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 .
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-3 and 5-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being unpatentable by Newbold et al. (US 2024/0092570).
Regarding claim 1, Newbold et al. discloses the gripping mechanism as claimed in claim 1, comprising: a quadrilateral frame having four border strips (see annotated fig. 7 below); and a four gripper units (140) respectively disposed at the four border strips, the four gripper units being opposite in pairs (see Fig. 7), each of the gripper unit having a body, a first gripping portion and a second gripping portion (see annotated fig. below); the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion respectively located on different positions of the body (see 140 on annotated fig. below), the respective first gripping portions of the four gripper units forming a first gripping plane, and the respective second gripping portions of the four gripper units forming a second gripping plane (see 140 on annotated fig. below); wherein, at least two adjacent gripper units have a power member, which is in power connection with the bodies so as to adjust a distance between the two bodies (see Para. 0014).
Regarding claim 2, Newbold et al. discloses the gripping mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion are grooves parallel to the border strips (see annotated Fig. 7 below).
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Regarding claim 3, Newbold et al. discloses the gripping mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first gripping plane is parallel to the second gripping plane (see annotated Fig. 7 below).
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Regarding claim 5, Newbold et al. discloses the gripping mechanism as claimed in claim 1, wherein the gripper units further comprise a packing element, which is connected to the body and packs against the body (see Para. 0057).
Regarding claim 6, Newbold et al. discloses the gripping mechanism comprising: a quadrilateral frame having four border strips (see annotated Fig. 7 below); and two power units respectively in power connection with at least two adjacent border strips to adjust a distance between the two border strips (see Para. 0014); and a four gripper units (140) respectively disposed at the four border strips, the four gripper units being opposite in pairs (see annotated Fig. 7 below), each of the gripper units having a body, a first gripping portion and a second gripping portion (see 140 on annotated Fig. 7 below); the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion respectively located on different positions of the body (see 140 on annotated Fig. 7 below), the respective first gripping portions of the four gripper units forming a first gripping plane (see annotated Fig. 7 below), and the respective second gripping portions of the four gripper units forming a second gripping plane (see annotated Fig. 7 below).
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Regarding claim 7, Newbold et al. discloses the gripping mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion are grooves parallel to the border strips (see annotated Fig. 7 below).
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Regarding claim 8, Newbold et al. discloses the gripping mechanism as claimed in claim 6, wherein the first gripping plane is parallel to the second gripping plane (see annotated Fig. 7 below).
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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.
Claim(s) 4 and 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Newbold et al. (US 2024/0092570) in view of Morita (JP 2021172921 A).
Regarding claim(s) 4 and 9, Newbold et al. discloses the gripping mechanism as claimed in claim 1.
Newbold et al. fails to disclose wherein the gripper units further comprise a plurality of adhesive tapes respectively disposed on positions near the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion.
However. Morita teaches wherein the gripper units further comprise a plurality of adhesive tapes (20) respectively disposed on positions near the first gripping portion (H1) and the second gripping portion (H2) (see Page 3, Para. 1).
Thus, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to introduce comprise a plurality of adhesive tapes respectively disposed on positions near the first gripping portion and the second gripping portion on the gripping mechanism of Newbold et al. as taught by Morita in order to appropriately grip and convey the work (see Page 4, Para. 4).
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