DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 9, and 16 – 18 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, line 8 recites the limitation “a towing vehicle” which should be changed to “the towing vehicle”.
Claim 1, lines 13 – 14 recites the limitation “the carrier” which should be changed to “the carrier member”.
Claim 1, line 18 recites the limitation “the carrier” which should be changed to “the carrier member”.
Claim 9, line 1 recites the limitation “the receiver” which should be changed to “the receiver member”.
Claim 16, line 9 recites the limitation “a towing vehicle” which should be changed to “the towing vehicle”.
Claim 16, line 18 recites the limitation “the carrier” which should be changed to “the carrier member”.
Claim 16, lines 23 recites the limitation “the carrier” which should be changed to “the carrier member”.
Claim 17, line 1 recites the limitation “the receiver” which should be changed to “the receiver member”.
Claim 18, line 9 recites the limitation “a towing vehicle” which should be changed to “the towing vehicle”.
Claim 18, line 15 recites the limitation “the receiver” which should be changed to “the receiver member”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1, 2, 15, 18, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Temple et al. (US 2011/0037241).
For claim 1, Temple et al. discloses an automated trailer coupling arrangement, comprising:
[a downwardly opening receiver member 85 supported within a downwardly facing surface of a towed vehicle 39] (fig. 5, page 2, paragraph [0025]) and including a first pneumatic coupler 36A and an electrical coupler 38A, [wherein the receiver member is located at a first vertical height] (figs. 2A and 5);
a shuttle member 34 including a second pneumatic coupler 36 [configured to couple to a pneumatic supply source of a towing vehicle 1] (page 2, paragraph [0025], via lines 82), and a second electrical coupler 38 [configured to couple to an electrical supply source of the towing vehicle] (page 2, paragraph [0026], via lines 86); and
a control arm assembly (fig. 4) supported on the towing vehicle, comprising:
a carrier member 79 [configured to operably couple and uncouple with the shuttle member] (page 2, paragraph [0025]);
an arm 30, 78 [having a first end operably coupled to the towing vehicle] (indirectly) [at a second vertical height that is less than the first vertical height] (fig. 2A), and [a second end coupled to the carrier member] (fig. 2A) and configured to move the carrier member between:
[a first position where the carrier member is coupled with the shuttle member and the shuttle member is spaced from the receiver member] (figs. 2 and 2A, page 3, paragraph [0030], home or rest position A), and
[a second position where the second pneumatic coupler is coupled with the first pneumatic coupler and the second electrical coupler is coupled with the first electrical coupler and the carrier member is uncoupled and spaced from the shuttle member] (page 3, paragraph [0028], “after connector assembly 34 is brought into engagement, with connector 85, solenoids 119 are actuated to shift pins 120 into engagement with openings, thereby securely locking connector 34 to connector 85, solenoid 116 is then retracted to permit connector assembly 34 to be detached from connector box 79 upon retraction of cylinder”).
For claims 2 and 20, Temple et al. discloses the automated trailer coupling arrangement [wherein the shuttle member is coupled to the carrier member when in the first position such that the shuttle member is prevented from moving along a length of the arm] (page 2, paragraph [0025], “connection box 79 is secured to rods 78 of cylinder 30 by threaded fasteners, welding, or other secure arrangement”).
For claim 15, Temple et al. discloses the automated trailer coupling arrangement further comprising:
a controller 2 [operably coupled to the arm and configured to move the arm between the first and second positions] (page 1, paragraph [0019] and page 2, paragraph [0025], via cart 18, pneumatic cylinder 30 and rod or rods 78).
For claim 18, Temple et al. discloses a method for operating an automated trailer coupling arrangement, comprising:
[providing a downwardly opening receiver member 85 supported on or within a downwardly facing surface of a towed vehicle 39] (fig. 5, page 2, paragraph [0025]) and including a first pneumatic coupler 36A and an electrical coupler 38A, [wherein the receiver member is located at a first vertical height] (figs. 2A and 5);
providing a shuttle member 34 including a second pneumatic coupler 36 [pneumatically coupled to a pneumatic supply source of a towing vehicle 1] (page 2, paragraph [0025], via lines 82), and a second electrical coupler 38 [coupled to an electrical supply source of the towing vehicle] (page 2, paragraph [0026], via lines 86);
providing a control arm assembly (fig. 4) coupled to the towing vehicle, comprising:
a carrier member 79 [configured to operably couple and uncouple with the shuttle member] (page 2, paragraph [0025]);
an arm [having a first end operably coupled to the towing vehicle] (indirectly) [at a second vertical height that is less than the first vertical height] (fig. 2A), and [a second end coupled to the carrier member] (fig. 2A) and coupling the shuttle member to the receiver by moving the control arm assembly from:
[a first position where the carrier member is coupled with the shuttle member and the shuttle member is spaced from the receiver member] (figs. 2 and 2A, page 3, paragraph [0030], home or rest position A), to
[a second position where the shuttle member is received within the receiver member and is coupled to the carrier member] (page 1, paragraph [0019], a position wherein the shuttle member is at least partially within the receiver member via extension of the pneumatic cylinder 30, and prior to coupling of the couplers), to
[a third position where the shuttle member is received within the receiver member and the first pneumatic coupler is pneumatically coupled with the second pneumatic coupler, respectively, and the first electrical coupler is coupled with the second electrical coupler] (page 1, paragraph [0019], the engagement position wherein the pneumatic cylinder is extended to cause plugs 38 and 36 to engage corresponding plugs 38A and 36A), to
[a fourth position where the carrier member is uncoupled from the shuttle member and abuts the shuttle member] (a position wherein the plugs 38 and 36 are engaged with corresponding plugs 38A and 36A and the shuttle member, the male connector 80 of the connector assembly 34 and connector 81 of the connection box 79 are unlocked; and a portion of the connection box 79 abuts a portion of the connector 34, wherein nothing precludes a top portion of the connection box 79 from abutting a bottom portion of the connector 34 during disconnection), to
[a fifth position wherein the carrier member is uncoupled and spaced from the shuttle member] (page 3, paragraph [0028], “after connector assembly 34 is brought into engagement, with connector 85, solenoids 119 are actuated to shift pins 120 into engagement with openings, thereby securely locking connector 34 to connector 85, solenoid 116 is then retracted to permit connector assembly 34 to be detached from connector box 79 upon retraction of cylinder”)).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 16, 17, and 19 allowed.
Claims 3 – 14 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art fails to disclose:
For claims 3 – 10: a distance between the first end and the second end of the arm is fixed as the arm moves between the first and second positions.
For claim 11 – 13, 16, 17, and 19: wherein the first end of the arm is pivotably coupled to the towing vehicle.
For claim 14: wherein the control arm assembly includes a pneumatic actuator configured to move the arm between the first and second positions.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
GB-2467955 – comprising a trailer; a coupling outlet plate; a swing arm bracket; pivot locations; a box structure;
US-6179319 – comprising a trailer; a tractor; a tractor supply line; a trailer supply line; a mating stop device; a tractor coupling half; a trailer coupling half; and
US-5346239 – comprising a tractor; a trailer; a parking device; a head; and a plate.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Jacob D. Knutson whose telephone number is (571)270-5576. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 am - 4:00 pm.
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/JACOB D KNUTSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3611