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.
Claims 1, 3, 5-7, 9, 11-12, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Garter (US 5088274 A).
Regarding claims 1, 7, 13, Garter discloses an agricultural harvester (10), comprising:
an air assisted conveying system comprising a duct (50) configured to provide agricultural product to an accumulator (20) of the agricultural harvester; and
a header (see fig. 1-2), comprising:
a chassis (see fig. 1-2); and
a row unit (22), comprising:
a frame (24) movably coupled to the chassis to enable lateral movement of the row unit along the chassis (col. 3 line 67-col. 4 line 3); and
an outlet assembly (fig. 4), comprising:
an input portion (62) coupled to the frame, wherein the input portion comprises:
an inlet (at 60) configured to receive the agricultural product; and
an outlet (at 54) configured to expel the agricultural product; and
an output portion (70), comprising:
an inlet (at 54) configured to receive the agricultural product from the outlet of the input portion; and
an outlet (at 70) configured to direct the agricultural product into the duct of the air-assisted conveying system;
wherein the output portion and the input portion are at least selectively coupled to one another, and the output portion and the input portion are configured to at least selectively rotate relative to one another to facilitate the lateral movement of the row unit along the chassis (col. 6 lines 30-54).
Regarding claims 3, 9, 15, Garter discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 13, wherein a section of the output portion overlaps a section of the input portion (see fig. 4, 56 and 58 overlap).
Regarding claims 5, 11, 17, Garter discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 13, wherein an angle between a flow path through the inlet of the input portion and a flow path through the outlet of the output portion is at least 45 degrees (see fig. 4).
Regarding claims 6, 12, 18, Garter discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 13, wherein the outlet assembly comprises an adapter (56, 58) disposed between the inlet of the output portion and the outlet of the input portion, and the adapter is configured to orient the output portion relative to the input portion.
Regarding claim 19, Garter discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 13, wherein the duct is configured to telescope to adjust a length of the duct (col. 4 lines 52-57).
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.
Claims 2, 8, 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garter (US 5088274 A) in view of Atterby (US 3358430 A).
Regarding claims 2, 8, 14, Garter discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 13.
Garter does not disclose wherein the outlet assembly comprises a V-band clamp configured to at least selectively couple the output portion and the input portion to one another and to at least selectively enable the output portion and the input portion to rotate relative to one another.
In the same field of endeavor, Atterby discloses a V clamp configured to attach and allow hose sections to pivot relative to each other (col. 4 lines 27-32).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Garter with a V-band clamp configured to at least selectively couple the output portion and the input portion to one another and to at least selectively enable the output portion and the input portion to rotate relative to one another, as disclosed by Atterby, to allow the output/input portions of the conduit to rotate relative to the intermediate duct and each other when the row units shift vertically or laterally.
Claims 4, 10, 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garter (US 5088274 A) in view of Deutsch (US 5466189 A).
Regarding claims 4, 10, 16, Garter discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 15,
Garter does not disclose wherein the outlet assembly comprises a hose clamp disposed about the section of the output portion, and the hose clamp is configured to selectively couple the output portion and the input portion to one another and to selectively enable the output portion and the input portion to rotate relative to one another.
Deutsch discloses a hose clamp (136) connection used with an air conduit (120).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Garter with a hose clamp, as disclosed by Deutsch, configured to selectively couple the output portion and the input portion to one another as one of many possible mechanical devices known to couple air conduits to one another. Such a modification would allow the input/output portions to rotate relative to one other when the clamp is not secured.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Garter (US 5088274 A) in view of Snyder (US 5857908 A).
Regarding claim 20, Garter discloses the agricultural harvester of claim 13.
Garter does not disclose wherein the duct is configured to be pivotally coupled to the accumulator.
In the same field of endeavor, Snyder discloses a duct (62, 82) pivotally coupled to an accumulator (22).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided the duct of Garter with a pivotal connection to the accumulator, as disclosed by Snyder, to move the duct from a storage position to an operational position in reduced time (col. 8 line 39- col. 9 line 12).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 20180054965 A1 discloses a clamp adapted to attach to a conduit.
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/MADELINE I RUNCO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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