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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Reasons for Allowance
This is a response to an amendment filed June 24th, 2026. By the amendment claims 1-18, and 20-21 are pending with claim 19 being canceled and claim 21 being added.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed April 24th, 2026 has been considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1, 3-4, 8 and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hauer et al. (EP 1389656), hereafter Hauer..
With regards to claim 1, Hauer discloses a front loader (tracker 1) comprising: a stand (support arm 4) provided on a boom (2) and rockable to a support position (Fig. 3) where the front loader can be supported and a storage position (Fig. 5) where the front loader is stored; a link mechanism (adjusting cylinder 6) that couples the boom and the stand and is movable in conjunction with rocking of the stand; and a lock member (latching arm 5, with teeth 53 ) that is rockably provided on the boom (at articulation 51) and holds the stand at the support position by locking the link mechanism at a predetermined position (P0011).
With regards to claim 3, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Hauer further discloses, wherein a rocking shaft (shaft not labeled separate in Fig. 4) of the lock member is disposed on a same axis as a rocking shaft (shaft not labeled in Fig. 4) of the stand (via bolt 46 Fig. 4).
With regards to claim 11, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 3 as outlined above. Hauer further discloses, wherein at least a part of the link mechanism and the lock member is stored in the stand and the boom in a state where the stand is rocked to the storage position (Fig. 5).
With regards to claim 4, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Hauer further discloses, wherein at least a part of the link mechanism and the lock member is stored in the stand and the boom in a state where the stand is rocked to the storage position (Fig. 5).
With regards to claim 8, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 1 as outlined above. Hauer further discloses wherein the boom and the stand are disposed such that outer edge portions of the boom and the stand are continuous in a straight line in a side view in a state where the stand is rocked to the storage position (Fig. 5).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 5, 14-15 and 18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hauer.
With regards to claims 5, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 1, as outlined above. Hauer does not directly disclose wherein the lock member is formed in a shape capable of storing at least a part of the link mechanism in a state where the stand is rocked to the storage position.
However, this is a simple change in shape and therefore rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention in order to reduce the profile of the stand when in the storage position in order to prevent damage. (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B)
With regards to claims 14, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 3 as outlined above. Hauer does not directly disclose wherein the lock member is formed in a shape capable of storing at least a part of the link mechanism in a state where the stand is rocked to the storage position.
However, this is a simple change in shape and therefore rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention in order to reduce the profile of the stand when in the storage position in order to prevent damage. (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B)
With regards to claim 15, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 4 as outlined above. . Hauer does not directly disclose wherein the lock member is formed in a shape capable of storing at least a part of the link mechanism in a state where the stand is rocked to the storage position.
However, this is a simple change in shape and therefore rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention in order to reduce the profile of the stand when in the storage position in order to prevent damage. (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B).
With regards to claims 18, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 11, as outlined above. Hauer does not directly disclose wherein the lock member is formed in a shape capable of storing at least a part of the link mechanism in a state where the stand is rocked to the storage position.
However, this is a simple change in shape and therefore rendered obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention in order to reduce the profile of the stand when in the storage position in order to prevent damage. (MPEP 2144.04.IV.B)
Claim(s) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hauer as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Martinez et al. (US 9650754) hereafter Martinez.
With regards to claims 6, Hauer discloses all the elements of claim 1, as outlined above. Hauer further discloses wherein the stand includes: a main body (generally indicated by support arm 4) rockably supported by the boom; and a grounding part (leg 44) and is in contact with a ground when supporting the front loader (Fig. 3). Hauer does not disclose that the grounding part is rockable with respect to the main body and a rocking shaft of the grounding part is movable to an engagement position capable of engaging with the boom and a release position capable of releasing the engagement with the boom by moving with respect to the main body.
However, Martinez disclose a grounding part (foot 60) that is rockable with respect to the main body (support leg 40) and a rocking shaft (pin 82) of the grounding part is movable to an engagement position (Fig. 3) capable of engaging with the boom and a release position capable of releasing the engagement with the boom by moving with respect to the main body (Fig.2). It would have been obvious to a person with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to have the grounding part disclosed by Hauer be rockable in the manner disclosed by Martinez in order to account for uneven ground (Col. 4, L15-17)
With regards to claim 7, Hauer and Martinez disclose all the elements of claim 1, as outlined above. Hauer dies not disclose wherein the stand further includes a biasing part that biases the grounding part such that the grounding part rocks in one direction in a rocking direction and the rocking shaft of the grounding part moves toward the engagement position.
However, Martinez discloses wherein the stand further includes a biasing part that biases the grounding part such that the grounding part rocks in one direction in a rocking direction (Col. 4, L17-18) and the rocking shaft of the grounding part moves toward the engagement position. Therefore, the combination of Hauer and Martinez discloses this feature.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 9-10, 12-13, 16-17, and 19-20 are 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.
Claim 2 would be allowable for disclosing “the lock member locks the link mechanism in a state where the first link member and the second link member are overcentered.”
As outlined above Hauer discloses a stand where the locking member holds the stand at the support position by locking the link mechanism at a predetermined position. Although overcenter latching mechanisms are known in the art from US 10358789 and US 10036138 they are used to keep the stand in a stowed position. There is no teaching or suggestion in the prior art of using a lock member in the manner recited in the claim while the stand is in the support position.
Response to Arguments
The applicant’s argument with respect to the lock member are persuasive. New grounds of rejection are presented above.
Conclusion
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/J.L.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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