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 .
Drawings
New corrected drawings in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in this application because it appears that the provided drawings fail to clearly disclose the subject matter of the structural elements. Note that the hand writing reference numbers are dim and unclear as well as the dim and unclear black lines. Applicant is advised to employ the services of a competent patent draftsperson outside the Office, as the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office no longer prepares new drawings. The corrected drawings are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. The requirement for corrected drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “PLC connected with respect to the solenoid to automatically activate zones based on a desired product configuration,” (Claim 2), each air powered spring mechanism includes a separate actuatable spring that is switchable between an on position and an off position” (Claim 3), “each air powered spring mechanism includes a separate actuatable spring that is switchable between an on position and an off position,” (Claim 4) and “each valve is separately adjustable between an on position and an off position within the array.” (Claim 7) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Objections
Claim 5 is objected to because of the following informalities: it appears that the depending claim “1” (line 1) should be changed to – 3 --. Note that claim 3 recites “each valve comprises an air powered spring mechanism.” Otherwise, the recitation of claim 5 would be vague and indefinite with respect to the structural relationships between “each air powered spring mechanism” and other structural elements.
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 7 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 7 recites “each valve is separately adjustable between an on position and an off position within the array.” The recitation is not clearly understood as to how “each valve is separately adjustable between an on position and an off position within the array.” It appears that the specification or the provided drawings fails to clearly disclose the subject matter.
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 and 3-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lomerson, Jr. (US 2011/0254298) in view of Fukano et al. (7,040,679).
RE claim 1, Lomerson, Jr. (US 2011/0254298) discloses a vacuum head (see Figs. 1-11) for moving product (22, 22) at the end of a robotic arm (12, 16), the vacuum head comprising: a housing (18, 30) having a product contact surface; a programmable end effector (see para [0038]), an array of at least two rows and at least three ranks of valves (see Figs. 2 and 5-6D) (See Exhibit A); an air compressor to provide fluid communication (see para [0041]), and a plurality of valves (see Figs. 7-9) to enabling multiple switchable zones on the product contact surface, but does not specifically show a solenoid connected with respect to each of the valves. However, Fig. 1 of Fukano et al. (7,040,679)(See Exhibit B) teaches a solenoid (24a) being energize to switch a switching valve (24) into the first switching position on the side of the negative pressure and a return spring (24b) (see workflow and Col. 4, lines 53-67). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the mechanical engineering art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a solenoid on the over Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) as taught by Fukano et al. (7,040,679) to effectively control the individual valves and to firmly grasp an object.
Exhibit A
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Exhibit B
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RE claims 3, 4, 5 and 7, Figs. 5-11 of Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) teach each valve comprises an air powered spring mechanism (see Figs. 9 and 10), wherein each air powered spring mechanism includes a separate actuatable spring (82, 95) that is switchable between an on position and an off position, wherein each air powered spring mechanism (not shown in the applicant’s provided drawings) capable of extending directly to a channel on the product contact surface wherein each valve is separately adjustable between an on position and an off position within the array wherein each valve is separately adjustable between an on position and an off position within the array (see para [0051-[0054]).
RE claim 6, Fig. 5 of Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) shows an array of valves, but it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the mechanical engineering art before the effective filing date of the invention to optimize the numbers of valves and the orientation on the Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) to be suitable to firmly grasp by the device.
RE claims 8 and 9, Figs. 2 and 5-6D of Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) disclose a central air manifold within the housing connected between the robotic arm and the plurality of valves and a powered vacuum generator (see para [0041]) positioned within the robotic arm providing a vacuum to the central air manifold.
Claims 2-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lomerson, Jr. (US 2011/0254298) and Fukano et al. (7,040,679) further in view of Ota et al. (6,354,811).
RE claim 2 and 10, Lomerson, Jr. (US 2011/0254298), as presented above, does not specifically show PLC connected with respect to the solenoid to automatically activate zones based on a desired product configuration. Note that applicant fails to specifically show the connection between the solenoid and the PLC or a computer in the specification. However, Fig. 7 of Ota et al. (6,354,811) teaches a PLC (see Col. 1, lines 42-59) to automatically activate zones and the related valves based on a desired product configuration. Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the mechanical engineering art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a PLC on the over Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) as taught by Ota et al. (6,354,811) by controlling the related valves and the gripping process to effectively and to firmly grasp an object.
RE claim 10, Lomerson, Jr. (US 2011/0254298), as presented above, does not specifically show a solenoid connected with respect to each of the valves. However, Fig. 1 of Fukano et al. (7,040,679)(See Exhibit B) teaches a solenoid (24a) being energize to switch a switching valve (24) into the first switching position on the side of the negative pressure and a return spring (24b) (see workflow and Col. 4, lines 53-67). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the mechanical engineering art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a solenoid on the over Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) as taught by Fukano et al. (7,040,679) to effectively control the individual valves and to firmly grasp an object.
It is pointed out that the provision of a PLC on the over Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) as taught by Ota et al. (6,354,811) by controlling the related valves and the gripping process to effectively and to firmly grasp an object.
RE claims 3-5, 7, 11, 13, and 14, in addition to the disclosure of valves by Fukano et al. (7,040,679), Ota et al. (6,354,811) also teaches a device and method of operating a computer (see Col. 1, lines 42-59) to control valves and also shows a controller (C) (see Col. 1, lines 49-67) and solenoid (V3) to activate switch (47) with a return spring (75) (also see Col. 13., lines 31-45). Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the mechanical engineering art before the effective filing date of the invention to provide a solenoid on the over Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) as taught by Ota et al. (6,354,811) to effectively control the individual valves and to firmly grasp an object.
RE claim 12, Fig. 5 of Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) shows transferring product in a wide side leading configuration and a short side leading configuration within a common cycle.
RE claims 8, 9, and 15, Figs. 2 and 5-6D of Lomerson, Jr. vacuum device (US 2011/0254298) disclose a central air manifold within the housing connected between the robotic arm and the plurality of valves and a powered vacuum generator (see para [0041]) positioned within the robotic arm providing a vacuum to the central air manifold.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PAUL T CHIN whose telephone number is (571)272-6922. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 8:00-4:30 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford can be reached on (571) 272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PAUL T CHIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651