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 § 102
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) 1-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Taira et al. (US Pub. No. 2019/0255714).
Regarding claim 1, the Taira et al. (hereinafter Taira) reference discloses a non-contact conveyance device (10), which conveys a conveyed object while holding the conveyed object in a non-contact manner, comprising:
a conveyance head (20) on which a flat facing surface (32a) opposing the conveyed object is formed (Fig. 2);
an air supply port (40) connected to a supply source of compressed air (18) and provided in the conveyance head (Fig. 1);
ejection ports of a plurality of ejection paths (42) communicating with the air supply port and formed in the conveyance head, each of the ejection ports being provided at a position separated from a holding center point of the facing surface by an opening distance (Fig. 2); and
an inclination angle of each of the ejection paths with respect to the facing surface, the inclination angle being provided at an acute angle (Fig. 2),
wherein the compressed gas ejected from each of the ejection ports flows along the facing surface, thereby holding the conveyed object without causing the conveyed object to contact with the facing surface (Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 2, the Taira reference discloses the plurality of ejection ports have a plurality of ejection port pairs (Fig 3), each of the plurality of ejection port pairs being paired by two of the ejection ports separated by an opening distance at positions on a same straight line that passes through the holding center point and extends along the facing surface (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3, the Taira reference discloses the two of the ejection ports forming each of the ejection port pairs are separated by the same opening distance from the holding center point (Fig. 3).
Regarding claim 4, the Taira reference discloses the ejection ports are provided so as to be shifted at regular intervals in a circumferential direction of the facing surface (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 5, the Taira reference discloses each of the ejection ports is provided at a position with the same opening distance from the holding center point (Fig. 3).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Taira in view of Mitaka-shi (Japanese Utility model Application S60-081487).
Regarding claim 6, the Taira reference discloses the invention substantially as claimed in claim 1.
However, the Taira reference fails to explicitly disclose a protrusion that protrudes from the facing surface and contacts with the conveyed object in conveying the conveyed object is provided in a range other than a range of a straight line connecting a holding center point and a center of a long radius of each of the ejection ports.
The Mitaka-shi reference, a conveyor, discloses the addition of a protrusion (24) to the face (Fig. 4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to provide a protrusion to the Taira reference in view of the teachings of the Mitaka-shi reference in order to more controlled distribution of pressure.
Regarding claim 7, the modified Taira reference, discloses the invention substantially as claimed in claim 6.
However, the modified Taira reference fails to explicitly disclose the protrusion is located radially inward from each of the ejection ports.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to make the protrusion to be located radially inward from each of the ejection ports, since such a modification would have involved a mere change in the size of a component. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art and in order to reduce material costs while maintaining optimal pressure. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955).
Regarding claim 8, the Taira reference, as modified in claim 6, the protrusion is a rod-shaped protrusion extending in a radial direction of the facing surface (Mitaka-shi, Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 9, the Taira reference, as modified in claim 8, discloses the protrusion includes the rod-shaped protrusion and a center protrusion (Mitaka-shi, e.g. cross of 24) that is formed integrally with a radially inner end of the rod-shaped protrusion (Mitaka-shi, Fig. 4)
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GILBERT Y LEE whose telephone number is (571)272-5894. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8am-430pm.
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/GILBERT Y LEE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3675
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