DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the spray device” is believed to be in error for --the agricultural spray device--; “the liquid circuit” is believed to be in error for --the at least one liquid circuit--; “the conveying device” is believed to be in error for --the at least one conveying device--; “the distributing elements” is believed to be in error for --the plurality of distributing elements--; “the adjustable opening times” is believed to be in error for --the opening times--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claims 2, 5 and 8 are objected to because of the following informalities: “the distributing elements” is believed to be in error for --the plurality of distributing elements--. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: the spray device” is believed to be in error for --the agricultural spray device--. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Leeb DE 102018105631 A1.
In regards to Independent Claim 1, Leeb teaches a method for distributing spray (from reservoir 16) onto an agricultural area (paragraph [0001]) using an agricultural spray device (12), comprising the steps of conveying the spray using at least one conveying device (using pump 30), along at least one liquid circuit of the spray device (fluid line 32), wherein a delivery rate and/or a delivery pressure, with which the spray is conveyed at least in portions along the liquid circuit, is set on the basis of at least one operating parameter which can be set on the conveying device (pressure can be variably set, with an operating parameter of rotating speed of pump 30 which controls pressure added to fluid, paragraph [0010]); and distributing the spray onto the agricultural area via a plurality of distributing elements (nozzles 36 and 38 in figure 2A) arranged along the liquid circuit (as shown in figure 2A), which are each designed to adjust a distributing spray quantity (Pulse width modulation of nozzles, Abstract), according to demand and/or location (PWM based upon height of boom, paragraph [0091]), on the basis of opening times (paragraph [0110]), which can be set on the distributing elements (switching elements of valves, paragraph [0110]), wherein the at least one operating parameter of the conveying device is open-loop and/or closed-loop controlled on the basis of the adjustable opening times, and on the basis of the delivery rate and/or the delivery pressure (operation of pump 30 based upon open loop control on basis of pressure, determined by PWM of the nozzles, paragraph [0051], where the output is not disclosed as being used as an input to determined operation of the system).
Regarding Dependent Claim 2, Leeb teaches the distributing elements (36 and 38) are open-loop and or closed-loop controlled in the manner of pulse width modulation (control of nozzles through pulse width modulation, paragraph [0011], where the control is open loop where it is not disclosed that the output from the nozzles is used to control change).
Regarding Dependent Claim 3, Leeb teaches the at least one operating parameter is set to one of a plurality of defined operating points (pump 30 operated at different speeds to produce different pressures, paragraph [0078]) which can be determined and/or called up (called up from storage device, paragraph [0081]), the defined operating points being assigned in each case to different opening times and to different delivery quantities (variation of pulse width modulation controls length of opening of valves and quantity delivered by valves, paragraph [0078]).
Regarding Dependent Claim 4, Leeb teaches the at least one operating parameter is open loop and/or closed loop controlled within limit values (pump 30 will be operate within pressure limits of the system), which are predeterminable and/or variable (limits of the turning of pump 30 are present prior to operation of the pump), the limit values being adapted as a function of the opening times, the delivery rates and/or the delivery pressure (limit of operation of pump 30 within system is dependent upon pressure delivered by pump 30).
Regarding Dependent Claim 5, Leeb teaches at least one actuating element (switching element with each nozzle 36, paragraph [0104]) provided for adjusting the distributing elements (nozzles 36), which are provided for adjusting delivery pressure (adjustments to maintain pressure, paragraph [0104]) are set in such a way, that the at least one operating parameter is set to one of the plurality of determinable and/or retrievable operating points (pump 30 operated at different speeds to produce different pressures, paragraph [0078], which can be determined and/or called up from storage device, paragraph [0081]).
Regarding Dependent Claim 6, Leeb teaches an agricultural spray device (12) having at least one associated open-loop and/or closed loop control system (see rejection of claim 1 above), wherein the spray device is configured to carry out the method according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1 above).
Regarding Dependent Claim 7, Leeb teaches that the at least one conveying device is a pump device (pump 30).
Regarding Dependent Claim 8, Leeb teaches the opening times are based on a pulse duration or a duty cycle of the distributing elements (pulse width modulation of nozzles, abstract).
Regarding Dependent Claim 9, Leeb teaches the at least one operating parameter is rotation speed of the conveying device (pressure can be variably set, with an operating parameter of rotating speed of pump 30 which controls pressure added to fluid, paragraph [0010]).
Regarding Dependent Claim 10, Leeb teaches the plurality of defined operating points are defined rotation speeds (operating points will be different speeds of rotation of pump 30 that determined different pressures produced by pump within a range that the pump is capable of operating at).
Regarding Dependent Claim 11, Leeb teaches the different opening times are pulse durations or duty times (paragraph [0110]).
Regarding Dependent Claim 12, Leeb teaches the agricultural spray device is a field sprayer (abstract).
Related Art
Henderson 5,653,389 cited but not relied upon in the rejection discloses a similar spray system (2), but has a controlled conveying device (throttle valve 24) separate from a pump (19).
Giles 5,134,961 cited but not relied upon in the rejection discloses details of pulse width modulation for solenoid valves of nozzles (see control system shown in figure 1 and PWM charts in figure 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to STEVEN M SUTHERLAND whose telephone number is (571)270-1902. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-5.
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/STEVEN M SUTHERLAND/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3752
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