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
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.
(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) 1-6, 8-12, 14-16, and 19-21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Zeidler (US 2023/0112436).
Regarding claim 1, Zeidler discloses a walk-behind working machine (Figure 9), comprising: a body comprising a walking assembly (wheels) and a drive assembly (Drive motor for the wheels ¶0056); a handle device comprising a grip (302) for a user to hold; a connecting rod assembly for connecting the body to the handle device (left and right bars attached between grip 302 and the body); a switch box (Figure 9, element 200) mounted to the handle device, the switch box accommodating a control assembly configured to control a working state of a working element of the walk-behind working machine (Figure 8 shows controls 230 and 235 to control a power of the lawnmowers components. To include speed of the mower and the blade ¶0056); and a display (210) integrated with the switch box, the display being electrically coupled to the control assembly and the display being configured to display information related to the walk-behind working machine (Displays battery life and runtime, displays power to the blade or wheels).
Regarding claim 2, Zeidler discloses wherein the display is configured to be slidably and/or rotatably connected to the handle device (Via mounting hole 203, the display is capable of being slid along the handle or rotated to an appropriate position before mounting).
Regarding claim 3, Zeidler discloses a self- traveling mode switch (first chore function), wherein the self-traveling mode switch is capable of adjusting the walk- behind working machine to a self-traveling mode, and in the self-traveling mode, the walk- behind working machine is capable of adjusting a self-traveling speed according to a magnitude of a thrust applied by the user (¶0056 discloses low, intermediate, and high travel speed which is considered to be a magnitude of thrust applied by the user through the controls).
Regarding claim 4, Zeidler discloses a blade mode switch (second chore function) capable of controlling a rotational speed of a blade of the walk-behind working machine (¶0056 discloses low, intermediate, and high blade speed).
Regarding claim 5, Zeidler discloses wherein self-traveling mode information of the walk-behind working machine is displayed on the display (¶0046 discloses that the display may show power levels of the chore function).
Regarding claim 6, Zeidler discloses wherein at least one of blade mode information, light information, power information and fault information of the walk- behind working machine is displayed on the display (¶0036 remaining power information).
Regarding claim 8, Zeidler discloses wherein the display is detachably connected to the handle device (¶0092).
Regarding claim 9, Zeidler discloses wherein a first end of the switch box is fixed to the grip and a second end of the switch box is fixed to a connecting rod of the connecting rod assembly (Figure 9 shows an example connection. The switch box may be mounted anywhere as disclosed in ¶0069. For example an operator may connect the switch box to the far left of the handle making a first end, the right end, attached to the grip and a second end, the left end, attached to the connecting rod portion 304).
Regarding claim 11, Zeidler discloses wherein only one side of the display is connected to the handle device (The bottom side with hole 203 is mounted to the handle).
Regarding claim 12, Zeidler discloses, wherein the display comprises a bottom at a bottom end, and the bottom of the display is connected to the switch box (Figure 8 shows a closeup wherein the bottom end of the display abuts the switch box portion).
Regarding claim 14, Zeidler discloses wherein the display comprises a display interface (Figure 5 210) for presenting information about the walk-behind working machine to the user, and the display viewed from a direction perpendicular to the display interface has at least an upper boundary and a lower boundary, wherein the upper boundary is basically parallel to the lower boundary, and the lower boundary is connected to the switch box (The display is square with an upper end and lower end. The lower end is connected to the switch box portion).
Regarding claim 15, Zeidler discloses a first middle plane is defined as a plane perpendicular to a paper surface, the first middle plane extends along a left and right direction of the walk-behind working machine, and the grip is basically symmetrical about the first middle plane; a second middle plane is defined as a plane perpendicular to the paper surface, the second middle plane extends along the left and right direction of the walk-behind working machine, and the display is basically symmetrical about the second middle plane; and the first middle plane is basically parallel to the second middle plane (The claim language is generally narrative and abstract. First and second planes may be drawn at any position and perpendicular to any defined paper surface. Therefore, two planes may be drawn to fit the claimed limitations making the grip symmetrical and the display symmetrical. It is noted that arbitrary planes must be specifically claimed in direct relationship with structure to specifically place the planes in exact positions).
Regarding claim 16, Zeidler discloses wherein an included angle between the first middle plane and the second middle plane is less than or equal to 45 degrees (Angling imaginary planes in no reference to actual structure would not change the symmetry of the elements. Therefore, two placed angled planes would not affect the current interpretation).
Regarding claim 18, Zeidler discloses wherein the walk-behind working machine is a mower.
Regarding claim 19, Zeidler discloses a walk-behind working machine (Figure 9), comprising: a body comprising a walking assembly (wheels) and a drive assembly (Drive motor for the wheels ¶0056); a handle device comprising a grip (302) for a user to hold; a connecting rod assembly for connecting the body to the handle device (left and right bars attached between grip 302 and the body); a switch box (Figure 9, element 200) mounted to the handle device, wherein a control assembly configured to control a working state of a working element of the walk-behind working machine is disposed in the switch box (Figure 8 shows controls 230 and 235 to control a power of the lawnmowers components. To include speed of the mower and the blade ¶0056); and a display (210) mounted to a mounting structure (body 205) of the switch box, wherein the display is electrically connected to the control assembly, the display is capable of displaying information related to the working state of the walk-behind working machine (Displays battery life and runtime, displays power to the blade or wheels), and the display is configured to be slidably and/or rotatably connected to the handle device (The display is removable and is capable of being slid or rotated on the handle).
Regarding claim 20, Zeidler discloses a walk-behind working machine (Figure 9), comprising: a body comprising a walking assembly (wheels) and a drive assembly for driving the walking assembly (Drive motor for the wheels ¶0056); a handle device comprising a grip (302) for a user to hold; and a connecting rod assembly for connecting the body to the handle device (left and right bars attached between grip 302 and the body); a switch box (Figure 9, element 200) mounted to the handle device, wherein a control assembly configured to control a working state of a working element of the walk-behind working machine is disposed in the switch box (Figure 8 shows controls 230 and 235 to control a power of the lawnmowers components. To include speed of the mower and the blade ¶0056); and a display (210) mounted to a mounting structure (body 205) of the switch box, wherein the display is electrically connected to the control assembly, the display is capable of displaying information related to the working state of the walk-behind working machine (Displays battery life and runtime, displays power to the blade or wheels), and only one side of the display is connected to the handle device (A bottom side of the display is connected to the handle).
Regarding claim 21, Zeidler discloses wherein the switch box comprises a mounting structure (The body of the switch box 205 is a mounting structure with a hole 203) and the display is mechanically and electrically connected to the switch box through the mounting structure (As the display is built into the body it is electrically and mechanically attached through the body).
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeidler (US 2023/0112436) over Burns (WO 2016/108155).
Regarding claim 7, Zeidler is lacking further connection and data sharing between the mowers controller and an electronic device of a user such as a phone.
Burns discloses a mower with a display (110) and teaches the pairing with an operators phone and displaying information from the phone such as an incoming call (Page 7 lines 25-30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Zeidler to allow pairing with the lawnmowers controller to a user’s electronic device such as a phone as taught by Burns for the purpose of alerting the user of an incoming call from their device during operation of the mower.
Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeidler (US 2023/0112436) over Bejcek (US 2019/0297776).
Regarding claim 13, Zeidler discloses wherein the bottom of the display and control box is attached to the grip and is lacking wherein the top of the display is attached.
Bejcek discloses a walk behind mower and teaches a display (114) hanging down from a user grip (as seen in figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Zeidler to allow for the display device to connect to the handle from the opposite end as taught by Bejcek for the purpose of positioning the display in a more user friendly position.
Claim(s) 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeidler (US 2023/0112436) over Frick (US 2021/0251139).
Regarding claim 17, Zeidler discloses a normal non-telescopic connection rod assembly between the handle and the body of the mower, and the second middle plane is basically perpendicular to the rod assembly (The second plane drawn would be considered basically perpendicular to the rod assembly).
Frick discloses a walk behind mower and teaches the use of a telescopic rod assembly, wherein the telescopic rod assembly is telescopically adjusted, the telescopic rod assembly connects the body to the handle device (Figures 6-8).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify the handle connection of Zeidler to be telescopic as taught by Frick for the purpose of compact storage when the mower is not in use.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) 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 ADAM J BEHRENS whose telephone number is (303)297-4336. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-2pm MST.
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, Joseph M. Rocca can be reached at (571) 272-8971. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ADAM J BEHRENS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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