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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Specification
The title of an invention should clearly and comprehensively reflect the subject matter and kind of the invention for which protection is sought, in other words the title should be commiserate with the claimed invention.
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 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.
Claims 1-4, 8-16, 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tate et al (2019/0254228).
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Top wall)][AltContent: textbox (Discharge opening)][AltContent: textbox (Guard baffle )][AltContent: textbox (Peripheral baffle )][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow]
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1. A mower deck comprising:
a cutting blade (203) configured to rotate in a direction of rotation around a rotational axis to clip grass (fig 3);
a top wall on which the cutting blade is rotatably mounted (marked up);
a peripheral baffle protruding from the top wall (marked up),
the top wall and the peripheral baffle defining a cutting chamber configured such that clippings of the grass flow in the cutting chamber (shown/taught above),
the peripheral baffle defining a discharge opening configured such that the clippings are discharged through the discharge opening (marked up); and
a guard baffle protruding from the top wall in the cutting chamber to guide the clippings toward the discharge opening (marked up).
2. The mower deck according to claim 1, wherein the guard baffle extends to an inner baffle end from an outer baffle end provided at the discharge opening (marked up),
a distance between the rotational axis and the inner baffle end being shorter than a half of a cutting diameter of the cutting blade as viewed along the rotational axis (the distance is unclear).
It would have been obvious to pick and choose from any of the well known distances so that the distance is less than half as claimed, because 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)
The Federal Circuit has held that where the only difference between the prior art and the claims was a recitation of relative dimensions of the claimed device and a device having the claimed relative dimensions would not perform differently than the prior art device, the claim device was not patentably distinct from the prior art device. (Gardner v. TEC Systems, Inc. 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed Cir. 1984), cert. denied 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984)).
[AltContent: textbox (Outer end)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Inner end)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Guard baffle )]
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2. The mower deck according to claim 1, wherein the guard baffle extends to an inner baffle end from an outer baffle end provided at the discharge opening (marked up),
a distance between the rotational axis and the inner baffle end being shorter than a half of a cutting diameter of the cutting blade as viewed along the rotational axis (shorter than half of the cutting diameter the distance from the inner end to the axis).
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Linear guide section tangential to the arc projection direction at the junction)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Guard baffle )][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Arc section / arc shape)]
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3. The mower deck according to claim 2, wherein the peripheral baffle comprises:
an arc section having an arc shape with respect to the rotational axis (marked up), and
a guide section (marked up) connected to the arc section such that the arc section and the guide section are arranged in order along the direction of rotation around the rotational axis, the guide section being provided opposite to the guard baffle to guide the clippings toward the discharge opening (shown/taught above).
4. The mower deck according to claim 3, wherein the guide section has a linear shape (marked up) as viewed along the rotational axis and projects in a projecting direction (marked up), and
wherein a tangential direction of the arc section at a junction of the arc section and the guide section is substantially identical to the projecting direction (shown/taught above).
8. The mower deck according to claim 3, wherein a gap between the guard baffle and the cutting blade along the rotational axis is so small such that a negative pressure is generated in a cutting area opposite to an outlet with respect to the guard baffle, the outlet being defined between the guide section and the guard baffle (shown/taught in fig 3, gap small, so the outlet, larger gap, creates a suction / negative pressure).
9. The mower deck according to claim 3, wherein the guide section is provided between the top wall and the cutting blade along the rotational axis, and wherein the arc section is wider than the guide section along the rotational axis (shown to be wider, the narrower at guide section) such that at least part of the cutting blade overlaps with the arc section as viewed in a radial direction with respect to the rotational axis (fig 3, “overlaps” radially).
10. The mower deck according to claim 2, further comprising: a deck wheel (106 a/b) configured to move the mower deck in a front direction and a rear direction opposite to the front direction, wherein the discharge opening is provided apart from the cutting blade in the rear direction (fig 3).
11. The mower deck according to claim 10, further comprising: wherein the inner baffle end is apart from the rotational axis in the rear direction, and wherein as viewed in the rotational axis, a distance between the rotational axis and the inner baffle end is shorter than a distance between the rotational axis and an inner end of a lift of the cutting blade in a radial direction with respect to the rotational axis (see marked up in re cl. 2, the inner end is clearly shorter in distance than the “lift” or end of the blade).
12. The mower comprising the mower deck according to claim 1 (fig 1).
The following are already addressed above, unless otherwise noted:
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Angle 2)][AltContent: textbox (Angle 1)][AltContent: textbox (1st guide section )][AltContent: textbox (2nd arc)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (2nd guide section opposite the 1st guide section)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (2nd arc connected to the 1st guide section)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector]
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[AltContent: textbox (1st tangential line & direction)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: textbox (2nd tangential line & direction)][AltContent: textbox (Rear direction)][AltContent: connector][AltContent: connector]
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13. A mower deck comprising:
a first cutting blade (203) rotatable in a direction of rotation around a first rotational axis; a second cutting blade (203) rotatable in the direction of rotation around a second rotational axis (shown/taught above);
a top wall on which the first cutting blade and the second cutting blade are rotatably mounted (shown/taught above);
a first peripheral baffle protruding from the top wall to define a first cutting chamber housing the first cutting blade, the first peripheral baffle comprising: a first arc section having an arc shape with respect to the first rotational axis; and a first guide section connected to the first arc section such that the first arc section and the first guide section are arranged in order along the direction of rotation around the first rotational axis, the first guide section projecting in a first tangential direction at a first junction of the first arc section and the first guide section (shown/taught above, where the arc and the linear guide meet is the 1st junction, arc tangential line is taken at the junction, see dashed lines); and
a second peripheral baffle (marked up) protruding from the top wall to define a second cutting chamber housing the second cutting blade (shown/taught above), the second peripheral baffle comprising: a second arc section having an arc shape (marked up) with respect to the second rotational axis and connected to the first guide section such that the first guide section and the second arc section are arranged in order along the direction of rotation around the second rotational axis (shown/taught above); and
a second guide section connected to the second arc section opposite to the first guide section, the second guide section projecting in a second tangential direction at a second junction of the second arc section and the second guide section (shown/taught above, where the arc and the linear guide meet is the 2nd junction, arc tangential line is taken at the junction), the second tangential direction being inclined from the first tangential direction in the direction of rotation (shown/taught above, “inclined” / forms an angle, see dashed lines); and
a deck wheel configured to move the mower deck in a front direction and a rear direction opposite to the front direction (106a/b), a first angle made by the first tangential direction (marked up, the angle between the dashed lines) and the rear direction being larger than a second angle made by the second tangential direction and the rear direction (marked up, the angle between the dashed lines; angle 1 is larger, as shown/taught).
14. The mower deck according to claim 13, wherein a tangential direction of the second arc section at the second junction is substantially identical to the second tangential direction (shown/taught above, identical line & direction), and wherein the second guide section has a linear shape as viewed along the second rotational axis (marked up).
15. The mower deck according to claim 14, wherein the second tangential direction is substantially identical to the rear direction (marked up).
16. The mower deck according to claim 13, wherein a tangential direction of the first arc section at the first junction is substantially identical to the first tangential direction (marked up), and wherein the first guide section has a linear shape as viewed along the first rotational axis (marked up).
26. A mower comprising: the mower deck according to claim 13; and a vehicle frame supporting the mower deck (fig 1); and rear wheels (106 a, b) attached to the vehicle frame apart from the mower deck in the rear direction and arranged in a left-right direction perpendicular to the front direction and to the rear direction (fig 3), the second cutting chamber being provided between the rear wheels in the left-right direction (fig 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 5-7, 17-25, 27 is/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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. See form 892.
Deutschle (2013/0145736) teaches:
[AltContent: textbox (Peripheral baffle including an arc section )][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (linear guide section or guard baffle)][AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (Guard baffle or linear guide section)][AltContent: arrow]
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Iida et al (2003/0182916) teaches in fig 4, a peripheral arc baffle and a guard baffle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARPAD FABIAN-KOVACS whose telephone number is (571) 272-6990. The examiner can normally be reached Mo-Th.
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/ARPAD FABIAN-KOVACS/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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