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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on September 20, 2024 and February 3, 2026 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
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 2 and 20 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.
In claim 2, line 3, “the horizontal central segment” appears to lack proper antecedent basis.
In claim 20, each of “the forward lip edge” and “the back lip edge” appear to lack proper antecedent basis.
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.
Claims 1-6 and 11-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ollinger, IV, et al. (USP 9,963,853).
Regarding claim 1: Ollinger discloses a bucket lip (as seen in figures 1-15) comprising:
an elongate one-piece (as seen in figures 2 and 3) casting (column 3, line 3) including an upper lip side having an upper lip surface (as seen in figure 2, area of 46) extending in a lateral direction between a first lateral edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 22) and a second lateral edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 24), and in a fore-aft direction between a forward lip edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 30 and a back lip edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 16), and a lower lip side (as seen in figure 3);
a plurality of mounting stations (as seen in figure 2, area of 26) arranged along the forward lip edge; and
the lower lip side forming a segmented integral beam between the forward lip edge and the back lip edge, including
a first outboard segment extending laterally inward from the first lateral edge,
a second outboard segment extending laterally inward from the second lateral edge, and
a plurality of inboard segments connecting between the first outboard segment and the second outboard segment (as seen in annotated figure 3 below).
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Regarding claim 2: Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 1. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the segmented integral beam is set back from the forward lip edge and set forward from the back lip edge (as seen in annotated figure 3 above), and the plurality of inboard segments form a stepped beam profile relative to the first outboard segment and the second outboard segment (as seen in figure 3, “stepped” into respective spaces at 36).
Regarding claim 3: Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 2. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the plurality of inboard segments include a central segment oriented parallel to the first outboard segment and the second outboard segment, a first angular segment between the central segment and the first outboard segment, and a second angular segment between the central segment and the second outboard segment (as seen in annotated figure 5 below).
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Regarding claim 4: Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 1. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the elongate one-piece casting defines a lip lateral width dimension, and the lower lip side further forms a first minor beam and a second minor beam each connecting between the segmented integral beam and the back lip edge (as seen in figures 3 and 5, at 35).
Regarding claims 5 and 6: Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 4. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein a first weight-reduction pocket is formed between the first outboard segment and the first minor beam, and a second weight-reduction pocket is formed between the second outboard segment and the second minor beam and wherein a third weight-reduction pocket is formed laterally between the first minor beam and the second minor beam, and fore-aft between the segmented integral beam and the back lip edge (as seen in annotated figure 3 below).
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Regarding claim 11: Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 1. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the plurality of mounting stations can be a plurality of coupler stations and a plurality of shroud stations in an alternating arrangement laterally between a first lateral wing adjacent to the first lateral edge and a second lateral wing adjacent to the second lateral edge (column 2, line 61 to column 3, line 3).
Regarding claim 12: Ollinger discloses a bucket lip (as seen in figures 1-15) comprising:
an elongate one-piece (as seen in figures 2 and 3) casting (column 3, line 3) including an upper lip side having
an upper lip side (as seen in figure 2, area of 46),
a lower lip side (as seen in figure 3),
a first lateral edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 22),
a second lateral edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 24),
a forward lip edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 30), and
a back lip edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 16);
the lower lip side forming a segmented integral beam between the forward lip edge and the back lip edge; the segmented integral beam including a first outboard segment, a second outboard segment (as seen in annotated figure 3 below), and a plurality of inboard segments together forming a stepped profile relative to the first outboard segment and the second outboard segment (as seen in figure 3, “stepped” into respective spaces at 36); and a plurality of weight-reduction pockets formed between the segmented integral beam and the back lip edge (as seen in figures 3 and 5, at 36).
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Regarding claim 13 Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 12. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein each of the first outboard segment, the second outboard segment, and the plurality of inboard segments includes a planar lower surface (as seen in annotated figure 6 below).
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Regarding claim 14 Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 13. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the segmented integral beam is set back from the forward lip edge and set forward from the back lip edge, and wherein the stepped profile is both stepped-up and stepped-forward relative to the first outboard segment and the second outboard segment (as seen in figure 3 with movement between area at 52 to area at 50).
Regarding claim 15 Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 14. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the lip comprises an attached wear package including a plurality of wear plates attached to the segmented integral beam (column 2, line 61 to column 3, line 3).
Regarding claim 16 Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 14. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein at least some of the plurality of inboard segments are angularly oriented relative to the first outboard segment and the second outboard segment (as seen in annotated figure 5 below).
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Regarding claim 17 Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 12. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the lower lip side forms a first minor beam and a second minor beam each extending between the segmented integral beam and the back lip edge (as seen in figures 3 and 5, at 35).
Regarding claim 18 Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 17. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the plurality of inboard segments include a central segment (as seen in annotated figure 5 above), and the plurality of weight-reduction pockets include a first weight-reduction pocket formed between the first minor beam and the first outboard segment, a second weight-reduction pocket formed between the second minor beam and the first outboard segment, and a third weight-reduction pocket formed between the central segment and the back lip edge (as seen in annotated figure 3 above).
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Regarding claim 19: Ollinger discloses a bucket for a machine (as seen in figure 1) comprising:
a bucket body (as seen in figure 1, area of 8) ;
a bucket lip (as seen in figure 1, generally 10) attached to the bucket body, and including
an upper lip side (as seen in figure 2, area of 46)
and
a lower lip side (as seen in figure 3),
a first lateral edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 22) and
a second lateral edge (as seen in figure 2, area of 24), and
a segmented integral beam extending upon the lower lip side between the first lateral edge and the second lateral edge (as seen in annotated figure 3 below); and
the segmented integral beam including a plurality of beam segments each including an exposed lower surface and forming a beam profile that is centrally stepped-up and centrally stepped-forward (as seen in figure 3 with movement between area at 52 to area at 50).
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Regarding claim 20 Ollinger discloses the bucket lip of claim 19. Further, Ollinger discloses wherein the segmented integral beam is set back from a forward lip edge and set forward from a back lip edge (as seen in annotated figure 3 above);
the segmented integral beam includes a first outboard segment, a second outboard segment, a central segment, and at least one angular segment extending between the central segment and each respective one of the first outboard segment and the second outboard segment (as seen in annotated figure below); and the bucket lip further includes a first minor beam extending between the segmented integral beam and the back lip edge, and a second minor beam extending between the segmented integral beam and the back lip edge (as seen in figure 3, at 35).
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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.
Claims 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ollinger, IV, et al. (USP 9,963,853).
Regarding claims 7-10: Ollinger discloses the bucket lip as discussed above but fails to show the angles, dimensions and percentages as claimed by the applicant. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to contrive any number of desirable ranges for the angles, dimensions and percentages limitations disclosed by Applicant, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. Further, it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). Refer to MPEP § 2144.05.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Halike Gururaj et al. (USPGPub 2023/0323624) discloses a cast lip having a stepped underside and a plurality of mounting stations.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT ERIC PEZZUTO whose telephone number is (703)756-1320. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-3:30pm.
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/ROBERT E PEZZUTO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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