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) 1-10 and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Winzinger (U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0305076). Winzinger shows a system for producing plastic containers with a heating device for heating plastic preforms, wherein said heating device has a transport device configured for transporting plastic preforms along a predetermined first transport path (P1), and a plurality of holding devices configured for holding the plastic preforms and at least one heating unit configured to heat the plastic preforms during the transport thereof and comprising a forming device configured for forming the plastic preforms into plastic containers, said forming device being suitable for expanding the plastic preforms heated by the heating device by applying a flowable medium, wherein the forming device has a plurality of forming stations configured to form the plastic preforms to form the plastic containers, and wherein both the heating device and the forming device have changeable elements (0010-0012), wherein the system has a changing device which is configured for changing both changeable elements of the heating device and changeable elements of the forming device, wherein the changing device is movable between at least two different positions (0012).
Regarding Claim 2, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 1, including one wherein the changing device is movable between a first position, in which it is positioned for changing changeable elements of the heating device and a second position, in which it is positioned for changing changeable elements of the forming device (0056, 0065-0066).
Regarding Claim 3, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 1, including one wherein the system has a further transport device which transports the heated plastic preforms from the heating device to the forming device (0064).
Regarding Claim 4, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 1, including one wherein the changeable elements of the heating device are holding mandrels, and the changeable elements of the forming device are blow molds (0065-0066).
Regarding Claim 5, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 1, including one wherein the changing device has at least one gripping device configured for gripping the changeable element (0020).
Regarding Claim 6, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 5, including one wherein the changing device is configured to be equipped with at least two different gripping devices, wherein one of the gripping devices is configured for changing a changeable element of the heating device and the other of the gripping devices is configured for changing a changeable element of the forming device (0020).
Regarding Claim 7, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 1, including one wherein the changing device has a mobile carrier on which there is arranged a robot device (0020).
Regarding Claim 8, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 1, including one wherein the system comprises at least one magazine device for storing changeable elements (0030).
Regarding Claim 9, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 1, wherein the system has at least one stationary docking station, on which at least one component of the changing device can be arranged at least temporarily (0018).
Regarding Claim 10, Winzinger shows the system according to Claim 1, wherein the system has at least one identification device configured to identify at least one changeable element and/or at least one detection device which is configured to enable the position determination of at least one element of the changing device (0030).
Regarding Claim 16, Winzinger shows the system of claim 1 above, including one wherein the mobile robot is configured to pick up the changing device and configured to set the charging device down at different positions (0057).
Regarding Claim 17, Winzinger shows the system of claim 16 above, including one wherein the mobile robot is configured to pick up the changing device by driving under and configured to set down the charging device at different positions using a lifting unit (0057).
Regarding Claim 18, Winzinger shows the system of claim 1 above, including one wherein the mobile robot is an automated guided vehicle, a driverless transport system or an autonomous mobile robot (0056).
Regarding Claim 19, Winzinger shows the system of claim 8 above, including one wherein the magazine device is configured to be mobile, wherein the magazine device is configured to be moved by the mobile robot (0018, 0041, 0076).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 is 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 20 October 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant contends that Winzinger does not show the claimed invention because he does not show a magazine device as a separate component, which can also be moved independently of the changing device. This is not persuasive because this is not commensurate in scope with the current claim set.
Applicant contends that Winzinger does not show a changing device is moved by a mobile robot, i.e. a separate component. This is not persuasive because this is not commensurate in scope with the current claim set. Furthermore, 0018-0020 describe how the changing device (i.e. tool) is a separate component that needs to be fixed onto the mobile robot (i.e. handling device, automatic exchange machine).
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MONICA HUSON whose telephone number is (571)272-1198. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8a-4p.
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MONICA ANNE HUSON
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 1742
/MONICA A HUSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1742