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
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)(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.
(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) 1-4,9-12,14-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by KR20130077684A issued to Cho.
With respect to claims 1 and 2 (refer to figure below), Cho discloses: A transfer apparatus comprising: a first guide rail comprising a first side surface, a first front surface, and a first rear surface; a second guide rail comprising a second side surface, a second front surface, and a second rear surface; a driving module comprising a main rail and a moving block that moves along the main rail, wherein the main rail is provided between the first guide rail and the second guide rail in a first horizontal direction; and a carriage module coupled to the moving block and supporting an article, wherein the carriage module comprises: a first side guide wheel configured to be in rolling contact with the first side surface of the first guide rail; a first front guide wheel configured to be in rolling contact with the first front surface of the first guide rail; a first rear guide wheel configured to be in rolling contact with the first rear surface of the first guide rail; a second side guide wheel configured to be in rolling contact with the second side surface of the second guide rail; a second front guide wheel configured to be in rolling contact with the second front surface of the second guide rail; and a second rear guide wheel configured to be in rolling contact with the second rear surface of the second guide rail; wherein each of the first side guide 2. wheel and the second side guide wheel is configured to rotate about a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, and each of the first front guide wheel, the first rear guide wheel, the second front guide wheel, and the second rear guide wheel is configured to rotate about the first horizontal direction.
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With respect to claims 3, 4 and 9 (refer to Fig. below), Cho discloses a transfer apparatus, wherein the carriage module further comprises: a carriage frame coupled to the moving block; a first wheel bracket which is connected to one side portion of the carriage frame and to which the first side guide wheel, the first front guide wheel, and the first rear guide wheel are mounted; and a second wheel bracket which is connected to the other side portion of the carriage frame and to which the second side guide wheel, the second front guide wheel, and the second rear guide wheel are mounted; wherein the first side guide wheel is mounted to the first wheel bracket such that the first side guide wheel is allowed to move relative to the first wheel bracket in the first horizontal direction; wherein at least one of the first front guide wheel and the first rear guide wheel is mounted to the first wheel bracket such that the at least one of the first front guide wheel and the first rear guide wheel is allowed to move relative to the first wheel bracket in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, and at least one of the second front guide wheel and the second rear guide wheel is mounted to the second wheel bracket such that the at least one of the second front guide wheel and the second rear guide wheel is allowed to move relative to the second wheel bracket in the second horizontal direction.
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With respect to claim 10, Cho discloses a magnetic linear motor 20.
With respect to claims 11, 12, refer to the rejection of claims 1, 2, 3, 4 and 9 above.
With respect to claims 14-17, 18 and 20, refer to the Figure below as well as the previous Figures and the rejection of previous claims.
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Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5, 6, 7, 8, 13 and 19 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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TROY CHAMBERS whose telephone number is (571)272-6874. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 0530-1400.
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/Troy Chambers/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3641
TROY CHAMBERS
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3641