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
This is the first Office action on the merits. Claims 1-20 are currently pending.
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim of priority from PCT CN2022/125536 application filed on 10/14/2022.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement of 02/11/2025 was received and reviewed.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: paragraph [0008], line 8, the phrase “provided in herein” is awkwardly worded, the Office recommends “provided herein”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities: line 5 and 6 recite “the first end of the supporting assembly” and “the second end of the supporting assembly”, each recitation lacks antecedent basis because the first end the and the second end are not previously introduced. Here, it makes sense what is being referred to; thus, the issue does not rise to the level of indefiniteness, however proper antecedent basis for claim elements is required. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The claims recite “an actuator” which does not clearly indicate what kind of structure is being referred to. Applicant may be their own lexicographer, and here defines “an actuator” as shown in Fig. 6 and the corresponding description thereof in the specification; a receiving part that can hold articles/objects and a lifting mechanism that changes the position, primarily the elevation of the receiving part.
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.
Claim 5 is 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 5 recites “the support point of the wheel assembly change or disappear”. It is unclear how the support points of the wheel assembly can “disappear”. How would one of ordinary skill in the art determine whether the support points of the wheel assemblies have disappeared? The standard for determining disappearance is unknown. Appropriate clarification is necessary.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Breitfuss, US 3,791,540.
Claim 1, Breitfuss discloses:
A chassis of a movable platform (vehicle 35 has a chassis 38 as shown in Fig. 1), comprising: a chassis body and a wheel assembly (see wheels 38’, 36, and 37 and the associated structure in Figs. 1 and 2), wherein the chassis body is configured to support an actuator of the movable platform (mast 40 and lift mechanism 42), the wheel assembly is movably connected to the chassis body to switch between a first state (see wheels 38’ in a first state extended forward of the vehicle 35, Fig. 2) and a second state (wheels 38’ are in a retracted state in Fig. 1, in Fig. 2 “forward auxiliary wheels 38' are shown which are selectively movable by operator controlled hydraulic drive from a position in transverse alinement with wheels 36 to the forward position of FIG. 2.), in the first state, all or part of the wheel assembly is located in an outer area of a side surface of the chassis body (see Fig. 2), and in the second state, the wheel assembly is positioned to avoid the actuator (see Fig. 1, the forward auxiliary wheels 38’ are retracted and the lift mechanism 42 is in space occupied by wheels 38’ when they are in an extended state), so as to allow the actuator to move to the outer area of the side surface of the chassis body to perform a corresponding operation (the operation shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is securing and lifting a length of concrete pipe 43, however “the lift mechanism 42 and its lift seat 41 could take the form of a fork lift, boom or other appropriate lift member. Also, the cradle structure 44 which is shown as curved for receiving a cylindrical load could be V-shaped, flat or another form as appropriate for the shape of load to be lifted and transported.” Col. 3, lines 31-36).
Claim 2, Breitfuss discloses wherein in the first state, all or part of the wheel assembly protrudes outward into the outer area of the side surface of the chassis body, and in the second state, the wheel assembly fully retracts to an inner area of the side surface of the chassis body (as shown in Fig. 1 the auxiliary wheels 38’ are fully retracted to an inner area of the chassis body).
Claim 3, Breitfuss discloses . The chassis according to claim 1, wherein the chassis further comprises a wheel assembly driving device, configured to adjust a position of the wheel assembly to enable the wheel assembly to switch between the first state and the second state (“In FIG. 2, forward auxiliary wheels 38' are shown which are selectively movable by operator controlled hydraulic drive from a position in transverse alinement with wheels 36 to the forward position of FIG. 2.” Col. 2, lines 55-59, and see Col. 3, lines 38-50 describing the hydraulic system of Fig. 3).
Claim 4, Breitfuss discloses wherein a footprint of support points of the chassis on ground in the second state is smaller than a footprint of the support points of the chassis on ground in the first state (as shown in Figs 1 and 2, the footprint of support is smaller in Fig. 1 than in Fig. 2 because Fig. 1 shows wheels 38’ retracted).
Claim 5, Breitfuss discloses wherein in the first state, the wheel assembly has support points providing support for the movable platform, and in the second state, the support points of the wheel assembly change or disappear (see the difference between Figs. 1 and 2 with respect to wheels 38’).
Claim 6, Breitfuss discloses wherein the wheel assembly driving device is further configured to adjust the position of the wheel assembly in response to a trigger command, wherein the trigger command is generated based on the actuator being about to move to the outer area of the side surface of the chassis body (“the sequence of steps is repeated in reverse order with the pipe 43 first elevated from the cradle 44, the extension portion 38" of the frame 38 including wheels 38' being retracted, after which the lift mechanism 42 lowers the pipe 43 to the position shown in FIG. 1.” Col. 3, lines 24-29, the trigger command is the lowering of the pipe 43 which is held by lift mechanism 42 so that the pipe 43 can be off loaded, in order to do so the wheels 38’ must be retracted to provide space for the lift mechanism 42 to lower the pipe 43).
Claim 7, Breitfuss discloses wherein the wheel assembly driving device comprises a telescopic mechanism, with the wheel assembly connected to the chassis body via the telescopic mechanism; the wheel assembly driving device is configured to control a telescopic length of the telescopic mechanism to change so as to enable the wheel assembly to switch between the first state and the second state (the retraction of wheels 38’ and extension portion 38” involved telescoping movement thereof which is controlled by hydraulics see “In FIG. 2, forward auxiliary wheels 38' are shown which are selectively movable by operator controlled hydraulic drive from a position in transverse alinement with wheels 36 to the forward position of FIG. 2.”).
Claim 8, Breitfuss discloses wherein the chassis body further comprises another wheel assembly configured to drive the movable platform to move in a travel direction (rear driving and steering wheels 37, Figs. 1 and 2).
Claim 9, Breitfuss discloses wherein the another wheel assembly comprises a drive wheel, the wheel assembly comprises a driven wheel (wheels 37 are the drive wheels while wheels 38’ are driven wheels); or a rotation axis of the another wheel assembly is closer to a projection position of a center of gravity of the movable platform on a horizontal plane compared to a rotation axis of the wheel assembly (with wheels 37 being the driving and steering wheels they have a rotation axis and based on Fig. 2 wheels 37 are closer to the center of gravity of the vehicle than wheels 38’); or the another wheel assembly comprises a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly respectively located on two sides of the chassis body and installed at two ends of the rotation axis of the another wheel assembly, the wheel assembly comprises a third wheel assembly positioned on an extended normal line of a center of the rotation axis of the another wheel assembly (wheels 37 (plural) are provided on either side of the vehicle, thus there is a first wheel assembly and a second wheel assembly, and wheels 38’ are a third wheel assembly which are extended away from a center of the rotation axis provided by driving and steering wheels 37).
Claim 10, Breitfuss . The chassis according to claim 8, wherein the wheel assembly driving device is configured to change a wheelbase between the wheel assembly and the another wheel assembly, the movable platform comprises a carrying part connected to the actuator, and the carrying part comprises a plurality of item bearing platforms arranged in sequence; the wheel assembly driving device is further configured to change the wheelbase between the wheel assembly and the another wheel assembly based on at least one of a weight distribution of items on the plurality of item bearing platforms or a position of the actuator (as shown in Fig. 1 and 2 the wheelbase changes when wheels 38’ are extended and retracted, and lift mechanism 42 includes a extending lift seat 41 for bearing any items loaded thereon, and when loading multiple items onto lift seat 41 they would be arranged in sequence, and the wheel base is changed from retracted to extended to support the weight distribution of items loaded on the lift mechanism so that “the vehicle 35 may be driven at high speed for rapid delivering (the only way the vehicle 35 could be driven at high speed with a load is if the weight is properly distributed and supported which one objective of the wheels 38’ and extension portion 38”, also “the lift mechanism 42 and its lift seat 41 could take the form of a fork lift, boom or other appropriate lift member.” Col. 3, lines 31-37).
Claim 11, Breitfuss wherein the actuator is configured to move in a height direction, and the wheel assembly driving device is further configured to change a wheelbase between the wheel assembly and the another wheel assembly based on a height of the actuator. (See at least the description of Fig. 1 “As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 35 has been moved by an operator (not shown) into a work engaging position wherein the lift seat 41 is inserted into the hollow interior of a cylindrical load which has been represented as a length of concrete pipe 43. The lift mechanism 42 thus is ready to begin the ascending movement required to lift the pipe 43 to an elevated position. Once the pipe 43 has been lifted to an elevated position, the wheels 38' are selectively moved forwardly to their extended position in front of the wheels 36. Thereby, the wheels 38' move a cradle structure 44 which is carried on the extension portion of frame 38, indicated at 38", into a load supporting position.” Col. 3, lines 1-13.)
Claim 12, Breitfuss discloses a movable platform (vehicle 35, Figs. 1 and 2), comprising: a carrying part (42, 41), configured to carry an item, (See Figs. 1 and 2, concrete pipe; an actuator (40, 42, and hydraulics Fig. 3), movably connected to the carrying part; and a chassis (38), connected to the carrying part, wherein the chassis comprises a chassis body (38) and a wheel assembly (38’), the chassis body is configured to support the actuator (see 40 and 42 connected to vehicle 35, chassis 38), the wheel assembly is movably connected to the chassis body to switch between a first state and a second state (Figs. 1 and 2 show two states), in the first state, all or part of the wheel assembly is located in an outer area of a side surface of the chassis body (Fig. 2), and in the second state, the wheel assembly is positioned to avoid the actuator (Fig. 1), so as to allow the actuator to move to the outer area of the side surface of the chassis body to perform a corresponding operation (Fig. 1).
Claim 13, Breitfuss discloses wherein the actuator comprises: a receiving part (41) and a lifting mechanism (42); the receiving part is configured to protrude outward from the carrying part to load or unload the item (41 extends outward and engages the concrete pipe 43); the lifting mechanism is configured to drive the receiving part to move up and down relative to the carrying part (40 and 42 lift the receiving part 41).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 14-20 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. The notice of references cited provides various prior art references that teach retractable wheels assemblies in combination with lifting (forklift) vehicles. It is known to extend and retract wheel assemblies based on the state of operation and loading of lifting vehicles.
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/JACOB S. SCOTT/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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