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 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Arulraja et al (US 7,967,087). Arulraja discloses:
With regard to claim 1 - A track loader comprising:
a carriage 14 on which a driving source and a lift arm 16 that moves a bucket by receiving power from the driving source;
an undercarriage 60 formed to transport the carriage 14;
a suspension 32 formed to buffer between the carriage 14 and the undercarriage 60; and
brackets (see marked up figure below) formed to mount the suspension 32 on the undercarriage 60,
wherein the suspension 32 includes a tube 34 fixed to the carriage 60, a bar 37 inserted into the tube 34, an elastic member 38 interposed between the tube 34 and the bar 37, a torsion arm 35 connected to the bar 37, and an axle 36 connected to the torsion arm 35, and
the axle 36 is mounted on the brackets.
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With regard to claim 2 - wherein the undercarriage 60 includes side frames 68 provided at side portions of the carriage 14, a yoke 70 that is accommodated in the side frames 68 and reciprocates, a sprocket 66 mounted on the side frames 68 and rotated by receiving power from the driving source, a roller 72 rotatably mounted on the side frames, an idler 62 rotatably mounted on the yoke 70, and a track 76 surrounding the sprocket 66, the roller 72, and the idler 62,
the side frames 68 include side frame upper plates 69 facing an upper surface of the yoke 70, and side frame side plates bent from the side frame upper plates 69 and facing a side surface of the yoke 70, and
the brackets are supported by the side frame side plates 68 via the side frame upper plate 69.
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) 3-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arulraja in view of Hansen (US 8,794,358). Arulraja fails to explicitly disclose wherein the brackets include bracket upper portions supporting the axle, and bracket side portions supported by the side frame side plates and supporting the bracket upper portions. Hansen teaches a bracket 500 for an axle 482 connected to a torsion arm 470 of a suspension disposed between a carriage and an undercarriage of a vehicle, the undercarriage comprising side frames that include side frame side plates 44, 46 and a side frame upper plate 48, wherein the bracket 500 includes a bracket upper portion 504 supporting the axle 482, and bracket side portions 506, 508 supported by the side frame side plates 44, 46 and supporting the bracket upper portion 504 (see Fig. 18). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the suspension of Arulraja with the teaching of Hansen’s bracket structure such that the bracket includes bracket side portions supported by the side frame side plates and supporting the bracket upper portions to ensure a strong, reliable connection between the brackets and the undercarriage.
With regard to claim 4, Hansen teaches wherein the bracket upper portions 504 are spaced apart from the side frame upper plates 48 in a direction opposite to gravity (see marked up Fig. 18 below).
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Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Arulraja and Hansen, as applied to claims 3 and 4, and further in view of Hanson (US 11,260,921). Arulraja and Hansen fail to explicitly disclose wherein the bracket side portions are welded to the side frame side plates. Hanson teaches that it is well-known in the art to attach components through welding (“FIG. 11 illustrates a portion of machine frame 335 with a bracket 800 formed therein or secured thereto, for example by welding for receiving axle tube 320/325 and be secured to the mounting block according to one exemplary embodiment.” – column 15, lines 41-45). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to modify the track loader of Arulraja and Hansen such that with the teaching of Hanson the bracket side portions are welded to the side frame side plates so as to create a secure attachment without the need of further fastening components.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19-20 are allowed.
Claims 6-18 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.
Claims 6 and 19 include the allowable subject matter of a slit cut in the side frame side plate, a plate having a slit insertion portion inserted into the slit, and a bracket support extending from the slit insertion portion to the outside of the side frame and supporting the bracket side portion.
Claim 15 includes the structure wherein the side frame side plate includes a first portion connected to the side frame upper plate and a second portion extending to protrude more than the side frame upper plate from the first portion to the idler, and the bracket is seated on the second portion. This structure is not taught by the art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Thomas et al (US 10,919,587) discloses a suspension system for a work vehicle disposed between a carriage and an undercarriage thereof and including a torsion arm system and bracket. Durkin et al (US 12,180,672) appears to disclose a similar suspension system using a bracket to attach a torsion arm and axle to an undercarriage of a work vehicle.
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 September 1, 2026
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