DETAILED ACTION
This is on the merits of Application No. 18/387118, filed on 11/06/2023. Claims 1 and 3-6 are pending. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS), submitted on 12/22/2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
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 1 and 3-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2020/0189379 to Hirukawa et al. in view of U.S. Patent App. Pub. No. 2015/0274013 to Matsuda et al.
Hirukawa discloses:
(Claim 1) A work vehicle (1), comprising: a front travel device (FW); a rear travel device (RW); a driver section including a seat (7); a first battery (26); a second battery (27); a motor (30) configured to supply motive power to the front and rear travel devices with use of electric power from the first and second batteries; wherein the driver section is disposed between the front travel device and the rear travel device in a side view (see Fig. 1); a first battery support section (Fig. 5 element 28 supporting 26) under the seat, and wherein the first battery is mountable in the first battery support section; and a second battery support section (Fig. 5 element 28 supporting 27) between the driver section and the rear travel device in a side view, and wherein the second battery is mountable in and removable from the second battery support section; wherein the motor is between the driver section and the rear travel device in the side view (see Fig. 1).
(Claim 3) the second battery support section is below the seat (see Fig. 1).
(Claim 4) further comprising: a body frame (10) for which the front and rear travel devices are provided and which supports the driver section, wherein the body frame comprises: a first frame member (12) under the driver section; a second frame member (18b) extending upward from a back portion of the first frame member and disposed backward of the driver section; and a third frame member (16) extending backward from an upper portion of the second frame member, and wherein the second battery support section is backward of the second frame member and below the third frame member.
(Claim 5) wherein: the second battery support section comprises: a support base coupled to a back portion of the first frame member (see Annotated Fig. 6 element SB) or to the second frame member and extending backward, to which support base the second battery is attachable; and a support frame member (see Annotated Fig. 6 element SFM) coupled to the third frame member and the support base.
(Claim 6) wherein: the first and second batteries are each in a shape of a rectangle with a long side and a short side in a plan view, the first battery is mountable in the first battery support section with the long side of the first battery in the left-right direction, and the second battery is mountable in the second battery support section with the long side of the second battery in the left-right direction (see Fig. 4).
Hirukawa does not disclose:
(Claim 1) wherein the second battery support section is between the driver section and the motor in the side view; and wherein the motor is backward of the second battery support section.
Matsuda teaches:
(Claim 1) wherein the second battery support section (23) is between the driver section and the motor (19) in the side view; and wherein the motor is backward of the second battery support section (see Figs. 1-3, first battery 22 under seat, second battery 23 rearward of first battery, motor 19 rearward of second battery).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified, with a reasonable expectation of success, the structure of Hirukawa to have the motor rearward of the second battery, as taught by Matsuda, since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. Different placements of the motor can allow for a different center of gravity and different balancing of weight depending on how one would want the vehicle to be balanced.
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Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 3-6 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.
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 TIMOTHY HANNON whose telephone number is (571)270-1943. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 10-6.
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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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/TIMOTHY HANNON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655