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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the plurality of equipment" in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim previously recites “a work equipment” and “a plurality of devices.”
Claim 3 recites “and an oil cooler for cooling the pressurized oil besides the electric motor.” This is unclear and confusing. It is not clear if this limitation is intended to imply that the oil cooler is “beside” or next to the electric motor or if it is implying that the oil cooler cools oil that is not used with the electric motor? This limitation and the unclear nature of “besides” renders the claim indefinite.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Sawada (JP 2023-150995) [provided by Applicant].
Regarding claim 1, Sawada discloses A working vehicle comprising: a work equipment that is operated by a pressurized oil that a hydraulic pump discharges; and a working vehicle body where, in a device housing space formed in the working vehicle body, a plurality of devices that includes the hydraulic pump and an electric motor that drives the hydraulic pump are housed, wherein in the plurality of equipment, cooled devices that include the electric motor, and a single cooling fan for cooling the cooled devices are included, and the cooled devices are disposed along a cooling air flow path through which cooling air generated by the cooling fan flows [(fig. 1, fig. 2, 4,6 para.: 32-54 ) shows a working vehicle 200 comprising: a work equipment 221 that is operated by a pressurized oil that a hydraulic pump 71 discharges; and a working vehicle body 220 where, in a device housing space "R" formed in the working vehicle body, a plurality of devices that includes the hydraulic pump and an electric motor that drives the hydraulic pump are housed, wherein (s. fig. 2,6) in the plurality of devices 70, cooled devices that include the electric motor 72, and a single cooling fan 61 for cooling the cooled devices are included (s. fig. 6-para. 32-54), and the cooled devices 70 are disposed along a cooling air flow path through which cooling air generated by the cooling fan flows (s. fig. 2,6, para. 48)].
Regarding claim 2, Sawada discloses wherein the device housing space is a space surrounded by an upper surface cover, a rear surface cover, a left side surface cover, a right side surface cover and a front surface cover of the working vehicle body, and the cooling air flow path is formed between an air intake port located in one side surface cover out of the left side surface cover and the right side surface cover and an air discharge port located in the other side surface cover out of the left side surface cover and the right side surface cover [at least figs 2-4, paragraph 43].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art when taken alone or in combination does not appear to teach or fairly suggest at this time the working vehicle according to claim 2, wherein the cooled devices include an inverter for controlling the electric motor and an oil cooler for cooling the pressurized oil besides the electric motor, and the electric motor, the inverter and the oil cooler are arranged in order of the electric motor, the inverter and the oil cooler from an upstream side of cooling air that flows through the cooling air flow path, and the cooling fan is disposed between the oil cooler and the inverter and is arranged in a state that the cooling fan opposes the oil cooler.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JACOB B MEYER whose telephone number is (571)270-3535. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 9-7.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, J Allen Shriver can be reached at 303.297.4337. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JACOB B. MEYER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 3613
/JACOB B MEYER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3613
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