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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of invention I, claims 1-11, in the reply filed on 2/23/2026 is acknowledged. Claims 12-36 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Buss (US 6779328 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Buss discloses a lawn maintenance apparatus (10), comprising:
a frame (see fig. 1);
a plurality of drive wheels (12) rotatable about a drive wheel rotation axis;
at least one of an operator seat (14) or a standing platform secured to the frame;
operator controls (16) for operator-initiated functions of the lawn maintenance apparatus; and
a mow deck (18) secured to the frame, wherein the mow deck comprises a plurality of mow spindles (20, 22, 24), wherein each mow spindle of the plurality of mow spindles is configured to drive one or more mow blades (32, 34, 36),
wherein the mow deck comprises at least one baffle (see fig. 3) that reduces space around the one or more mow blades of at least one of the plurality of mow spindles, and
wherein the at least one baffle comprises a W-baffle (see fig. 2-3) with a non-vertical cross-section that comprises an associated arc (26, 28, 30) for each mow spindle of the plurality of mow spindles, wherein on each associated arc the W-baffle is a substantially constant distance from an axis of rotation of the mow spindle of that associated arc on a plane of the one or more mow blades of that spindle (see fig. 2-5).
Regarding claim 2, Buss discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 1, wherein, for each mow spindle of the plurality of mow spindles, the W-baffle is closer than the substantially constant distance to the axis of rotation of that mow spindle above the plane of the one or more mow blades of that mow spindle and is farther than the substantially constant from the axis of rotation of that mow spindle distance below the plane of the one or more mow blades of that mow spindle (see fig. 2-3).
Regarding claim 3, Buss discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one baffle comprises one or more front baffles (44, 52) in front of the plurality of mow spindles.
Regarding claim 4, Buss discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more front baffles are substantially vertical and comprise one or more straight segments (see fig. 3-5).
Regarding claim 5, Buss discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 3, wherein the one or more front baffles comprise an outer front baffle (44) and an inner front baffle (52).
Regarding claim 6, Buss discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 5, wherein the outer front baffle extends downward below a bottom of the inner front baffle (see fig. 5).
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.
Claims 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buss (US 6779328 B2) in view of Burke (US 6470662 B1).
Regarding claim 7, Buss discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 1.
Buss does not disclose wherein for each mow spindle, the one or more mow blades of that mow spindle comprise two mow blades of that mow spindle, wherein the two mow blades of that mow spindle comprise four blade tips of that mow spindle.
In the same field of endeavor, Burke discloses a mower having two mow blades per spindle (see fig. 1a-1b), wherein the two mow blades of that mow spindle comprise four blade tips (12) of that mow spindle. Burke teaches that it is known to provide a mower spindle with either two blades (see fig. 1a-1b, two blades and four blade tips are provided) or one blade (see fig. 2, one blade and two blade tips are provided) to produce more efficient cutting (col. 1 lines 38-42).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Buss with two blades and four blade tips, as disclosed by Burke, as a way of more efficiently cutting the grass
Regarding claim 8, Burke, of the resultant combination, discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 7, wherein for each mow spindle, the four blade tips of that mow spindle are equally spaced (see fig. 1a-1b).
Regarding claim 9, Burke, of the resultant combination, discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 8, wherein for each mow spindle, the four blade tips of that mow spindle of that mow spindle are arranged on ends of the two mow blades of that mow spindle, wherein the two mow blades of that mow spindle are substantially perpendicular to one another (see fig. 1a-1b).
Regarding claim 10, Burke, of the resultant combination, discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 7, wherein for each mow spindle, the four blade tips of that spindle have the same shape (see fig. 1a-1b).
Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Buss (US 6779328 B2) in view of Lucas (US 7479754 B2).
Regarding claim 11, Buss discloses the lawn maintenance apparatus of claim 1.
Buss does not disclose wherein each mow spindle is configured to rotate with an angular speed between 60-85% of a maximum allowable angular speed.
In the same field of endeavor, Lucas discloses rotating a mower blade at 60-85% of a maximum speed to conserve power and extend mowing time (col. 4 lines 28-36).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have configured the blade of Buss to rotate with an angular speed between 60-85% of a maximum allowable angular speed, as disclosed by Lucas, to extend the run time of the mower.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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/MADELINE I RUNCO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671