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 .
This is the First Office Action on the merits of Application No. 18/829463, filed on 09/10/2024. Claims 1-18 are still pending in the application.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 6-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the transport position" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the deployed position" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the first lift arm assembly" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the second lift arm assembly" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 6-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0356051 to Elliott et al (henceforth referred to as Elliot).
Regarding claims 1, 6-8, Elliot discloses a vehicle lift assembly (i.e. Fig. 15, ref. 20), comprising:
a base having at least one support leg (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 15);
a mast (i.e. Fig. 15, ref. 1000 or 1004) extending from the base;
a guided carriage (i.e. Fig. 15, ref. 1002 or 1006, respectively) movably coupled to the mast to selectively slide along the mast;
at least one lifting member (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 15, first and second arms) coupled to the carriage and extending away from the carriage; and
a ball screw and nut assembly (i.e. Fig. 13 and paragraph 00070: “the lift structure … (e.g., such as a ball screw lift)”) at least partially defined in the mast, the ball screw and nut assembly having a ball bearing nut (i.e. Fig. 13, ref. 812) coupled to the guided carriage and configured to selectively travel linearly along a ball screw (i.e. Fig. 13, ref. 814);
wherein, rotation of the ball screw selectively moves the guided carriage and lifting member along the mast (i.e. paragraph 0070: “a transmission (812) coupled to a lift screw (814), which itself is coupled to the lift structure… and operable to raise and lower the lift structure”);
wherein, the ball screw is configured to be selectively rotatable with a portable device (i.e. paragraph 0093: attached battery may be configured to expend charge while raising a vehicle…, and then be at least partially recharged while lowering the vehicle”) so that the vehicle lift assembly is functional without being tethered to an external source.
Wherein the lifting member comprises a first lift arm and a second lifting arm each pivotably coupled to the guided carriage (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 15) to be at least partially aligned with the mast in the transport position (i.e. when first and second pivot arms are pivoted straight forward perpendicular to and aligned with ref. 1004) and pivotable about an arm axis in the deployed position (i.e. when first and second arms are angled outwards as shown in Fig. 15).
Wherein each of the first lift arm assembly and the second lift arm assembly are telescopically extendable (i.e. Mark up of Fig. 15, first and second arms are shown with telescopic extensions).
Further comprising a locking mechanism that prevents the guided carriage from travelling to a lowered position when the locking mechanism is engaged (i.e. paragraph 0109: “locking mechanisms on lifts posts utilize air locks…. air cylinders that engage mechanical locks inside lift posts”).
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Claim(s) 1, 6-12, 14-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by US Patent No. 3,215,402 to Hott et al (henceforth referred to as Hott).
Regarding claims 1, 6-12, 14-18, Hott discloses a vehicle lift assembly (i.e. Fig. 1), comprising:
a base (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 14) having at least one support leg (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 140);
a mast (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 12) extending from the base;
a guided carriage (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 40) movably coupled to the mast to selectively slide along the mast;
at least one lifting member (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 48, 46) coupled to the carriage and extending away from the carriage; and
a ball screw and nut assembly (i.e. Fig. 11, ref. 24, 200) at least partially defined in the mast, the ball screw and nut assembly having a ball bearing nut (i.e. Fig. 11, ref. 200) coupled to the guided carriage and configured to selectively travel linearly along a ball screw (i.e. Fig. 11, ref. 24);
wherein, rotation of the ball screw selectively moves the guided carriage and lifting member along the mast (i.e. Column 3, lines 69-74: “the screw shaft rotates in one direction to drive the nut 200 upwardly, the carriage beam 42 is likewise driven upwardly. Rotation of the screw shaft 24 in the opposite direction… forces the carriage beam 42 downwardly”);
wherein, the ball screw is configured to be selectively rotatable with a portable device (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 38) so that the vehicle lift assembly is functional without being tethered to an external source.
Further comprising a locking mechanism (i.e. Fig. 8) that prevents the guided carriage from travelling to a lowered position when the locking mechanism is engaged.
Wherein the locking mechanism is an anti-reversing mechanism positioned about the ball screw (i.e. Fig. 2 and 8 shows ref. 126, 110 positioned about ref. 24).
Wherein the locking mechanism is a ratcheting locking mechanism (i.e. Fig. 5 and 7, ref. 102, 16) positioned at least partially between the guided carriage and the mast to selectively prevent the guided carriage from travelling down the mast towards the base.
Further comprising an anti-reversing mechanism positioned about the ball screw (i.e. Fig. 2 and 8 shows ref. 126, 110 positioned about ref. 24) and a ratcheting locking mechanism (i.e. Fig. 5 and 7, ref. 102, 16) positioned at least partially between the guided carriage and the mast wherein the guided carriage is selectively prevented from travelling down the mast to the base with either or both of the anti-reversing mechanism and the ratcheting locking mechanism.
Further comprising an input shaft that selectively rotates the ball screw, the input shaft sized to be coupled able to a handheld cordless drill (i.e. Column 2, lines 21-24: “another object of this invention is to provide an improved high lift portable jack employing a ball bearing screw assembly driven by a lightweight, comparatively small electric motor”).
Comprising a power unit (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 38) coupled to the input shaft, the power unit configured to selectively rotate the input shaft.
Wherein the lifting member comprises a bumper lift assembly (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 50) configured to engage a bumper of a vehicle (i.e. Fig. 9 shows ref. 50 engaged with bumper of car ref. “c”).
Wherein the bumper lift assembly comprises extendable bumper couplers (i.e. Fig. 1, ref. 50 is telescopic with ref. 48) relative to the guided carriage along longitudinal direction (i.e. longitudinal direction here is Fig. 1, left to right direction) to accommodate bumpers of different heights.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 13 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US Patent Application Publication No. 2021/0188605 to Herzog teaches a portable vehicle lift with pivotable base legs;
US Patent No. 9,150,395 to Kritzer teaches a portable vehicle lift with pivotable arms and a ball and screw lift;
US Patent No. 5,518,220 to Bertrand et al teaches a portable vehicle lift with a ball and screw lift;
CN 119306144 to Wang et al teaches a vehicle lift with pivotable arms and a screw lift;
US Patent No. 2,742,257 to Hott et al teaches a portable lift with a screw lift mechanism;
US Patent No. 3,271,006 to Brown et al teaches a portable lift with a screw lift mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DIEM M TRAN whose telephone number is (571)270-7825. The examiner can normally be reached M 9-5, W-F 10-2.
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/DIEM M TRAN/Examiner, Art Unit 3654