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.
Claims 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the mine clearing arrangement" in line 1. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Only the term --mine clearing apparatus-- is used previously.
Any unspecified claim is rejected as being dependent upon a rejected base claim.
The claims will be further treated on the merits as best understood only.
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.
Claims 1-12 and 16-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 5,189,243 to Hambric (cited by Applicant).
Re: claim 1, Hambric discloses the claimed invention including a mine clearing apparatus 1, e.g., Fig. 1, for a vehicle 2, the mine clearing apparatus comprising: a skid arrangement, inter alia, 22, for sliding along ground while applying pressure to the ground in order to trigger detonation of mines in the ground (col. 4, ll. 67, through col. 5, ll. 15), the skid arrangement having a plurality of apertures (inter alia, as between elements 21, 22, 51, and crossmembers attaching such to 8, e.g., Fig. 2) therein to enable gas and/or ejecta, generated by a mine detonation triggered by the skid arrangement, to pass through the skid arrangement (blast clearly shown in Fig. 1); and an arm, inter alia, 17 for coupling the skid arrangement to the vehicle and for causing the skid arrangement to apply pressure to the ground in order to trigger detonation of mines in the ground (fairly shown/disclosed).
Re: claim 2, Hambric further discloses wherein at least some of the apertures increase in size in a length and/or width dimension as the aperture extends in a depth dimension away from the ground, e.g., between elements 21 and 51).
Re: claim 3, Hambric further discloses wherein the skid arrangement comprises a plurality of elongate skids arranged to slide along and apply pressure to the ground, in order to trigger detonation of mines in the ground (elongate fairly shown).
Re: claim 4, Hambric further discloses wherein each of the elongate skids is elongate in a length dimension that is aligned with a length dimension of the vehicle when the arm couples the skid arrangement to the vehicle (fairly demonstrated by longitudinal axis 5).
Re: claim 5, Hambric further discloses wherein at least some of the plurality of apertures are located between adjacent skids. Though the above examples fail to include such, the spaces between 22 suffice to meet this claim.
Re: claim 6, Hambric further discloses further comprising one or more connectors, e.g., 8, 17, 20 arranged to connect adjacent elongate skids, of the plurality of elongate skids, in a spaced configuration (shown) such that at least one aperture, of the plurality of apertures, is present between adjacent pairs of elongate skids (shown).
Re: claim 7, Hambric further discloses wherein the one or more connectors are arranged to space adjacent elongate skids from each other in a width dimension that is aligned with a width dimension of the vehicle when the arm couples the skid arrangement to the vehicle, e.g., Fig. 8.
Re: claim 8, Hambric further discloses wherein when the one or more connectors are arranged such that when the plurality of elongate skids contact the ground, the one or more connectors are spaced from the ground (fairly shown/disclosed).
Re: claim 9, Hambric further discloses wherein a thickness of each elongate skid is tapered (e.g., Fig. 3, where bottom of 22 meets top thereof at the frontmost end).
Re: claim 10, Hambric further discloses wherein the thickness of each elongate skid is tapered, such that the thickness reduces in a depth dimension in a direction away from the ground. This appears to be adequately shown in the cited figure.
Re: claim 11, Hambric further discloses wherein at least a portion of an underside of one or more of the plurality of elongate skids is curved. See frontmost end, noted above.
Re: claim 12, Hambric further discloses wherein the arm comprises one or more apertures (where callouts 6 are shown, e.g., Fig. 2) arranged to enable gas and/or ejecta, generated by a mine detonation explosion triggered by the skid arrangement, to pass through the arm.
Re: claim 16, Hambric fairly discloses a vehicle 33.
Re: claim 17, Hambric further discloses wherein a proximal end (as attached to beam 30) of the arm is coupled to a front of a body of the vehicle, e.g., Fig. 5.
Claims 19-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 5,706,899 to Klebanov et al. (“Klebanov,” also cited by Applicant).
Re: claim 19, Klebanov discloses the claimed invention including a mine clearing apparatus, e.g., Fig. 1, for a vehicle (evidenced by 33, e.g., Fig. 2), comprising: a plurality of interconnected elongate skids 14 for sliding along ground and applying pressure to the ground in order to trigger detonation of mines in the ground (col. 2, ll. 63, through col. 3, ll. 2), wherein the plurality of interconnected elongate skids are configured to enable gas, generated by a mine detonation triggered by the skid arrangement, to pass between the interconnected elongate skids (each leaf spring 11 is a pivotably attached to bar 17, col. 3, ll. 3-6, which suffices); and an arm 29 for coupling the plurality of interconnected elongate skids to the vehicle (shown) and for causing the skid arrangement to apply pressure to the ground in order to trigger detonation of mines in the ground (as via, inter alia, 30, 31).
Re: claim 20, Klebanov discloses the claimed invention including a vehicle 33 comprising: a plurality of interconnected elongate skids 14 for sliding along ground and applying pressure to the ground in order to trigger detonation of mines in the ground (see above), wherein the plurality of interconnected elongate skids are configured to enable gas, generated by a mine detonation triggered by the skid arrangement, to pass between the interconnected elongate skids (see above); and a fluid-powered (col. 3, ll. 33-43) arm 29 for coupling the plurality of interconnected elongate skids to a front body of the vehicle and for causing the skid arrangement to apply ground-wards pressure to the plurality of interconnected elongate skids in order to trigger detonation of mines in the ground (see above).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 13-15 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hambric in view of Klebanov.
Re: claim 13, Hambric discloses the claimed invention as applied above except for wherein the arm is a fluid powered arm that is configured to apply ground-wards pressure to the skid arrangement.
Klebanov teaches a mine clearing apparatus including sufficiently similar elements to claim 1, e.g. Fig. 1 (see also, above) and further including an arm 29, e.g., Fig. 2, wherein the arm is a fluid powered arm (via, inter alia, 40, 41) that is configured to apply ground-wards pressure to the skid arrangement (cf. Figs. 2 and 4) in the same field of endeavor for the purpose of raising the apparatus out of operational position and returning such to the operational position, col. 3, ll. 37-54.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Hambric as taught by Klebanov to position the apparatus as desired with a reasonable expectation of success because Klebanov further discloses such “permit[s] free travel of the supporting vehicle,” id., ll. 33-37.
Further rationale: All claimed elements were known in the prior art and one skilled in the art could have combined the elements as claimed by known methods with no change in their respective functions, and the combination would have yielded predictable results to a skilled artisan at the time the invention was made.
Re: claim 14, Klebanov further discloses further comprising at least one fluid powered actuator 40, 41 configured to apply ground-wards pressure to the arm in order to cause the arm to apply pressure to apply ground-wards pressure to the skid arrangement. See above.
Re: claim 15, Klebanov further discloses wherein the at least one fluid powered actuator is a hydraulic or pneumatic actuator, id., ll. 37-38.
Re: claim 18, Klebanov further discloses the proximal end of the arm is pivotally coupled to the front of the body of the vehicle (via, inter alia, pivot 30) and a distal end of the arm is coupled to the skid arrangement (as at plate 28).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication should be directed to Bret Hayes at telephone number (571) 272 – 6902, fax number (571) 273-6902, or email address bret.hayes@uspto.gov, which is preferred, especially for requesting interviews, general questions, etc. Note, however, that return correspondence cannot be made in the event that information subject to the confidentiality requirement as set forth in 35 U.S.C. § 122 has been included. See MPEP §§ 502.03 and 713.01, I, regarding email communications. The examiner can normally be reached Mondays through Fridays from 5:30 AM to 1:30 PM, Eastern.
The Central FAX Number is 571-273-8300.
If attempts to contact the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Troy Chambers, can be reached at (571) 272 – 6874.
/Bret Hayes/
Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3641
28-Feb-26