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 .
DETAILED ACTION
EXAMINER’S AMENDMENT
An examiner’s amendment to the record appears below. Should the changes and/or additions be unacceptable to applicant, an amendment may be filed as provided by 37 CFR 1.312. To ensure consideration of such an amendment, it MUST be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee.
Claims
In the application, Claim 11 been amended to rectify 112 issues as follows:
Regarding Claim 11, Line 7, the existing language:
“with a mounting location while the base is stationary,”
Has been amended to:
-- with the mounting location while the base is stationary, --
Claim(s) 17, 19, 20, and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Peterson et al. (US 20210316440 A1) in view of Ware (US 5709523 A).
Regarding Claim 17, Peterson teaches:
A conveying system (100) for an electrical apparatus (“electric vehicle battery”) comprising:
a base (130) comprising a bottom side (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2B) and a plurality of movement structures (136) on the bottom side (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2B), each movement structure configured to contact a working surface and to move in any direction on the working surface (Fig. 1) [0027], wherein the plurality of movement structures are arranged in a grid on the bottom side of the base (Fig. 1), the grid comprising a plurality of rows extending along a first direction and a plurality of columns extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig. 1), each row and each column comprising at least two movement structures (Fig. 1);
and a top side (Fig. 1), the top side comprising at least a portion that extends in a first two-dimensional plane (Fig. 1);
a carrier support platform (114) configured to support the electrical apparatus [0024];
an adjustment apparatus (120 & 140) [0024 & 0025 & 0026 & 0028 & 0029] connected to the base and the support platform (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2B), the adjustment apparatus configured to move the support platform relative to the base to move the support platform relative to the base to position the electrical apparatus relative to a desired location (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2B) [0024 & 0025 & 0026 & 0028 & 0029]; and
a manual operating interface (138) attached to the base (Fig. 1), wherein, the operating handle is configured for manual manipulation by an operator, and applying force on the operating handle moves the carrier system along a working surface (Fig. 1) [0027].
Peterson does not teach:
each row and each column comprising at least three movement structures;
positioning one of the two mounting sides with a mounting location.
Ware teaches:
A conveying system (20) for an electrical apparatus (60) [as the apparatus is capable of supporting an electrical apparatus it reads on the limitation as per MPEP 2115 the inclusion of the material or article worked upon by a structure being claimed does not impart patentability to the claims.], the conveying system comprising:
a base (22 & 24 & 28) comprising a bottom side (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2 & Fig. 3 & Fig. 4 & Fig. 5) and a plurality of movement structures (30 & 38) on the bottom side (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2 & Fig. 3 & Fig. 4 & Fig. 5), each movement structure configured to contact a working surface and to move in any direction on the working surface [Column 4 Lines 48-60], wherein the plurality of movement structures are arranged in a grid on the bottom side of the base (Fig. 1), the grid comprising a plurality of rows extending along a first direction and a plurality of columns extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction (Fig. 1), each row and each column comprising at least two movement structures (Fig. 1);
a support platform (152) configured to support the electrical apparatus (Fig. 2 & Fig. 3);
an adjustment apparatus (40 & 78 & 122 & 136 & 164 & 212) connected to the base and the support platform, the adjustment apparatus configured to move the support platform relative to the base to position one of two mounting sides of the electrical apparatus relative to a mounting location (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2 & Fig. 3 & Fig. 4 & Fig. 5) [Column 4 Lines 61-67 & Column 5 Lines 1-67 & Column 6 Lines 1-67 & Column 7 Lines 1-67]; and
a manual operating interface (238) attached to the base (Fig. 1), the manual operating interface configured for manual operation by a single user and configured to transfer a force applied by the single user to the base to thereby move the conveying system [Column 6 Lines 12-28 & Column 7 Lines 9-29 & Column 10 Lines 64-67 & Column 11 Lines 1-31].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the method of transporting an electrical apparatus utilizing a mobile carrier system having a vertically and horizontally adjustable carrier platform supported by a base with a movement assembly attached to the base taught by Peterson with the method of transferring an object utilizing a mobile carrier system having a vertically and horizontally adjustable carrier platform supported by a base with a movement assembly attached to the base with a braking assembly configured to prevent the movement assembly from moving in any direction where the carrier platform is controlled to align one of two mounting sides of an electrical apparatus with a mounting location and after the one of the two mounting sides of the load is attached to the mounting location, controlling the carrier platform to move while the load is attached to the mounting location and while the base is stationary to separate the load from the carrier platform taught by Ware in order to provide a transport method utilizing a system having a means of fine position adjustment without unintentional movement in the system in order to deposit an article at a desired location without complications due to misalignment.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide three movement structures in each row and each column in order to provide a conveying system capable of conveying increased weight with reduced stress on the movement structures, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) (referred to in MPEP 2144.04(VI)(B)).
Regarding Claim 19, Peterson teaches:
the adjustment apparatus (120 & 140) [0024 & 0025 & 0026 & 0028 & 0029] is attached to a top side of the base and to a side of the support platform that faces the top side of the base (Fig. 1) [0025], and the adjustment apparatus comprises a foldable frame configured to change shape to move the support platform relative to the base (Fig. 2A & Fig. 2B) [0026 & 0027 & 0028 & 0029 & 0030 & 0031 & 0032].
Regarding Claim 20, Peterson teaches:
each movement structure comprises a load-bearing wheel mounted in a housing (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2B); and
the housing is attached to the bottom side of the base (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2B).
Peterson does not teach:
the wheels are load-bearing spherical balls.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide load-bearing spherical balls in place of the load-bearing wheels attached to the bottom side of the base in order to effect smooth multi-directional movement since the Examiner takes OFFICIAL NOTICE that ball bearings for imparting multi-directional rolling motion for platforms were well known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Regarding Claim 21, Peterson teaches:
each movement structure comprises a load-bearing wheel mounted in a housing (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2B); and
the housing is attached to the bottom side of the base (Fig. 1 & Fig. 2B).
Peterson does not teach:
the wheels are pads configured to slide on the working surface.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to sliding pads in place of the load-bearing wheels attached to the bottom side of the base in order to effect smooth multi-directional movement over surfaces such as carpet that do not effectively facilitate rolling since the Examiner takes OFFICIAL NOTICE that sliding pads for imparting multi-directional sliding motion for platforms over surfaces not conducive to rolling supports were well known in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-9, 11, 12, 14-16, and 22-23 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The art of record fails to render obvious the claimed combination of: “A carrier system comprising: a base comprising a perimeter, a bottom side and a top side, the top side comprising at least a portion that extends in a first two-dimensional plane, and the perimeter defining a top base region; a movement assembly attached to the bottom side, the movement assembly configured for movement in more than one direction; a carrier platform comprising a planar portion that extends in a second two-dimensional plane that is parallel to the first two-dimensional plane, the carrier platform comprising: a first side configured to receive and support an electrical apparatus, and a second side opposite the first side and facing the top side of the base; an adjustment apparatus attached to between the top side of the base and the second side of the carrier platform, the adjustment apparatus comprising: one or more lower frame bars received in the top base region and configured to move along the top base region; and one or more legs, each coupled to one of the one of the one or more lower frame bars, wherein the adjustment apparatus is configured to move the carrier platform relative to the base in the second two-dimensional plane and in a direction that is perpendicular to the second first two-dimensional plane; and an operating handle attached to the base, wherein, the operating handle is configured for manual manipulation by an operator, and applying force on the operating handle moves the carrier system along a working surface.”, as recited in Claim 1 specifically:
the structural and operative relationship between the base, bottom side, top side, movement assembly, carrier platform, first side, second side, adjustment apparatus, lower frame bars, legs, and operating handle. Especially as it relates to the relationship between the base, bottom side, top side, movement assembly, carrier platform, first side, second side, adjustment apparatus, lower frame bars, legs, and operating handle.
The art of record fails to render obvious the claimed combination of: “A method comprising: positioning a carrier system relative to a mounting location, the carrier system comprising a carrier platform, a base, and an adjustment apparatus attached to a top side of the base and to a side of the carrier platform that faces the top side of the base, the adjustment apparatus comprising a foldable frame attached to and extending between the base and the carrier platform; controlling the carrier platform to align one of two mounting sides of an electrical apparatus with the mounting location while the base is stationary, wherein controlling the carrier platform comprises changing a shape of the foldable frame, the changing comprising one or more of expanding and retracting the foldable frame; and after the one of the two mounting sides of the electrical apparatus is attached to the mounting location, controlling the carrier platform to move while the electrical apparatus is attached to the mounting location and while the base is stationary to separate the electrical apparatus from the carrier platform; and wherein controlling the carrier platform to move while the electrical apparatus is attached to the mounting location comprises controlling the foldable frame to slide relative to a bottom of the electrical apparatus while the base is stationary.”, as recited in Claim 11 specifically:
the structural and operative relationship between the carrier system, mounting location, carrier platform, base, adjustment apparatus, top side, foldable frame, mounting sides, and electrical apparatus. Especially as it relates to the relationship between the carrier system, mounting location, carrier platform, base, adjustment apparatus, top side, foldable frame, mounting sides, and electrical apparatus.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments and related arguments, see RCE, filed 2026/09/08, with respect to the Examiner’s Rejection of Claims 1-9 and 11-16 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The Examiner’s Rejection of Claims 1-9 and 11-16 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 2026/09/08 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding Applicant’s argument of the Examiner’s rejection of Claim 17, especially as it relates to the limitation of “the plurality of movement structures are arranged in a grid on the bottom side of the base, the grid comprising a plurality of rows extending along a first direction and a plurality of columns extending along a second direction perpendicular to the first direction, each row and each column comprising at least three movement structures”:
Applicant’s assertion that neither Peterson or Ware teach each row and each column comprising at least three movement structures is not persuasive as it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide three movement structures in each row and each column in order to provide a conveying system capable of conveying increased weight with reduced stress on the movement structures, since it has been held that mere duplication of the essential working parts of a device involves only routine skill in the art. In re Harza, 274 F.2d 669, 124 USPQ 378 (CCPA 1960) (referred to in MPEP 2144.04(VI)(B)).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Patent publications US 20160280246 A1 and US 20230406680 A1 have been cited by the examiner as pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure because they teach: hand carts with powered lifting platforms.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRENDAN P TIGHE whose telephone number is 571-272-4872. The Examiner can normally be reached on Monday - Thursday, 7:00-5:30 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached on 571-272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/BRENDAN P TIGHE/Examiner, Art Unit 3652
/GREGORY W ADAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
