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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Claims 1-13 are presented for examination.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: symbol “42” is not in Fig. 4 or 5 as disclosed at page 11, line 22.
Appropriate correction is required.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: symbol “44” is not in Fig. 4 or 5 as disclosed at page 12, line 2.
Appropriate correction is required.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: symbol “44” is not in Fig. 4 or 5 as disclosed at page 12, line 5.
Appropriate correction is required.
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: symbol “42” is not in Fig. 4 or 5 as disclosed at page 12, line 14.
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.
Claims 1, 3, and 4-13are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Georg (DE 1020111221211; a copy of English translation is provided by Examiner).
As per claim 1, Georg discloses a towing/holding winch [Abstract; Fig. 1; winch (10)], particularly for an operating machine [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”], the towing/holding winch comprising a towing cable, a towing rotating member of the cable and a rotation electric motor of said towing rotating member [Abstract; Fig. 1; page 4; paragraphs 7 to 17; circulating rope; circulating rope winch (16); supporting cable; circulating cable winch (16); electric motor (14); electric motor (20)];
the winch comprising an electric drive and control circuit for driving and controlling said electric motor [page 3, paragraph 9; “… electric motor is controlled …”; “… electric motor can be controlled …”];
said electric drive circuit comprising an accumulator pack for powering the electric motor [Fig. 1; page 4; paragraph 1; the capacitor 30], a detection block for detecting the electric energy absorbed by the electric motor during one or more towing steps of the load hooked to the respective cable, and the electric energy returned during one or more load holding steps [page 3, paragraph 5-9; “… the control concept is designed to be adaptive in order to further minimize energy consumption.”; “… the energy difference between the expected total energy consumption minus the recovered braking energy is generated.”; “The generator power is preferably increased when the electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage falls below a preselected energy reserve or energy storage status threshold.”; a sensor], wherein the cable exerts an action opposite to that exerted by the load, comparator means for calculating the difference between the electric energy absorbed during the towing and the electric energy returned during the holding and electric energy generating means driven directly or indirectly by a thermal engine so as to send the calculated electric energy difference to said accumulator pack [page 3; paragraphs 4-12; “… the energy difference between the expected total energy consumption minus the recovered braking energy is generated.”; “The generator power is preferably increased when the electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage falls below a preselected energy reserve or energy storage status threshold.”; page 2, paragraph 4; combustion engine (i.e., a type of thermal engine)].
said electric circuit further comprising a towing control assembly comprising a detection block, for detecting in a continuous manner or at predefined intervals of time, an actual tension value of the cable [Abstract; Fig. 1; page 3, paragraph 4; “The electric motors used are preferably designed as torque motors, so as a slow-speed drives with very high Torques at relatively low speeds, so that additional gear can be omitted.”; page 3, paragraph 9; a line detector; rope tension; “… a measurement of a rope tension …”], and an insertion block for setting a desired tension value of the cable [page 3, paragraph 9; “… the rope tension of the circulating cable and/or the traction cable can be determined and the torque and the rotational speed of the respective associated electric motor can be controlled …”], a comparator block configured to determine the difference between the set tension value and the actual tension value acting on the cable and a command and control block of the electric motor configured to vary the torque exerted by the rotating member depending on said tension difference of the cable and bring the actual tension value of the cable back to the desired tension value set in the insertion block [page 4, paragraph 2; “Thus, compared to the necessary operating voltage of an electric motor too low voltage of the capacitor 30 (Especially at a current low state of charge) are electronically transformed to a higher voltage level in order to operate the respective electric motor during engine operation can.”; page 3, paragraphs 3-12; two electric motors are used to adjust and control tension on the cable or rope].
As per claim 5, Georg discloses a forest machine comprising a wheeled or tracked carriage [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”];
a thermal engine for moving the carriage [page 2, paragraph 4; combustion engine (i.e., a type of thermal engine)];
a hydraulic circuit having a hydraulic pump driven by said thermal engine [page 2, paragraph 4; hydraulic motors];
a hydraulic operating member connected hydraulically to said hydraulic circuit and a towing/holding winch carried by said carriage [page 2, paragraph 4; hydraulic motors; winch (pull rope, cable winch)];
the towing/holding winch comprising a towing cable, a load towing rotating member and with at least partial winding of the cable and a rotation electric motor of said towing rotating member, said winch further comprising an electric drive and control circuit for driving and controlling at least said electric motor [Abstract; Fig. 1; page 4; paragraphs 7 to 17; circulating rope; circulating rope winch (16); supporting cable; circulating cable winch (16); electric motor (14); electric motor (20)];
said electric drive and control circuit comprising an accumulator pack for powering said electric motor [Fig. 1; page 4; paragraph 1; the capacitor 30], a detection block for detecting the electric energy absorbed by the electric motor in one or more towing steps of the load hooked to the respective cable, and the electric energy returned in one or more load holding steps [page 3, paragraph 5-9; “… the control concept is designed to be adaptive in order to further minimize energy consumption.”; “… the energy difference between the expected total energy consumption minus the recovered braking energy is generated.”; “The generator power is preferably increased when the electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage falls below a preselected energy reserve or energy storage status threshold.”; a sensor], wherein the cable exerts an action opposite to that exerted by the load, comparator means for calculating the difference between the absorbed electric energy and the returned electric energy and electric energy generating means driven directly or indirectly by said thermal engine to send the calculated electric energy difference to said accumulator pack [page 3; paragraphs 4-12; “… the energy difference between the expected total energy consumption minus the recovered braking energy is generated.”; “The generator power is preferably increased when the electrical energy stored in the electrical energy storage falls below a preselected energy reserve or energy storage status threshold.”; page 2, paragraph 4; combustion engine (i.e., a type of thermal engine)].
As per claim 3, Georg discloses wherein it comprises a supporting frame of said towing rotating member of the cable, of said electric motor and of said electric drive and control circuit of said electric motor; said supporting frame being configured to couple to a frame of a self-propelled machine in a demountable manner [Abstract; Fig. 1; page 4; paragraphs 7 to 17; circulating rope; circulating rope winch (16); supporting cable; circulating cable winch (16); implicit to the system to have one or more supporting frame(s)].
As per claim 4, Georg discloses a forest machine comprising a wheeled or tracked carriage [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”]; a thermal engine for moving the carriage [page 2, paragraph 4; combustion engine (i.e., a type of thermal engine)]; a hydraulic circuit having a hydraulic pump driven by said thermal engine [page 2, paragraph 4; hydraulic motors]; a hydraulic operating member connected hydraulically to said hydraulic circuit and a towing/holding winch carried by said carriage [page 2, paragraph 4; hydraulic motors; winch (pull rope, cable winch)]; the towing/holding winch being as defined in claim 1 [see rejection of claim 1].
As per claim 6, Georg discloses wherein said carriage has its own longitudinal axis and in that said towing member and said accumulator pack are arranged on opposite lateral sides of said longitudinal axis [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; towing member and/or accumulator pack arrangements are design choice].
As per claim 7, Georg discloses wherein said towing member is arranged along a first longitudinal lateral face of said carriage and said accumulator pack is arranged along a second longitudinal lateral face of said carriage opposite to the first lateral face [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; towing member and/or accumulator pack arrangements are design choice].
As per claim 8, Georg discloses wherein an exit section of said cable extends between said towing member and said accumulator pack [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; arrangements are design choice].
As per claim 9, Georg discloses wherein by comprising a tractor carrying said thermal engine and a hydraulic steering joint interposed between said carriage and said tractor [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; page 2, paragraph 4; combustion engine (i.e., a type of thermal engine); hydraulic motors]; said towing member being carried by a free end portion of said carriage opposite to an end portion connected to said hydraulic steering joint [page5, paragraph 7].
As per claim 10, Georg discloses wherein said winch comprises its own supporting frame distinct from a carrying frame of said carriage and in that said towing member, said electric motor, and said electric drive and control circuit are carried by said supporting frame [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; arrangements of parts and/or equipment are design choice]; releasable attachment means being interposed between the carrying frame of the carriage and said supporting frame so as to allow the removal of said winch from said carrying frame [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; arrangements of parts and/or equipment are design choice].
As per claim 11, Georg discloses wherein said carriage comprises a structure delimiting a loading compartment of the logs to be transported, and in that at least said winch is arranged at least partially below said loading compartment [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; arrangements of parts and/or equipment are design choice].
As per claim 12, Georg discloses wherein said accumulator pack is arranged under said loading compartment [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; arrangements of parts and/or equipment are design choice].
As per claim 13, Georg discloses wherein said carriage comprises at least one axle and in that said towing member is arranged between said axle and said loading compartment [page 1, paragraph 3; “The forestry winch consists essentially of a mobile device (tractor, truck, trailer), which is equipped with winchers with appropriate driven cable drums for receiving and moving the ropes used.”; arrangements are design choice].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Georg (DE 1020111221211) in view of Huang (US Pub. 20190077642)..
As per claim 2, Georg discloses the invention substantially. Though Georg does not specifically disclose regarding a keyboard for the manual insertion of said desired tension value of the cable by an operator, it is very common in a towing/holding winch, particularly for an operating machine to have a keyboard or an input device for an operator for the manual control too. However, Huang (in the same field of endeavor, i.e., a power winch overcurrent (overload) safety device) discloses a display panel that is electrically connected to an electrical control set and receiving control of the electrical control set to display operation state and related messages of the power winch on the display screen so that an operator can clearly handle situation [abstract; para 0010, 0025, 0027; an operating person; an operator]. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the cited references as both are directed to operating a winch is a safety manner.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
A. US-20200189890 discloses a system and method for maintaining a desired winch load generated by an electric winch.
B. US-20200190769 discloses a system and method for controlling the operation of a hydraulic winch.
N. CN-113423659 discloses a winch with improved protection and functionality.
O. WO-2021127288 discloses a method for controlling a hydraulic winch includes acquiring measurements from sensors coupled to the hydraulic winch.
P. KR-20170045492 discloses a hydraulic winch apparatus comprises: a hydraulic winch which is connected to a driving pump on a hydraulic circuit and has a weight sensor which detects weight of the object; the pressure accumulator which is connected to the hydraulic winch on the hydraulic circuit and has a pressure sensor which detects pressure of a pipeline; and a controller which controls power of the driving pump to correspond to signals of the weight sensor and the pressure sensor.
Q. DE-102014009921 discloses a winch drive with hydraulic motor and control device, wherein in the oil supply of the hydraulic motor at least one pressure sensor is provided, and wherein the hydraulic motor is controlled in response to at least one pressure measured therein and in response to a drive signal.
R. EP-3741205 discloses a mobile forest machine which is provided with a chassis, a primary energy source, a cable winch, a stanchion and an adjustable ramp shield, the forest machine not having a driver's workstation for an operator.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SURESH K SURYAWANSHI whose telephone number is (571)272-3668. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00 PM.
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/SURESH SURYAWANSHI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2116
1 Prior art cited by applicant in submitted information discloser statement.