Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Allowable Subject Matter
2. Claims 2-3 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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
3. 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.
4. The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
5. This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
6. Claim(s) 1 and 4-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 2008/0011927) in view of Shiga et al. (US 2015/0000974) hereinafter “Shiga” in further view of Carter et al. (US 2020/0164811) hereinafter “Carter”.
As per claim 1, Park discloses a working vehicle comprising:
a display device (FIG. 5, display 15); a lateral pipe portion (FIG. 2, tilting hinge shaft 131); a fixing portion (FIG. 2, pivot hinge clamp 110)…, wherein
…the fixing portion includes a clamp mechanism portion that fixes the display device to the lateral pipe portion (paragraph 0108), and
the clamp mechanism portion is configured to be capable of rotating the display device using the lateral pipe portion as a rotary shaft by loosening fastening of the lateral pipe portion, and is configured to be capable of fixing the display device by fastening the lateral pipe portion (FIGs. 3 and 5-6; see paragraphs 0024-0025, 0039, 0084, 0087 and 0108).
However, Park does not explicitly disclose a waterproof grommet, wherein
the lateral pipe portion allows a wire harness connected to the display device to pass therethrough, and is disposed in front of an operator seat, the waterproof grommet is fit into a wire harness inserting opening portion of the lateral pipe portion,
In an analogous art, Shiga discloses a waterproof grommet (claim 11), wherein
the lateral pipe portion allows a wire harness connected to the display device (since the lateral pipe portion in Park is used to support a display device; therefore, the wire harness of Shiga is for the display device and will be connected to the display device of Park) to pass therethrough…the waterproof grommet is fit into a wire harness inserting opening portion of the lateral pipe portion (claim 11),
However, Park or Shiga do not explicitly disclose the lateral pipe portion…is disposed in front of an operator seat.
In an analogous art, Carter discloses the lateral pipe portion…is disposed in front of an operator seat (see FIGs. 2 and 5).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Park in view of Shiga by inserting a wire harness into the metal pipe and fixing a waterproof grommet at a required position of the metal pipe; thus, protecting wire harness from being damaged (paragraph 0008 of Shiga) and in view of Carter, by positioning the display mounting system in front of an operator seat; thus, improving operator visibility and ergonomic preferences (paragraph 0033 of Carter).
As per claim 4, Park discloses wherein a sliding assist member is interposed between the lateral pipe portion and a lateral pipe portion through hole formed in the fixing portion (FIG. 3; paragraph 0088).
As per claim 5, although not disclosed, it would have been obvious to have the sliding assist member as a heat-shrinkable tube (Official Notice). Doing so would have been obvious in order to shrink tightly the tubing onto the shaft.
7. Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Park (US 2008/0011927) in view of Shiga et al. (US 2015/0000974) in further view of Carter et al. (US 2020/0164811) or Kazuhito (JP 202371591) hereinafter “Kazuhito”.
As per claim 6, Park, Shiga and Carter discloses the working vehicle according to claim 1,
However, Park, Shiga or Carter do not explicitly disclose wherein the lateral pipe portion constitutes a portion of a handrail disposed in front of the operator seat, and the handrail is fixed to a side surface of a front cover fixing part that fixes a front cover disposed in front of the operator seat.
In an analogous art, Kazuhito discloses wherein the lateral pipe portion constitutes a portion of a handrail disposed in front of the operator seat, and the handrail is fixed to a side surface of a front cover fixing part that fixes a front cover disposed in front of the operator seat (see FIGS. 4, 3 and 7).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person skilled in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the teachings of Park in view of Shiga and Carter, by fixing the display mounting system to a handrail in front of an operator seat, in order to improve operator visibility.
8. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. (KR-102629994-B1, JP-7131404-B2, JP-2002127830-A, JP-7619296-B2, US-20230249630-A1, US-20150146114-A1, US-20230100150-A1, US-20160340042-A1, US-20070148992-A1, US-20190142497-A1, US-4702382-A, US-5547248-A, US-7798460-B2, US-7712722-B2, US-4779922-A, US-20070258753-A1, US-20070125914-A1, US-20050006543-A1, US-6772983-B1, US-5177616-A)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MOHAMMED JEBARI whose telephone number is (571)270-7945. The examiner can normally be reached 09:00am-06:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Chris Kelley can be reached at 571-272-7331. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MOHAMMED JEBARI/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2482
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