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 .
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.
Claims 1-3, 7, 10-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Muellenbach (US 20190069477 A1) in view of Hunter (US 6082082 A)
Regarding claim 1, Muellenbach discloses a mower, comprising:
a chassis (4);
a tractive element (6) coupled to the chassis;
a cutting unit (14) coupled to the chassis and including a cutting element;
a mounting bracket (44) coupled to the chassis;
a motor (18) configured to drive the cutting element, wherein the motor is configured to be removably coupled to the cutting unit (paragraph 0021) and configured to be removably coupled to the mounting bracket (paragraph 0027); and
wherein the mower is reconfigurable between (a) an operating configuration in which the motor is removed from the mounting bracket and coupled to the cutting unit (see fig. 2) and (b) a service or transportation configuration in which the motor is removed from the cutting unit and coupled to the mounting bracket (paragraph 0029).
Muellenbach does not disclose wherein the motor defines a fastener aperture and the mounting bracket defines a fastener passage, a fastener configured to extend through the fastener aperture and into the fastener passage to removably couple the motor to the mounting bracket.
In the same field of endeavor, Hunter discloses a fastener (bolts, extending through holes 182, 184, 186, 188) configured to extend through a fastener aperture/passage defined by the motor (not numbered) to attach the motor to the cutting unit (col. 6 lines 5-30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided both the motor and mounting bracket with apertures/passages to receive fasteners for attachment as an alternative way of attaching the motor to the cutting unit.
Regarding claim 2, Muellenbach, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket (44) is pivotally coupled to the chassis such that the motor is repositionable relative to the chassis while in the service or transportation configuration (paragraphs 0027, 29).
Regarding claim 3, Muellenbach, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 1, further comprising a lift arm (32, 34, 35) coupling the cutting unit to the chassis and including the mounting bracket, wherein the lift arm is pivotally coupled to the chassis (see fig. 3).
Regarding claim 7, Muellenbach, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 1, wherein the mounting bracket is fixedly coupled to the chassis (see fig. 3, 44 is pivotably fixed to 4).
Regarding claim 10, Hunter, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 1, wherein the fastener aperture is a first fastener aperture, the fastener passage is a first fastener passage, and the fastener is a first fastener, and wherein the motor defines a second fastener aperture and the mounting bracket defines a second fastener passage, further comprising a second fastener that is configured to extend through the second fastener aperture and into the second fastener passage to removably couple the motor to the mounting bracket (col. 6 lines 5-30, 4 fasteners are used to attach the motor).
Regarding claim 12, Hunter, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim claim 1, wherein the fastener (a bolt) is configured to extend through the fastener aperture and engage the cutting unit to removably couple the motor to the cutting unit (col. 6 lines 5-30).
Regarding claim 13, Muellenbach discloses a mower, comprising:
a chassis;
a tractive element coupled to the chassis;
a cutting unit coupled to the chassis and including a cutting element;
an actuator configured to raise the cutting unit relative to the chassis;
a mounting bracket coupled to the chassis;
a motor configured to drive the cutting element; and
wherein the mower is reconfigurable between:
a first configuration and a second configuration (paragraphs 0027, 0029).
Muellenbach does not disclose the mounting bracket defining a first fastener passage and a second fastener passage, the motor defining a first fastener aperture and a second fastener aperture, a first fastener and a second fastener.
In the same field of endeavor, Hunter discloses a fastener (bolts, extending through holes 182, 184, 186, 188) configured to extend through a fastener aperture/passage defined by the motor (not numbered) to attach the motor to the cutting unit (col. 6 lines 5-30).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided both the motor and mounting bracket with apertures/passages to receive fasteners for attachment as an alternative way of attaching the motor to the cutting unit.
Regarding claim 14, Muellenbach, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 13, wherein the mounting bracket is fixedly coupled to the chassis (see fig. 3, 44 is pivotably fixed to 4).
Regarding claim 15, Muellenbach, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 13, wherein the mounting bracket (44) is pivotally coupled to the chassis (see fig. 3).
Regarding claim 16, Hunter, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 13, wherein the first fastener passage is threaded to engage the first fastener, and wherein the second fastener passage is threaded to engage the second fastener passage (col. 6 lines 5-30, bolts are used).
Regarding claim 17, Hunter, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 13, wherein the mounting bracket defines a third fastener passage and the motor defines a third fastener aperture, further comprising a third fastener, wherein the third fastener extends through the third fastener aperture and engages the cutting unit in the first configuration, and wherein the third fastener extends through the third fastener aperture and into the third fastener passage to couple the motor to the mounting bracket in the second configuration (col. 6 lines 5-30, 4 fasteners are used to attach the motor).
Regarding claim 18, Muellenbach, of the resultant combination, discloses the mower of claim 13, wherein the cutting unit is removed from the chassis in the second configuration (paragraphs 0027, 0029).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6, 8 are allowed.
Claim 11 is 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
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/MADELINE I RUNCO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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