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 the first Office Action on the merits of Application 18/402,723 filed on 1/2/24. Claims 1-5 are pending.
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.
Claims 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 102012013883 to Kurz et al (see attached translation).
Claim 1
Kurz discloses in Figs 1 & 2,
In the field of intermodal logistics an intermodal chassis and trailer comprising: an intermodal chassis having a floor (e.g. 10); a plurality of side walls (e.g. 12 & 13); a plurality of pivot points (see points represented by 25 & 26) that connect to both said intermodal chassis, and said plurality of side walls; said pivot points enable said plurality of side walls to open (see opened position in Fig. 2), providing space for a machine to both lower a series 1 freight container onto said intermodal chassis (Page 3, paragraph 6, teaches the flatbed being designed as a truck or motor vehicle with a trailer coupling), and lift said series 1 freight container off of said intermodal chassis; in this manner, an intermodal chassis and trailer are formed.
Note: The claimed limitation introduces intended use for a machine lowering a freight container.
Claim 2
In the field of intermodal logistics an intermodal chassis and trailer comprising: an intermodal chassis having a floor (e.g. 10); a plurality of side walls (e.g. 12 & 13); a means for both extending, and retracting (Page 4, paragraph 3, by hand), said plurality of side walls that connect to both said intermodal chassis, and said plurality of side walls; said means for both extending, and retracting enable said plurality of side walls to open (see opened position in Fig. 2), providing space for a machine to both lower a series 1 freight container onto said intermodal chassis, and lift said series 1 freight container off of said intermodal chassis; in this manner, an intermodal chassis and trailer are formed.
Note: The claimed limitation introduces intended use for a machine lowering a freight container.
Claim 3
In the field of intermodal logistics an intermodal chassis and trailer comprising: an intermodal chassis having a floor (e.g. 10); a plurality of side walls (e.g. 12 & 13); said plurality of side walls further each have a plurality of roof panels (e.g. 14 & 15) connected to said plurality of side walls; a plurality of pivot points (see points represented by 25 & 26) that connect to both said intermodal chassis, and said plurality of side walls; said pivot points enable said plurality of sidewalls to open (see opened position in Fig. 2), providing space for a machine to both lower a series 1 freight container onto said intermodal chassis, and lift said series 1 freight container off of said intermodal chassis; in this manner, an intermodal chassis and trailer are formed.
Note: The claimed limitation introduces intended use for a machine lowering a freight container.
Claim 4
The intermodal chassis and trailer of claim 3 further comprising: a means for both retracting (Page 4, paragraph 3, by hand), and extending said plurality of roof panels from said plurality of side panels, in this manner, the intermodal chassis and trailer may open both, and close said plurality of roof panels, and said plurality of side panels to enable a series 1 freight container to be both lowered onto, and lifted out of said intermodal chassis and trailer.
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 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 102012013883 to Kurz et al (see attached translation) in view of U.S. Patent 6,224,141 to Brodlo.
Claim 5
Kurz discloses in Figs 1 & 2,
In the field of intermodal logistics an intermodal chassis and trailer comprising: an intermodal chassis having a floor (e.g. 10); a plurality of side walls (e.g. 12 & 13); a plurality of pivot points (see points represented by 25 & 26) that connect to both said intermodal chassis, and said plurality of side walls; said pivot points enable said plurality of side walls to open both (see opened position in Fig. 2), and close providing space for a machine to both lower a series 1 freight container onto said intermodal chassis, and lift said series 1 freight container off of said intermodal chassis. Kurz however, does not explicitly disclose that a plurality of aerodynamic panels; the plurality of side walls further having a structural frame with means for connection wherein said aerodynamic panels may be both attached to, and removed enabling the ability to upgrade aerodynamic performance with next generation aerodynamic panels.
Bordlo however teaches a plurality aerodynamic panels (e.g. 20a-c) the plurality of side walls further having a structural frame (e.g. 32, 48) with means for connection wherein said aerodynamic panels may be both attached to (see Figs 1-4), and removed enabling the ability to upgrade aerodynamic performance with next generation aerodynamic panels. Therefore it would have been obvious for one having ordinary skill in the art before the claims were effectively filed to include a plurality of aerodynamic panels to the side walls of a trailer as taught by Bordlo and include them into the invention of Kurz for the benefit of reducing drag on the vehicle and improving fuel efficiency of transporting goods.
Conclusion
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/HUAN LE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655