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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/5/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant has argued the rejection if claim 1 in view of Tang however, there is no arguments related to claims 19 and 20, therefore the rejection in view of Tang for claims 19 and 20 are maintained and repeated below.
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.
Claim(s) 19 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tang (US 2024/0140148).
Regarding claim 19, a hitch assembly, comprising:
a towing module (3,4,5,6) comprising:
at least one towing head (7) through which a towed object (trailer) is connected to the hitch assembly; and
a main body (6) including a first connection portion (exterior where the towing head is connected) and a second connection portion (9), the first connection portion being provided with the towing head (see figure 9), the second connection portion protruding from a side of the first connection portion (see figures 4 and 14), the second connection portion having a first engagement portion (15, see figure 14) on its outer periphery (outer exterior edge);
a connection module (22,23) comprising:
a connection segment (22) through which the hitch assembly is connected to a towing vehicle;
and an accommodation chamber (19) having an accommodation space provided with a second engagement portion (10), the main body (6) being insertable onto the accommodation space to integrally connect the towing module with the connection module (see figure 9); and
a locking unit (11,17);
wherein the main body (6) located at the accommodation space is movable between a first position (when the locking unit is able to lock the body unit) and a second position (when the locking unit is not able to lock the body unit), the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion engage with each other in the first position (so as to allow the locking unit the lock the body unit) to restrict the towing module from disengaging from the accommodation space, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are disengaged from each other in the second position to allow the towing module to disengage from the accommodation space along its own axial direction (so as to not allow the locking unit to lock the body unit);
the locking unit is disposed in the towing module (see figure 9) and is movable to a locked state (see figure 8), the locking unit in the locked state restricting movement of the main body in the first position toward the second position (see figures 8 and 9).
Regarding claim 20, a hitch assembly, comprising:
a towing module (4,3,5,6) comprising:
at least one towing head (7) through which a towed object (trailer) is connected to the hitch assembly; and
a main body (6) including a first connection portion (exterior where the towing head is connected) and a second connection portion (9), the first connection portion being cuboid-shaped (see figure 9) and having multiple mounting surfaces (see figure 9), the towing head being disposed on at least one of the mounting surfaces (see figure 9), the second connection portion protruding from the mounting surface of the first connection portion with an extension direction perpendicular to that of the towing head (See figures 9 and 11), the second connection portion having a first engagement portion on its outer periphery (exterior edge of the second connection portion 9);
a connection module (22,23) comprising:
a connection segment (22) through which the hitch assembly is connected to a towing vehicle; and an accommodation chamber (19) having an accommodation space provided with a second engagement portion (10), the main body (6) being insertable onto the accommodation space to integrally connect the towing module with the connection module (see figure 1); and
a locking unit (11,17);
wherein the main body (6) located in the accommodation space is movable between a first position (when the locking unit is able to lock the body unit) and a second position (when the locking unit is not able to lock the body unit), the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion engage with each other in the first position (so as to allow the locking unit the lock the body unit) to restrict the towing module from disengaging from the accommodation space, and the first engagement portion and the second engagement portion are disengaged from each other in the second position to allow the towing module to disengage from the accommodation space along its own axial direction (so as to not allow the locking unit to lock the body unit);
the locking unit is disposed in the towing module (see figure 9) and is movable to a locked state, the locking unit in the locked state (see figure 8) restricting movement of the main body in the first position toward the second position (see figures 8 and 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding claim 1, the art of record did not include “a first engagement portion being a first protrusion disposed on the outer periphery of the main body, the second engagement portion being a second protrusion disposed in the accommodation space”, in combination with what has been claimed in the rest of the body of claim 1.
Since the prior art such as Tang (US 2024/0140148) teaches a hitch assembly with a first and second engagement portions 12 that are not protrusions, instead they are move of an indentation (see figure 6 in Tang) that lack said features, the prior art does not anticipate the claimed subject matter.
For illustration purposes, Fig 2 of the examined disclosure shows the first and second protrusions (110,211), which is different than the indentations taught by the prior art of record Tang (Figures 6 and 8 in Tang).
Furthermore, it would not have been obvious to a skilled artisan to have modified the prior art in order to arrive at the claimed invention without resorting to impermissible hindsight.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Marlon A Arce whose telephone number is (571)272-1341. The examiner can normally be reached 8AM - 4:30PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Valentin Neacsu can be reached at 571-272-6265. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARLON A ARCE/Examiner, Art Unit 3611
/VALENTIN NEACSU/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3611