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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by JP2012070696A to Toda.
Referring to claim 1, Toda discloses work vehicle comprising:a traveling vehicle body (see fig. 1, at 2);a first working machine (see fig. 1, at 5) mounted on the traveling vehicle body; and a working machine connector (47) for attaching a second working machine, wherein one end of the working machine connector is rotatably attached to the traveling vehicle body, and the other end of the working machine connector to which the second working machine is attached is elevated/lowered with a rotation of the working machine connector by a lifting apparatus (see paragraph 0030) ,a connecting link (see fig. 6, 55) for connecting the working machine connector and the first working machine is provided, and a working machine fixture (60a) is provided to fix the first working machine at a predetermined height position, even if the second working machine is elevated/lowered with the rotation of the working machine connector once the first working machine is elevated/lowered to the predetermined height position by activating the connection link with the rotation of the working machine connector (see paragraph 0010).
Referring to claim 2, Toda discloses the connecting link (55) includes a rear link shaft (55a) rotatably supported by a main body frame of the traveling vehicle body (2),a locking bracket (61) that rotates together with the rear link shaft is erected on the rear link shaft,the working machine fixture is fixed to the main body frame, and when the first working machine is elevated/lowered with the rotation of the rear link shaft (55a) and the locking bracket (61) is rotated to a predetermined position with respect to the working machine fixture, the locking bracket (61) and the working machine fixture (60a) are engaged with each other to lock an elevating/lowering operation of the first working machine (see paragraph 0034).
Referring to claim 3, Toda discloses he connecting link (55) includes a first link (52) to elevate/lower the first working machine (2) with the rotation of the rear link shaft (55a), and a second link (58) to rotate the rear link shaft with the rotation of the working machine connector, the second link includes an arm (59) whose one end is connected to a connecting bracket (55d) erected on the rear link shaft and whose the other end is connected to the working machine connector (47), and the arm is connected by an oblong hole (59a), and slides by means of the oblong hole when the working machine connector is elevated/lowered with the elevating/lowering operation of the first working machine being locked (see paragraph 0036).
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) 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP2012070696A to Toda in view of JP H0453209 Y2 .
Referring to claim 4, Toda discloses a hole (61b) is opened at a predetermined position of the locking bracket (61),the working machine fixture (60a) has a locking pin (63) that is energized so as to be pushed out toward the locking bracket (61),upon a position of the hole (61 b) and a position of the locking pin (63) are aligned with each other with the rotation of the locking bracket (61), the locking pin (63) is inserted into the hole (61 b), so that the locking bracket (61) and the working machine fixture (60a) are engaged with each other. Toda does not disclose the working machine fixture includes a lock release holding mechanism to hold the locking pin at a lock release position so that the locking pin is not inserted into the hole. JP H0453209 Y2 teaches a working machine fixture includes a lock release holding mechanism (see fig. 8, at 28) to hold the locking pin at a lock release position so that the locking pin is not inserted into the hole (see figure 7, when pin 34 when in position at 38 the locking pin 33 will not move to locking position in element 3). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the device disclosed by Toda to have the working fixture with the locking release holding mechanism in view of the teachings of JP H0453209 Y2 with a reasonable expectation of success in order to further ensure the locking pin stays in the unlocked position as needed.
Referring to claim 5, Toda, as modified by JP H0453209 Y2, discloses the lock release holding mechanism includes a base( see figure 5, of JP H0453209 Y2, at 32) and a penetration pin (JP H0453209 Y2, figure 5, at 34) that is provided so as to penetrate the locking pin in a traverse direction, the base is fixed to the working machine fixture, a notch (38) are formed on one side surfaces one of the base (10), and the locking pin (33) is unable to be inserted into the hole of the locking bracket when the penetration pin (11) are disposed within the notch (38, see dashed lines of figure 8). Toda, as modified by JP H0453209 Y2 does not disclose notches on the other side of the base and the pin is disposed int eh other notch. However, duplicating the components of a prior art device is a design consideration within the skill of the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the device disclosed by Today, as modified by JP H0453209 Y2 to have a notch on the other side of the base with the penetration pin on the other of the locking pin to engage the additional notch with a reasonable expectation of success in order to reduce the force on each portion of the the penetration pin when is it in the lock release position.
Conclusion
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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/Giovanna Wright/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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