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: 700, 1400, 1500. 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.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities:
Paragraph 0051 line 3 reads “314” and should read –1314--
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-5, 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ansley (GB 1000650 A).
Regarding claim 1, Ansley discloses a discharge chute for a mowing apparatus (see fig. 1), comprising:
a housing (7) defining:
an inlet having an inlet perimeter in fluid communication with at least a portion of a discharge opening of a mow deck (1) of the mowing apparatus, the inlet adapted to receive discharge material from the discharge opening of the mow deck,
an outlet (fig. 2) adapted to direct the discharge material away from the discharge chute and from the mowing apparatus, and
a surface connecting the inlet with the outlet and directing the discharge material received from the discharge opening of the mow deck into an exit direction that is different from an entrance direction of the discharge material as received at the inlet of the housing from the mow deck; and
a one or more baffles (10) protruding downward from a top surface of the housing into an interior volume of the discharge chute, wherein the top surface is adjacent the surface, and wherein the set of baffles is adapted to separate a flow of the discharge material at the outlet into at least a first flow path and a second flow path (page 2 lines 1-27).
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Regarding claim 2, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 1, wherein the one or more baffles (10) are adapted to spatially separate the first flow path from the second flow path along a width of the outlet during operation of the mowing apparatus (page 2 lines 1-27).
Regarding claim 3, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 1, wherein the one or more baffles comprises at least two baffles (page 2 lines 28-34).
Regarding claim 4, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 3, wherein the one or more baffles are adapted to separate the flow of the discharge material at the outlet into at least the first flow path, the second flow path and a third flow path (page 2 lines 1-34).
Regarding claim 5, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 4, wherein the first flow path, the second flow path and the third flow path are adapted to disperse the discharge material along a width of the outlet during operation of the mowing apparatus (page 2 lines 1-34).
Regarding claim 7, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 1, further comprising an interior surface connecting the inlet with the outlet and on an opposite side of the housing from the surface, wherein a distance along the outlet between the surface and the interior surface defines a width of the outlet (see fig. 2).
Regarding claim 8, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 7, wherein a first baffle of the one or more baffles is a first distance from the interior surface along the width of the outlet, wherein the first distance is about one-quarter to one-third of the width of the outlet (page 2 lines 28-34, the arrangement with three spaced-apart baffles would have a first baffle distance of approximately one quarter of the width).
Regarding claim 9, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 8, wherein a second baffle (10) of the one or more baffles is a second distance from the interior surface along the width of the outlet, wherein the second distance is about one-half of the width of the outlet (page 2 lines 28-34, the arrangement with three spaced-apart baffles would have a second baffle distance of approximately one half of the width).
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 10-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ansley (GB 1000650 A).
Regarding claim 10, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 8.
Ansley does not disclose wherein the first baffle extends a third distance from about 1.5 inches (in.) to about 2.5in. below the top surface into the interior volume of the discharge chute, and wherein the second baffle extends a fourth distance from about 1.5in. to about 2in. below the top surface into the interior volume of the discharge chute.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to contrive any number of desirable ranges for the third and fourth distances, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. Further, it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). Refer to MPEP § 2144.05.
Regarding claim 11, Ansley discloses the mower discharge chute of claim 7, wherein the one or more baffles extend from an edge of the outlet on the top surface to a depth.
Ansley does not disclose wherein the depth is about 3in. to about 4in. into the housing.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to contrive any number of desirable ranges for the depth of the baffle, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233. Further, it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). Refer to MPEP § 2144.05.
Claims 12-17, 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ansley (GB 1000650 A) in view of Marolla (US 11844306 B2).
Regarding claim 12, Ansley discloses a mowing apparatus (fig. 1), comprising
a mow deck (1) defining:
a housing (7) having an interior space adapted to accommodate motion of a blade apparatus that is secured to the housing, and
an ejection opening defined within a portion of an interior wall of the housing;
a discharge chute (7), wherein the discharge chute comprises:
an inlet that receives discharge material exiting the mow deck from the ejection opening,
an outlet that directs the discharge material away from the mowing apparatus, and
a set of aerodynamically functional baffles (10) formed within an interior space of the discharge chute near the outlet and adapted to separate a flow of the discharge material into a plurality of flow paths including at least a first flow path and a second flow path.
Ansley does not disclose a discharge body secured to the mow deck and having a chute interior in fluid communication with the ejection opening of the mow deck at a first end of the chute interior, the discharge chute removably inserted into a second end of the chute interior of the discharge body.
In the same field of endeavor, Marolla discloses a discharge body (30) secured to a mow deck (18) having a chute interior in communication with an ejection opening, a discharge chute (14) removably inserted into a second end of the chute interior.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided Ansley with a discharge body secured to the mow deck between the mow deck and the discharge chute, as disclosed by Marolla, as an alternative design for the same rear-side discharge mower arrangement.
Regarding claim 13, Ansley, of the resultant combination, discloses the mowing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the ejection opening is defined with a rear half of the housing of the mow deck and the discharge material is expelled rearward from the mow deck through the ejection opening (see fig. 1-4).
Regarding claim 14, Ansley, of the resultant combination, discloses the mowing apparatus of claim 13, wherein the discharge chute defines a surface that connects the inlet and the outlet to redirect the discharge material from the rearward direction with respect to the mow deck to a sideward direction away from the mowing apparatus.
Ansley does not disclose wherein the surface connects the inlet and the outlet along a curvature.
Marolla further discloses a discharge chute (14) having a curved surface connecting its inlet and outlet (see fig. 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have provided the discharge chute of Ansley with a curved surface, as disclosed by Marolla, as an alternative design for the same rear-side discharge chute.
Regarding claim 15, Ansley, of the resultant combination, discloses the mowing apparatus of claim 14, wherein:
the discharge chute defines an interior surface that connects the inlet and the outlet at an opposite side of the discharge chute from the surface; and
the set of aerodynamically functional baffles (10) includes a first baffle that directs discharge material between the interior surface and the first baffle into the first flow path (page 2 lines 1-27).
Regarding claim 16, Ansley, of the resultant combination, discloses the mowing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the set of aerodynamically functional baffles includes a second baffle between the first baffle and the surface that directs discharge material between the first baffle and the second baffle into the second flow path (page 2 lines 28-34).
Regarding claim 17, Ansley, of the resultant combination, discloses the mowing apparatus of claim 16, wherein discharge material between the second baffle and the surface is directed by the discharge chute into a third flow path of the plurality of flow paths (page 2 lines 1-34).
Regarding claim 19, Ansley, of the resultant combination, discloses the mowing apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first baffle is between about one quarter and about one third a distance between the interior surface and the surface along the outlet of the discharge chute, and wherein a second baffle (10) of the set of aerodynamically functional baffles includes about one half the distance between the interior surface and the surface along the outlet (page 2 lines 28-34, the arrangement with three spaced-apart baffles would have a second baffle distance of approximately one half of the width).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6, 18, 20 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. US 3453812 A discloses a discharge chute having two curved surfaces.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MADELINE RUNCO whose telephone number is (469)295-9123. The examiner can normally be reached 8-4:30 M-F.
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/MADELINE I RUNCO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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