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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The title of an invention should clearly and comprehensively reflect the subject matter and kind of the invention for which protection is sought, in other words the title should be commiserate with the claimed invention.
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 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.
[AltContent: textbox (Chamber / housing top surface portion)][AltContent: arrow]Claims 1, 6-10, 12-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ma et al (CN 212621511).
[AltContent: textbox (side portions)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Bottom surface portion in which a hole portion is formed )][AltContent: arrow]
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“As shown in FIG. 1 to FIG. 5, the autonomous working device 100 integrally comprises a chassis upper cover 41 and a chassis lower cover 42, chassis upper cover 41 and chassis lower cover 42 are buckled with each other to form sealing chamber 40 surrounded by left side broken line part in FIG. 3, sealing chamber 40 the sealing chamber and the outer sealing. The interior of the sealing chamber 40 is provided with elements such as a main control panel 51, a battery pack 52, and a walking motor 54. the front of the sealing chamber 40 is provided with a grass cutting motor chamber 56; the grass cutting motor chamber 56 is shown in the area surrounded by the right dotted line in FIG. 3; the inner part of the grass cutting motor chamber 56 is provided with a grass cutting motor 57; the inner part of the grass cutting motor chamber 56 is sealed and separated from the outer part to protect the inner grass cutting motor 57. the bottom of the grass cutting motor chamber 56 is provided with a cutter assembly 60; the cutter assembly 60 is connected with the mowing motor 57, so as to drive the movement of the cutter assembly 60 through the movement of the mowing motor 57, so as to perform mowing operation. the cutter head assembly 60 and the grass cutting motor chamber 56 is further provided with a cutter head cover 23.”
“Referring to FIG. 4-5, the bottom of the sealing chamber 40 is provided with a first wire hole 401; the bottom of the grass cutting motor chamber 56 is provided with a second wire hole 561; the cable 72 (shown schematically in FIG. 5) connected with the main control board 51 is led out through the first wire passing hole 401; through the second through hole 561 connected to the mowing motor 57. the first wire hole 401 is provided with a first sealing member 53, the second wire hole 561 is provided with a second sealing member 55, the first sealing member 53 is configured to make the cable passes through and the first wire hole 401 is closed, the second sealing member 55 is configured to make the cable passes through and the second wire hole 561 is closed.”
“In summary, the motor bearing mechanism 10 of the utility model through the bottom is provided with a second threading hole, so that the wiring of the cable is arranged at the bottom of the motor, shortening the cutting motor to the circuit length between the main control board, reducing the cost, and convenient to install.”
“In one embodiment, the bottom of the chassis is provided with a groove for containing the cable, the first threading hole is set in the groove.”
1. A function adding device that adds a function to a work machine used outdoors, comprising:
a housing including a top surface portion (marked up), side portions (marked up), and a bottom surface portion in which a hole portion is formed (marked up);
a control circuit that is placed inside the housing and is configured to perform the function for the work machine (fig 20); and
a wiring (cable 72) that connects the work machine and the control circuit via the hole portion (see teaching above).
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6. The function adding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a rib arranged on the bottom surface portion inside the housing (marked up).
7. The function adding device according to claim 6, wherein: the rib is arranged around the hole portion (shown/taught above).
8. The function adding device according to claim 6, wherein: the rib comprises a plurality of ribs, and the plurality of ribs is arranged so as to extend radially from the hole portion (shown/taught above).
“… the first wire hole 401 is provided with a first sealing member 53, the second wire hole 561 is provided with a second sealing member 55, the first sealing member 53 is configured to make the cable passes through and the first wire hole 401 is closed, the second sealing member 55 is configured to make the cable passes through and the second wire hole 561 is closed.”
9. The function adding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a dustproof member that is mounted to the hole portion and has a blocking portion formed so as to block the hole portion (sealing member 53/55 already discussed above).
“As shown in FIG. 14 to FIG. 16, the first sealing member 53 comprises a sealing block 531, a pressing plate 532, and a first through hole 401 of the two sides of the lug 533 and bolt column 534, preferably lug 533 and bolt column 534 is set in the sealing chamber 40. The sealing block 531 is constructed as an elastic material (preferably a rubber) and includes a base portion 5311 and a wedge-shaped insertion portion 5312 larger than the first string-passing hole 401. wire 535 is integrally formed in the sealing block 531, one end of the wire 533 from the base 5311 of the non-pressing surface, the other end of the wire 535 passes through the bottom of the inserting part 5312. one end of the pressing plate (532) is configured to be inserted into the lug 533, and the other end is configured as a screw hole 5321.”
10. The function adding device according to claim 9, wherein: the dustproof member is configured so that a reaction against the weight of the wiring is generated by the blocking portion (intended capability / configuration is met by the property of the sealing member taught, for example, it is can be elastic material / rubber, see quote).
12. The function adding device according to claim 1, wherein: the function is a function of allowing the work machine to travel autonomously (taught in the Abstract).
“Referring to FIG. 6 to FIG. 8, one embodiment of the grass cutting motor chamber of the utility model is described by taking the motor bearing mechanism as an example, and then the first sealing member 53 of the present utility model is illustrated in connection with FIGS. 14 to 16. It should be noted that the following introduction is an example of a mowing motor chamber detachably assembled with the chassis of the autonomous working device; the technician in the field can understand that mowing motor chamber also can be integrally formed with the chassis, perhaps other detachable structure.”
13. A work machine, comprising: a work machine body; and the function adding device according to claim 1, the function adding device being configured to be detachable from the work machine body (taught above).
“Preferably, the autonomous working device is an intelligent mower.”
14. The work machine according to claim 13, wherein: the work machine is an unmanned machine (see quote above).
“In other embodiments, the interaction module comprises a communication module set on the autonomous working device 6100 and independent of the autonomous working device 6100 of the terminal device, such as a mobile phone, a computer, a network server and so on, the control instruction information or other information of the user can be input on the terminal device.”
15. The work machine according to claim 13, wherein: the work machine is a manned machine (alternate embodiment, where user input is performed is also taught, see quote; however, there is not criticality, as demonstrated in view of Species in cl. 14).
16. The work machine according to claim 13, wherein: the work machine is a grass mower (already addressed above).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ma et al (CN 212621511).
“It will be understood by those skilled in the art that the annular protrusions 233 may also be provided in other shapes, such as lug bosses, cylinders, squares, and the like.”
Ma teaches the claimed invention, except:
11. The function adding device according to claim 10, wherein: the blocking portion includes cut-in portions that have been cut in radially, and a tip of each of the cut-in portions is configured to face upward in a state of being in contact with the wiring (besides the cut-in in the center portion where the wire pass through, additional portions are not shown).
To adequately traverse a finding of Official Notice, an applicant must specifically point out the supposed errors in the examiner’s action, which would include stating why the noticed fact is not considered to be common knowledge or well-known in the art. See 37 CFR 1.111(b). See also Chevenard, 139 F.2d at 713, 60 USPQ at 241 (“[I]n the absence of any demand by appellant for the examiner to produce authority for his statement, we will not consider this contention.”). A general allegation that the claims define a patentable invention without any reference to the examiner’s assertion of official notice would be inadequate. If applicant adequately traverses the examiner’s assertion of official notice, the examiner must provide documentary evidence in the next Office action if the rejection is to be maintained. See 37 CFR 1.104(c)(2). See also Zurko, 258 F.3d at 1386, 59 USPQ2d at 1697 (“[T]he Board [or examiner] must point to some concrete evidence in the record in support of these findings” to satisfy the substantial evidence test). If the examiner is relying on personal knowledge to support the finding of what is known in the art, the examiner must provide an affidavit or declaration setting forth specific factual statements and explanation to support the finding. See 37 CFR 1.104(d)(2).
If applicant does not traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or applicant’s traverse is not adequate, the examiner should clearly indicate in the next Office action that the common knowledge or well-known in the art statement is taken to be admitted prior art because applicant either failed to traverse the examiner’s assertion of official notice or that the traverse was inadequate. If the traverse was inadequate, the examiner should include an explanation as to why it was inadequate.
Consequently, the following is deemed to be "well known": to design the sealing member with radial cut-in portions.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide of xxx with the teachings of xxx, with a reasonable expectation of success since
2. The function adding device according to claim 1, further comprising: a support member having a housing support portion configured to support the housing, and a plurality of leg portions that is provided in a state of standing on an upper side of the work machine and is configured to support the housing support portion, wherein: the wiring is arranged along a first leg portion of the plurality of leg portions, and the hole portion is provided on a side of the first leg portion from a center of the bottom surface portion.
3. The function adding device according to claim 2, wherein the housing support portion is configured to be rotatable with any position of at least one of the leg portions as a supporting point.
4. The function adding device according to claim 2, wherein: the housing support portion is configured to be rotatable with a connection portion with the work machine in at least one of the leg portions as a supporting point.
5. The function adding device according to claim 2, wherein: the housing support portion is connected to the first leg portion and a second leg portion of the plurality of leg portions and is configured to be rotatable about a shaft connecting between a connection portion with the first leg portion and a connection portion with the second leg portion.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2-5 is/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. See form 892.
Shan et al (CN 117837374) teaches a support member with a plurality of leg portions (at ref 1105) standing on an upper side of the cutter housing (fig 4); however the wiring hole portion is not shown.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARPAD FABIAN-KOVACS whose telephone number is (571) 272-6990. The examiner can normally be reached Mo-Th.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph Rocca can be reached on (571) 272-8971. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ARPAD FABIAN-KOVACS/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671
Prosecution Insights