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 .
Status of claims
The office action is in response to Applicant Amendments and Remarks filled on 11/26/2025 for application number 18/582810filed on 02/21/2024.
Claim 1 is amended.
Claim 1 is pending.
Response to arguments
Applicant Amendments and Remarks filled on 11/26/2025 in response to the Non-Final Office action mailed on 08/27/2025 has been fully considered and are address as follows:
Regarding the claim rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103: with respect to the previous claim rejection under 35 U.S.C. 103, Applicant has amended the claim 1 and the amendment has changed the scope of the original application. Therefore, the office has supplied new ground of rejection attached below in the FINAL office action and therefor the prior arguments are considered moot.
Final rejection
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 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatented over US20180119386 A1 to Kobayashi et al. (herein after “Kobayashi”) in view of US 20210387835 A1 to Eto (herein after “Eto”) and US 20170284063 A1 to Fukuda et al. (herein after “Fukuda”).
Regarding claim 1, Kobayashi teaches A hydraulic control system in a working machine (see Kobayashi construction machine hydraulic excavator), characterized in that, the working machine which includes a lower travel body having a left and right travel device (see a lower traveling body 10), an upper swivel body freely supported by the lower travel body (see Kobayashi an upper revolving body 11), and a working unit mounted on the upper swivel body (see front working machine 12), is provided with the hydraulic control system, comprising:
a left and a right travel motor[[s]] that drive the left and right travel device of the lower travel body (see left and right traveling hydraulic motors 3b and 3a),
a swivel motor for swiveling the upper swivel body (see Kobayashi para[0027] The upper swing structure 11 is mounted on the lower track structure 10 to be swingable and is driven and swung by a swing hydraulic motor 4 ),
a plurality of hydraulic actuators including working hydraulic actuators for driving the working unit (see para[0008] A control system for a construction machine includes a hydraulic pump),
a first and second hydraulic pump[[s]] for providing a hydraulic supply to the plurality of hydraulic actuators (see Kobayashi para[0008] a hydraulic actuator for a front work implement driven by hydraulic fluid delivered from the hydraulic pump),
a left and right travel manipulator, a swivel manipulator(see Kobayashi para [0028] The front work implement 12 is attached to a front part of the upper swing structure 11 to be capable of increasing/decreasing its elevation angle. ),, and a working manipulator which are operated to drive the left and right travel motor[[s]], ( see Kobayashi para[0027] The left and right crawler-type travel devices 10 b and 10 a are driven by left and right travel hydraulic motors 3 b and 3 a (only the left-hand side is shown), the swivel motor( see para[0030] [0030] The upper swing structure 11 swings with respect to the lower track structure 10 due to the rotation of the swing hydraulic motor 4 by use of hydraulic fluid.), and the working hydraulic actuators respectively.
when the left and right travel manipulators are operated and at least one of the swivel manipulator and the working manipulator is operated, the pilot pressure is supplied greater than or equal to a first set pressure(see Kobayashi para[0104] the output signals from the right travel control lever device 1 a, the left travel control lever device 1 b, the right control lever device 1 c and the left control lever device 1 d, judges state transition of the machine body (transition from which mode (travel-solo, work-solo, or combined work of the traveling and the front work implement) to which mode has occurred) based on the signals, and outputs a signal representing the judgment to a target pilot pressure calculation part 112 B; para [0105] The target pilot pressure calculation part 112 B receives the output signals from the right control lever device 1 c and the left control lever device 1 d)),
However, Kobayashi does not expressly disclose or otherwise teach a pilot-actuated straight travel valve for switching connections of supply oil passages between the first and second hydraulic pump[[s]] and various hydraulic actuators, a pilot-actuated brake switch valve for supplying pressure oil to the swivel parking brake and switching to a brake-release state from a brake state. Nevertheless, Eto same field of endeavor teaches a pilot-actuated straight travel valve for switching connections of supply oil passages between the first and second hydraulic pump[[s]] and various hydraulic actuators,(See Eto para[0110] input of a command signal from the transporter control unit 56. The wheel drive control circuit 57C includes, for example, a control valve composed of a pilot switching valve for switching the oil path between the hydraulic pump 57A and the hydraulic motor 57B,)
a pilot-actuated brake switch valve for supplying pressure oil to the swivel parking brake and switching to a brake-release state from a brake state (See Eto para[0110] a control valve composed of a pilot switching valve for switching the oil path between the hydraulic pump 57A and the hydraulic motor 57B, a pilot line for supplying pilot pressure to the control valve, and an solenoid proportional pressure reducing valve provided in the pilot line, by receiving a command signal from the transporter control unit 56 to the solenoid proportional pressure reducing valve, the control of the supply direction and the supply flow rate of the hydraulic oil, i.e. the control of the rotational direction and the rotational speed of the wheel 531 is performed.).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to combine Kobayashi’s control system for construction machine with Eto’s pilot switching valve which used to switching the oil between hydraulic pumps and motors in order to allow to provide a crane capable of stably traveling a transporter capable of supporting a counterweight in cooperation with slewing of an upper slewing body (see Abstract).
However, Kobayashi does not expressly disclose or otherwise teach a swivel parking brake for braking swivel of the upper swivel body, a common electromagnetic proportional valve to supply the straight travel valve and the brake switch valve with a pilot pressure, the common electromagnetic proportional valve being controlled by a controller such that, when the left and right travel manipulators are operated and neither the swivel manipulator nor the working manipulator is operated, the pilot pressure is not output, the straight travel valve switches from a neutral position at which the first and second hydraulic pumps supply discharge oil from one hydraulic pump to the left travel motor and supply discharge oil from the other hydraulic pump to the right travel motor, to an actuation position at which the discharge oil from the one hydraulic pump is supplied to the left and right travel motors, and the discharge oil from the other hydraulic pump is supplied to the swivel motor and the working hydraulic actuators, when the left and right travel manipulators are not operated and at least one of the swivel manipulator and the working manipulator is operated, the pilot pressure is supplied greater than or equal to a second set pressure but lower than the first set pressure. Nevertheless, Fukuda same field of endeavor teaches a common electromagnetic proportional valve to supply the straight travel valve and the brake switch valve with a pilot pressure, the common electromagnetic proportional valve being controlled by a controller (see Fukuda para[0098] the operation valve 45 is an electromagnetic proportional valve (a proportional valve), and thus changes the opening aperture in accordance with the control signal. The operation valve 45 changes the opening aperture to change the pressure of the operation fluid applied (supplied) to the hydraulic switch valves., para [0278].) such that:
when the left and right travel manipulators are operated and neither the swivel manipulator nor the working manipulator is operated, the pilot pressure is not output, (See Fukuda [0139]
For example, the control device 110 controls the proportional valve 45 in accordance with an operation of an operation member 115 connected to the control device 110. The operation member 115 is a member for setting the travel motors; control of the system and control the flow of the pilot pressure are depends on control device, so if the swivel/travel motors are not operated, the pilot pressure is also not output)
the straight travel valve switches from a neutral position at which the first and second hydraulic pumps supply discharge oil from one hydraulic pump to the left travel motor and supply discharge oil from the other hydraulic pump to the right travel motor, to an actuation position at which the discharge oil from the one hydraulic pump is supplied to the left and right travel motors, and the discharge oil from the other hydraulic pump is supplied to the swivel motor and the working hydraulic actuators;(see Fukuda para[0094] The first hydraulic switch valve 90A is a hydraulic switch valve having a plurality of positions, and is capable of switching the plurality of positions in accordance with the pilot pressure that is a pressure of the pilot fluid, and thus the first hydraulic switch valve 90A is a valve capable of switching the first travel motor 80A to the first speed and to the second speed. The first hydraulic switch valve 90A is a three-position switch valve capable of switching three positions, a first position 90 a, a second position 90 b, and a neutral position (a third position) 90 c, for example.)
when the left and right travel manipulators are not operated and at least one of the swivel manipulator and the working manipulator is operated, the pilot pressure is supplied greater than or equal to a second set pressure but lower than the first set pressure(see Fukuda regarding first set pressure para[0239] the control device 131 sets the applied pressure F1 to be higher in applying the preliminary pressure to the hydraulic switch valve., regarding second set pressure para[0239] In a case where the first speed is set and the brake device 130 provides the braking, the control device 131 sets the applied pressure F1 to be higher in applying the preliminary pressure to the hydraulic switch valve. the applied pressure set in releasing the braking is referred to as “a first applied pressure F1”, and an applied pressure F6 different from the applied pressure F1 is referred to as “a second applied pressure F6) and
the brake switch valve switches from a neutral position at which the swivel parking brake is in a brake state to an actuation position at which the swivel parking brake is in a brake release state. (See Fukuda para[02333] The operation valve 133 is constituted of a switch valve (the hydraulic switch valve) having a brake position where the brake device 130 is set to the braking state and a release position where the brake device 130 is set to the release position.).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to combine Kobayashi’s control system for construction machine with Fukuda’s proportional valve, control of the system and pilot pressure supply depend on the swivel /travel motor in order to allow to control the proportional valve in accordance with a state of the travel hydraulic device (See Abstract).
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/NAZIA AFRIN/ Examiner, Art Unit 3666
/SCOTT A BROWNE/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3666