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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The current title does not refer at all to the claimed connection between the frame members of the work vehicle.
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 and 4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Davis et al. (US 2020/0282936, hereinafter Davis).
With regard to claim 1, Davis teaches a work vehicle, comprising:
an occupant space (i.e. the unlabeled interior of the frame shown in Fig. 1) configured to accommodate an occupant;
an arch-shaped frame (110+111) extending over the occupant space and comprising:
a lateral frame portion (110) extending laterally relative to a body of the work vehicle; and
a pair of left and right vertical frame portions (111) extending downward from respective left and right end portions of the lateral frame portion (Fig. 1);
a first support (128) and a second (129) support both fixed to an upper end portion of each of the vertical frame portions (Paragraph 0029: “first and second side plates 128, 129 that are fixedly attached on opposing sides of the B-pillar hoop member 102” which includes elements 110 and 111), the first support (128) extending forward from a front end portion of the upper end portion of said each of the vertical frame portions, the second support (129) extending backward from a back end portion of the upper end portion of said each of the vertical frame portions (see Fig. 4, noting that the front side is the left side of the figure and the back side is the right side of the figure); and
a pair of left and right side frame members (103 + 134) each extending in a front-back direction relative to the body (i.e. left-to-right in Fig. 4) and having an intermediate portion (134) in the front-back direction relative to the body which intermediate portion is fixed to the first support and the second support of a corresponding one of the vertical frame portions (by virtue of strap member 134, plates 136 and 137, and bolts 142).
With regard to claim 4, Davis teaches that the first support (128) and the second support (129) are each welded to the upper end portion of said each of the vertical frame portions (Paragraph 0029: “the first and second side plates 128, 129 of the first pair of connection devices 127 are welded to the B-pillar hoop member 102” at the point of the upper end of the vertical portion 111 as seen in Fig. 4), and the intermediate portion of each of the side frame members (103) is bolted to the first support and the second support of the corresponding one of the vertical frame portions (via bolts 142).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2 and 3 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.
With regard to claim 2, Davis arguably teaches that the first and second supports have a generally triangular shape (see annotated Fig. below). If they are triangular, then they have a first side along each of the vertical frame portions (see Fig. below). However, they do not have a second side “along a corresponding one of the side frame members.”
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With regard to claim 3, Davis discloses a “door opening 109,” but does not disclose a flat surface as specifically claimed that contacts the door when it is closed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. The cited references provide further examples of work vehicle frame connections similar to that disclosed by applicant.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT E FULLER whose telephone number is (571)272-6300. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:30AM - 5:30PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Tara Schimpf can be reached at 571-270-7741. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT E FULLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3676
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