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 1-7, 9, and 11-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lebre (US3417841) in view of Richardson (WO2016087824) and further in view of Gutierrez (US4063616).
1: Lebre discloses a lift device, comprising: a base (1); a mast assembly (3,4) coupled to the base; a platform assembly (11, 12) pivotally coupled to the mast assembly; and a guardrail assembly (86, col. 6, line 41) pivotally coupled to the mast assembly (3, 4).
Lebre fails to disclose an outrigger assembly including: a front outrigger leg pivotally coupled to a side of the base; and a rear outrigger leg pivotally coupled to the side of the base, wherein the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivotally movable between a deployed position and a stowed position where the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivoted upwardly relative to the base.
Richardson teaches, in the context of lift devices, an outrigger assembly (Fig. 1, 20) including: a front outrigger leg (Fig. 1, 20) pivotally coupled to a side of the base (Fig. 1, 10); and a rear outrigger leg (Fig. 1, 20) pivotally coupled to the side of the base, wherein the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivotally movable between a deployed position (Fig. 1) and a stowed position (Fig. 2) where the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivoted upwardly relative to the base. It 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 to have included an outrigger assembly including: a front outrigger leg pivotally coupled to a side of the base; and a rear outrigger leg pivotally coupled to the side of the base, wherein the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivotally movable between a deployed position and a stowed position where the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivoted upwardly relative to the base in the lift device disclosed by Lebre according to the teachings of Richardson in order to provide additional stability to the lift device.
Lebre in view of Richardson fail to disclose a caster assembly including: a caster plate; a plurality of caster wheels coupled to the caster plate; a caster linkage assembly pivotally coupled between the caster plate and the base; and a pedal pivotally coupled to the caster plate so that movement of the pedal in a caster deployment direction applies a pivotal force on the caster plate that pivots the caster plate, and the plurality of caster wheels, via the caster linkage assembly, between a retracted position and an extended position. Gutierrez teaches, in the context of mobile ladders, a caster assembly (Figs. 1-3) including: a caster plate (40); a plurality of caster wheels (32) coupled to the caster plate; a caster linkage assembly (72) pivotally coupled between the caster plate (40) and the base (26, 28); and a pedal (70, 94) pivotally coupled to the caster plate so that movement of the pedal in a caster deployment direction applies a pivotal force on the caster plate that pivots the caster plate, and the plurality of caster wheels, via the caster linkage assembly, between a retracted position and an extended position (see col. 3, line 56 to col. 4, line 48). It 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 to have included a caster assembly including: a caster plate; a plurality of caster wheels coupled to the caster plate; a caster linkage assembly pivotally coupled between the caster plate and the base; and a pedal pivotally coupled to the caster plate so that movement of the pedal in a caster deployment direction applies a pivotal force on the caster plate that pivots the caster plate, and the plurality of caster wheels, via the caster linkage assembly, between a retracted position and an extended position in the lift device disclosed by Lebre in view of Richardson according to the teachings of Gutierrez in order to facilitate safe movement of the lift device from one location to another (col. 1, lines 5-10 of Gutierrez).
2: Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 1, wherein the pedal (70, 94) is coupled to the caster plate (40) by a bracket (62) and rotatably coupled to a pedal pivot bar (96), wherein the pedal pivot bar is fixed (98) relative to the base.
3. Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 1, wherein the caster linkage assembly defines a four-bar linkage (12, 98, 62, 64) between the base and the caster plate.
4. Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 1, wherein the caster linkage assembly includes a first caster link (Fig. 5, 62), a second caster link (62), and a third caster link (62) , wherein each of the first caster link, the second caster link, and the third caster link is pivotally coupled between the base (26, 28) and the caster plate (40).
5. Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 1, wherein the caster linkage assembly includes a caster spring (55, col. 3, lines 43-55) coupled between the caster plate (40) and the base (26, 28).
6. Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 5, wherein the caster spring generates a tensile force between the caster plate and the base that acts to maintain the caster plate in the retracted position (col. 4, lines 46-49: “the springs 55 which urge the casters to the rest and retracted position of FIG. 3 and in which position they are held by the tension springs 55).
7: Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 1, further comprising a cam assembly (Fig. 12, 54, 56, 60) coupled to the front outrigger leg.
9. Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 7, wherein the cam assembly includes a cam plate (54) having a cam lobe (56), and wherein the front outrigger leg is rotatably fixed to the cam plate by a pivot shaft (Fig. 13, 34, 60).
11. Lebre discloses a lift device, comprising: a base (1); a mast assembly (3,4) coupled to the base; a platform assembly (11, 12) pivotally coupled to the mast assembly; and a guardrail assembly (86, col. 6, line 41) pivotally coupled to the mast assembly (3, 4).
Lebre fails to disclose an outrigger assembly including: a front outrigger leg pivotally coupled to a side of the base and including a front foot; and a rear outrigger leg pivotally coupled to the side of the base and including a rear foot, wherein the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivotally movable between a deployed position where the front foot and the rear foot engage a ground and a stowed position where the front foot and the rear foot are pivoted away from the ground.
Richardson teaches, in the context of lift devices, an outrigger assembly (Fig. 1, 20) including: a front outrigger leg (Fig. 1, 20) pivotally coupled to a side of the base (Fig. 1, 10) and including a front foot (30); and a rear outrigger leg (Fig. 1, 20) pivotally coupled to the side of the base and including a rear foot (30), wherein the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivotally movable between a deployed position (Fig. 1) where the front foot and the rear foot engage a ground and a stowed position (Fig. 2) where the front foot and the rear foot are pivoted upwardly relative to the base. It 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 to have included n outrigger assembly including: a front outrigger leg pivotally coupled to a side of the base and including a front foot; and a rear outrigger leg pivotally coupled to the side of the base and including a rear foot, wherein the front outrigger leg and the rear outrigger leg are both pivotally movable between a deployed position where the front foot and the rear foot engage a ground and a stowed position where the front foot and the rear foot are pivoted away from the ground in the lift device disclosed by Lebre according to the teachings of Richardson in order to provide additional stability to the lift device.
Lebre in view of Richardson fail to disclose a caster assembly including: a caster plate; a plurality of caster wheels coupled to the caster plate; a caster linkage assembly pivotally coupled between the caster plate and the base; and a pedal pivotally coupled to the caster plate so that movement of the pedal in a caster deployment direction applies a pivotal force on the caster plate that pivots the caster plate, and the plurality of caster wheels, via the caster linkage assembly, between a retracted position where the plurality of caster wheels are raised above the ground and an extended position where the plurality of caster wheels engage the ground.
Gutierrez teaches, the context of mobile ladders, a caster assembly (Figs. 1-5) including: a caster plate (40); a plurality of caster wheels (32) coupled to the caster plate; a caster linkage assembly (72) pivotally coupled between the caster plate (40) and the base; and a pedal (70, 94) pivotally coupled to the caster plate (40) so that movement of the pedal in a caster deployment direction applies a pivotal force on the caster plate that pivots the caster plate, and the plurality of caster wheels, via the caster linkage assembly, between a retracted position where the plurality of caster wheels are raised above the ground and an extended position where the plurality of caster wheels engage the ground (see col. 3, line 56 to col. 4, line 48).
12: Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez the lift device of claim 11, wherein the caster linkage assembly defines a four-bar linkage (12, 98, 62, 64) between the base and the caster plate.
13: Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 11, wherein the caster linkage assembly includes a caster spring (55, col. 5, liens 43-55) coupled between the caster plate (40) and the base (26, 28).
14. Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 13, wherein the caster spring generates a tensile force between the caster plate and the base that acts to maintain the caster plate in the retracted position (col. 4, lines 46-49: “the springs 55 which urge the casters to the rest and retracted position of FIG. 3 and in which position they are held by the tension springs 55”).
15. Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 11, further comprising a cam assembly (Fig. 12, 54, 56, 60) coupled to the front outrigger leg.
16. Lebre in view of Richardson and further in view of Gutierrez disclose the lift device of claim 15, wherein the cam assembly includes a cam plate (54) having a cam lobe (56), and wherein the front outrigger leg is rotatably fixed to the cam plate by a pivot shaft (Fig. 13, 34, 60).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8, 10, and 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 18-20 are allowed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Wenjing (US20180273366) discloses an electric personnel lift device.
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/BAP/ Examiner, Art Unit 3634
/COLLEEN M CHAVCHAVADZE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3634