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 .
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.
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.
Claims 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Zeiler et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0291779).
In reference to claim 1, Zeiler discloses a mower 100, comprising:
a vehicle frame (Fig. 1);
a walking assembly, comprising a first walking wheel assembly (Fig. 1, par. 0020, “non-traction wheel (e.g. hub or castor wheels)”) connected with the vehicle frame and a second walking wheel assembly 120/124 connected with the vehicle frame (Fig. 1);
a working assembly 122, connected with the vehicle frame (Fig. 1);
a seat (Fig. 1), arranged on the vehicle frame; and
a battery pack 104, mounted on the vehicle frame and extending below the seat (Fig. 1), wherein
the first walking wheel assembly comprises a main walking wheel (Fig. 1, par. 0020, “non-traction wheel (e.g. hub or castor wheels)”) and a hub motor 116 (par. 0020), the main walking wheel is connected with the hub motor 116, and the hub motor 116 is arranged outside a side of the vehicle frame (Fig. 1); and/or
the second walking wheel assembly 120/124 comprises a main walking wheel 120 and a hub motor 124, the main walking wheel 120 is connected with the hub motor 124, and the hub motor 124 is arranged outside a side of the vehicle frame (Fig. 1).
In reference to claim 2, Zeiler discloses that the first walking wheel assembly is arranged at a front end of the vehicle frame (Fig. 1), the first walking wheel assembly comprises a front wheel (Fig. 1, par. 0020, “non-traction wheel (e.g. hub or castor wheels)”) and a steering mechanism 116 to control a steering of the front wheel, the second walking wheel assembly 120/124 is arranged at a rear end of the vehicle frame (Fig. 1), and the second walking wheel assembly 120/124 comprises the main walking wheel 120 and the hub motor 124.
In reference to claim 3, Zeiler discloses that the seat is arranged between the first walking wheel assembly and the second walking wheel assembly 120/124 (Fig. 1), and the battery pack 104 is mounted at the rear end of the vehicle frame and extends below the seat (Fig. 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 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeiler et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0291779) in view of Diazdelcastillo (US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0121881).
In reference to claim 4, Zeiler discloses that the seat is arranged between the first walking wheel assembly and the second walking wheel assembly 120/124 (Fig. 1), and the battery pack 104 extends below the seat (Fig. 1).
Zeiler fails to disclose that the battery pack is installed at the front of the vehicle frame. Diazdelcastillo discloses that a battery pack can be installed at either the front or rear of a vehicle frame (par. 0074). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to install the battery pack at the front of the vehicle frame rather than the back with a reasonable expectation of success as it amounts to a rearrangement of the working parts of the invention without altering their function.
Claims 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeiler et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0291779) in view of Shaffer et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 20220174870).
In reference to claim 9, Zeiler discloses that the working assembly 122 further comprises:
a cutting deck (par. 0021, “mowing deck”);
a driving assembly 118, mounted on a top of the cutting deck, and an air vent (par. 0044, “moisture blowers associated with the deck”); and
a cutter assembly (par. 0021, “rotating blade”), mounted on a bottom of the cutting deck and connected with an output shaft of the driving assembly 118.
Zeiler fails to disclose the air vent being arranged between the cutting deck and the driving assembly. Shaffer discloses an air vent 44 being arranged between the cutting deck 4 and the driving assembly 12 (Fig. 1). It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to arrange the air vent between the cutting deck and the driving assembly with a reasonable expectation of success so that the air vent is located centrally to the cutting blade.
In reference to claim 10, Zeiler fails to disclose that a mounting hole is arranged on the cutting deck, the driving assembly is mounted at the mounting hole, partially extends from the mounting hole into the bottom of the cutting deck, and is connected with the cutter assembly.
Shaffer discloses that a mounting hole 30 is arranged on the cutting deck 16 (Fig. 2), the driving assembly 12 is mounted at the mounting hole 30 (Fig. 1), partially extends from the mounting hole 30 into the bottom of the cutting deck 16, and is connected with the cutter assembly 18 (Fig. 8).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the above discussed structure with a reasonable expectation of success as it is known in the art to be an effective means for connecting a driving assembly to a cutting assembly of a mower deck.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zeiler et al. (US Patent Application Publication No. 2019/0291779) in view of Weihl et al. (US Patent No. 8,387,205).
In reference to claim 20, Zeiler fails to disclose a blower, wherein
the blower is connected with the mower, the blower comprises:
a blower assembly; and
an adjustment mechanism, arranged on the blower assembly, and the adjustment mechanism comprising:
a rotating air passage assembly, connected with an air outlet of the blower; and
a driving mechanism, the driving mechanism being in a transmission connection with the rotating air passage assembly, and the driving mechanism being provided with an operating part;
wherein, an arrangement position of the operating part is a position that is operatable by an operator who in a driving position of the mower, and the driving mechanism is controlled by the operating part to drive the rotating air passage assembly to rotate.
Weihl discloses a blower connected with the mower 20, the blower comprises:
a blower assembly 21; and
an adjustment mechanism, arranged on the blower assembly 21, and the adjustment mechanism comprising:
a rotating air passage assembly 25, connected with an air outlet 26 of the blower; and
a driving mechanism 41, the driving mechanism 41 being in a transmission connection with the rotating air passage assembly 25 (Fig. 4), and the driving mechanism 41 being provided with an operating part 32;
wherein, an arrangement position of the operating part 32 is a position that is operatable by an operator who in a driving position of the mower 20 (Fig. 1), and the driving mechanism 41 is controlled by the operating part 32 to drive the rotating air passage assembly 25 to rotate.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to include the claimed blower with a reasonable expectation of success so that an operator can blow debris while operating the mower.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 and 11-19 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Anderson (US Patent Application Publication No. 2014/0157744) discloses a mower with an attached leaf blower (Fig. 3); and Laymon et al. (US Patent No. 9,499,199) discloses a mower with hub motors (Fig. 3).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRAD HARCOURT whose telephone number is (571)272-7303. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday, 9am to 6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Doug Hutton can be reached at (571)272-4137. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRAD HARCOURT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3674
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