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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on February 27, 2025 and August 8, 2025 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it appears to exceed 150 words in length. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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.
Claims 16-19, 25, 27, 29, 31 and 33 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 697 00 300 (‘300).
Regarding claim 16: ‘300 discloses a quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles (as seen in figures 1 and 2), comprising:
a hook body (as seen in figure 1, generally 1) with a hook mouth, where the hook mouth exhibits an accommodating region accessible through an opening region (as seen in figure 1, area of 4),
a securing lock (as seen in figure 1, generally 6) which is accommodated at the hook body and which is displaceable relative to the hook body between a securing position and a releasing position (as seen between figures 1 and 2), where in the securing position the securing lock projects further into the opening region than in the releasing position,
an actuating component (as seen in figure 1, generally 14) which is accommodated at the hook body and which is moveable relative to the hook body between an operating position (as seen in figure 1) and a setting-up position (as seen in figure 2), where the securing lock and the actuating component are coupled with one another for common movement in such a way that when the actuating component is in its setting-up position, the securing lock is in its releasing position (figure 2), and that when the actuating component is in its operating position, the securing lock is in its securing position (figure 2),
a pre-tensioning spring (as seen in figure 1, at 20) which extends between a hook body-side spring bearing (as seen in figure 1, at 21) and an actuating component-side spring bearing (as seen in figure 1, unnumbered but directly below reference numeral 12) and which pre- tensions the actuating component towards its operating position,
a first hook body-side abutment formation on a first side of the actuating component (as seen in annotated figure 1 below), and a second hook body-side abutment formation on a second side of the actuating component which is opposite to the first side (as seen in annotated figure 1 below), where the actuating component abuts in its operating position against the first and against the second hook body-side abutment formation, where the actuating component exhibits a force application formation which is configured, through force application thereon, to move the actuating component starting from the operating position (figure 1) against the effect of the pre-tensioning spring in the direction of the setting-up position, where in a reference state of the quick-coupling hook in which the actuating component is in its operating position, a virtual straight connecting line passing through both the hook body-side spring bearing and the actuating component-side spring bearing exhibits at least double the distance from the first hook body-side abutment formation as it does from the second hook body-side abutment formation (as seen in annotated figure 1 below).
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Regarding claim 17: ‘300 discloses the quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles of claim 16. Further, ‘300 discloses wherein in the reference state of the quick-coupling hook the virtual straight connecting line runs between the first and the second hook body-side abutment formation (as seen in annotated figure 1 above).
Regarding claim 18: ‘300 discloses the quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles of claim 17. Further, ‘300 discloses wherein the quick-coupling hook exhibits a hook body-side latching formation (as seen in figure 2, area of 19) with which an actuating component-side latching counter-formation of the actuating component (as seen in figure 2, area of 18), in a setting-up state of the quick-coupling hook in which the actuating component is in the setting-up position, is engaged in order to hold the actuating component against the effect of the pre-tensioning spring in the setting-up position (as seen in figure 2).
Regarding claim 19: ‘300 discloses the quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles of claim 16. Further, ‘300 discloses wherein the quick-coupling hook exhibits a hook body-side latching formation (as seen in figure 2, area of 19) with which an actuating component-side latching counter-formation of the actuating component (as seen in figure 2, area of 18), in a setting-up state of the quick-coupling hook in which the actuating component is in the setting-up position, is engaged in order to hold the actuating component against the effect of the pre-tensioning spring in the setting-up position (as seen in figure 2).
Regarding claim 25: ‘300 discloses the quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles of claim 16. Further, ‘300 discloses wherein in the reference state the first hook body-side abutment formation is situated on the side of the actuating component facing away from the hook mouth and the second hook body- side abutment formation is situated on the side of the actuating component facing towards the hook mouth (as seen in annotated figure 1 above).
Regarding claim 27: ‘300 discloses the quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles of claim 16. Further, ‘300 discloses wherein the hook body exhibits a connection surface for connecting to a vehicle-side carrier, where in the reference state and/or in the setting-up state the virtual straight connecting line encloses with the connection surface an angle not exceeding 10 degrees (as seen in figures 1 and 2, area of 2).
Regarding claim 29: ‘300 discloses the quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles of claim 16. Further, ‘300 discloses the securing lock is articulated pivotably about a virtual linkage axis at the actuating component (as seen in the movement between figures 1 and 2).
Regarding claim 31: ‘300 discloses the quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles of claim 16. Further, ‘300 discloses wherein the force application formation comprises a rear grip formation for a manual finger grip and/or that the force application formation comprises a coupling formation of the actuating component with an output element of an actuator (as seen in figures 1 and 2, area of 17).
Regarding claim 33: ‘300 discloses the quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles of claim 16. Further, ‘300 discloses wherein the quick-coupling hook exhibits an actuator (as seen in figures 1 and 2, area of 17) in order to move the actuating component from the operating position into the setting-up position.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 20-24, 26, 28, 30 and 32 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art does not disclose or fairly suggest in combination with other claimed features/limitation a quick-coupling hook for agricultural vehicles wherein in a reference state of the quick-coupling hook the hook body-side latching formation lies on the same side of the actuating component as the first hook body-side abutment formation.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ollefs et al. (USPGPub 2005/0115723) discloses a quick coupling hook employing a spring type actuator.
Vollmer (USP 5,050,684) discloses a coupling hook using a blocking pawl and two position spring mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT ERIC PEZZUTO whose telephone number is (703)756-1320. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7am-3:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Joseph M. Rocca can be reached at 571-272-8971. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT E PEZZUTO/ Examiner, Art Unit 3671
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