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.
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 9 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.
More specifically, Claim 9 is rejected as being indefinite, the phrase “any tool” does not identify the tool or its relationship to the vehicle, rendering the scope of the claim unclear.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (CN110329958) (herein “Wang”) in view of Di Biase (WO2019111205)
Referring to claims 1, 9. Wang discloses “A Loading and Unloading Robot”. See Figs. 1-7 and respective portions of the specification. Wang further discloses a radio-controlled vehicle comprising a frame (bottom plate 3, chassis frame 21); a drive unit (engine 7, pump unit 8) and a control unit (controller 1) configured to exchange information with a remote control (receiver 28) to regulate said drive unit; a frame having a fix portion (bottom plate 3, chassis frame 31) and a movable portion (box body 23 and lifting rail 34), wherein at least a portion of said drive unit is fixed to said movable portion; a lifting system (lifting mechanism 35, lifting cylinder 36) interposed between the fixed and movable portions and configured to move the movable portion along the vertical axis relative to the fixed portion (See at least Summary of the Invention); and a plurality of actuators (36). Wang does not explicitly disclose the longitudinal, transversal, and vertical axes of the frame. Di Biase discloses a “Radio-controlled Earth-moving Machine”. See Figs. 1-4 and respective portions of the specification. Di Biase further discloses an actuator (13) which has its longitudinal axis vertical, parallel to the plate (12) and orthogonal to the plate (6) installed between a fixed frame plate and a plate carrying the engine compartment, thus teaching the vertical axis arrangement. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to orient the lifting mechanism of Wang along a vertical axis perpendicular to the supporting plane as taught by Di Biase, as Di Biase teaches that the combination of a radio-controlled tracked machine and a vertically actuated drive unit compartment which avoids damage from contact with the road surface and contact with the engine compartment, the teachings and combination would allow for the drive unit housing to be raised to avoid contact with the ground and engine compartment.
Claim(s) 3, 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (herein “Wang”) (CN110329958) in view of Di Biase (WO2019111205) in view of Prina (DE2606631)
Referring to claim 3. Wang in view of Di Biase disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 1. Wang doesn’t disclose a double acting hydraulic cylinder comprising a tubular body delimiting an inner cavity, a piston, a first cylinder head or a rod. Prina discloses a double-acting cylinder comprising a tubular housing (2) delimiting an inner cavity (Fig. 1); a piston (10) inserted in the cavity and subdividing it into a first chamber ( E ) and a second chamber (A, between piston and head 3) (Fig. 1); a first cylinder head (14) and second cylinder head (3) fixed to the ends of the housing and sealing the cavity (Fig. 1 Pg.2); and a rod (9) fixed to the piston (10) and sliding through a through-hole of the second head, with guide bearing (6) and seals (5, 7), wherein the first and second are separated by seal (11) and wherein fluid chamber (E) extends the cylinder and fluid to chamber (A) retracts it’s the cylinder is double acting. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to replace the lifting cylinder (36) of Wang with the cylinder of Prina because doing so would allow the cylinder to hold the raised, loaded drive unit housing at an intermediate height without drifting or wobbling.
Referring to claim 10. Wang in view of Di Biase and Prina disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 1. Wang discloses a controller (1) connected to the diesel engine (7) and a pump unit (8) that is capable of controlling the movement of the crawler walking device and the folding of the gantry platform, through proportional control multi-way valve and remote control of movement. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the system of Wang to have the remote operator input set the working parameters of the drive element, including engine speed, as this would reduce the need for the operator to drive and reduce labor and labor cost during remote operation.
Claim(s) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Wang et al. (herein “Wang”) (CN110329958) in view of Di Biase (WO2019111205) in view of Prina (FR2303978) and in further view of Radulescu (RO123075).
Referring to claim 4. Wang in view of Di Biase and Prina disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 3. Wang does not disclose wherein the first chamber is defined by the portion of said inner cavity interposed between the piston and the first cylinder head and wherein the second chamber is defined by the portion of said inner cavity between the piston and the second cylinder head and where said first cylinder head is arranged superiorly to said second cylinder head relative to said second longitudinal axis. Prina discloses a second head (3) is arranged above the first head (14) relative to the cylinder axis (Fig. 1). It should be noted that inverting the cylinder so that the head closing the first chamber is the uppermost reverse the orientation of the same parts without changing the extension and retraction function and what placing the actuator in a specific arrangement for serving a design option is well known and mere reversal of essential working parts involves only routine skill in the art and is obvious (See MPEP 2144.04(VI)(A).
Referring to claim 5. Wang in view of Di Biase and Prina disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 3. Wang doesn’t disclose wherein said rod of the hydraulic cylinder is fixed to the fixed portion of the frame; wherein said second cylinder head is fixed to the movable portion of the frame. Prina discloses a cylinder whose housing (2) is anchored and whose rod (9) moves. Radulescu discloses a “Stacking Device For Handling Small Compact Loads”. See Figs. 1-2 and respective portions of the specification. Radulescu further discloses a cylinder whose rod (4) is provided on the frame (1) and whose cylinder (7), carrying the lifting support (8), moves with the lifting rack. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to mount the lift cylinder of Wang with its rod fixed to the base and its cylinder body moving, as taught by Radulescu as this would allow for the fluid connection to be fixed, the load path to go through the base, and for the moving body to be kept more compact.
Referring to claim 6. Wang in view of Di Biase and Prina disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 3. Wang does not disclose wherein each hydraulic cylinder comprises a first conduit connected to the first chamber with a first mouth, a second conduit connected to a second chamber with a second mouth, or wherein the first conduit is realized with the first cylinder head and the second conduit is external to the tubular body, and wherein the first mouth receives pressurized oil to raise the movable portion, while the second mouth receives pressurized oil to lower the movable portion. Prina discloses a first conduit realized within the first cylinder head, namely through bore (15) through head (14) which fludically connects the first chamber (E) with a first mouth (line Y) with fluid entering through bore (15) to extend the rod and a second conduit external to the tubular body (line D) which connects the second chamber (A) with a second mouth to retract the rod (Fig. 1, Pg. 2-3), and further that mouth (Y) receives pressurized oil to raise the movable portion and mouth (D) receives pressurized oil to lower the movable portion. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teachings of Prina so that the first conduit was routed through the first head and wherein the first conduit connects with first chamber and first mouth and second conduit connects with second chamber and second mouth, to make a more efficient routing to eliminate external hoses in the lift cylinder, which would result in few hydraulic connections and failures.
Referring to claim 7. Wang in view of Di Biase and Prina disclose the combination as set forth above as applied to claim 3. Wang discloses wherein each lift cylinder has a telescopic rod of the lifting cylinder. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to make each actuator telescopic to obtain the necessary lifting height within a stowed footprint.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 8 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
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/TERRELL H MATTHEWS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
