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 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.
Claims 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dille (U.S. Pub. No. 2020/0367425) in view of Campbell (U.S. Pub. No. 2019/0246551).
Regarding Claim 1, Dille discloses a seeding system comprising:
A seed meter (Dille: 13: Figure 1, spaces seen in disc of 13) comprising a seed disc and a plurality of apertures disposed around the seed disc creating a seed path (Dille: path that seed takes through machine) (Dille: Paragraph [0049]);
A seed accelerator (Dille: 14);
A conduit (Dille: 36) for receiving seeds accelerated from the seed accelerator (Dille: 14) at a first end (Dille: end of 36 distal from 40) of the conduit (Dille: 36), and the conduit (Dille: 36) having a second end (Dille: end of 36 adjacent 40) opposite the first end (Dille: end of 36 distal from 40);
A seed orientation coil assembly (Dille: 40) connected to the second end (Dille: end of 36 adjacent 40) to receive the accelerated seed.
Dille does not disclose the seed accelerator comprising a wheel and a wall, wherein the wall is disposed over the seed path to entrain seeds, and the wall and wheel are configured to cooperate to accelerate seed.
Campbell discloses a seed accelerator comprising a wheel and a wall, wherein the wall is disposed over the seed path to entrain seeds, and the wall and wheel are configured to cooperate to accelerate seed (Campbell: Figures 16, 17, housing and wheel disposed therein).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention’s filing to have utilized the accelerator of Campbell within the invention of Dille, with the predicable result of having consistent, controllable speed for seed delivery independent of the speed of the planter or irregularities in terrain as discussed in the invention of Campbell (Campbell: Paragraph [0006])
Regarding Claim 2, Dille and Campbell render obvious the seeding system of claim 1, wherein the conduit (Dille: 36) is curved.
Regarding Claim 3, Dille and Campbell render obvious the seeding system of claim 1, wherein the seed path has a first side and a second side, the wheel is disposed adjacent the first side of the seed path, and the wall extends to the second side of the seed path (Campbell: Figure 16: path of seed is enclosed by housing).
Regarding Claim 4, Dille and Campbell render obvious the seeding system of claim 1, wherein the wheel is a finger wheel (Campbell: Figure 17: 294).
Regarding Claim 5, Dille and Campbell render obvious the seeding system of claim 4, wherein the finger wheel has a sinusoidal shape (Campbell: Figure 7: fingers may optionally be sinusoidal (wavy) in shape).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20020100400 (Pneumatic agricultural particulate material delivery system), US 20120042813 (IN-GROUND SEED SPACING MONITORING SYSTEM FOR USE IN AN AGRICULTURAL SEEDER), US 20180279545 (METERING SYSTEM FOR AN AGRICULTURAL MACHINE), US 20220192079 (Aerodynamic and Centrifugal Seed Orientation System for Agricultural Planters), US 3860146 (Pneumatic speed dispenser for mobile planter has rotary pressurized drum with peripheral apertures to capture seeds).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS S WOOD whose telephone number is (571)270-5954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole A Coy can be reached at (571) - 272 - 5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
DOUGLAS S. WOOD
Examiner
Art Unit 3672
/DOUGLAS S WOOD/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
/Nicole Coy/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672