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
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(s) 1,3-5,7-9,11-13, 15-17, 19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Enot (2022/0390009) in view of Schafer (9,016,800).
Regarding claim 1, Enot teaches a system for controlling a rotor assembly for a rotary mixer, the rotor assembly including a rotor (114), the system comprising: a gearbox (200) operatively coupled to the rotor, the gearbox including a plurality of shift components (220, 225, 230, 235); a motor operatively coupled to the rotor via the gearbox, wherein the auxiliary motor is adapted to selectively rotate the rotor via the gearbox (paragraph [0035]); a speed sensor (255) configured to generate a speed signal indicative of a current speed of the rotor (paragraph [0030]); and a controller (120) including one or more memories and one or more processors (paragraph [0019]), wherein the one or more processors are communicably coupled with the one or more memories and the speed sensor, and wherein the one or more processors are configured to: determine whether the plurality of shift components of the gearbox are in an engaged position (paragraph [0026]); receive the speed signal indicative of the current speed of the rotor from the speed sensor after the auxiliary motor is engaged with the rotor; compare the current speed of the rotor with a threshold speed of the rotor, wherein the threshold speed of the rotor is stored in the one or more memories; and maintain the engagement of the auxiliary motor with the rotor to rotate the rotor if the current speed of the rotor is below the threshold speed of the rotor (paragraph [0035-0036]). Schafer teaches a cold planer having a milling drum operatively coupled to a gearbox and an auxiliary drivetrain for selectively rotating the milling drum independently of a primary drivetrain. The auxiliary drivetrain includes a service motor, service belt, and service pulley, wherein the service motor is operatively coupled to the milling drum through the service belt, service pulley, and gearbox. Schafer teaches that operation of the service motor causes the service pulley to rotate via the service belt, thereby transmitting rotation through the gearbox to the milling drum. Schafer further teaches that the service motor may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. Schafer also teaches a clutch mechanism configured to selectively couple and decouple the service motor from the service belt and service pulley. Enot teaches providing rotational input to the gearbox of a rotary mixer to facilitate alignment and full engagement of the gearbox components. Enot further teaches that, as an alternative to pulsing the primary clutch, the rotational input may be provided by a device coupled directly or indirectly to the input of the gearbox, and expressly teaches that such a device may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor (paragraph [0032]). However, Enot does not expressly disclose the particular auxiliary drivetrain arrangement by which such a motor is operatively coupled through the gearbox to selectively rotate the rotor. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Enot to include the auxiliary drivetrain arrangement taught by Schafer, such that the hydraulic or electric motor contemplated by Enot is operatively coupled to the rotor through the gearbox and is capable of selectively rotating the rotor through the gearbox. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to provide a known and predictable mechanism for implementing the auxiliary gearbox input expressly contemplated by Enot, thereby permitting controlled rotation of the rotor independently of the primary drivetrain to facilitate alignment and engagement of the gearbox components. Such a modification would have amounted to the use of a known technique to improve a similar device in the same way and would have yielded the predictable result of permitting the auxiliary motor to selectively impart rotational input through the gearbox to the rotor.
Regarding claim 3, Enot as modified with Schafer teaches wherein the speed sensor is configured to measure a rotational speed of the gearbox to generate the speed signal (Enot, speed sensor 255; paragraph [0030], disclosing that speed sensor 255 may be configured to detect a rotational speed of gearbox 200 at an input or output of gearbox 200).
Regarding claim 4, Enot as modified with Schafer teaches further comprising an auxiliary clutch mechanism (Schafer, clutch mechanism 52), an auxiliary belt (Schafer, service belt 48), and an auxiliary pulley (Schafer, service pulley 50), wherein the auxiliary motor (Schafer, service motor 46) is operatively coupled to the gearbox (42) via the auxiliary clutch mechanism (52), the auxiliary belt (48), and the auxiliary pulley (50) (Schafer, service motor 46 is connected to service belt 48 via clutch mechanism 52; service belt 48 operatively connects service motor 46 to service pulley 50; and service pulley 50 is connected to gearbox 42). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further provide the auxiliary drivetrain of Enot as modified with Schafer with the clutch mechanism, belt, and pulley arrangement taught by Schafer. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to provide such an arrangement to selectively couple the auxiliary motor to the gearbox while permitting the gearbox and rotor to be driven by the primary drivetrain without interference from the auxiliary motor when the auxiliary motor is disengaged, as expressly taught by Schafer. Such a modification would have amounted to the use of a known auxiliary drivetrain arrangement according to its established function and would have yielded the predictable result of selectively transmitting power from the auxiliary motor to the gearbox and rotor. Therefore, it would have been obvious to further provide the auxiliary drivetrain of Enot as modified with Schafer with the clutch mechanism, belt, and pulley arrangement taught by Schafer in order to selectively couple the auxiliary motor to the gearbox while allowing operation of the primary drivetrain without interference from the auxiliary motor.
Regarding claim 5, Enot as modified with Schafer teaches wherein the auxiliary clutch mechanism (Schafer, clutch mechanism 52) is adapted to selectively couple and decouple the auxiliary motor (service motor 46) from the auxiliary belt (service belt 48) and the auxiliary pulley (service pulley 50) (Schafer, clutch mechanism 52 expressly allows for selectively coupling and decoupling service motor 46 from service belt 48 and service pulley 50).
Regarding claim 7, Enot as modified with Schafer teaches wherein the auxiliary motor includes at least one of a hydraulic motor and an electric motor (Enot, paragraph [0035], disclosing that the device coupled to the input of gearbox 200 may be a motor, such as a hydraulic motor or an electric motor; see also Schafer, service motor 46, which may be a hydraulic or electric motor).
Regarding claim 8, Enot as modified with Schafer teaches further comprising at least one position sensor (Enot, position sensor 245; paragraph [0025]) configured to generate a position signal indicative of the engaged position of the plurality of shift components of the gearbox (Enot, [0034]-[0035], sensor 245 generates a signal indicative of the position of gear selector 235, wherein the calibrated position represents a complete shift/full engagement of the gearbox), wherein the at least one position sensor is communicably coupled with the one or more processors (Enot, paragraph [0025]-[0027], controller 120 is operatively coupled to sensor 245), and wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine whether the plurality of shift components are in the engaged position based on the position signal received from the at least one position sensor (Enot, paragraph [0019], controller 120 monitors, using sensor 245, whether the position of gear selector 235 corresponds to the calibrated position indicative of a complete shift and identifies an incomplete shift when the gear selector does not correspond to the calibrated position).
Regarding claim 9, Enot teaches a rotor assembly for a rotary mixer, the rotor assembly comprising: a rotor (114) including a plurality of cutting tools (rotor 114 includes a rotor drum and a plurality of work tools, e.g., cutting bits); a system for controlling the rotor, the system including: a gearbox operatively coupled to the rotor (gearbox 200 coupled at its output to rotor 114), the gearbox including a plurality of shift components (220, 225, 230, 235); a motor operatively coupled to the rotor via the gearbox, wherein the motor is adapted to selectively rotate the rotor via the gearbox (paragraph [0035])
a speed sensor configured to generate a speed signal indicative of a current speed of the rotor (255; paragraph [0030]); and a controller including one or more memories and one or more processors (120; paragraph [0019]), wherein the one or more processors are communicably coupled with the one or more memories and the speed sensor (controller 120 and speed sensor 255) and wherein the one or more processors are configured to: determine whether the plurality of shift components of the gearbox are in an engaged position (paragraph [0026], controller 120 monitors whether gear selector 235 corresponds to a calibrated position indicative of a complete shift/full engagement); engage the motor with the rotor to rotate the rotor if the plurality of shift components are not in the engaged position (paragraph [0035]); receive the speed signal indicative of the current speed of the rotor from the speed sensor after the auxiliary motor is engaged with the rotor (paragraph [0035-0036], controller 120 obtains a signal indicative of rotor speed from speed sensor 255 during the shift-completion operation); compare the current speed of the rotor with a threshold speed of the rotor, wherein the threshold speed of the rotor is stored in the one or more memories (paragraph [0035-0036], controller 120 performs the shift-completion operation until the rotational speed of rotor 114 or gearbox 200 satisfies a threshold value, controller 120 including one or more memories); and maintain the engagement of the motor with the rotor to rotate the rotor if the current speed of the rotor is below the threshold speed of the rotor. Schafer teaches a cold planer having a milling drum operatively coupled to a gearbox and an auxiliary drivetrain for selectively rotating the milling drum independently of a primary drivetrain. The auxiliary drivetrain includes a service motor, service belt, and service pulley, wherein the service motor is operatively coupled to the milling drum through the service belt, service pulley, and gearbox. Schafer teaches that operation of the service motor causes the service pulley to rotate via the service belt, thereby transmitting rotation through the gearbox to the milling drum. Schafer further teaches that the service motor may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. Schafer also teaches a clutch mechanism configured to selectively couple and decouple the service motor from the service belt and service pulley. Enot teaches providing rotational input to the gearbox of a rotary mixer to facilitate alignment and full engagement of the gearbox components. Enot further teaches that, as an alternative to pulsing the primary clutch, the rotational input may be provided by a device coupled directly or indirectly to the input of the gearbox, and expressly teaches that such a device may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor (paragraph [0032]). However, Enot does not expressly disclose the particular auxiliary drivetrain arrangement by which such a motor is operatively coupled through the gearbox to selectively rotate the rotor. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Enot to include the auxiliary drivetrain arrangement taught by Schafer, such that the hydraulic or electric motor contemplated by Enot is operatively coupled to the rotor through the gearbox and is capable of selectively rotating the rotor through the gearbox. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to provide a known and predictable mechanism for implementing the auxiliary gearbox input expressly contemplated by Enot, thereby permitting controlled rotation of the rotor independently of the primary drivetrain to facilitate alignment and engagement of the gearbox components. Such a modification would have amounted to the use of a known technique to improve a similar device in the same way and would have yielded the predictable result of permitting the auxiliary motor to selectively impart rotational input through the gearbox to the rotor.
Regarding claim 11, Enot as modified with Schafer teaches wherein the speed sensor is configured to measure a rotational speed of the gearbox to generate the speed signal (Enot, speed sensor 255; paragraph [0026], expressly disclosing that speed sensor 255 may detect a rotational speed of gearbox 200 at an input or output of gearbox 200).
Regarding claim 12, Enot as modified with Schafer teaches wherein the system further includes an auxiliary clutch mechanism (Schafer, clutch mechanism 52), an auxiliary belt (Schafer, service belt 48), and an auxiliary pulley (Schafer, service pulley 50), and wherein the auxiliary motor (Schafer, service motor 46) is operatively coupled to the gearbox (42) via the auxiliary clutch mechanism (52), the auxiliary belt (48), and the auxiliary pulley (50) (Schafer, service motor 46 is connected to service belt 48 via clutch mechanism 52, service belt 48 operatively connects service motor 46 to service pulley 50, and service pulley 50 is connected to gearbox 42). Schafer teaches a cold planer having a milling drum operatively coupled to a gearbox and an auxiliary drivetrain for selectively rotating the milling drum independently of a primary drivetrain. The auxiliary drivetrain includes a service motor, service belt, and service pulley, wherein the service motor is operatively coupled to the milling drum through the service belt, service pulley, and gearbox. Schafer teaches that operation of the service motor causes the service pulley to rotate via the service belt, thereby transmitting rotation through the gearbox to the milling drum. Schafer further teaches that the service motor may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. Schafer also teaches a clutch mechanism configured to selectively couple and decouple the service motor from the service belt and service pulley. Enot teaches providing rotational input to the gearbox of a rotary mixer to facilitate alignment and full engagement of the gearbox components. Enot further teaches that, as an alternative to pulsing the primary clutch, the rotational input may be provided by a device coupled directly or indirectly to the input of the gearbox, and expressly teaches that such a device may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor (paragraph [0032]). However, Enot does not expressly disclose the particular auxiliary drivetrain arrangement by which such a motor is operatively coupled through the gearbox to selectively rotate the rotor. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Enot to include the auxiliary drivetrain arrangement taught by Schafer, such that the hydraulic or electric motor contemplated by Enot is operatively coupled to the rotor through the gearbox and is capable of selectively rotating the rotor through the gearbox. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to provide a known and predictable mechanism for implementing the auxiliary gearbox input expressly contemplated by Enot, thereby permitting controlled rotation of the rotor independently of the primary drivetrain to facilitate alignment and engagement of the gearbox components. Such a modification would have amounted to the use of a known technique to improve a similar device in the same way and would have yielded the predictable result of permitting the auxiliary motor to selectively impart rotational input through the gearbox to the rotor.
Regarding claim 13, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches the auxiliary clutch mechanism (Schafer, clutch mechanism 52) is adapted to selectively couple and decouple the auxiliary motor (service motor 46) from the auxiliary belt (service belt 48) and the auxiliary pulley (service pulley 50) (Schafer, clutch mechanism 52 expressly allows for selectively coupling and decoupling service motor 46 from service belt 48 and service pulley 50).
Regarding claim 15, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches wherein the auxiliary motor includes at least one of a hydraulic motor and an electric motor (Enot, paragraph [0035], disclosing that the device coupled to the gearbox input may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor; see also Schafer, service motor 46, which may be a hydraulic or electric motor).
Regarding claim 16, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches wherein the system further includes at least one position sensor (Enot, position sensor 245; paragraph [0026]) configured to generate a position signal indicative of the engaged position of the plurality of shift components of the gearbox (Enot, sensor 245 generates a signal indicative of the position of gear selector 235, wherein the calibrated position represents a complete shift/full engagement), wherein the at least one position sensor is communicably coupled with the one or more processors (Enot, paragraph [0019], controller 120 operatively coupled to sensor 245), and wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine whether the plurality of shift components are in the engaged position based on the position signal received from the at least one position sensor (Enot, paragraph [0026], controller 120 monitors, using sensor 245, whether gear selector 235 corresponds to the calibrated position indicative of a complete shift and identifies an incomplete shift when the position does not correspond thereto).
Regarding claim 17, Enot teaches a method of controlling a rotor assembly for a rotary mixer, the rotor assembly including a rotor (114) and a gearbox operatively coupled to the rotor (200), the method comprising: determining, by one or more processors of a controller (paragraph [0019]), whether a plurality of shift components of the gearbox are in an engaged position (controller 120; paragraph [0026], monitoring whether gear selector 235 corresponds to a calibrated position indicative of a complete shift/full engagement) engaging, by the one or more processors, a motor of the rotor assembly with the rotor to rotate the rotor if the plurality of shift components are not in the engaged position, wherein the motor is operatively coupled with the rotor via the gearbox; receiving, by the one or more processors, a speed signal indicative of a current speed of the rotor from a speed sensor after the auxiliary motor is engaged with the rotor (255; paragraph [0030]); comparing, by the one or more processors, the current speed of the rotor with a threshold speed of the rotor, wherein the threshold speed of the rotor is stored in one or more memories of the controller, and wherein the one or more memories are communicably coupled with the one or more processors (controller 120 including one or more memories/processors, paragraph [0019]; performing the operation until the rotational speed of rotor 114 or gearbox 200 satisfies a threshold value); and maintaining, by the one or more processors, the engagement of the auxiliary motor with the rotor to rotate the rotor if the current speed of the rotor is below the threshold speed of the rotor (paragraph [0035-0036]). Schafer teaches a cold planer having a milling drum operatively coupled to a gearbox and an auxiliary drivetrain for selectively rotating the milling drum independently of a primary drivetrain. The auxiliary drivetrain includes a service motor, service belt, and service pulley, wherein the service motor is operatively coupled to the milling drum through the service belt, service pulley, and gearbox. Schafer teaches that operation of the service motor causes the service pulley to rotate via the service belt, thereby transmitting rotation through the gearbox to the milling drum. Schafer further teaches that the service motor may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor. Schafer also teaches a clutch mechanism configured to selectively couple and decouple the service motor from the service belt and service pulley. Enot teaches providing rotational input to the gearbox of a rotary mixer to facilitate alignment and full engagement of the gearbox components. Enot further teaches that, as an alternative to pulsing the primary clutch, the rotational input may be provided by a device coupled directly or indirectly to the input of the gearbox, and expressly teaches that such a device may be a hydraulic motor or an electric motor (paragraph [0032]). However, Enot does not expressly disclose the particular auxiliary drivetrain arrangement by which such a motor is operatively coupled through the gearbox to selectively rotate the rotor. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Enot to include the auxiliary drivetrain arrangement taught by Schafer, such that the hydraulic or electric motor contemplated by Enot is operatively coupled to the rotor through the gearbox and is capable of selectively rotating the rotor through the gearbox. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to provide a known and predictable mechanism for implementing the auxiliary gearbox input expressly contemplated by Enot, thereby permitting controlled rotation of the rotor independently of the primary drivetrain to facilitate alignment and engagement of the gearbox components. Such a modification would have amounted to the use of a known technique to improve a similar device in the same way and would have yielded the predictable result of permitting the auxiliary motor to selectively impart rotational input through the gearbox to the rotor.
Regarding claim 19, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches further comprising generating, by the speed sensor, the speed signal indicative of the current speed of the rotor (Enot, speed sensor 255; paragraph [0030]), wherein the speed sensor is configured to measure a rotational speed of the gearbox to generate the speed signal (Enot, paragraph [0030], expressly disclosing that speed sensor 255 may detect a rotational speed of gearbox 200 at an input or output of gearbox 200).
Claim(s) 2, 10, 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Enot (2022/0390009) in view of Schafer (9,016,800) and in further view of Lankin (4,180,138)
Regarding claim 2, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches wherein the one or more processors are configured to compare the current speed of the rotor with a threshold speed of the rotor (Enot, paragraph [0019], controller 120 obtains a signal indicative of the rotational speed of rotor 114 from speed sensor 255 and performs the operation until the rotational speed satisfies a threshold value), but fails to teach wherein the one or more processors are configured to disengage the auxiliary motor from the rotor if the current speed of the rotor is above the threshold speed of the rotor. Lankin teaches an auxiliary drive mechanism including auxiliary motor (40) and an overspeed switch configured to automatically break the auxiliary motor circuit when the auxiliary motor reaches a predetermined speed, thereby cutting off current flow to auxiliary motor 40 and deactivating the auxiliary motor. Lankin further teaches that termination of current flow to auxiliary motor (40) initiates disengagement of the associated clutch assembly.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Enot as modified by Schafer according to the teachings of Lankin to disengage the auxiliary motor when the sensed rotational speed reaches or exceeds the predetermined threshold speed. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to discontinue operation of the auxiliary motor once the desired rotational speed has been attained, thereby preventing unnecessary continued operation and potential overspeed of the auxiliary drive and yielding the predictable result of disengaging the auxiliary drive after the desired rotational speed is achieved.
Regarding claim 10, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches wherein the one or more processors are configured to compare the current speed of the rotor with a threshold speed of the rotor (Enot, paragraph [0032], controller 120 obtains a signal indicative of the rotational speed of rotor 114 from speed sensor 255 and performs the operation until the rotational speed satisfies a threshold value), but fails to teach wherein the one or more processors are configured to disengage the auxiliary motor from the rotor if the current speed of the rotor is above the threshold speed of the rotor. Lankin teaches an auxiliary drive mechanism including auxiliary motor 40 and an overspeed switch configured to automatically break the auxiliary motor circuit when the auxiliary motor reaches a predetermined speed, thereby cutting off current flow to auxiliary motor 40 and deactivating the auxiliary motor. Lankin further teaches that termination of current flow to auxiliary motor 40 initiates disengagement of the associated clutch assembly.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify Enot as modified by Schafer according to the teachings of Lankin to disengage the auxiliary motor when the sensed rotational speed reaches or exceeds the predetermined threshold speed. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to discontinue operation of the auxiliary motor once the desired rotational speed has been attained, thereby preventing unnecessary continued operation and potential overspeed of the auxiliary drive and yielding the predictable result of disengaging the auxiliary drive after the desired rotational speed is achieved.
Regarding claim 18, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches comparing, by the one or more processors, the current speed of the rotor with a threshold speed of the rotor (Enot, paragraph [0032], controller 120 obtains a signal indicative of the rotational speed of rotor 114 from speed sensor 255 and performs the operation until the rotational speed satisfies a threshold value), but fails to teach further comprising disengaging, by the one or more processors, the auxiliary motor from the rotor if the current speed of the rotor is above the threshold speed of the rotor. Lankin teaches an auxiliary drive mechanism including auxiliary motor 40 and an overspeed switch configured to automatically break the auxiliary motor circuit when the auxiliary motor reaches a predetermined speed, thereby cutting off current flow to auxiliary motor 40 and deactivating the auxiliary motor. Lankin further teaches that termination of current flow to auxiliary motor 40 initiates disengagement of the associated clutch assembly.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to further modify the method of Enot as modified by Schafer according to the teachings of Lankin to disengage the auxiliary motor when the sensed rotational speed reaches or exceeds the predetermined threshold speed. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to discontinue operation of the auxiliary motor once the desired rotational speed has been attained, thereby preventing unnecessary continued operation and potential overspeed of the auxiliary drive and yielding the predictable result of disengaging the auxiliary drive after the desired rotational speed is achieved.
Claim(s) 6, 14 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Enot (2022/0390009) in view of Schafer (9,016,800) and in further view of Walker (6,935,204).
Regarding claim 6, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches wherein the rotor assembly further includes a primary drivetrain operatively coupled to the rotor via the gearbox (Enot, power source 106, clutch 215, gearbox 200, and rotor 114) but fails to teach wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate the rotor via the primary drivetrain if the plurality of shift components are in the engaged position. Walker teaches a control system including ECU (120) and position sensor (58), wherein ECU (120) waits for a signal from position sensor (58) indicating that shift fork (24) is in the correct gear engagement position and that the selected gear has been fully engaged, and, once the signal indicating full engagement is received, ECU 120 fully engages the clutch via clutch actuator 124 (see steps 230 and 232; col. corresponding to the discussion of FIG. 4; see also claim 5, reciting engaging the clutch once the selected gear is fully engaged). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Enot as modified by Schafer according to the teachings of Walker such that the primary drivetrain is operated when the plurality of shift components are determined to be in the engaged position. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to ensure that power from the primary drivetrain is transmitted through the gearbox only after proper gear engagement has been confirmed, thereby reducing the likelihood of incomplete gear engagement and resulting damage to the drivetrain.
Regarding claim 14, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches further comprising a primary drivetrain operatively coupled to the rotor via the gearbox (Enot, power source 106, clutch 215, gearbox 200, and rotor 114), but fails to teach wherein the one or more processors are configured to operate the rotor via the primary drivetrain if the plurality of shift components are in the engaged position. Walker teaches a control system including ECU 120 and position sensor 58, wherein ECU 120 waits for a signal from position sensor 58 indicating that shift fork 24 is in the correct gear engagement position and that the selected gear has been fully engaged, and, once the signal indicating full engagement is received, ECU 120 fully engages the clutch via clutch actuator 124 (see steps 230 and 232; see also claim 5, reciting engaging the clutch once the selected gear is fully engaged). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Enot as modified by Schafer according to the teachings of Walker such that the primary drivetrain is operated when the plurality of shift components are determined to be in the engaged position. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to ensure that power from the primary drivetrain is transmitted through the gearbox only after proper gear engagement has been confirmed, thereby reducing the likelihood of incomplete gear engagement and resulting damage to the drivetrain.
Regarding claim 20, Enot as modified by Schafer teaches wherein the rotor assembly further includes a primary drivetrain operatively coupled to the rotor via the gearbox (Enot, power source 106, clutch 215, gearbox 200, and rotor 114; paragraph), but fails to teach the method further comprising operating, by the one or more processors, the rotor via the primary drivetrain if the plurality of shift components are in the engaged position. Walker teaches determining, by ECU 120 based on a signal received from position sensor 58, that shift fork 24 is in the correct gear engagement position and that the selected gear has been fully engaged, and, once the signal indicating full engagement is received, fully engaging the clutch via clutch actuator 124 (see steps 230 and 232; see also claim 5, reciting engaging the clutch once the selected gear is fully engaged). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of Enot as modified by Schafer according to the teachings of Walker to operate the rotor via the primary drivetrain when the plurality of shift components are determined to be in the engaged position. One of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to make such a modification to ensure that power from the primary drivetrain is transmitted through the gearbox only after proper gear engagement has been confirmed, thereby reducing the likelihood of incomplete gear engagement and resulting damage to the drivetrain.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure listed on the attached PTO-892. Schlenker teaches a rotor with a gearbox, speed sensor and controlling the clutch when the speed is below the threshold.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ABIGAIL ANNE RISIC whose telephone number is (571)270-7819. The examiner can normally be reached 8-5, M-Th.
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/ABIGAIL A RISIC/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671 August 19, 2026
