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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 12, 13, 19, and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Campbell et al. (US 2023/0066547) in view of CN 114455510.
Regarding claim 1, U S’547 teaches a mobile transport, 210, for moving a solar table, 311, the mobile transport comprising:
a transport component, 420, operable to move the solar table from a first location to a point of installation, see figure 2 and paragraph 0032; and
a first and a second collapsible manipulators, each collapsible manipulator comprises a base frame, 630, coupled to the transport component and a solar table holder, 450, that couples to a torque tube, 680, of the solar table, the first and the second collapsible manipulators are collapsible to raise or lower the solar table holder, see figure 6 and paragraph 0039 and 0040;
the collapsible manipulators comprising:
a lift frame, 650, having a first end pivotably coupled to the base frame, 630, and having a support beam, 725, placed on a second end of the lift frame, the solar table holder is attached to the support beam to support the solar table.
US ‘547 does not teach that the collapsible manipulator is a scissor lift.
CN ‘510 teaches a mobile transport, see figure 1, for transporting items that comprises a transport component, see wheels 3, and collapsible manipulators, wherein each collapsible manipulator is a scissor lift comprising:
a lift frame, 10, having a first end pivotably coupled to the base frame, 1;
a pivot frame, 9, having a first end pivotably coupled to the lift frame, see pivot axis connecting lift frame and pivot frame in the middle shown in figure 1, at a position between the first end and the second end of the lift frame; and
a lift control element, 5, positioned horizontally and coupled between a second end of the pivot frame and the first end of the lift frame, the lift control element is operable to retract to unfold the lift frame to a lifted position or expand to fold the lift frame to a collapsed position, see specification which states “S2, lifting goods -- starting the electric push rod, the output electric of the push rod drives the pushing block to move, then drives the first sliding block to move, the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod are moved in a scissor manner.”
Since both US ‘547 and CN ‘510 teach lift mechanisms to stably lift an item being transported on a mobile transport unit, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to replace the direct lift of US ‘547 with the scissor lift of CN ‘510 in order to achieve the predictable result of stably lifting and lowering the solar panel to between a transport height and an installation height.
Regarding claim 2, US ‘547 teaches the first and the second collapsible manipulators operate independently from each other or collaboratively, see paragraph 0039.
Regarding claim 4, US ‘547 teaches the solar table holder, 450, is slidable along the support beam, 725, such that the mobile transport is able to move the solar table horizontally or adjust a yaw angle of the solar table, see paragraph 0044.
Regarding claim 12, US ‘547 teaches a method for moving a solar table, the method comprising:
loading the solar table on to a mobile transport at a first location, see paragraph 0026 and figure 2, the mobile transport comprises a transport component and a pair of collapsible manipulators, see paragraph 0039 and 0040 and figure 6, each collapsible manipulator comprises a base frame, 630, coupled to the transport component and a solar table holder, 450, that couples to a torque tube, 680, of the solar table, the pair of collapsible manipulators are collapsible to raise or lower the solar table holder, see paragraphs 0033, 0039, and 0040;
wherein each collapsible manipulator is a comprising:
a lift frame, 650, having a first end pivotably coupled to the base frame, 630, and having a support beam, 725, placed on a second end of the lift frame, the solar table holder is attached to the support beam to support the solar table;
operating the pair of collapsible manipulators for a collapsed or a partially expanded position for driving stability;
transporting, by the mobile transport, the solar table from the first location to a point of installation; and
aligning the solar table to an installation stance, see paragraph 0028, which teaches that alignment of the solar table, which includes lifting by the collapsible manipulators happens after transport to the installation sight.
US ‘547 does not teach that the collapsible manipulator is a scissor lift.
CN ‘510 teaches a mobile transport, see figure 1, for transporting items that comprises a transport component, see wheels 3, and collapsible manipulators, wherein each collapsible manipulator is a scissor lift comprising:
a lift frame, 10, having a first end pivotably coupled to the base frame, 1;
a pivot frame, 9, having a first end pivotably coupled to the lift frame, see pivot axis connecting lift frame and pivot frame in the middle shown in figure 1, at a position between the first end and the second end of the lift frame; and
a lift control element, 5, positioned horizontally and coupled between a second end of the pivot frame and the first end of the lift frame, the lift control element is operable to retract to unfold the lift frame to a lifted position or expand to fold the lift frame to a collapsed position, see specification which states “S2, lifting goods -- starting the electric push rod, the output electric of the push rod drives the pushing block to move, then drives the first sliding block to move, the first supporting rod and the second supporting rod are moved in a scissor manner.”
Since both US ‘547 and CN ‘510 teach lift mechanisms to stably lift an item being transported on a mobile transport unit, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to replace the direct lift of US ‘547 with the scissor lift of CN ‘510 in order to achieve the predictable result of stably lifting and lowering the solar panel to between a transport height and an installation height.
Regarding claim 13, US ‘547 teaches the first and the second collapsible manipulators operate independently from each other or collaboratively, see paragraph 0039.
Regarding claim 19, US ‘547 teaches the method wherein transporting, by the mobile transport, the solar table from the first location to the point of installation comprises:
transporting the solar table from the first location in proximity to the point of installation, the point of installation is between two piles;
lifting the solar table by unfolding the collapsible manipulators such that that solar table is able to cross the two piles from above;
maneuvering the mobile transport between the two piles to the point of installation, see paragraph 0027 and 0028.
Regarding claim 20, US ‘547 teaches aligning the solar table to the installation stance comprises one or more of:
raising or lowering a height of the solar table;
moving the solar table horizontally;
moving the solar table laterally;
moving the solar table longitudinally;
adjusting a pitch angle of the solar table; and
adjusting a yaw angle of the solar table, see paragraph 0028.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Campbell et al. (US 2023/0066547) in view of CN 114455510 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of DiStefano et al. (US 2024/0001836).
Regarding claim 5, US ‘547 teaches the lift control element is controllable for a desired motion speed and a traveling distance, see lift magnitude 617 and 622 figure 6 and paragraph 0039. US ‘547 does not teach the lift control element is a hydraulically or pneumatically operated cylinder, and neither does CN ‘510, which teaches the lift control element is an electric push rod.
It is well known to use hydraulically or pneumatically operated cylinder at a lift element for a scissor lift. US ‘836 teaches a mobile transport comprising a collapsible manipulator with a lift frame, 81, and pivot frame, 82, and a lift control element, 83, that is an electrically driven cylinder actuator, see paragraph 0057.
Since both CN ‘510 and US ‘836 teach lift mechanisms to stably lift an item being transported on a mobile transport unit, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to replace the electric push rod of CN ‘510 with the cylinder actuator of US ‘836 in order to achieve the predictable result of stably actuating the scissor lift and lifting and lowering the solar panel to between a transport height and an installation height.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 12 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 amended claims 1 and 12 to incorporate subject matter of dependent claims 3 and 14 respectively. Applicant also added the limitation that the lift control element is positioned horizontally. This added limitation defined over the prior art to DiStefano et al. (US 2024/0001836). In light of this amendment new prior art, CN 114455510, was applied which teaches a scissor list with the horizontally oriented lift control element, as claimed. As such, claims 1, 2, 4, 5, 12, 13, 19 and 20 remain rejected.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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. Prior art cited on the PTO-892 are included in the file to show other examples of mobile transports with lift frames. For example, US 2022/0402735 and CN 106477483 are both examples of mobile transport with scissor lifts.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAITLIN S JOERGER whose telephone number is (571)272-6938. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5 (CST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at (571)270-5565. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KAITLIN S JOERGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
4 September 2026
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