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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Status of Claims
Claims 1-3 were originally filed on 11/01/2024 and claimed priority on JP2020-137170, JP2020-137173, JP2021-051888, and JP2021-077421, which were filed on 08/15/2020, 08/15/2020, 03/25/2021, and 04/30/2021, respectively.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement filed on 02/03/2025 has been considered. An initialed copy of the Form 1449 is enclosed herewith.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-3 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 1 recites, in lines 9-11, “a right traveling motor configured to output power to the right traveling device and to be rotated at a speed stage shiftable between a first speed and a second speed higher than the first speed”. “a first speed” and “a second speed” should be amended to read “the first speed” and “the second speed” since the first speed and the second speed have already been introduced earlier in the claim.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1 and 3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Udagawa et al (US 20200018043 A1) in view of Fukuda et al (US 20170350095 A1), Yamada et al (US 8464826 B2), Imura et al (US 20220145579 A1), and Nakano (US 20230055738 A1) (Hereinafter referred to as Udagawa, Fukuda, Yamada, Imura, and Nakano respectively)
Regarding Claims 1 and 3, Udagawa teaches a working machine (See at least Udagawa Paragraphs 0011, 0035, and Figure 1, the hydraulic excavator is interpreted as a working machine) comprising:
a machine body (See at least Udagawa Paragraph 0048 and Figure 1, the working machine has a machine body);
a prime mover provided on the machine body (See at least Udagawa Paragraphs 0043-0044, and Figure 4, the hydraulic drive system mounted on the working machine includes an engine as a prime mover);
a left traveling device provided on a left portion of the machine body (See at least Udagawa Paragraphs 0037-0040 and Figures 1-3, the working machine includes a left crawler belt used to move the machine body, which is interpreted as a left traveling device);
a right traveling device provided on a right portion of the machine body (See at least Udagawa Paragraphs 0037-0040 and Figures 1-3, the working machine includes a right crawler belt used to move the machine body, which is interpreted as a right traveling device);
a left traveling motor configured to output power to the left traveling device and to be rotated at a speed stage shiftable between a first speed and a second speed higher than the first speed (See at least Udagawa Paragraphs 0037-0040, 0048, and Figure 4, the left track motor outputs power to the left traveling device and performs a speed change);
a right traveling motor configured to output power to the right traveling device and to be rotated at a speed stage shiftable between a first speed and a second speed higher than the first speed (See at least Udagawa Paragraphs 0037-0040, 0048, and Figure 4, the right track motor outputs power to the right traveling device and performs a speed change);
a left traveling pump to supply operation fluid to the left traveling motor (See at least Udagawa Paragraph 0044 and Figure 4, the first pump supplies hydraulic fluid to the left track motor, which is interpreted as a left traveling pump to supply operation fluid to the left traveling motor);
a right traveling pump to supply operation fluid to the right traveling motor (See at least Udagawa Paragraph 0044 and Figure 4, the second pump supplies hydraulic fluid to the right track motor, which is interpreted as a right traveling pump to supply operation fluid to the right traveling motor);
a first circulation fluid line fluidly connecting the left traveling pump to the left traveling motor, the first circulation fluid line including a first passage connecting a first port of the left traveling pump to a first port of the left traveling motor (See at last Udagawa Paragraphs 0046, 0050, and Figure 5, the left traveling/first pump is connected to the left track/traveling motor using a fluid line, which is interpreted as a first circulation fluid line fluidly connecting the left traveling pump to the left traveling motor, the first circulation fluid line including a first passage connecting a first port of the left traveling pump to a first port of the left traveling motor),…
a second circulation fluid line fluidly connecting the right traveling pump to the right traveling motor, the second circulation fluid line including a third passage connecting a third port of the right traveling pump to a third port of the right traveling motor (See at last Udagawa Paragraphs 0046, 0050, and Figure 5, the right traveling/second pump is connected to the right track/traveling motor using a fluid line, which is interpreted as a second circulation fluid line fluidly connecting the right traveling pump to the right traveling motor, the second circulation fluid line including a third passage connecting a third port of the right traveling pump to a third port of the right traveling motor),…
a first pressure detector provided on the first passage and configured to detect a first traveling pressure that is a pressure of operation fluid applied to the first passage when the left traveling motor rotates (See at last Udagawa Paragraphs 0046, 0050, and Figure 5, a first pressure sensor is provided on the first passage and detects the first traveling pressure);
…a third pressure detector provided on the third passage and configured to detect a third traveling pressure that is a pressure of operation fluid applied to the third passage when the right traveling motor rotates (See at last Udagawa Paragraphs 0046, 0050, and Figure 5, a second pressure sensor is provided on the third passage and detects the third traveling pressure);
Even though Udagawa teaches a first and second circulation fluid line, Udagawa fails to disclose a second passage connecting a second port of the left traveling pump to a second port of the left traveling motor; and
a fourth passage connecting a fourth port of the right traveling pump to a fourth port of the right traveling motor
However, Fukuda teaches a second passage connecting a second port of the left traveling pump to a second port of the left traveling motor (See at least Fukuda Paragraphs 0084-0085 and Figure 1, the left pump 53L is connected to the left motor 36 using two lines 57h and 57i, which is interpreted as a first circulation fluid line has a first and second passage, and there are two ports corresponding to the two lines); and
a fourth passage connecting a fourth port of the right traveling pump to a fourth port of the right traveling motor (See at least Fukuda Paragraphs 0084-0085 and Figure 1, the right pump 53R is connected to the right motor 36 using two lines 57h and 57i, which is interpreted as a second circulation fluid line has a third and fourth passage, and there are two ports corresponding to the two lines).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the teachings in Udagawa with Fukuda to have a second and fourth passage. Fukuda teaches two passages for each fluid line (See at least Fukuda Paragraphs 0084-0085 and Figure 1). This modification would improve the operability and control of the working machine because one passage can be used to rotate the motor in one direction, causing the working machine to move forward, and another passage can be used to rotate the motor in the other direction, causing the working machine to move backwards (See at least Fukuda Paragraphs 0090-0096, 0099-0102, and 0105-0114, the pressure of fluid generated by each pump to its corresponding motor using the passages/lines is used to control the working machine’s travel direction).
Even though Udagawa teaches pressure detectors and Fukuda teaches a second and fourth passage, modified Udagawa fails to disclose a second pressure detector provided on the second passage and configured to detect a second traveling pressure that is a pressure of operation fluid applied to the second passage when the left traveling motor rotates;
a fourth pressure detector provided on the fourth passage and configured to detect a fourth traveling pressure that is a pressure of operation fluid applied to the fourth passage when the right traveling motor rotates.
However, Yamada teaches a second pressure detector provided on the second passage and configured to detect a second traveling pressure that is a pressure of operation fluid applied to the second passage when the left traveling motor rotates (See at least Yamada Column 5 lines 7-26, Column 7 lines 1-8 and Figure 2, there is a second left pressure detector provided along a second passage for when the left motor spins in a different direction);
a fourth pressure detector provided on the fourth passage and configured to detect a fourth traveling pressure that is a pressure of operation fluid applied to the fourth passage when the right traveling motor rotates (See at least Yamada Column 4 line 53-Column 5 line 6, Column 6 lines 60-67, and Figure 2, there is a second right pressure detector provided along a second passage of the right motor for when the right motor spins in a different direction, which is interpreted as a fourth pressure detector on the fourth passage).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the teachings in modified Udagawa with Yamada to have four pressure detectors, one for each passage. Yamada teaches that the traveling state of the working machine is dependent on the state of the motors, which are controlled according to the four pressures (See at least Yamada Column 7 line 54-Column 8 line 24). One of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to detect the four pressures to determine whether the machine is turning or traveling straight because the state of the motors, which control the direction of travel of the machine, are determined using the pressures (See at least Yamada Column 7 line 54-Column 8 line 24). This would allow the system to accurately determine the state of the working machine.
Modified Udagawa fails to disclose a controller to perform an automatic deceleration operation to automatically decelerate the left traveling motor and the right traveling motor each rotated at the second speed by shifting the speed stage of rotation of each of the left and right traveling motors from the second speed to the first speed when a value calculated based on the first traveling pressure, the second traveling pressure, the third traveling pressure, and the fourth traveling pressure becomes equal to or more than a deceleration threshold.
However, Imura teaches a controller to perform an automatic deceleration operation to automatically decelerate the left traveling motor and the right traveling motor each rotated at the second speed by shifting the speed stage of rotation of each of the left and right traveling motors from the second speed to the first speed when a value calculated based on the first traveling pressure, the second traveling pressure, the third traveling pressure, and the fourth traveling pressure becomes equal to or more than a deceleration threshold (See at least Imura Paragraphs 0029, 0046, 0090, and Figure 2, when the pilot pressures Pa-Pd or the travel speed due to the pilot pressures Pa-Pd, which are values calculated based on the four traveling pressures, are greater than the limit/deceleration threshold, the motors 13a and 13b, which are the left and right motors, are decelerated; See at least Imura Paragraph 0142, the processor is interpreted as the controller).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the teachings in modified Udagawa with Imura to perform automatic deceleration when a value calculated based on the first traveling pressure, the second traveling pressure, the third traveling pressure, and the fourth traveling pressure becomes equal to or more than a deceleration threshold. This modification, as taught by Imua, would ensure that the traveling pressures and speed do not exceed a limit value (See at least Imura Paragraphs 0046, and 0090), which would increase the safety of the system.
Modified Udagawa fails to disclose wherein the controller determines the deceleration threshold based on any one of a first cross-differential pressure acquired by subtracting the fourth traveling pressure from the first traveling pressure, a second cross-differential pressure acquired by subtracting the third traveling pressure from the second traveling pressure, a third cross-differential pressure acquired by subtracting the second traveling pressure from the third traveling pressure, and a fourth cross-differential pressure acquired by subtracting the first traveling pressure from the fourth traveling pressure,
wherein the controller determines the deceleration threshold according to a rotation speed of the prime mover.
However, Nakano teaches wherein the controller determines the deceleration threshold based on any one of a first cross-differential pressure acquired by subtracting the fourth traveling pressure from the first traveling pressure, a second cross-differential pressure acquired by subtracting the third traveling pressure from the second traveling pressure, a third cross-differential pressure acquired by subtracting the second traveling pressure from the third traveling pressure, and a fourth cross-differential pressure acquired by subtracting the first traveling pressure from the fourth traveling pressure (See at least Nakano Paragraphs 0021-0022, 0053, and Figure 2, the limit velocity/deceleration threshold is based on the differential pressure between the hydraulic circuits),
wherein the controller determines the deceleration threshold according to a rotation speed of the prime mover (See at least Nakano Paragraph 0053, the limit velocity/deceleration threshold is based on the engine/prime mover rotation speed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the teachings in modified Udagawa with Nakano to determine the deceleration threshold according to a cross-differential pressure and the rotation speed of the prime mover. Nakano teaches the deceleration threshold is based on parameters such as the inclination angle, rotation speed of the prime mover, and the differential pressure between the two hydraulic circuits (See at least Nakano Paragraph 0053). Therefore, one of ordinary skill in the art would be motivated to utilize the rotation speed of the prime mover and the differential pressure between the two hydraulic circuits to determine the deceleration threshold in order to set the optimal deceleration threshold according to the current operating parameters of the system.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 is 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.
Ishibashi et al (US 20110196585 A1) teaches setting the speed limit based on the front-rear differential pressure
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