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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group/Species VIII (Figs. 23-27), Claims 1-2, 6-7, 10, and 23 in the reply filed on 07/27/2026 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-2 and 23 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Ilaka (US9335318B2).
Regarding claims 1 and 23, Ilaka discloses a rope inspection device attached to a work machine (20; Figures 1-3) having a machine body (21, 23, 50), a rising/lowering body (23) capable of rising/lowering relative to the machine body (21), a winch (30), and a rope (1; 28) that is led out from the winch (30), the rope inspection device (2) comprising: a rope inspection unit (2a-c; Figures 3-5) capable of inspecting a deterioration state of the rope (1; 28); and a support unit (SU; see Ilaka annotated Figure 5 below) attached to a predetermined attachment target portion (TP) of the work machine (20), the support unit (SU) supporting the rope inspection unit (2a-c) so that the rope inspection unit (2a-c) is able to follow movement of the rope (1; 28).
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Ilaka, Annotated Figure 5
Regarding claim 2, Ilaka discloses wherein the support unit (SU) has a support mechanism (SM; see Ilaka annotated Figure 5 above) supported by the attachment target portion (TP), and a support member (33) that is suspended from the support mechanism (SM) and swingably supports the rope inspection unit (2a-c).
Claim(s) 1-2 and 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sekiya (JP2009258001A).
Regarding claim 1, Sekiya discloses a rope inspection device attached to a work machine “having a machine body, a rising/lowering body capable of rising/lowering relative to the machine body, a winch, and a rope that is led out from the winch” (¶0002, crane; cranes consist of a body, winch, and rope), the rope inspection device (¶0023-0045; Figures 1-3) comprising: a rope inspection unit (1) capable of inspecting a deterioration state of the rope (50); and a support unit (7-12) attached to a predetermined attachment target portion (51) of the work machine (crane), the support unit (7-12) supporting the rope inspection unit (1) so that the rope inspection unit (1) is able to follow movement of the rope (50; ¶0036).
Regarding claim 2, Sekiya discloses wherein the support unit (7-12) has a support mechanism (10, 11, 12) supported by the attachment target portion (51), and a support member (7, 8, 9) that is suspended from the support mechanism (10, 11, 12) and swingably supports the rope inspection unit (1).
Regarding claim 6, Sekiya discloses wherein the support mechanism (10, 11, 12) has a support pin (12), and a holder (10) that is held by the support pin (12) so as to be relatively movable with respect to the support pin (12) along a direction in which the support pin (12) extends and supports the support member (7, 8, 9; ¶0027 and 0036).
Regarding claim 7, Sekiya discloses wherein the support mechanism (10, 11, 12) has at least a pair of left and right attachment portions (brackets 11) attached to the attachment target portion (51), and a width adjusting part (independent brackets 11 and detachable rod 12a; Figure 4) capable of adjusting a width of at least the pair of left and right attachment portions in a left-right direction (Figure 4, left and right brackets 11 are separate and independent of each other and the rod is detachably held with a cotter pin to allow for width adjustments).
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) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ilaka in view of Schull (US11235958B2).
Regarding claim 10, Ilaka discloses the above rope inspection device and further teaches wherein the machine body (21, 23, 50) of the work machine (20) has a main body frame (21) that supports the rising/lowering body (23) so that the rising/lowering body (23) is capable of rising/lowering, and a rear support body (50) erected on the main body frame (21) behind the rising/lowering body (23), the rear support body (50) including a gantry or a mast supporting the rising/lowering body (23) from behind, but fails to teach the support unit is attached to the rear support body as the attachment target portion.
Schull teaches a similar work machine and further teaches the support unit (52) is attached to the rear support body (26; Figures 1-2) as the attachment target portion. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify the rope inspection device of Ilaka to include the support unit as taught by Schull in order to allow for easier access and maintenance.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional references listed on form PTO-892 are cited for their relevance to the disclosed invention and demonstration of the state of the art.
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/HENRIX SOTO/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
