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 .
This communication is in response to application No. 18/386,152; Automatic Tractor Trailer Coupling; filed on 11/01/2023. Claims 6-26 are currently pending and have been examined.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 17, lines 13 and 14 states (in two places); “coupling of the at the least one”. The second “the” should be removed.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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 8 and 9 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.
Claim 8, line 2 and claim 9, line 2 describe a lateral Y axis motion. However the Specification describes the lateral axis, across the width of the vehicle chassis, as the X axis. As illustrated in fig. 1, the lateral axis is the X axis, while the Y axis is the vertical axis. It is unclear what the intended interpretation of this claim should be. For reference, claim 6 makes it clear that the tractor coupling head carrier control system can actively move the tractor coupling head carrier (and head) in a longitudinal (Z axis) direction.
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.
Claim(s) 22-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wendte (US 2013/0277943 A1).
Regarding claim 22, Wendt discloses;
A system for automatically coupling at least one of an air line or an electrical line of a tractor to a trailer that is configured to be pulled by the tractor, the system comprising: (Wendte describes electrical and hydraulic connections between the tractor and the towed implement. Additionally, it would have been obvious, to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the hydraulic lines with air lines as required by the functionality of the towed trailer. As a result, the trailer would continue to function as intended.)
a trailer coupling head frame (bank frame 53; fig. 2, paragraph 15) capable of being mounted to the trailer, the trailer coupling head frame further comprising a trailer coupling head (implement connector bank assembly 27), wherein the trailer coupling head comprises at least one of an air line connector or an electrical line connector (electrical connector 33);
a tractor coupling head (tractor connector bank 29; fig. 3) comprising at least one of an air line connector that is configured to be operably coupled to the air line connector of the trailer coupling head or an electrical connector (electrical connector 33; fig. 3) that is configured to be operably coupled to the electrical connector of the trailer coupling head,
wherein when the trailer coupling head frame is mounted to the trailer, the at least one of an air line connector or an electrical connector of the trailer coupling head are arranged relative to a front face of the trailer such that the tractor coupling must be translated at least in a first degree of freedom contained within a plane parallel to the plane of a front face of the trailer, in order to couple the at least one tractor coupling head air line or electrical line connector to the at least one trailer coupling head air line or electrical line connector. (Fig. 3 illustrates the tractor connector bank moving in a longitudinal direction to engage with the implement connector.)
Regarding claim 23, Wendt discloses;
wherein the trailer coupling head comprises alignment features (receptacles 129; fig. 2, paragraph 26) for aligning the tractor coupling head with the trailer coupling head.
Regarding claim 24, Wendt discloses;
further comprising one or more clamping members (actuator assembly 31; fig. 3, paragraph 23) that are configured to move the tractor coupling head along the first degree of freedom towards the trailer coupling head. (Paragraph 23 describes actuation of the tractor coupling head (connector bank 29) in a horizontal direction.)
Regarding claim 25, Wendt discloses;
further comprising a latching system (lock system 41; fig. 2, paragraph 16) that is configured to lock the tractor coupling head and the trailer coupling head together, so that the tractor coupling head and trailer coupling head can remain coupled to each other once a clamping force that can be applied by the clamping members is removed by the automatic coupling system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 7, 10-21, and 26 allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Independent claims 6, 17 and 26 are allowable because none of the cited references either alone or in combination disclose the combination of limitations as claimed. Specifically, the references fail to disclose;
Regarding claim 6;
a tractor coupling head carrier (80) that is configured to removably carry the tractor coupling head;
and a tractor coupling head carrier control system that is configured to move the tractor coupling head carrier toward and away from the trailer coupling head along a longitudinal axis.
Regarding claim 17;
a fifth wheel coupling height control system that is configured to automatically control the height of the fifth wheel coupling when it is coupled to the kingpin of the trailer, to control the height of the trailer coupling head as part of the automatic coupling of the at the least one of an air line or electrical line connector of the tractor to the at the least one of an air line or electrical line connector of the trailer;
wherein the fifth wheel coupling height control system controls a boom coupled to the fifth wheel coupling to raise and or lower the boom as necessary to align the trailer coupling head in a vertical degree of freedom relative to the tractor coupling head during the automatic coupling of the at least one of an air line or electrical line connector of the tractor to the at least one of an air line or electrical line connector of the trailer.
Regarding claim 26;
a tractor coupling head carrier that is configured to removably carry the tractor coupling head.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SCOTT LAWRENCE STRICKLER whose telephone number is (703)756-1961. The examiner can normally be reached Mon. - Fri. 9:30am to 5:30pm.
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/SCOTT LAWRENCE STRICKLER/Examiner, Art Unit 3614
/JASON D SHANSKE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3614