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 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, 2, 7-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Abramov et al (US 10,603,955). Abramov discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - A mobility vehicle comprising:
a body part 11, 12;
a movement part including:
a wheel 10a configured to move the body part, and a steering region 190 configured to rotate the wheel 10a about a steering rotation axis relative to the body part and steer the wheel 10a; and
at least one variable frame 110a configured to:
connect the body part 11, 12 and the movement part, move relative to the body part 11, 12 in a guide direction intersecting the steering rotation axis, and change a spacing distance between one region of the body part and the movement part (see Fig. 3).
With regard to claim 2 - wherein the movement part 10a is fixed to the at least one variable frame 110a, and the at least one variable frame 110a is connected to the body part 11, 12 and configured to be movable relative to the body part 11, 12.
With regard to claim 7 - a drive part 150 configured to move the at least one variable frame 110a, wherein the drive part 150 comprises a rotation region configured to engage with the at least one variable frame 110a and rotate about a drive rotation axis (see Fig. 3), and wherein the at least one variable frame 110a is configured to be rectilinearly moved in the guide direction by a rotation of the rotation region.
With regard to claim 8 - wherein the at least one variable frame 110a is provided in the form of a rack gear extending in the guide direction, and the rotation region 150 is provided in the form of a pinion gear engaging with the at least one variable frame 110a.
With regard to claim 9 - wherein the steering rotation axis extends in an upward/downward direction, and a lower end of the body part 11, 12 is disposed above an upper end of the wheel.
With regard to claim 10 - a controller 300 configured to control the movement part, wherein when an adjustment signal, which is a signal indicating that a size of the mobility vehicle is required to be adjusted, is inputted, the controller 300 is configured to control the steering region to steer the wheel in parallel with the guide direction.
With regard to claim 11 - wherein when a contraction signal, which is a signal indicating that a size of the mobility vehicle is required to be decreased, is inputted, the controller 300 is configured to control the wheel 10a so that the wheel becomes close to one region of the body part, and wherein when an expansion signal, which is a signal indicating that a size of the mobility vehicle is required to be increased, is inputted, the controller 300 is configured to control the wheel so that the wheel becomes distant from one region of the body part 11, 12.
With regard to claim 12 - wherein the wheel and the at least one variable frame are respectively provided as a plurality of wheels 10a, 10b, 20a, 20b and a plurality of variable frames 100, 200, and wherein when the contraction signal or the expansion signal is inputted, the controller 300 is configured to control the plurality of wheels so that all of the plurality of variable frames are moved at the same speed.
With regard to claim 13 - a drive part 150 configured to move the at least one variable frame 110, wherein when a contraction signal, which is a signal indicating that a size of the mobility vehicle is required to be decreased, is inputted, the controller 300 is configured to control the drive part 150 so that the wheel 10a becomes close to one region of the body part 11, and wherein when an expansion signal, which is a signal indicating that a size of the mobility vehicle is required to be increased, is inputted, the controller 300 is configured to control the drive part 150 so that the wheel becomes distant from one region of the body part.
With regard to claim 14 - wherein the at least one variable frame is provided as a plurality of variable frames, and wherein when the contraction signal or the expansion signal is inputted, the controller is configured to control the drive part 150 so that all of the plurality of variable frames are moved at the same speed (“The two adjustment assemblies 100 and 200 connect to one another for coordinating and synchronizing their operation via a connecting unit 50, which may be controlled by a controller 300 (see FIGS. 4A, 5A, 6A and 7A). The coordinating of the two adjustment assemblies is optional each unit may be controlled separately” – column 7, lines 20-25).
Claim(s) 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Blom et al (US 2022/0306051). Blom discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - A mobility vehicle comprising:
a body part 118;
a movement part including:
a wheel 18a-d configured to move the body part 118, and a steering region configured to rotate the wheel 18a-d about a steering rotation axis 24a-d relative to the body part 16 and steer the wheel 18a-d; and
at least one variable frame 124a, 124b configured to:
connect the body part 118 and the movement part, move relative to the body part 118 in a guide direction 114 intersecting the steering rotation axis 24a-d, and change a spacing distance between one region of the body part and the movement part (see Figs. 6a, 6b).
With regard to claim 3 - a guide 16 fixed to the body part 118, extending in the guide direction 114, and configured to guide a movement of the at least one variable frame 124a, 124b in the guide direction 114.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 and 15-18 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. With regard to claims 4-6, the art does not provide an example of variable frames such as those claimed in claim 1 wherein said frames intersect one another in the manner described by claim 4. Regarding claims 15-18, The art is silent with regard to the claimed object detection and avoidance system.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TIMOTHY WILHELM whose telephone number is (571)272-6980. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:30-5:30.
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/TIMOTHY WILHELM/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3617 August 21, 2026
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