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 § 103
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 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 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nikkel (U.S. Pub. No. 2012/0137942) in view of Hodel (US Patent No. 11,895,943).
Regarding Claim 1, Nikkel discloses an agricultural row unit comprising:
A frame (Nikkel: 20);
A trench opening assembly (Nikkel: 24, 80, 82) configured to open a trench in a soil surface as the trench opening assembly (Nikkel: 24, 80, 82) moves in a forward direction of travel;
The trench opening assembly (Nikkel: 24, 80, 82) comprises a first disc (Nikkel: 80), wherein the first disc (Nikkel: 80) is notched and has a tooth between notches (Nikkel: Paragraph [0033]); and
A trench closing assembly (Nikkel: 26) for closing the trench.
Nikkel does not disclose a seed conduit configured to deposit seeds into the trench.
Hodel discloses a seed conduit configured to deposit seeds into the trench (Hodel 232).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention’s filing to have utilized the seed conduit of Hodel in the invention of Nikkel with the well known and predictable effect of depositing the seed in a precise and desirable location as required both in the inventions of Nikkel and Hodel.
Regarding Claim 2, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of claim 1, wherein the trench opening assembly (Nikkel: 24, 80, 82) comprises a second disc (Nikkel: 82).
Regarding Claim 3, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of claim 2, wherein the second disc (Nikkel: 82) is notched and has a tooth between notches (Nikkel: Paragraph [0034]).
Regarding Claim 4, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious The agricultural row unit of claim1,wherein the first disc (Nikkel: 80) is flat (Hodel: Column 3: lines 35-42: discs may be flat or concave as situationally required).
Regarding Claim 5, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of any one of claim 1,wherein the first disc (Nikkel: 80) is concave (Hodel: Column 3: lines 35-42: discs may be flat or concave as situationally required).
Regarding Claim 6, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of claim1,wherein the tooth on the first disc (Nikkel: 80) is tapered (Nikkel: Figure 3: end of tooth is visibly tapered).
Regarding Claim 7, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of any of claim 3,wherein the second disc (Nikkel: 82) is flat (Hodel: Column 3: lines 35-42: discs may be flat or concave as situationally required).
Regarding Claim 8, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of claim3,wherein the second disc (Nikkel: 82) is concave (Hodel: Column 3: lines 35-42: discs may be flat or concave as situationally required).
Regarding Claim 9, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of claim3,wherein the tooth on the second disc (Nikkel: 82) is tapered (Nikkel: Figure 3: end of tooth is visibly tapered).
Regarding Claim 10, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit claim 1 further comprising a subfurrow opener (Nikkel: 22) connected to the frame (Nikkel: 20) and disposed after the trench opening assembly (Nikkel: 24, 80, 82).
Regarding Claim 11, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of claim 10, wherein the seed conduit deposits seeds after the subfurrow opener (Nikkel: 22)(seed conduit as placed in Hodel would deposit seeds after subfurrow opener. Placing seeds in front of subfurrow opener would render invention of Nikkel inoperable as seeds would be displaced or damaged otherwise).
Regarding Claim 12, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of claim 1 further comprising a seed meter (Hodel: 230) connected to the frame (Nikkel: 20) and in fluid communication with the seed conduit.
Regarding Claim 13, Nikkel and Hodel render obvious the agricultural row unit of claim 1,wherein the seed conduit (Hodel 232) is a seed orientation conduit configured to orient seeds as seeds travel along the seed orientation conduit.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 6386127 (Disc opener assembly for a seed planter), US 20200396894 (TRENCH CLOSING ASSEMBLY), US 20220240442 (SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR SELECTIVE MATERIAL PLACEMENT, SENSING, AND CONTROL).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DOUGLAS S WOOD whose telephone number is (571)270-5954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Thursday 8:30 AM - 7:00 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Nicole A Coy can be reached at (571) - 272 - 5405. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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DOUGLAS S. WOOD
Examiner
Art Unit 3672
/DOUGLAS S WOOD/Examiner, Art Unit 3672
/Nicole Coy/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3672
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