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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: Workpiece Turnover Robot.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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 the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being unpatentable by Christiansen (US 20170036356 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Christiansen discloses the robot as claimed in claim 1, comprising: A robot that turns over a sheet-shaped workpiece (14; see Abstract), which is mounted on a base (4) in a first state in which a first sheet surface faces upward (A) and a second sheet surface faces downward (B) and has flexibility (see Abstract; Fig. 4-7), such that arrangement of a first end portion positioned on a first side in a predetermined turnover direction and a second end portion positioned on a second side in the turnover direction is reversed to bring the workpiece into a second state in which the first sheet surface faces downward and the second sheet surface faces upward (see Fig. 4-7 for the sheet surface to turnover in a second state), the robot comprising: a first robot arm (6); a first end effector (8) that is coupled to the first robot arm so as to rotate about a predetermined first rotation axis (see Para. 0026); and a controller (2) that controls the first robot arm and the first end effector (see Fig. 1), wherein the controller turns over the workpiece into the second state by causing the first end effector to execute a holding operation of holding a first portion (see Para. 0032), which is a portion including the first end portion when the workpiece is divided in half in the turnover direction of the workpiece in the first state with the first rotation axis being parallel with the first sheet surface and the second sheet surface (see Fig. 2; sheet surface ‘A’ is parallel to the first rotation axis), the first robot arm (6) to execute, after the holding operation, a lifting operation of lifting the first end effector such that the second sheet surface separates from the base (see Fig. 3 for lifting operation), the first robot arm (6) to execute, after the lifting operation, a lowering operation of lowering the first end effector with the first sheet surface facing downward (see Fig. 4-7 for the first sheet surface ‘A’ facing downward), and the first end effector to execute, before completion of the lowering operation and after the holding operation, a rotary operation of rotating about the first rotation axis in a direction of raising the first end portion (see Fig. 4-7).
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Regarding claim 2, Christiansen discloses the robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller (2) causes the first robot arm (6) to execute, during the lowering operation, a lateral movement operation of moving the first end effector to the second side in the turnover direction (see Fig. 4-7 for lateral movement to turnover the sheet from the first side ‘A’ to second side ‘B’).
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Regarding claim 3, Christiansen discloses the robot as claimed in claim 2, wherein the controller (2) causes the first robot arm (6) to execute, after the lifting operation and before the lowering operation, a preliminary operation of moving the first end effector to the first side in the turnover direction (see Fig. 4-7 for the turnover).
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Regarding claim 4, Christiansen discloses the robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotary operation is executed at least during the lowering operation (see Fig. 4-7; rotary operation occurs when sheet is lowered).
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Regarding claim 5, Christiansen discloses the robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the rotary operation is executed at least during the lifting operation (see Fig. 4-7; rotary operation occurs once the sheet is lifted).
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Regarding claim 6, Christiansen discloses the robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the lowering operation, the first robot arm (6) lowers the first end effector (8) to a predetermined position apart from the base (4), and the controller causes the first end effector to execute, after the lowering operation, a release operation of releasing the held workpiece (see Fig. 8-10 for the release operation).
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Regarding claim 7, Christiansen discloses the robot as claimed in claim 1, wherein the workpiece is in a shape extending in a predetermined longitudinal direction (see annotated Fig. below), the first end portion is one end portion of the workpiece in the longitudinal direction (see annotated Fig. below), and the second end portion is the other end portion of the workpiece in the longitudinal direction (see annotated Fig. 5 below).
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Regarding claim 8, Christiansen discloses the robot as claimed in claim 6, further comprising: a second robot arm (7); and a second end effector (9) that is coupled to the second robot arm, wherein the controller (2) causes the second end effector (9) to execute, before the release operation, a pressing operation of pressing a portion of the workpiece at which the first sheet surface contacts the base (see Fig. 5-6 for when the workpiece is pressed against the base).
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 9-13 is/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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to REHMAN A QURESHI whose telephone number is (571)272-6262. The examiner can normally be reached 7:00am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Robert Hodge can be reached at (571) 272-2097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/REHMAN A QURESHI/Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/ROBERT W HODGE/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654