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 .
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) 1-9 and 15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abe (US 2002/0090906 A1) in view of Okada (US 4,822,318).
Regarding Claim 1, Abe teaches
a coin handling device, i.e., coin hopper (10) for a coin
handling machine, i.e., change dispensing machines or vending machines, as mentioned at paragraph 2, for example, the coin handling device (10) comprising:
a coin container, i.e., coin bowl (13), as illustrated in figure 1, configured to define a volume, as illustrated in figures 1-5, for example, and to hold a mass of coins (c) input to the coin container (13) in the volume (13e), as shown in figure 5, for example;
a coin output arrangement, i.e., rotating selector disk (14) with holes (14a, 214a) and pockets (14c, 214c) located below arranging hole (14a, 214a), and the base, as illustrated in figures 2-10, and as mentioned at paragraphs 28, 33, 45, 48 and 54, arranged at a lower end of the coin container (13),
the coin output arrangement (14) being configured to output one or more coins of the mass of coins (c) from the coin container (13) at a bottom of the volume,
wherein the coin handling device (10) is configured to be arranged in an orientation for use such that coins will be pulled towards the bottom of the volume by the gravitational field, as mentioned in paragraphs 24 and 58 and as mentioned at Claim 17;
a bridge-counteracting arrangement, i.e., agitator unit (18, 218), as illustrated in figures 1-10, for example, configured to counteract coin bridge formation in the volume, as mentioned at paragraphs 35 and 59, the bridge-counteracting arrangement (18, 218), having a center shaft, i.e., rod (18a, 218a) as illustrated in figures 3 and 8, protruding from the bottom of the volume into the volume, as illustrated in figures 3 and 8, the center shaft (18a, 218a) being configured to perform a rotational motion, i.e., via motor/speed reducer (15), around a rotational axis of the center shaft (18a, 218a), and a bridge-breaking element, i.e, the upper end of rod (18a, 218a), as illustrated in figures 5 and 10, for example, presenting a coin interacting surface, i.e., the slanted end surface at the top of the center shaft (18a, 218b), arranged in the volume and facing away from the bottom of the volume, as shown in figures 1-10,
wherein the center shaft (18a, 218a) has a distal end, i.e., near the slanted upper end surface as seen in figures 1-10, with respect to the bottom of the volume, the distal end is coupled to the bridge-breaking element, i.e., the slanted flat surface on the upper end of the shaft (18a, 218a), for enabling conversion of the rotational motion of the center shaft (18a, 218a), to a wiggling motion, i.e., via spring (18b, 218b), of the coin interacting surface, i.e., the slanted end surface at the top of the center shaft (18a, 218b), whereby coin bridge formation is counteracted, as seen in figures 1-10 and as mentioned at paragraph 29, noting that the agitator rod (18a) coil spring (18b) agitate the coins and thus help contribute to breaking of any bridging formed by the mass of coins.
Note that the (221a, 221b) take the weight of the coins above them so there is less weight on the rotatable disk (14) so that the coins near the disk are separated and dispensed through the disk apertures (14a), while the agitation unit (218) pierces the bridged coins so that they are set up to fall to either side as seen in figure 10 and as mentioned in paragraph 53, for example.
Regarding Claim 1, Abe does not expressly teach wherein the coin interacting surface extends externally to a perimeter of the center shaft towards an inner wall defining the volume.
Regarding Claim 1, Abe does not expressly teach, but Okada teaches wherein the coin interacting surface, i.e., control disk (35), as illustrated in figures 1-3, extends externally to a perimeter of the center shaft (34) towards an inner wall, i.e., the walls of main bucket (12), defining the volume, as seen in figures 1-3.
Regarding Claim 1, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided wherein the coin interacting surface extends externally to a perimeter of the center shaft towards an inner wall defining the volume, as taught by Okada, on Abe’s agitation rod/center shaft (18, 218) for the purpose of increasing the coin contacting surface of the tip so as to further aid in breaking coin bridge formations.
Regarding Claim 2, Abe teaches wherein at least a portion of the coin interacting surface, i.e., the flat upper portion at the end of rods (18, 218), has an
inclination with respect to a plane to which the rotational axis of the center shaft (18a, 218a) extends perpendicularly, from the distal end towards the bottom of the volume, i.e., storage space (13e, 213e) of coin bowl (13, 213) as illustrated in figures 1-10.
Regarding Claim 3, Abe teaches wherein an inclination angle between the portion of the coin interacting surface , i.e., the sloped/inclined flat surface of the upper end of the rod/shaft (18a, 218a) and the plane is within the interval of 10° to 70°, as seen in figures 1-10, for example.
Regarding Claim 4, Abe teaches wherein the wiggling motion comprises a movement of at least some points on the coin interacting surface, i.e., the angled surface on the top of rod (18a, 218a), in a direction parallel to the rotational axis of the center shaft (18a, 218a), alternatingly towards and away from the bottom of the volume (13e), during the course of -rotational motion of the center shaft (18, 218a), noting that the rod/center shaft (18a, 218a) moves back and forth via the flexibility of the rod/center shaft as well as due to attached spring (18b, 218b). Further note that the rod/center shaft (18a, 218a), is made of flexible resin, as mentioned at paragraph 29, which necessarily bends and flexes with the weight of coins moving about it.
Regarding Claim 5, see the rejection of Claims 3 and 4, above.
Regarding Claim 6, Abe teaches
wherein the coin output arrangement (14, 14a, 14c, 214, 214a, 214c)
further comprises a rotatable disk (14, 214) located at the bottom of the volume (13e, 213e) wherein the rotatable disk (14, 214) includes one or more coin engaging elements, i.e., coin pockets (14c, 214c) defined on the rotatable disk (14, 214), on a coin facing surface thereof, each of the one or more coin engaging elements (14c, 214c) being configured to engage an individual coin of the mass of coins (c) to allow the individual coin to be output from the coin container (13, 213), as illustrated in figures 1-10, for example.
Regarding Claim 7, Abe teaches
wherein the center shaft (18a, 218a) is protruding in a direction
perpendicular to the coin facing surface, into the volume (13e, 213e), such that the rotational axis of the center shaft (18a, 218a) coincides with a rotational axis of the rotatable disk (14, 214), as illustrated in figures 1-10.
Regarding Claim 8, Abe teaches
wherein the center shaft (18a, 218a) is operably coupled to the rotatable
disk (14, 214), linking, i.e., via adjuster (ab) and lock screw (rs), as illustrated in figure 8, the rotational motion of the center shaft (18a, 218a) to a rotational motion of the rotatable disk (14, 214), as illustrated in figures 1-10, for example.
Regarding Claim 9, Abe teaches
wherein the distal end, i.e., near the slanted upper end surface of rod/center shaft (18, 218), as seen in figures 1-10, is coupled to the bridge-breaking element, i.e., the slanted flat surface on the upper end of center shaft (18, 218), such that rotational motion of the center shaft (18, 218) does not force rotational motion of the bridge-breaking element, i.e., interpreted as the slanted flat surface on the upper end of center shaft (18, 218), noting that the upper flat surface is stationary with respect to the rest of the center shaft (18, 218), as illustrated in figures 1-10.
Regarding Claim 15, see the rejection of Claim 1, above.
Claim(s) 14 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Abe (US 2002/0090906 A1) in view of Okada (US 4,822,318), and further in view of Sjostrom (US 2008/0082207 A1).
Regarding Claim(s) 14, Abe teaches the system as described above.
Regarding Claim(s) 14, Abe does not expressly teach
a coin handling machine comprising;
a plurality of coin dispensers; and
a coin sorting device for sorting coins by denomination into the plurality of coin dispensers such that each coin dispenser is configured to receive and store a particular denomination of coins;
wherein at least one of the plurality of coin dispensers includes a coin handling device according to claim 1.
Regarding Claim(s) 14, Abe does not expressly teach, but Sjostrom teaches
a coin handling machine, i.e., coin dispensing apparatus (100), as illustrated in figures 1-11, for example, comprising;
a plurality of coin dispensers, i.e., coin dispensers (142); and
a coin sorting device, i.e., automatic coin conditioning (ACC) unit (122), as illustrated in figure 2, for sorting coins by denomination into the plurality of coin dispensers (142) such that each coin dispenser (142) is configured to receive and store a particular denomination of coins, as mentioned at paragraphs 3-5, 66, 67 and 70, for example;
wherein at least one of the plurality of coin dispensers includes a coin handling device according to Claim 1, as taught by Kurosawa and Okada, as seen in the rejection of Claim 1, above.
Regarding Claim 14, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided a coin handling machine comprising;
a plurality of coin dispensers; and
a coin sorting device for sorting coins by denomination into the plurality of coin dispensers such that each coin dispenser is configured to receive and store a particular denomination of coins;
wherein at least one of the plurality of coin dispensers includes a coin handling device according to claim 1, as taught by Sjostrom, in Kurosawa’s coin handling device for the purpose of breaking coin bridge formations.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 10-13 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
Applicant is encouraged to contact the Examiner should there be any questions about this rejection or in an endeavor to explore potential amendments or potential allowable subject matter.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yamamiya ‘666 is cited as teaching
a coin handling machine, i.e., multi-unit coin ejection apparatus (1), as illustrated in figures 1-5, for example, comprising;
a plurality of coin dispensers, i.e., coin storing containers (120); and
a coin sorting device, i.e., (110) for sorting coins by denomination into the plurality of coin dispensers (400a, 400b, 400e, 400d) such that each coin dispenser (400a, 400b, 400e, 400d) is configured to receive and store a particular denomination of coins.
Cohrs ‘520 is cited as teaching a coin bridge breaking device as illustrated in figures 2 and 3, showing wiper arms (40) with rotor disk (12) with a bearing section (38) as mentioned at paragraphs 15-17, 32 and 33, for example.
Kurosawa ‘528 is cited as teaching a coin bridge breaking device, i.e., coin-shaped projection (12) with rotating disk (4) as illustrated in figure 3, for example.
Kurosawa ‘006 is cited as teaching a coin bridge breaking device, i.e., rod (70) with spring (68) and rotating disk (52) as illustrated in figures 9-11, for example.
Harrington ‘243 is cited as teaching a coin bridge breaking device, i.e., agitator (32) which is offset from rotor shaft (16) as illustrated in figure 2, for example.
Martin ‘125 is cited as teaching a coin bridge breaking device, i.e., rod (550) with conical shaped device (540) with coin interacting surface (556) as illustrated in figures 4-9, for example.
Heidger ‘414 is cited as teaching a coin bridge breaking device, i.e., agitator (39) which is offset from rotor shaft (34, 38) as illustrated in figures 2 and 3, for example.
Abe ‘729 is cited as teaching a coin selector (2), i.e., coin handling machine/coin selector (2) as illustrated in figures 1-26 having coin storage devices (10h, 100h) as illustrated in figure 2, for example.
Ota ‘395 is cited as teaching a coin bridge breaking device, i.e., stirring rod (208) as illustrated in figure 8, for example.
Harris ‘928 is cited as teaching a coin bridge breaking device, i.e., agitator/coin mixing device (116), as illustrated in figures 5-6 and as mentioned at col. 9, line 56-col. 10, line 3, for example.
Umeda ‘665 is cited as teaching a plurality of coin dispensers (22-10, 22-100, 22-50, 22-500) as seen in figures 1 and 2, for example.
Shirasawa ‘230 is cited as teaching wherein the coin interacting surface, i.e., circular regulating board (16), as illustrated in figures 1-3, extends externally to a perimeter of the center shaft (15) towards an inner wall, i.e., the walls of main bucket (4), defining the volume, as seen in figures 1-3.
Kurosawa ‘725 is cited as teaching a coin disk (31) with hemispherical protrusion (31) for stirring coins, as illustrated in figures 1-12.
Schwarzli ‘290 is cited as teaching device for breaking coin bridges, i.e., conical shell/agitator cone (156) with springs (158) for stirring coins, as illustrated in figures 1-5.
Yao ‘046 is cited as teaching device for breaking coin bridges, i.e., rotary disk (30) with helical rotatable rods (32) as illustrated in figures 2-8, for example.
Abe ‘319 is cited as teaching device for breaking coin bridges, i.e., rotary disk (114) with helical rotatable rods as illustrated in figure 1, for example.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY ALAN SHAPIRO whose telephone number is (571)272-6943. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday generally between 8:30AM and 6:30PM.
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/JEFFREY A SHAPIRO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
February 28, 2026