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.
Claim(s) 1-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Knepp et al (US20190308651) in view of Merritt (US11273857).
Referring to claims 1-3, 7-9, 11. Knepp et al (herein “Knepp”) discloses “Tugger and Rider cart Assembly”. See Figs. 1-9 and respective portions of the specification. Knepp further discloses a tugger cart comprising: a tugger frame having a front member, a rear member, a transverse member connecting the front member to the rear member, and at least one bay defined by the front member and the rear member (Sect. 0069); at least one platform configured to secure a cart within the at least one bay of the tugger frame (See Sect. 0069) and a plurality of tugger wheels (118) are operatively connected to the tugger cart to allow movement of the loaded assembly (Sect. 0069). Thus, Kothari teaches a tugger cart comprising a tugger frame having a front member, a rear member, and a transverse member connecting them, with at least one bay defined by those members; at least one platform configured to secure a cart within the bay; and a plurality of wheels operatively coupled to the tugger frame. However, Knepp does not disclose an automated lift assembly. Knepp et al (herein “Merritt”) discloses a “Tugger Cart Assembly”. See Figs. 1-7 and respective portions of the specification. Merritt further discloses an electric-lift tugger cart in which actuators (52) lift a rider cart (60) off the ground into a transport position (See Sect. 0016), and further an actuator rod (54) that extends and retracts horizontally, that is coupled to a rocker arm (56) which is pivotably coupled to pivoting arms (32, 35) that raise and lower roller assemblies (28) relative to the tugger frame (11) (See Sect. 0022), as well as activation button (42) that controls the actuator to raise the roller assemblies upward upon activation and to lower them downward upon second activation (See Sect. 0026). Likewise, Merritt discloses casters (44) on the bottom of the tugger frame (See Sect. 0017) and for coupling tugger carts in train, a hitch ball (48) on one cart and a hitch receiver (46) on another, enabling carts to be connected to adjacent tugger carts or a tugger truck (See Sect. 00240. Thus, Merritt discloses an automated lift assembly comprising an actuator configured to raise a platform (first activation) and lower a platform (second activation), an actuator comprising a piston configured to extend and retract, a pair of automated lift assemblies and connector brackets for coupling to adjacent tugger carts or a tugger truck. Merritt does not disclose a sliding frame that is fixedly coupled to tugger fram such tha the sliding frame is configured to slide vertically relative to the tugger frame. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the a Knepp tugger cart to incorporate a powered automated lift assembly as taught by Merritt in order to reduce burden on operators, avoid the need to push heavy loaded rider carts up inclined planes, and enabled powered lifting of the rider cart to the transport position, while incorporating a sliding frame slidably coupled to the tugger frame for vertical movement would allow for an efficient and less complex way of achieving vertical lifting.
Referring to claim 4-5. Knepp in view of Merritt disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 1. Knepp doesn’t disclose that the automated lift assembly further comprises an actuator bracket coupled to the piston, the piston moves in a horizontal direction, and the actuator bracket moves with the piston in the horizontal direction. Merritt discloses a horizontal actuator rod (54) that extends and retracts horizontally (See Sect. 0022), a rocker arm pivotally coupled to the actuator rod and to the rear pivoting arm (35), functioning as a bracket or coupling member that translates horizontal actuator motion into vertical lift (Sect. 0022). It should be noted that the rocker arm coupled to the actuator rod constitutes the structural equivalent of the actuator bracket moving with the piston in the horizontal direction. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the tugger cart of Knepp to include the teachings of Merritt so that powered lifting and positioning of the platform/lift assembly could be extended and retracted.
Referring tom claim 6. Knepp in view of Merritt disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 1. Knepp does not disclose a second pair of link arms comprising a third link arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the tugger frame and a second end pivotably coupled to the actuator bracket, and a fourth link arm having a first end pivotably coupled to the sliding frame and a second end pivotably coupled to the actuator bracket, wherein the second pair is coupled at an opposite end of the actuator bracket relative to the first pair. Merritt discloses both a front pivoting arm (32) and a rear pivoting arm (36) for each roller assembly, with the front arm coupled to the front end of the roller assembly and the rear arm coupled to the rear end, both arms connected to the tugger frame at separate pivot points (Sect. 0022). It should be noted the use of the front and rear pivoting arms on opposite ends of the roller assembly frame corresponds to the claimed configuration of a second pair of link arms at opposite ends of the actuator bracket from the first pair. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide link arm pairs at both ends of the actuator bracket as taught by Merritt who does with front and rear pivoting arms provide balanced, stable vertical lifting of the platform.
Referring to claim 10. Knepp in view of Merritt disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 1. Knepp doesn’t disclose a tongue pivotably coupled to the connector bracket along a horizontal axis at a pivot point and configured to be disposed in a vertical direction in a stowed position and in a horizontal direction in a deployed position. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate a tongue that is pivotably coupled to the connector bracket along a horizontal axis at a pivot point and configured to be disposed in a vertical direction in a stowed position and in a horizontal direction in a deployed position as this would allow for space-saving and ergonomic implementation of the connection means when the tugger cart is not being used in a train.
Referring to claim 12. Knepp discloses wherein the tugger frame further comprises a central member disposed in between the front member and the rear member, the central member is coupled to the transverse member, and the at least one bay comprises a first bay defined by the front member and the central member, and a second bay defined by the central member and the rear member (See at least Sect. 0073, 0076). It should be noted that the central portion (216) corresponds to central member and the front/central and central/rear regions correspond to the first and second bays and further it would have been obvious to a person before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a central member to create two separate bays to double loading capacity.
Referring to claim 13. Knepp in view of Merritt disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 1. Knepp discloses wherein the at least one platform comprises a first platform securing a first cart in the first bay and a second platform securing a second cart in the second bay (See Sect. 0073, 0076). Merritt disclose first and second roller assemblies (28) providing two independent load-bearing platforms within the tugger cart. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Merritt into the tugger cart system of Knepp to achieve an improved means of securing the carts within the bay.
Referring to claim 14. Knepp in view of Merritt disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 1. Knepp doesn’t’ discloses two pairs of automated lift assemblies, one pair secured to the central member and the front member, and the other pair secured to the central member and the rear member. Merritt discloses first and second roller assemblies on the left and right sides of the cart (See Sect. 0021). Adapting the two bay configuration as disclosed in claims 12-13, providing a lift assembly pair for one pair spanning the central member to the front member and one pair spanning the central member to the rear member, would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide independent powered lift for each bay, so that each bay had loading and unloading capability.
Referring to claim 15. Knepp in view of Merritt disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 1. Knepp doesn’t discloses a hitch control comprising the user interface, the hitch control coupled to the tugger frame. Merritt discloses a user interface comprising an activation button (42) coupled to the tugger cart for controlling the lift assembly (See Sect. 0026). Merritt further discloses a hitch ball (48) and a hitch receiver (46) hardware for connecting tugger carts in train (Sect. 0024). It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Knepp to incorporate the teaching of Merritt and provide a hitch control unit that integrates the user interface (activation button) with the hitch hardware, both mounted to the tugger frame, as this would allow for the consolidation of controls and make it a more seamless way to central operator controls at a convenient location.
Conclusion
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/TERRELL H MATTHEWS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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