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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lu (CN 111361368 A- Machine translation and original patent provided in present OA).
Regarding claim 1, Lu anticipates a yawing restricting device 200 (Fig 5) provided in a first vehicle 100 (Figs 1 and 5) [to restrict yawing] (“when the towed vehicle 300 is yaw relative to the towing vehicle 100, if the towed vehicle 300 exceeds the predetermined yaw angle, the telescopic rod 208 can contact the brake actuation switch 203…”, pg 4 para 3 ), the first vehicle 100 (Fig 1 and 5) and a second vehicle 300 (Figs 1 and 5) [being coupled to each other in succession in a traveling direction such that one of the first vehicle or the second vehicle is capable of yawing] (“…the towing vehicle 100, the towed vehicle 300, and the yaw detection device 200, the towed vehicle 300 includes a trailer hook 301, the towing vehicle 100 includes a vehicle towing hook 101, and one end of the vehicle towing hook 101 is fixedly connected to the towing hook” pg 3 para 3 and “the towing vehicle 100 may be any type of vehicle that can tow the towed vehicle 300, such as a truck, a car, etc. In addition, the towed vehicle 300 may be any type of vehicle that can be towed, such as a camper. Multifunctional trailers, recreational vehicles, etc.” pg 3 para 4 ),
the yawing restricting device 200 (Fig 5) comprising:
a first contact portion 203 (Fig 5) provided to be able to contact with the second vehicle 300 on one side of the first vehicle 100 [in an axle direction with respect to a yaw axis] (Fig 5 shows the switch 203 is installed on one side of the vehicle in the axle direction from the yaw axis (element 20 which is the ball axis that the trailer 300 swivels or rotates about), and “when the towed vehicle 300 is yaw relative to the towing vehicle 100, if the towed vehicle 300 exceeds the predetermined yaw angle, the telescopic rod 208 can contact the brake actuation switch 203, which is telescopic The gap 4 between the lever 208 and the actuation switch 203 can be used to calibrate the predetermined yaw angle.” pg 4 para 3);
a second contact portion 203 (Fig 5) provided to be able to contact with the second vehicle 300 [in a second side in the axle direction with respect to the yaw axis] (Fig 5 shows a mirrored element having a switch 203 installed on the first vehicle 100 and a second contact element 208 installed on the second vehicle 300 to interact with the first switch 203 on the first vehicle);
a first restriction driving portion 208,209 (Fig 5) that drives the first contact portion 203 so as to be in contact with the second vehicle 300 (“if the towed vehicle 300 exceeds the predetermined yaw angle, the telescopic rod 208 can contact the brake actuation switch 203…” pg 4 para 3); and
a second restriction driving portion 208,209 (Fig 5) that drives the second contact portion 208 so as to be in contact with the second vehicle 300 (“if the towed vehicle 300 exceeds the predetermined yaw angle, the telescopic rod 208 can contact the brake actuation switch 203…” pg 4 para 3).
Regarding claim 2, Lu anticipates the yawing restricting device 200 (Fig 5) according to claim 1, wherein each of the first restriction driving portion 208,209 (Fig 5) and the second restriction driving portion 208,209 (Fig 5) [is a linear actuator that drives a movable shaft] (“…the towing device further includes a bracket 210 and a telescopic rod 208 extending from the bracket 210 toward the vehicle towing base 101. The telescopic rod 208 is connected to the cylinder 209 of the bracket. The telescopic rod 208 and the cylinder 209 take the form of a telescopic shock absorber.” (Emphasis added) Pg 4 para 1), which is a rod-like member 208 (Fig 5) [extending in one direction] (Fig 5 shows the telescopic rods 208 extending along a path of the cylinder 209), [in an extending direction of the movable shaft as a driving direction] (“The telescopic rod 208 is connected to the cylinder 209 of the bracket. The telescopic rod 208 and the cylinder 209 take the form of a telescopic shock absorber.” pg 4 para 1).
Regarding claim 3, Lu anticipates the yawing restricting device 200 according to claim 2, further comprising:
a first guide shaft 209 (Fig 5) that is formed to be extending in the driving direction of the first restriction driving portion 208,209 [on one side of the axle direction] (Fig 5 shows a pair of restriction devices where the cylinder 209 provides a driving direction for the shaft 208 to extend and contract within) [and provided to be movable only in the driving direction of the first restriction driving portion] (due to the cylinder and shaft design, the shaft can only extend and contract in one path);
a first connection block that connects the first guide shaft with the movable shaft of the first restriction driving portion (See annotated Lu Figure 5 below);
a second guide shaft 209 (Fig 5) that is formed to be extending in the driving direction of the second restriction driving portion 208,209 [on the second side of the axle direction] (Fig 5 shows a pair of restriction devices where the cylinder 209 provides a driving direction for the shaft 208 to extend and contract within that is opposite the first restriction device) [and provided to be movable only in the driving direction of the first restriction driving portion] (due to the cylinder and shaft design, the shaft can only extend and contract in one path);
and a second connection block that connects the second guide shaft with the movable shaft of the second restriction driving portion (See annotated Lu Figure 5 below);.
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Annotated Lu Figure 5 showing the first and second connection block elements.
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 Lu in view of D2 (JP H0655968 U Machine Translation and Original Patent Provided in Present OA).
Regarding claim 4, Lu teaches the yaw restriction device 200 (Fig 5) with a contact portion 203 (Fig 5) that is separate from the connection block.
Lu does not teach the first contact portion is provided in the first connection block, and the second contact portion is provided in the second connection block.
D2 teaches and equivalent yaw restriction device (Fig 1a, para 0008) the first contact portion is provided in the first connection block 11 (Fig 1a, “…as shown in FIG. 2, is erected operated by the cylinder device 13 projections 11, is to place to the front end surface and the relative of the trailer 1, which is pin connection.” Para 0014 , Fig 1b shows the connection block 11 being connected to the trailer 1 element in Figs 1a-1c), and the second contact portion is provided in the second connection block 11 (Fig 1a, “…as shown in FIG. 2, is erected operated by the cylinder device 13 projections 11, is to place to the front end surface and the relative of the trailer 1, which is pin connection.” Para 0014 , Fig 1b shows a second connection block 11 being connected to the trailer 1 element in Figs 1a-1c and Fig 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the fully connected connection block of D2 with the yawing restriction device of Lu with a reasonable expectation of success because it would allow for a fully connected yaw restriction device and prevent disconnection between the connection block and the first contact portion . By making the yaw restriction device a singular fully connected mechanism, the first and second contact portions are directly attached to the first connection block and will simplify the overall design of the yaw restriction device.
Claim 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu in view of Pantale (EP 2436540 A1 Machine Translation and Original Patent Provided in Present OA).
Regarding claims 5-7 (Similar Limitations different claim dependencies) Lu teaches the yawing restriction device 200 (Fig 5).
Lu does not teach the restriction device having a first and second position sensor configured to detect an origin of the first and second restriction driving portion.
Pantale teaches a first and second position sensor 3 (Fig 1) [configured to detect an origin of the first and second restriction driving portion] (“The vehicle to be towed 1 is adapted to reflect the pair of telemetric signals. More precisely, the vehicle to be towed 1 has a front surface 10 adapted to reflect the pair of telemetric signals. The telemetry means comprise a pair of distance sensors 3 arranged at the rear of the tractor vehicle 2 substantially symmetrically on either side of the longitudinal median plane P of the tractor vehicle 2. Each distance sensor 3 is designed to transmit and receive a telemetric signal.” Paras 0023 and 0024 ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the first and second sensors of Pantale with the yawing restriction device of Lu with a reasonable expectation of success because it would provide feedback signals in order to correctly locate the first and second restriction driving portions . By including position sensors in the yaw restriction device, the position sensors can detect the distances between the first and second vehicles to determine if a yaw angle exists between the vehicles.
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lu in view of D2 and Pantale.
Regarding claim 8, Lu and D2 teaches the yawing restriction device 200 (Fig 5).
Lu and D2 do not teach the restriction device having a first and second position sensor configured to detect an origin of the first and second restriction driving portion.
Pantale teaches a first and second position sensor 3 (Fig 1) [configured to detect an origin of the first and second restriction driving portion] (“The vehicle to be towed 1 is adapted to reflect the pair of telemetric signals. More precisely, the vehicle to be towed 1 has a front surface 10 adapted to reflect the pair of telemetric signals. The telemetry means comprise a pair of distance sensors 3 arranged at the rear of the tractor vehicle 2 substantially symmetrically on either side of the longitudinal median plane P of the tractor vehicle 2. Each distance sensor 3 is designed to transmit and receive a telemetric signal.” Paras 0023 and 0024 ).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to additionally use the first and second sensors of Pantale with the yawing restriction device of Lu and D2 with a reasonable expectation of success because it would provide feedback signals in order to correctly locate the first and second restriction driving portions . By including position sensors in the yaw restriction device, the position sensors can detect the distances between the first and second vehicles to determine if a yaw angle exists between the vehicles.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Wu (CN 110774844 A Machine Translation and Original Patent Provided) teaches a trailer traction device with a cylinder and a contact point to interact with another vehicle.
Shoshan (US 20200062306 A1) teaches an articulated vehicle assembly comprising a plurality of vehicles with an articulation system for articulating in a queue the master and the slave vehicles along a common longitudinal axis; and a processing unit configured to receive input signals from the onboard sensor arrangement and produce corresponding output signals to the onboard actuator arrangement to manipulate said slave steering system so as to maintain the master vehicle and the slave vehicle aligned along the common longitudinal axis, at least when the master vehicle performs a turn on a horizontal plane.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MORGAN M KNAUF whose telephone number is (703)756-4532. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00 AM -4:30 PM.
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/M.M.K./Examiner, Art Unit 3611 /VALENTIN NEACSU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611