US 9975750

Here's a concise summary of US Patent 9975750, including its details and a plain-language overview of its independent claims:

US Patent 9975750: Low Profile Compact Tool Carriers

• Title: Low profile compact tool carriers
• Assignee: Vermeer Manufacturing Co
• Inventors: Brad Thomas, Louis Hartke, Greg Langenfeld, Matt Hutchinson
• Filing Date: March 7, 2016
• Issue Date: May 22, 2018
• Abstract: The patent discloses compact tool carriers that feature a loader mounted to a low-profile mainframe. In certain embodiments, the mainframe's pivot points for the loader are positioned low, which serves to decrease the mainframe's size and lower the carrier's center of gravity, thereby enhancing stability during operation.

Plain-Language Overview of Independent Claims:

• Independent Claim 1: This claim describes a compact tool carrier designed for an operator to stand on, weighing less than about 1500 kg. It features a loader with an arm for carrying tools, supported by a mainframe but not directly attached to it. The loader arm is connected to the mainframe via two distinct linkages and a separate actuator (like a hydraulic cylinder), each attached at specific pivot points on both the mainframe and the loader arm. The carrier includes a control station mounted at the rear with operator controls for movement and loader operation, an operator platform for standing, and an engine positioned forward of the operator platform.
• Independent Claim 19: This claim also describes a compact tool carrier with a loader, mainframe, two linkages, and an actuator, similar to Claim 1. However, it further specifies a low-profile design by defining critical dimensional relationships. The vertical distance between the rotational axis of the drive mechanism (where the tracks or wheels contact the ground) and each of the three mainframe pivot points (for the first linkage, second linkage, and actuator) must be less than 1.5 times the vertical distance from the rotational axis to the bottom of the compact tool carrier (D1). Additionally, the vertical distance from the rotational axis to the forward-most of these three mainframe pivot points must be less than twice the vertical distance from the rotational axis to the bottom of the mainframe itself (D5). Like Claim 1, it includes a rear-mounted control station, a standing operator platform, and an engine forward of the platform.

USPTO and CAFC 2026 Dockets:

A search of the USPTO database (via Google Patents) indicates that US Patent 9975750 is currently "Active" and has an anticipated expiration date of April 21, 2035.

The patent family is involved in litigation. Specifically, a PTAB (Patent Trial and Appeal Board) case, IPR2025-00170, was filed and is currently "Pending - Instituted" as of November 15, 2024, with Kubota North America Corporation and Kubota Tractor Corporation as opponents. Additionally, a US case was filed in the Texas Northern District Court (case 4:24-cv-00799).

As of April 26, 2026, there is no authoritative information available from the provided patent text that explicitly indicates any dockets for US Patent 9975750 in the CAFC (Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit) specifically for 2026. The existing litigation is noted at the PTAB and District Court level.