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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 300 and 330. Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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) 1,3-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wolters 20030100353 in view of Farley et al. 20160135370.
Referring to claim 1, Wolters discloses a combine harvester comprising: a cleaning system comprising an upper sieve (16) for separating chaff from clean grain, the at least one sieve being arranged for oscillating in a fore-to-aft manner (see paragraph 0011); a residue spreader (see paragraph 0001) configured for (i) receiving separated chaff from the cleaning system and (ii) spreading the separated chaff over a field (see paragraph 0002); a chaff pan (28) mechanically mounted ( 50) to the upper sieve for oscillating in a fore-to-aft manner therewith, said chaff pan being positioned downstream of the upper sieve (16) and upstream of the residue spreader for conveying the separated chaff from the sieve to the residue spreader (see paragraph 0001); and a chaff pan side shake system (linkage arrangement 56 and actuator,80 ) that is arranged to oscillate the chaff pan in a side-to-side manner (see paragraph 0015 and figure 3, in direction of C). Wolters does not disclose a lower sieve. Farley teaches that it is known for a cleaning system of combine to have a lower sieve assembly with the upper sieve assembly (see paragraph 0006). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the combine harvester disclosed by Wolters to also include a lower sieve in few of the teachings of Reinecke because with a reasonable expectation of success because it is well known in the art for a combine harvester to have lower sieve.
Referring to claim 3, Wolter discloses wherein the chaff pan side shake system (58,66,68,80) is arranged to oscillate the chaff pan independently of the upper sieve (see paragraph 0015).
Referring to claim 4, Wolter discloses the chaff pan side shake system comprises a chaff pan side shake actuator (80) and a mechanical link (58,60) linking the chaff pan side shake actuator to the chaff pan, and wherein the mechanical link is mounted to a central portion of the chaff pan (see fig. 3, at 58 and paragraph 0015).
Referring to claim 5, Wolter discloses the chaff pan side shake actuator (80) and/or the mechanical link (58, 60) is/are at least partly mounted at an elevation beneath the chaff pan (26).
Claim(s) 1,2,6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Farley et al. 20160135370 in view of DE 102004023767A1 to Behnke.
Referring to claim 1, Farley discloses a combine harvester comprising: a cleaning system comprising an upper sieve (48) and a lower sieve (50) for separating chaff from clean grain, the upper sieve and the lower sieve being arranged for oscillating in a fore-to-aft manner (see paragraph 0006); a residue spreader (see paragraph 0030) configured for (i) receiving separated chaff from the cleaning system and (ii) spreading the separated chaff over a field; a chaff pan (72) mechanically mounted to the upper sieve for oscillating in a fore-to-aft manner therewith ( since connected to sieve), said chaff pan being positioned downstream of the upper sieve and upstream of the residue spreader for conveying the separated chaff from the upper sieve to the residue spreader. Farley does not specifically disclose a chaff pan side shake system that is arranged to oscillate the chaff pan in a side-to-side manner. Behnke teaches an shake system (oscillations system 30) that oscillate the sieves in fore to aft manner as well as side to side (see translation paragraph 0036, has longitudinal (fore and aft) and transverse (side to side) oscillations) . Behnke teaches the addition of transverse oscillations allow even distribution when harvester is on a slope (see paragraph 0037). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the harvester disclosed by Farley to have the sieve with the chaff pan to also oscillate side to side in addition to aft and fore in view of the teachings of Behnke with a reasonable expectation of success in order to allow even distribution when harvester is on a slope.
Referring to claim 2, Farley as modified by Behnke teaches the chaff pan side shake system is arranged to jointly oscillate the upper sieve and the chaff pan in a side-to-side manner ( since Behnke teaches oscillate the sieves in fore to aft manner as well as side to side, see paragraph 0036 and Farley disclose the chaff pan (72) is connected to the sieve 48) .
Referring to claim 6, Behnke teaches a distribution sensor (37) for determining an input signal representative of a lateral distribution of the separated chaff on the chaff pan; and a control unit (42) operatively connected to the distribution sensor to receive the input signal therefrom, the control unit being configured to control an operation of the chaff pan side shake system in dependence of the input signal (see paragraph 0041).
Referring to claim 7, Behnke teaches the control unit (42) is configured to adjust a frequency, a phase and/or an amplitude of a side-to-side oscillation of the chaff pan (see paragraph 0049).
Referring to claim 8, Behnke teaches the distribution sensor comprises at least one of: an image sensor configured to capture images of an upper surface of the chaff pan; multiple pressure sensors (50, see paragraph 0043) disposed at different lateral locations of the upper sieve; multiple layer thickness sensors disposed at different lateral locations on the chaff pan; and a radar sensor, ultrasound sensor, or image sensor for monitoring a chaff distribution downstream of the residue spreader.
Referring to claim 9, Behnke teaches inclination sensor (41, see paragraph 0045) for determining a lateral inclination of the combine harvester relative to a horizontal reference plane; and a control unit operatively connected to the inclination sensor, the control unit being configured to control an operation of the chaff pan side shake system in dependence on the lateral inclination (see paragraph 0050).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Reinecke 20170049052 teaches harvester with control system to control amount of side to side oscillations .
Hill et al. 20180027738 teaches known to apply lateral oscillations to chaff pan (paragraph 0036).
Wolters 6554701 teaches oscillating chaff pan.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GIOVANNA WRIGHT whose telephone number is (571)272-7027. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am- 5 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole Coy can be reached at (571) 272-5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Giovanna Wright/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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