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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 11 December 2025 has been entered.
Claim Objections
Claims 23-24 are objected to because of the following informalities: in the last clauses, “packagings 9” should be - - packagings (9) - - (or remove “9” therefrom). Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Interpretation
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: quick-change mechanism in claim 9.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
Claim(s) 23-24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by RST Roboter-System-Technik GMBH (DE202010001712U1) (“RST”).
Claim 23: a bridge (Fig. 12, 8) and at least two tool holders (6) arranged at the bridge, wherein the at least two tool holders are each movable along the bridge and can each accommodate a tool head (4), wherein:
at least one tool holder (FIG. 12, 6 on left) of the at least two tool holders is capable of being (or “can”) equipped with a particular tool head (para. [0035]; implicitly, 6 on the left can become inactive, or be switched into standby mode since it can be oppositely “not required”; a tool head can be not required and also equipped therewith) adapted to the particular packaging process to be performed, and wherein the at least one tool holder of the at least two tool holders can switch into a standby mode while remaining at the bridge if the particular packaging process to be performed does not require the at least one tool holder to be equipped with a tool head (para. [0035]; implicitly, 6 on the left can become inactive, or be switched into standby mode since it can be oppositely “not required”; a tool head can be not required and also equipped therewith; “5.1 not required for bottles 2” imply the pneumatic power supply is turned off at 5.1 in its standby mode; para. [0018]/[0035]), and
wherein at least one of the tool heads accommodated by the at least two tool holders comprises a plurality of suction or gripping element (“vacuum grippers” in English translation), with which articles can be received; or
wherein the packaging robot further comprises an outer packaging unit that is capable of supplying expanded outer packagings into which articles can be placed (para. [0019], “For packing and unpacking the bottles 2 into and out of bottle crates”.);
Claim 24: providing a packaging robot (para. [0019], “robot” in English translation) with a bridge (Fig. 12, 8) and at least two tool holders (6) arranged at the bridge, wherein the at least two tool holders are each movable along the bridge and can each accommodate a tool head (4);
selecting a specific packaging process out of a plurality of different packaging processes (packaging different crates with different configurations/sizes), and equipping the at least two tool holders with a particular tool head (FIG. 12, 6 not on left),
performing of the selected packaging process by the packaging robot by at least moving the equipped tool holders together with the tool heads along the bridge (para. [0019], “For packing and unpacking the bottles 2 into and out of bottle crates”.),
switching at least one tool holder of the at least two tool holders into a standby mode (FIG. 12, 6 on left) wherein the at least one tool holder remains at the bridge while the selected packaging process is being performed if the selected packaging process does not require the at least one tool holder to be equipped with a tool head (para. [0035]; implicitly, 6 on the left can become inactive, or be switched into standby mode since it can be oppositely “not required”; a tool head can be not required and also equipped therewith; “5.1 not required for bottles 2” imply the pneumatic power supply is turned off at 5.1 in its standby mode; para. [0018]/[0035]),
wherein at least one of the tool heads accommodated by the at least two tool holders comprises a plurality of suction or gripping element, with which articles can be received (“vacuum grippers” in English translation); or
the method further comprising supplying expanded outer packagings into which articles can be placed (para. [0019], “For packing and unpacking the bottles 2 into and out of bottle crates”.).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1, 5, 8, 10-11, and 16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over RST in view of Douglas et al. (US 2020/0262070) (“Douglas”). RST discloses:
Claim 1: a bridge (Fig. 12, 8) and at least two tool holders (6) arranged at the bridge, wherein the at least two tool holders are each movable along the bridge (Fig. 12, at least the arrow) and can each accommodate a tool head (4),
at least one pneumatic cylinder, at least one servo drive or at least one linear motor (18),
wherein: at least a first tool holder of the at least two tool holders is capable of being equipped with a particular tool head adapted to the particular packaging process to be performed (for at least bottles),
at least the first tool holder of the at least two tool holders (FIG. 12, 6 on left) can switch into a standby mode while remaining at the bridge if the particular packaging process to be performed does not require the at least first tool holder to be equipped with a tool head (para. [0035]; implicitly, 6 on the left can become inactive, or be switched into standby mode since it can be oppositely “not required”; a tool head can be not required and also equipped therewith);
at least the first tool holder of the at least two tool holders is transferred into a waiting position, at the bridge, when in standby mode, by the at least one pneumatic cylinder, the at least one servo drive, or the at least one linear motor (para. [0035]; Fig. 12, 18);
at least the first tool holder of the at least two tool holders, when in standby mode, is movable (movable is the capability of being moved) along the bridge with the remaining tool holders (via 18; the claimed invention can be switched into the standby mode (from above in the claim) where the first tool holder of the at least two tool holders is at least capable of being moved from the standby mode while moving to another mode via 18; 18 is capable of being manually moved);
Claim 5: wherein at least two tool holders can switch into a standby mode, wherein each of the at least two tool holders is associated with its own at least one pneumatic cylinder, at least one servo drive, or at least one linear motor, such that the at least one pneumatic cylinder, the at least one servo drive, or at least one linear motor can bring each of the at least two tool holders into a waiting position when each of the at least two tool holders is in a standby mode (para. [0035]; there are multiple rows and at least two pneumatic cylinders 18);
Claim 8: wherein each of the at least two tool holders each has an electric or pneumatic power supply to a tool head, wherein the power supply is shut off or deactivated when in standby mode (“5.1 not required for bottles 2” imply the pneumatic power supply is turned off at 5.1 in its standby mode; para. [0018]/[0035]);
Claim 10: wherein the bridge is part of a gantry system, and which gantry system can move the bridge together with the tool heads back and forth along a specified work path within a work cycle (para. [0019] indicates a type of gantry system since it has a robot structure; this is a reasonable interpretation in light of current application paragraph “[0066] The packaging robots 15, 16, and 17 are moreover each designed as a gantry system and can thus move the bridge 3 together with the tool holders 5 and the tool heads 7 arranged to the tool holders 5 as a gantry system.” (emphasis added));
Claim 11: providing a packaging robot (para. [0019]) with a bridge (Fig. 12, 8) and at least two tool holders (6) arranged at the bridge, wherein the at least two tool holders are each movable along the bridge (Fig. 12, at least the arrow) and can each accommodate a tool head (4);
selecting a specific packaging process out of a plurality of different packaging processes, and equipping the at least two tool holders with a particular tool head (para. [0019]-[0023]; for at least bottles),
performing of the selected packaging process by the packaging robot by at least moving the equipped tool holders together with the tool heads along the bridge (para. [0019]-[0023]),
switching at least one tool holder of the at least two tool holders into a standby mode wherein the at least one tool holder remains at the bridge while the selected packaging process is being performed if the selected packaging process does not require the at least one tool holder to be equipped with a tool head (para. [0035]; implicitly, 6 on the left can become inactive, or be switched into standby mode since it can be oppositely “not required”; a tool head can be not required and also equipped therewith);
transferring at least one tool holder of the at least two tool holders (FIG. 12, 6 on left) into a waiting position, when in standby mode, by at least one pneumatic cylinder, at least one servo drive, or at least one linear motor;
moving the at least one tool holder of the at least two tool holders, when in standby mode, with the remaining tool holders while the selected packaging process is being performed (para. [0019]-[0023]);
Claim 16: wherein the tool holders each supply their particular tool head with electric or pneumatic power while the selected packaging process is being performed, and wherein the electric or pneumatic power is switched off during the standby mode (“5.1 not required for bottles 2” imply the pneumatic power supply is turned off at 5.1 in its standby mode; para. [0018]/[0035]).
RST does not directly show:
Claim 1: at least the first tool holder of the at least two tool holders is configured to block a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric power supply for the tool head when in standby mode;
Claim 11: wherein the at least one tool holder in standby mode is configured to block a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric power supply for the tool head when in standby mode.
Douglas shows a similar device having:
Claim 1: at least the first tool holder of the at least two tool holders is configured to block a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric power supply for the tool head when in standby mode (paragraph [0046], “In this way, the connectors 54, 56 can be selectively connected or disconnected from a vacuum source to independently turn on or off, and thus individually address, the vacuum cups 50, 52.”);
Claim 11: wherein the at least one tool holder in standby mode is configured to block a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric power supply for the tool head when in standby mode (paragraph [0046], “In this way, the connectors 54, 56 can be selectively connected or disconnected from a vacuum source to independently turn on or off, and thus individually address, the vacuum cups 50, 52.”);
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of efficiently allowing the tool holders to receive different sized packagings to ensure that the packagings do not contact each other to prevent damage to any of the packagings from any contact (para. [0004]-[0005]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify RST as taught by Douglas and include Douglas’s similar device having:
Claim 1: at least the first tool holder of the at least two tool holders is configured to block a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric power supply for the tool head when in standby mode;
Claim 11: wherein the at least one tool holder in standby mode is configured to block a hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric power supply for the tool head when in standby mode;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of efficiently allowing the tool holders to receive different sized packagings to ensure that the packagings do not contact each other to prevent damage to any of the packagings from any contact.
Claim 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over RST in view of Douglas and Torrero (US 2019/0315576). RST discloses all the limitations of the claims as discussed above.
RST does not directly show:
Claim 9: wherein each of the at least two tool holders comprises a quick-change mechanism, via which quick-change mechanism, a tool head can be arranged without tools to the at least one tool holder, or via which quick-change mechanism, a tool head can be removed without tools.
Torrero shows a similar device having:
Claim 9: wherein each of the at least two tool holders comprises a quick-change mechanism, via which quick-change mechanism, a tool head can be arranged without tools to the at least one tool holder, or via which quick-change mechanism, a tool head can be removed without tools (the possible addition and shown subtraction of 28 at 20a/27 implies a quick-change mechanism for 28 at 20a/27 for ‘format change’);
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of efficiently and/or effectively performing format changes of the tool holders for different types of packagings (para. [0021]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify RST and Douglas as taught by Torrero and include Torrero’s similar device having:
Claim 9: wherein each of the at least two tool holders comprises a quick-change mechanism, via which quick-change mechanism, a tool head can be arranged without tools to the at least one tool holder, or via which quick-change mechanism, a tool head can be removed without tools;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of efficiently and/or effectively performing format changes of the tool holders for different types of packagings.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11 December 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Re. Douglas and the standby mode and all the other limitations, there were no substantive arguments. “None of the cited art teaches or suggests these combination of elements in the present claims. Applicant submits that the claims are patentable over the art, and request that all outstanding rejections be withdrawn,” are not substantive arguments.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gerald McClain whose telephone number is (571)272-7803. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and at gerald.mcclain@uspto.gov (see MPEP 502.03 (II)).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Gerald McClain/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652