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 .
DETAILED CORRESPONDENCE
This is in response to the papers filed on 11/03/2023 for Application No. 18/386,792. Claims 1 and 3-4 are pending with claim 1 being amended, claim 2 is canceled and newly claim 4 is added.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed on 05/12/2026 has been entered. Applicant’s amendments have overcome the rejection of claims 1-3 under 35 U.S.C §102(a)(1) by Wang, set forth in previous action. The rejection of the claims has been withdrawn. However, the amendment has raised new issue indicated below.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments, see the Remarks filed 05/12/2026, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Specifically, applicant argues, see the lower portion of page 7, that Wang does not disclose the seat includes seat section and a backrest section separate from each other and that “the backrest section is removable from and attachable to the body frame”. However, Wang discloses “the seat 50 may be easily replaced and repaired. The seat 50 includes a seat cushion 51 and a backrest 52, the seat cushion 51 is detachably installed on the seat bracket 40, and the backrest 52 is detachably installed on the seat cushion 51”, paragraph [0049], i.e., the backrest 52 is indirectly attached and removable from the body frame 100 via the seat cushion 51 and the seat bracket 40 that are fixedly attached/connected to the body frame 100. For at least these reasons, applicant’s arguments are not persuasive. See the rejection of claim 4 below.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1 and 3 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Regarding claim 1, the prior art of record fails to disclose or render obvious a work vehicle having a body frame, a front wheel for travel supported by a front portion of the body frame, a rear wheel for travel supported by a rear portion of the body frame, a seating section supported by a portion of the body frame between the front wheel and the rear wheel, at least one seat frame supporting a seat in the seating section and including an up-down section extending along an up-down direction and a front-rear section extending rearward from an upper portion of the up-down section, a battery, a motor configured to output motive power for travel with use of electric power supplied from the battery and in combination with the remaining features recited, particularly “a left end portion of the battery is outward of the left seat frame in the lateral direction, and the battery is continuously between a position outward of the right seat frame in the lateral direction and a position outward of the left seat frame in the lateral direction, and side guards are provided respectively outward of sides of the battery in the lateral direction so as to overlap the battery in a side view”.
Claim 3 is allowed as being dependent upon the allowed base 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.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wang, cited in the previous action, mailed 02/12/2026.
Regarding claim 4, Wang discloses a work vehicle (1000) comprising:
a body frame (100);
a front wheel (figs. 1-2; paragraph [0049], front wheels, not labeled) for travel supported by a front portion of the body frame;
a rear wheel (figs. 1-2; paragraph [0049], rear wheels, not labeled) for travel supported by a rear portion of the body frame;
a seating section (40,50,51,52) supported by a portion of the body frame (100) between the front wheel and the rear wheel;
a seat (50) provided in the seating section (40,50,51,52) and including
a seat section (i.e., seat cushion 51) and a backrest section (52) which are separate from each other (para. [0095], i.e., the backrest 52 is detachably installed on the seat cushion 51);
at least one seat frame (40) supporting the seat (50) in the seating section so as to be removable therefrom and attachable thereto (para. [0095], “the seat cushion 51 is detachably installed on the seat bracket 40, and the backrest 52 is detachably installed on the seat cushion 51”, i.e., these components are separate parts and are attachable/detachable from one another) and
including an up-down section (see annotated Figure 1A below, “UDS”) extending along an up-down direction and a front-rear section (see annotated Figure 1A below, “FRS”) extending rearward from an upper portion of the up-down section;
a battery (300); and
a motor (210) configured to output motive power for travel with use of electric power supplied from the battery (300; paragraph [0049]),
wherein the body frame comprises:
a first frame section (325,328) under the seating section;
a second frame section (330b,330c) extending upward from a rear portion (329) of the first frame section; and
a third frame section (334) extending rearward from an upper portion of the second frame section, and
wherein:
the up-down section (UDS) of the at least one seat frame is attachable to the first frame section and removable therefrom (see fig. 4, i.e., up-down section UDS removed),
the front-rear section (FRS) of the at least one seat frame is attachable to the second frame section or the third frame section and removable therefrom (see fig. 4, i.e., front-rear section FRS removed), and
the battery (300) is between the up-down section and the second frame section and between the front-rear section and the first frame section (shown in fig. 3), and
the backrest section (para. [0095], “the seat 50 may be easily replaced and repaired. The seat 50 includes a seat cushion 51 and a backrest 52, the seat cushion 51 is detachably installed on the seat bracket 40, and the backrest 52 is detachably installed on the seat cushion 51”, i.e., the backrest section 52 is indirectly connectable/removable from the body frame 100 via seat cushion 51 and seat bracket 40 which are fixedly attached/connected to the body frame 100) is removable from and attachable to the body frame (100).
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499
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Annotated Figure 1A
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Tinh T Dang whose telephone number is (571)270-1776. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9AM - 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ernesto Suarez can be reached at Mon-Friday from 8AM-4:30PM 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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/TINH T DANG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655 June 3, 2026
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