DETAILED ACTION
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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5, 11, 13, and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Forthoffer (US 11,738,812). Forthoffer discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - A device for automatically establishing at least one connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle, the device comprising:
an outrigger 104 extending along a longitudinal axis, said outrigger 104 being configured to be connected to a fastening point P1 of the towing vehicle 10 and to pivot around the fastening point P1;
an alignment device 108 slidably mounted to said outrigger 104 and configured to align said outrigger 104 to the trailer vehicle 10, said alignment device including a cross member slidably mounted at said outrigger, wherein said cross member defines a cross member longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the outrigger (see marked up figure below);
a gripper arm 130 slidably mounted to said outrigger 104 and configured to hold a truck connector 110; and
a gripper arm drive 106 for moving said gripper arm 130 in both directions of the longitudinal axis of said outrigger 104.
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With regard to claim 3 - further comprising:
an alignment drive 106 for moving said alignment device 108 in both directions of the longitudinal axis of said outrigger 104.
With regard to claim 5 - wherein said gripper arm includes an alignment pin arranged for aligning said gripper arm to a trailer recess.
With regard to claim 11 - A towing vehicle 10 comprising the device of claim 1.
With regard to claim 13 - A trailer vehicle 20 configured to be connected to a towing vehicle 10 comprising the device of claim 1, the trailer vehicle 20 comprising a trailer connector 210.
With regard to claim 15 - further comprising at least one of a mounting part 134, 138 and a trailer recess configured to receive an alignment pin (said alignment pin being the axles around which alignment wheels 132, 136 turn).
With regard to claim 16 - A truck-trailer combination comprising:
a towing vehicle 10 according to claim 11; and,
a trailer vehicle 20 having a trailer connector 320 and configured to be connected to said towing vehicle 10 via said trailer connector 210.
With regard to claim 17 - A method for automatically establishing connections between a towing vehicle 10 and a trailer vehicle 20, the method comprising:
establishing or releasing a connection between the towing vehicle 10 and the trailer vehicle 20 via the device of claim 1.
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.
Claim(s) 2, 6, 10, 12, 14, and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Forthoffer in view of Layfield et al (US 2022/0332158). With regard to claim 2, Forthoffer fails to explicitly disclose wherein said gripper arm includes a mechanism and an actuator for establishing and releasing a detachable connection between said gripper arm and the truck connector. Layfield teaches a device for automatically establishing at least one connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle, the device comprising:
an outrigger (see Fig. 7)extending along a longitudinal axis, said outrigger 110 being configured to be connected to a fastening point of the towing vehicle;
a gripper arm 200 mounted to said outrigger and configured to hold a truck connector 302; and
a gripper arm drive 101 for moving said gripper arm 200 in both directions of the longitudinal axis of said outrigger (see Figs. 7 and 8),
wherein said gripper arm 200 includes a mechanism and an actuator 242 for establishing and releasing a detachable connection between said gripper arm 200 and the truck connector 302 (see Figs. 15-20).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the device of Forthoffer with the teaching of Layfield such that said gripper arm includes a mechanism and an actuator for establishing and releasing a detachable connection between said gripper arm and the truck connector, with a reasonable expectation of success, to allow for a more flexible connection of the pneumatic and electric lines between truck and trailer.
With regard to claim 6, as seen above, Forthoffer discloses a system comprising: a device for automatically establishing at least one connection between a towing vehicle and a trailer vehicle; a truck connector; said device including an outrigger, an alignment device, a gripper arm, and a gripper arm drive; said outrigger extending along a longitudinal axis, said outrigger being configured to be connected to a fastening point of the towing vehicle and to pivot around the fastening point; said alignment device being slidably mounted to said outrigger and configured to align said outrigger to the trailer vehicle; said alignment device including a cross member slidably mounted at said outrigger, wherein said cross member defines a cross member longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the outrigger (see marked up figure above); said gripper arm being slidably mounted to said outrigger and configured to hold said truck connector; a gripper arm drive for moving said gripper arm in both directions of the longitudinal axis of said outrigger.
Layfield, meanwhile and as shown in the rejection above, teaches said truck connector 302 being configured to detachably connect to said gripper arm 200.
With regard to claim 10, Forthoffer fails to explicitly disclose the claimed structure of the mounting part. Layfield teaches a mounting part 352 configured to be mounted on a trailer front of the trailer vehicle 11; said mounting part 352 being configured to be arranged at the trailer vehicle 11 and extend along a length at least at a predominant section of a width of the trailer vehicle 11 (see Fig. 3); said mounting part 352 including a front part 354 having a concave surface configured to face away from the trailer front; and, said concave surface 354 having a lowest point lying centrally with respect to said length of said mounting part 352. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the device of Forthoffer with the teaching of Layfield to include the structure of Layfield’s mounting part to allow for a more guided connection.
With regard to claim 12, Forthoffer discloses a towing vehicle 10 comprising the device of claim 1.
With regard to claim 14, Forthoffer discloses a trailer vehicle 20 configured to be connected to a towing vehicle 10 comprising the device of claim 1, the trailer vehicle 20 comprising a trailer connector 210.
With regard to claim 18, Forthoffer discloses a method for automatically establishing connections between a towing vehicle 10 and a trailer vehicle 20, the method comprising:
establishing or releasing a connection between the towing vehicle 10 and the trailer vehicle 20 via the device of claim 1.
With regard to claim 19, Forthoffer discloses the steps: aligning the outrigger 104 of the device via the alignment device 108; moving the gripper arm 130 with the truck connector via the gripper arm drive 106 along said outrigger for establishing a connection with a trailer connector. As seen above, Layfield teaches releasing a connection between the truck connector 302 and the gripper arm; and, moving the gripper arm and the alignment device along the outrigger away from the trailer vehicle.
With regard to claim 20, Forthoffer discloses aligning the outrigger 104 via the alignment device 108; moving the gripper arm 130 towards the trailer vehicle; establishing a connection between the gripper arm 130 and the truck connector. As seen above, Layfield teaches pulling the truck connector with the gripper arm by moving the gripper arm away from the trailer vehicle.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is allowed.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The alignment device of Forthoffer reads upon the added limitation to claim 1, “said alignment device including a cross member slidably mounted at said outrigger, wherein said cross member defines a cross member longitudinal axis which is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the outrigger”. The alignment device 108 is pivotably attached to second extension member 122 of outrigger 104, which slides along the first extension 120 of outrigger 104, thus making the alignment device slidably mounted at said outrigger. As seen in the marked up rejection for claim 1, above, the alignment device 108 further defines a cross member longitudinal axis that extends between the central pivot axes of the wheels 132 and 136. Because the claim does not structurally define the cross member longitudinal axis beyond its name, this interpretation is valid. Finally, Applicant made mention of the alignment device and the gripper arm of Forthoffer as not being slidably independent of one another. While this is a true statement, the claim does not define the two components as such. Were the claim to be amended, it would therefore be defined over the rejection of record. Examiner is open to interview, should Applicant need further clarification or wish to discuss possible amendments in the interest of expediting prosecution.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 WILHELM whose telephone number is (571)272-6980. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Paul Dickson can be reached at 571-272-7742. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TIMOTHY WILHELM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617 May 26, 2026
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