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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant argues that the application is in condition for allowance.
In response, the Applicant is herein referred to the new obviousness rejection of the independent claims.
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 (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 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 9-14,16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morad et al. (US 10,192,386) in view of Iwaki (US 2013/0219657) in view of Brej (US 2017/0265653).
Claim 9, Morad discloses a mechanical time delay product dispenser, comprising a cabinet (fig.1) having a front panel (12), a rear panel (figures), and a side panel (16) between the front panel and the rear panel, and at least one release tray (20) in the front panel (12), a product magazine (600,700) for holding a product to be dispensed, at least one pushbutton (24,124) in the front panel (12), the at least one pushbutton being connected to a push rod (104) having teeth (114), the pushbutton (24) and the push rod (104) being movable between an undepressed position and a depressed position, a pinion (204) with teeth (214) that engage the teeth (114) of the push rod (104), the pinion being rotatable between an initial position and a dispensing position, the pinion being in the initial position when the pushbutton (24) and the push rod (104) are in the undepressed position and being in the dispensing position when the pushbutton and the push rod are in the depressed position, a push compression spring (94) between the push rod (104) and a front panel (12) of the time delay product dispenser, the push compression spring (94) being arranged to urge the pushbutton (24) and the push rod (104) to the undepressed position (fig.6), a product pusher (208,210) arranged to push a product from the product magazine (600) to the release tray (20) in a direction of the pushbutton (24) and the push rod (104) between the undepressed position and the depressed position upon rotation of the pinion (204) from the initial position to the dispensing position.
Although Morad does not disclose where a push compression spring (94) is located between the push rod (104) and a back panel of the time delay product dispenser and a product pusher (208,210) arranged to push a product from the product magazine (600) to the release tray (20) in a direction different from a direction of the pushbutton (24) and the push rod (104), at least one release tray (20) in the side panel (16); it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to implement such a configuration since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. See also, In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975).
Morad does not disclose at least one rotary damper connected to the pinion (204) and arranged resist rotation of the pinion from the dispensing position to the initial position as the push compression spring (94) urges the pushbutton (24) and the push rod to the undepressed position; wherein a spring constant of the compression spring and a torque of the rotary damper determine a time delay of the time delay product dispenser.
Iwaki discloses at least one rotary damper (25) connected to the pinion (pinion of rotary damper main body; para.0066) and arranged resist rotation of the pinion. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the dispenser of Morad with at least one rotary damper connected to the pinion and arranged resist rotation of the pinion from the
dispensing position to the initial position as the push compression spring urges the pushbutton and the push rod to the undepressed position because it enables a resistance mechanism that can substantially reduce the speed of the product dispenser, which is a very well-known reason for the use of rotary dampers connected to pinions and compression springs.
Brej discloses wherein a spring constant of the compression spring (load spring 284 is a type of compression spring) and a torque of the rotary damper (310) determine a time delay of the time delay product dispenser (para.0052; time delay actuator mechanisms inherently function in this manner). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the device of Morad with wherein a spring constant of the compression spring and a torque of the rotary damper determine a time delay of the time delay product dispenser because it's a notoriously well-known time delay actuator mechanism used in the product- dispensing device art and does not impart any novelty whatsoever on the claim limitation.
Although Brej does not explicitly disclose wherein the torque of the at least one rotary damper is selected as a function of the spring constant of the compression spring, it would have been very obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement wherein the torque of the at least one rotary damper is selected as a function of the spring constant of the compression spring because the selection of the torque for a rotary damper based on the spring constant of a compression spring is a common engineering practice designed to achieve controlled motion. This approach ensures the damping force (torque) adequately offsets the energy stored in the spring, preventing fast or slamming movements.
Claim 10, Morad does not disclose wherein the rotary damper is arranged on a same axis as the pinion.
Iwaki discloses the rotary damper (25) is arranged on a same axis as the pinion (pinion of rotary damper main body; para.0066). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the dispenser of Morad with wherein the rotary damper is arranged on a same axis as the pinion because it enables a resistance mechanism that can substantially reduce the speed of the product dispenser, which is a very well-known reason for the use of rotary dampers connected to pinions and compression springs.
Claim 11, Morad discloses wherein the at least one pushbutton comprises a left pushbutton (24) and a right pushbutton (124).
Claim 12, Morad does not disclose wherein the rotary damper is connected to the pinion by a coupling.
Iwaki discloses wherein the rotary damper (25) is connected to the pinion (pinion of rotary damper main body; para.0066) by a coupling. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the dispenser of Morad with wherein the rotary damper is connected to the pinion by a coupling simply to have a resistance mechanism that can substantially reduce the speed of the product dispenser, which is a very well-known reason for the use of rotary dampers in product dispensers.
Claim 13, Morad discloses wherein the at least one pushbutton comprises a left pushbutton (24) and a right pushbutton (124).
Claim 14, Morad discloses wherein the at least one pushbutton comprises a left pushbutton (24) and a right pushbutton (124).
Claim 16, Morad discloses a method of making a mechanical time delay product dispenser, comprising providing a cabinet (fig.1) having a front panel (12), a rear panel (figures), and a side panel (16) between the front panel and the rear panel, providing a product magazine (600,700) for holding a product to be dispensed, providing at least one pushbutton (24,124) in the front panel, the at least one pushbutton being connected to a push rod (104) having teeth (114), the pushbutton and the push rod being movable between an undepressed position and a depressed position, providing a pinion (204) with teeth (214) that engage the teeth of the push rod, the pinion being rotatable between an initial position and a dispensing position, the pinion being in the initial position when the pushbutton and the push rod are in the undepressed position and being in the dispensing position when the pushbutton and the push rod are in the depressed position, providing a push compression spring (94) between the push rod and a front panel (12) of the time delay product dispenser, the push compression spring being arranged to urge the pushbutton and the push rod to the undepressed position, providing a product pusher (208,210) arranged to push a product from the product magazine (600) to the release tray (20) in
a direction of the pushbutton and the push rod (104) between the undepressed position and the depressed position upon rotation of the pinion from the initial position to the dispensing position.
Although Morad does not disclose at least one release tray (20) in the side panel (16), providing a push compression spring (94) between the push rod (104) and a back panel (see figures) of the time delay product dispenser; providing a product pusher (208,210) arranged to push a product from the product magazine (600) to the release tray (20) in a direction different from a direction of the pushbutton (24) and the push rod (104), it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to implement such a configuration since it has been held that rearranging parts of an invention involves only routine skill in the art. In re Japikse, 86 USPQ 70. See also, In re Kuhle, 526 F.2d 553, 188 USPQ 7 (CCPA 1975).
Morad does not disclose providing at least one rotary damper connected to the pinion and arranged resist rotation of the pinion from the dispensing position to the initial position as the push compression spring urges the pushbutton and the push rod to the undepressed position; wherein a spring constant of the compression spring and a dampening torque of the rotary damper determine a time delay of the time delay product dispenser; setting the time delay for returning the pinion from the dispensing position to the initial position by selecting the torque of the at least one rotary damper.
Iwaki discloses providing at least one rotary damper (25) connected to the pinion and arranged resist rotation of the pinion (pinion of rotary damper main body; para.0066). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the dispenser of Morad with providing at least one rotary damper connected to the pinion and arranged resist rotation of the pinion from the dispensing position to the initial position as the push compression spring urges the pushbutton and the push rod to the undepressed position; setting the time delay for returning the pinion from the dispensing position to the initial position by selecting the torque of the at least one rotary damper because it enables a resistance mechanism that can substantially reduce the speed of the product dispenser thereby enabling the speed at which the pinion returns to the initial position after an article has been dispensed to be controlled, which is a very well-known reason for the use of rotary dampers connected to pinions and compression springs.
Brej discloses wherein a spring constant of the compression spring (load spring 284 is a type of compression spring) and a dampening torque of the rotary damper (310) determine a time delay of the time delay product dispenser (para.0052; time delay actuator mechanisms inherently function in this manner). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to provide the device of Morad with wherein a spring constant of the compression spring and a dampening torque of the rotary damper determine a time delay of the time delay product dispenser because it's a notoriously well-known time delay actuator mechanism used in the product-dispensing device art and does not impart any novelty whatsoever on the claim limitation.
Although Iwaki and Brej do not explicitly disclose setting the time delay for returning the pinion from the dispensing position to the initial position by selecting the torque of the at least one rotary damper as a function of the spring constant of the compression spring, it would have been very obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to implement setting the time delay for returning the pinion from the dispensing position to the initial position by selecting the torque of the at least one rotary damper as a function of the spring constant of the compression spring because the selection of the torque for a rotary damper based on the spring constant of a compression spring is a common engineering practice designed to achieve controlled motion. This approach ensures the damping force (torque) adequately offsets the energy stored in the spring, preventing fast or slamming movements.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AYODEJI T OJOFEITIMI whose telephone number is (571)272-6557. The examiner can normally be reached 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM.
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/AYODEJI T OJOFEITIMI/Examiner, Art Unit 3651
/GENE O CRAWFORD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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