonable expectation of success in predictably providing a secure connection between the rim and the tire.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The prior art shows other examples of the tire being detachably secured on the rim.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KIP T KOTTER whose telephone number is (571)272-7953. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30-6 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, Samuel (Joe) J Morano can be reached at (571)272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Kip T Kotter/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3615