DETAILED ACTION
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 § 103
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 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 1 – 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Piontek (US 2008/0190084 A1) in view of Manji (US 2021/0129668 A1).
For claim 1, Piontek discloses a work vehicle 10 comprising:
a front wheel unit 18, 20;
a rear wheel unit 14, 16 comprising a left rear wheel 16 and a right rear wheel 14;
a variable travel power supply unit 40, 42, 44, 46 [configured to supply rotary power independently to the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel] (pages 1 and 2, paragraphs [0020] and [0021] and claim 1);
a left operation tool 30 [configured to adjust a speed of rotary power supplied from the variable travel power supply unit to the left rear wheel, by displacement along a first path which is a shift path] (figs. 6, page 1, paragraph [0020]);
a right operation tool 28 [configured to adjust a speed of rotary power supplied from the variable travel power supply unit to the right rear wheel, by displacement along a second path which is a shift path] (fig. 5, page 1, paragraph [0020]);
a parking brake 70 [provided in the variable travel power supply unit] (page 2, paragraph [0023], “each brake, hydraulic motor, and drive wheel hub may comprise an integrated unit”);
[a parking brake operating section configured to operate the parking brake, in response to displacement of the left operation tool to a standby position of a third path branching from the first path and displacement of the right operation tool to a standby position of a fourth path branching from the second path] (fig. 5, page 3, paragraph [0035]);
[a parking brake release section configured to release operation of the parking brake, in response to at least one of release displacement of the left operation tool along the first path from a neutral position and release displacement of the right operation tool along the second path from a neutral position, while the parking brake is operating] (page 3, paragraph [0031], “when drive levers 28, 30 are in neutral or other positions within the longitudinal legs 36 of the T-slots 32, 34, the lower ends of drive levers 28, 30 are out of engagement with buttons, thereby allowing switches 124 to return to their normal closed conditions”, in the instance the parking brakes are initially in an engaged configuration, the brake would have release displacement when the drive levers are moved to the neutral or other position in the longitudinal legs dependent upon the speed of movement of the drive levers by an operator); but does not explicitly disclose
a release displacement calculation section configured to calculate the release displacement; and
a calibration section configured to calibrate the release displacement calculation section in real time.
Manji discloses a grass mowing machine comprising [a left steering angle detection 91a and a right steering angle detection 91b, each detecting a respective displacement amount in a front/rear direction and a left parking switch 92a and a right parking switch 92b function respective as a “position detector” for detecting a parking position of a drive wheel operation unit 8] (page 3, paragraph [0047]); [a parking control unit 6C including a parking determination section 61, a control signal outputting section 62, and a time management section 63] (page 3, paragraph [0051]); and [an initial lapsed time processing in an activated parking brake control routine is a timer start, in the lapsed time management subsequent thereto, the process makes comparison between a lapsed period measured by a timer and a set threshold] (page 3, paragraph [0056]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the sensors and parking control unit of Manji with the work vehicle of Piontek with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for improved detection of the position of the drive levers and control of the brake, thus allowing for improved operation and drivability of the work vehicle.
For claim 2, Piontek modified as above discloses the work vehicle [wherein the release displacement calculation section calculates the release displacement from a detection value of a displacement detection sensor configured to detect displacement of the left operation tool and the right operation tool along the respective shift paths from the respective neutral positions] (page 3, paragraph [0047] of Manji), and
[wherein the calibration section performs the calibration, using, as a zero point, a disengagement detection value which is the detection value of the displacement detection sensor acquired when the left operation tool and the right operation tool disengage from the respective standby positions] (in view of the modification above, where a parking control unit including the time management section, of Manji, performs calibration at an initial lapsed time of the operative moving the drive levers from the transverse legs toward the neutral position).
For claim 3, Piontek modified as above discloses the work vehicle further comprising:
a limit switch 124 [configured to detect that the left operation tool and the right operation tool have reached the respective standby positions, and that the left operation tool and the right operation tool have disengaged from the respective standby positions] (page 3, paragraph [0031]), and
[wherein the calibration section performs the calibration, using, as the zero point, the detection value of the displacement detection sensor acquired at a time that disengagement is detected by the limit switch or at a time of predetermined displacement after disengagement is detected] (in view of the modification above, where a parking control unit including the time management section, of Manji, performs calibration at an initial lapsed time of the operative moving the drive levers from the transverse legs toward the neutral position when the switches are out of engagement with the drive levers).
For claim 4, Piontek modified as above discloses the work vehicle [wherein displacement of the left operation tool along the third path and displacement of the right operation tool along the fourth path expands a disembarkation passage for a driver to disembark from the work vehicle] (fig. 3).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US-20210086831 – a brake position sensor detects a steering lever has become apart from stop position, and additionally the travel position sensor has detected that the steering lever is at a neutral position, a brake control unit sets a parking brake to a released state.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jacob D. Knutson whose telephone number is (571)270-5576. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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/JACOB D KNUTSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611