DETAILED ACTION
Status of Claims
Claim 5 has been canceled.
Claims 1, 6, 7, and 9 have been amended.
Claims 1-4 and 6-9 are pending.
Claims 1-4 and 6-9 are rejected.
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
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 and 6-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huenink et al. (US 2022/0311974, “hereinafter “Huenink”) in view of Ozaki et al. (Machine Translation of Ozaki et al., JP 2016179741 A, hereinafter “Ozaki”).
In regards to claim 1, Huenink teaches an agricultural vehicle comprising:
a body, the body being sized and configured to fit between rows of plants, the body being elongated between a front end and a rear end, the body comprising a main portion and a cabin, the cabin being coupled to and positioned forwardly of the main portion (Huenink; Fig. 1A, Fig. 2, par [0018]);
a plurality of wheels mounted to the body, the plurality of wheels being sized, positioned, and configured to fit between the rows of plants (Huenink; Fig. 1A, Fig. 2, par [0018], lines 1-6, par [0028]);
a drive system mounted in the main portion of the body, the drive system being operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of wheels (Huenink; Fig. 1A, Fig. 2, par [0028]);
a control system mounted in the cabin of the body, the control system being operatively coupled to the drive system (Huenink; pars [0026], [0031]-[0033]);
a plurality of cameras mounted on an exterior of the body, the plurality of cameras being oriented to face outwardly from the body (Huenink; Fig. 1A, reference character 108, par [0034], Fig. 2, reference character 208, par [0047]);
a processor operatively coupled to the plurality of cameras (Huenink; pars [0031], [0034]); and
a display mounted in the cabin and operably coupled to the processor, the processor being configured to cause the display to present images captured by the plurality of cameras of an entire perimeter region surrounding the body (Huenink; Figs. 3A, 3B; pars [0045], [0071], lines 3-5).
Huenink does not explicitly teach a door being mounted to the main portion of the body and positioned on one of a pair of lateral sides of the body, the door being movable to facilitate access to the drive system; and a vent extending through the door wherein the vent is configured to facilitate air flow between a surrounding atmosphere and an interior of the body.
Ozaki teaches a door being mounted to the main portion of the body and positioned on one of a pair of lateral sides of the body, the door being movable to facilitate access to the drive system (Ozaki; p.5, paragraph 4 – “the bonnet 91 forming the engine room 7 … is divided into left and right parts, and both the left and right bonnets 91 can be turned up and turned around the center of the left and right. That is, the left and right bonnets 91 are so-called gull-wing doors.”); and
and a vent extending through the door wherein the vent is configured to facilitate air flow between a surrounding atmosphere and an interior of the body (Ozaki; p.5, paragraph 4 – “An air discharge port 92 is formed in one of the left and right bonnets 91”; p.7, paragraph 2 – “the air in the engine room 7 is discharged from the air discharge port 92 … to the outside of the machine”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the gull-wing doors and ventilation described in Ozaki in the work vehicle of Huenink in order to allow for easy maintenance of the enclosed engine.
In regards to claim 2, Huenink in view of Ozaki teaches the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cameras includes a pair of forward-facing cameras, each forward-facing camera being mounted to an associated lateral side of a pair of lateral sides of the body, each forward-facing camera being positioned on the main portion of the body adjacent to the cabin, each forward-facing camera facing forwardly with respect to the body (Huenink; Fig. 1A, reference character 108b, par [0036], Fig. 2, reference character 208b, par [0047]).
In regards to claim 3, Huenink in view of Ozaki teaches the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cameras includes a pair of rear-facing cameras, each rear-facing camera being mounted to an associated lateral side of a pair of lateral sides of the body, each rear-facing camera being positioned adjacent to the rear end of the body, each rear-facing camera facing rearwardly with respect to the body (Huenink; Fig. 1C, reference characters 108d, 108g, pars [0038], [0041]-[0042], Fig. 2, reference characters 208d, 208g, par [0047]).
In regards to claim 4, Huenink in view of Ozaki teaches the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cameras includes a pair of lateral-facing cameras, each lateral-facing camera being mounted to an associated lateral side of a pair of lateral sides of the body, each lateral-facing camera facing in an associated one of a pair of opposite lateral directions with respect to the body (Huenink; Fig. 1A, reference character 108e, par [0039], Fig. 2, reference character 208e, par [0047]).
In regards to claim 6, Huenink in view of Ozaki teaches the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the door is one of a pair of doors mounted to the main portion of the body, each door being positioned on an associated lateral side of the pair of lateral sides of the body, each door being movable to facilitate access to the drive system (Ozaki; p.5, paragraph 4 – “the bonnet 91 forming the engine room 7 … is divided into left and right parts, and both the left and right bonnets 91 can be turned up and turned around the center of the left and right. That is, the left and right bonnets 91 are so-called gull-wing doors.”).
In regards to claim 7, Huenink in view of Ozaki teaches the vehicle of claim 1, wherein the door is pivotably joined to the body at a top edge of the door (Ozaki; p.5, paragraph 4 – “both the left and right bonnets 91 can be turned up and turned around the center of the left and right. That is, the left and right bonnets 91 are so-called gull-wing doors.”).
In regards to claim 8, Huenink in view of Ozaki teaches the vehicle of claim 1, wherein a front wall of the cabin comprises a transparent material (Huenink; Figs. 3A, 3B, par [0049] - windshield).
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Huenink in view of Ozaki, further in view of Takano et al. (Machine Translation of Takano et al., JP 02128919 A, hereinafter “Takano”).
In regards to claim 9, Huenink teaches an agricultural vehicle comprising:
a body, the body being sized and configured to fit between rows of plants, the body being elongated between a front end and a rear end, the body comprising a main portion and a cabin, the cabin being coupled to and positioned forwardly of the main portion (Huenink; Fig. 1A, Fig. 2, par [0018]), a front wall of the cabin comprising a transparent material (Huenink; Figs. 3A, 3B, par [0049] – windshield);
a plurality of wheels mounted to the body, the plurality of wheels being sized, positioned, and configured to fit between the rows of plants (Huenink; Fig. 1A, Fig. 2, par [0018], lines 1-6, par [0028]);
a drive system mounted in the main portion of the body, the drive system being operatively coupled to at least one of the plurality of wheels (Huenink; Fig. 1A, Fig. 2, par [0028]);
a control system mounted in the cabin of the body, the control system being operatively coupled to the drive system (Huenink; pars [0026], [0031]-[0033]);
a plurality of cameras mounted on an exterior of the body, the plurality of cameras being oriented to face outwardly from the body (Huenink; Fig. 1A, reference character 108, par [0034], Fig. 2, reference character 208, par [0047]), the plurality of cameras including:
a pair of forward-facing cameras, each forward-facing camera being mounted to an associated lateral side of a pair of lateral sides of the body, each forward-facing camera being positioned on the main portion of the body adjacent to the cabin, each forward-facing camera facing forwardly with respect to the body (Huenink; Fig. 1A, reference character 108b, par [0036], Fig. 2, reference character 208b, par [0047]);
a pair of rear-facing cameras, each rear-facing camera being mounted to an associated lateral side of the pair of lateral sides of the body, each rear-facing camera being positioned adjacent to the rear end of the body, each rear-facing camera facing rearwardly with respect to the body (Huenink; Fig. 1C, reference characters 108d, 108g, pars [0038], [0041]-[0042], Fig. 2, reference characters 208d, 208g, par [0047]); and
a pair of lateral-facing cameras, each lateral-facing camera being mounted to an associated lateral side of the pair of lateral sides of the body, each lateral-facing camera facing in an associated one of a pair of opposite lateral directions with respect to the body (Huenink; Fig. 1A, reference character 108e, par [0039], Fig. 2, reference character 208e, par [0047]);
a processor operatively coupled to the plurality of cameras (Huenink; pars [0031], [0034]); and
a display mounted in the cabin and operably coupled to the processor, the processor being configured to cause the display to present images captured by the plurality of cameras of an entire perimeter region surrounding the body (Huenink; Figs. 3A, 3B; pars [0045], [0071], lines 3-5).
Huenink does not explicitly teach a pair of doors mounted to the main portion of the body, each door being positioned on an associated lateral side, each door being movable to facilitate access to the drive system, each door being pivotably joined to the body at a top edge of the door; and a pair of vents, each vent extending through a respective door of the pair of doors wherein the pair of vents are configured to facilitate air flow between a surrounding atmosphere and an interior of the body.
Ozaki teaches a pair of doors mounted to the main portion of the body, each door being positioned on an associated lateral side, each door being movable to facilitate access to the drive system, each door being pivotably joined to the body at a top edge of the door (Ozaki; p.5, paragraph 4 – “the bonnet 91 forming the engine room 7 … is divided into left and right parts, and both the left and right bonnets 91 can be turned up and turned around the center of the left and right. That is, the left and right bonnets 91 are so-called gull-wing doors.”); and
a vent extending through a door of the pair of doors wherein the vent is configured to facilitate air flow between a surrounding atmosphere and an interior of the body (Ozaki; p.5, paragraph 4 – “An air discharge port 92 is formed in one of the left and right bonnets 91”; p.7, paragraph 2 – “the air in the engine room 7 is discharged from the air discharge port 92 … to the outside of the machine”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize the gull-wing doors and ventilation described in Ozaki in the work vehicle of Huenink in order to allow for easy maintenance of the enclosed engine.
Huenink in view of Ozaki does not explicitly teach a pair of vents, each vent extending through a respective door of the pair of doors wherein the pair of vents are configured to facilitate air flow between a surrounding atmosphere and an interior of the body.
Takano teaches a pair of vents, each vent extending through a respective door of the pair of doors wherein the pair of vents are configured to facilitate air flow between a surrounding atmosphere and an interior of the body (Takano; p.1, Abstract – “Discharged air vent portions 25 from the cooling fan 11 are opened at both the sides, left and light, of the bonnet 21.”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a pair of vents as described in Takano in the work vehicle of Huenink in view of Ozaki in order to ensure adequate ventilation by allowing air to be exhausted from both sides of the vehicle body (Takano; p.2, paragraph 19 – “Warm air is exhausted from the exhaust port 25 to both sides of the vehicle body.”).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 8/5/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues at p.7 of applicant’s remarks that Ozaki does not teach a vent extending through the door … wherein the vent is configured to facilitate air flow between a surrounding atmosphere and an interior of the body” as recited in claim 1. The Examiner respectfully disagrees.
As set forth in the rejections above, Ozaki teaches an air discharge port, i.e. a vent, in one of the left or right bonnets by which air is discharged to the outside of the machine, i.e. a surrounding atmosphere (Ozaki; p.5, paragraph 4; p.7, paragraph 2). A port that allows air to be discharged to the surrounding atmosphere constitutes a vent that facilitates the flow of air between an interior of a body and the surrounding atmosphere, as claimed. In response to applicant's argument that the references fail to show certain features of the invention, it is noted that the features upon which applicant relies (i.e., that “air can flow freely into and out of the main portion of the body”) are not recited in the rejected claim(s). Although the claims are interpreted in light of the specification, limitations from the specification are not read into the claims. See In re Van Geuns, 988 F.2d 1181, 26 USPQ2d 1057 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Firstly, the discharge port would obviously allow air to flow in both directions to some extent. Moreover, air flow “between” a surrounding atmosphere and an interior of a body does not require that air flow in both directions, rather merely that air flows at, into, or across the space separating the interior from the surrounding atmosphere.
The remainder of applicant’s arguments have been considered, but are rendered moot in view of the new ground of rejection presented above.
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.
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/KAVITA STANLEY/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2153