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 .
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 4 should depend from claim 2 as it states: “the continuous shoulder”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Amat (US 2020/0232193).
Regarding claim 1, Amat discloses a bucket lip comprising: an elongate lip body including an upper lip side, a lower lip side, a forward lip edge, a back lip edge, a first lateral edge, and a second lateral edge (Figure 1); the elongate lip body further including a plurality of coupler stations (2) arranged along the forward lip edge; the plurality of coupler stations each including a base portion projecting from the forward lip edge, and a nose portion projecting from the respective base portion and extending to a nose end surface;
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and each respective base portion including at least one coupler-loading shoulder stepped off from the respective nose portion, and forming a plurality of up load support surfaces, a plurality of down load support surfaces, and a plurality of side load support surfaces, oriented, respectively, for reacting up, down, and side loads on an attached coupler.
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Regarding claim 2, Amat discloses wherein the at least one coupler-loading shoulder includes a continuous shoulder (The shoulder is continuous around the nose portion).
Regarding claim 3, Amat discloses wherein the continuous shoulder is stepped off from a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a bottom side of the respective nose portion (The shoulder is continuous around the nose portion).
Regarding claim 4, Amat discloses wherein the continuous shoulder forms a plurality of edge load support surfaces each transitioning between one of the plurality of up load support surfaces and one of the plurality of down load support surfaces (The illustrated edge load support surfaces transitions between the bottom and top through the side load surfaces).
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Regarding claim 5, Amat discloses wherein each respective nose portion defines a plane of upper-lower symmetry (Figures 1 and 2 show that the nose portions have a symmetrical structure in relationship to a horizontal plane).
Regarding claim 6, Amat discloses wherein the plurality of edge load support surfaces define a second plane oriented normal to the plane of upper-lower symmetry (A vertical plane drawn through the edges would be perpendicular to the horizontal plane defining the symmetry).
Regarding claim 7, Amat discloses wherein each of the plurality of up load support surfaces and the plurality of down load support surfaces is angularly oriented to both the plane of upper-lower symmetry and to the second plane (Both the upload and download surfaces are angled in relationship to the vertical or horizontal planes).
Regarding claim 8, Amat discloses wherein orientations of each of the plurality of side load support surfaces include both a lateral component and a forward component (The side load surfaces extend laterally from the nose and forwardly from the base portion to the nose portion).
Regarding claim 9, Amat discloses wherein each of the plurality of side load support surfaces is within a vertical footprint of the respective nose portion (As the side support surfaces run vertically along the nose portion and are connected to the nose portion they are considered to be within a respective footprint).
Regarding claim 10, Amat discloses wherein each of the plurality of up load support surfaces and the plurality of down load support surfaces defines an angle to the second plane that is from 45 degrees to 75 degrees (Figure 5 shows that the angle of the support surfaces in relationship to the vertical second plane is at least 45 degrees or steeper).
Regarding claims 11 and 18, Amat discloses wherein each respective nose portion defines a nose length dimension (From shoulder to nose tip), and the at least one shoulder defines a support depth dimension (from nose connection to base connection) that is from 10% to 15% of the nose length dimension (As best seen in figure 5).
Regarding claim 12, Amat discloses wherein the bucket lip body includes a one-piece casting, and the plurality of coupler stations (2) are in an alternating arrangement with a plurality of shroud stations (3), and each of the plurality of coupler stations and the plurality of shroud stations is centrally stepped forward (as seen in figure 2).
Regarding claim 13, Amat discloses a bucket lip comprising: an elongate lip body including an upper lip side, a lower lip side, a forward lip edge, a back lip edge, a first lateral edge, and a second lateral edge (Figure 1); the elongate lip body further including a plurality of coupler stations (2) arranged along the forward lip edge, and each including a nose portion extending to a nose forward surface and a coupler-loading shoulder extending along a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a bottom side, of the respective nose portion (see annotated figures above); the coupler-loading shoulder having a varying contour forming a plurality of downward sloping up load support surfaces and a plurality of upward sloping down load support surfaces upon the respective first lateral side and second lateral side (There are a plurality of upward and downward surfaces on either side defined by a vertical plane dividing the nose into a right and left side).
Regarding claim 14, Amat discloses wherein the coupler-loading shoulder forms a plurality of side load support surfaces located below the respective nose portion (Side load support surfaces at the bottom corners below the nose).
Regarding claim 15, Amat discloses wherein orientations of each of the plurality of side load support surfaces include both a lateral component and a forward component (All shoulder portion include a lateral component and a forward component as they connect a base portion to the nose portion), and each of the plurality of side load support surfaces is within a vertical footprint of the respective nose portion (The corner side load support surfaces extend under the nose and within a vertical footprint of the nose).
Regarding claim 16, Amat discloses wherein the coupler-loading shoulder forms a first edge load support surface upon the first lateral side and a second edge load support surface upon the second lateral side (There are shoulder edges approximately 90 degrees on both lateral sides where they end and transition rearwardly).
Regarding claim 17, Amat discloses wherein the first edge load support surface and the second edge load support surface define a plane (The plane would be a vertical plane passing through the vertical edges), and each of the plurality of up load support surfaces and the plurality of down load support surfaces defines an angle to the plane that is from 45 degrees to 75 degrees (The upload and download are at least 45 degrees as seen in figure 5 in relationship to a vertical plane defined by the shoulder edges).
Regarding claim 19, Amat discloses bucket lip assembly for a machine comprising: a bucket lip including an upper lip side, a lower lip side, a forward lip edge, and a back lip edge (Figure 1); a coupler station (2) positioned on the forward lip edge and including a nose portion, and a coupler-loading shoulder stepped off from a first lateral side, a second lateral side, and a bottom side, of the nose portion (See annotated figures above, the shoulder surrounds the nose portion), and having a varying contour (about the nose) forming a plurality of downward sloping up load support surfaces and a plurality of upward sloping down load support surfaces (see annotated figures above); and a coupler mounted to the coupler station (system connecting attachment to element 2).
Regarding claim 20, Amat discloses wherein the bucket lip is formed as an elongate one-piece casting, and the coupler station (2) is one of a plurality of coupler stations in an alternating arrangement with a plurality of shroud stations (3) along the forward lip edge (As seen in the figures).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Johnson (US 2022/0325505)
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ADAM J BEHRENS whose telephone number is (303)297-4336. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-2pm MST.
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/ADAM J BEHRENS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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