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 .
Drawings
The subject matter of this application admits of illustration by a drawing to facilitate understanding of the invention. Applicant is required to furnish a drawing under 37 CFR 1.81(c). No new matter may be introduced in the required drawing. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d).
The drawings are missing from the electronic file folder, they are not listed in the table of contents and were not found buried in a different document.
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) 1-16 and 24 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipate by Mathi et al. (US 11,186,437).
Regarding claim 1, Mathi et al. teaches a distributor system, 1, for conveying articles with loading aids in a picking system, comprising
- a provisioning system, 4, for provisioning the articles with loading aids, 8,
- a first distributor device for distributing the loading aids which is arranged downstream of the provisioning system,
- a first buffer device, 12, for temporarily storing the loading aids, which has a buffer infeed line and a buffer outfeed line and at least one buffer region arranged between the buffer infeed line and the buffer outfeed line, and
- a target system, 17, for processing orders which is arranged downstream of the first distributor device,
wherein the first distributor device
- has a distributor line, 15, along which the loading aids can be conveyed, and
- has a first distributor infeed line, which is connected, in terms of conveyance, to the provisioning system, 2, and is configured to convey the loading aids from the provisioning system to the distributor line, 15, and
- is connected, in terms of conveyance, to the buffer infeed line of the first buffer device, 12, and is configured to convey the loading aids from the distributor line, 15, to the first buffer device, 12, and
- is connected, in terms of conveyance, to the target system, 17, and is configured to convey the loading aids from the distributor line to the target system, and
- has a second distributor infeed line, which is connected, in terms of conveyance, to the buffer outfeed line of the first buffer device and is configured to convey the loading aids from the first buffer device to the distributor line, see annotated figure 1 reproduced below.
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Regarding claim 2, Mathi et al. teaches the distributor system has:
- a first distributor outfeed line, which connects, in terms of conveyance, the distributor line and the buffer infeed line in order to connect, in terms of conveyance, the first distributor device to the buffer infeed line of the first buffer device, 12, and/or
- has a second distributor outfeed line, which connects, in terms of conveyance, the distributor line and the target system, see zoomed in section of figure 1, reproduced below.
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Regarding claim 3, Mathi et al. teaches that the provisioning system, 4, comprises at least one storage region, 2 and 3, and at least one loading station, see column 4, lines 48-59.
Regarding claim 4, Mathi et al. teaches the buffer region, 12, has at least one buffer line arranged between the buffer infeed line and the buffer outfeed line and at least one buffer return line arranged between the buffer outfeed line and the buffer infeed line, see annotated figures above and column 5, lines 13-48.
Regarding claim 5, Mathi et al. teaches the target system, 17, has a workstation, 5 and 18, with a workstation infeed line, wherein the first distributor device is connected, in terms of conveyance, to the workstation infeed line and is configured to convey the loading aids from the distributor line to the workstation infeed line, see annotated portion of figure 1, reproduced below.
Regarding claim 6, Mathi et al. teaches the target system, 17, comprises a sorting device, 5 and 18, with a sorting infeed line, wherein the first distributor device is connected, in terms of conveyance, to the sorting infeed line and is configured to convey the loading aids from the distributor line to the sorting infeed line, see annotated portion of figure 1, reproduced below.
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Regarding claim 7, Mathi et al. teaches the first distributor device is connected, in terms of conveyance, to a return line, which is configured to convey the loading aids, 8, back into the provisioning system, see right side of conveying loop 15 in figure above.
Regarding claim 8, Mathi et al. teaches the distributor line is configured as a circulation circuit, 15, wherein the loading aids, 8, can be conveyed in the circulation circuit in a direction of circulation, see figure 1 above.
Regarding claim 9, Mathi et al. teaches that a connection, in terms of conveyance, of the first distributor device to the buffer infeed line is arranged downstream of the first distributor infeed line and upstream of the second distributor infeed line in the direction of circulation, see annotated figure 1, reproduced above.
Regarding claim 10, Mathi et al. teaches that a connection, in terms of conveyance, of the first distributor device to the target system is arranged downstream of the second distributor infeed line, see annotated figure 1, reproduced above and upstream of the first distributor infeed line in the direction of circulation, because Mathi et al. teaches a loop, Mathi et al. teaches the upstream connection, as claimed.
Regarding claim 11, Mathi et al. teaches
- another buffer device, see second buffer loop in figure 1, which has a buffer infeed line and a buffer outfeed line and at least one buffer region arranged between those; and
- another distributor device, 16, which has a first distributor infeed line that is connected, in terms of conveyance, to the provisioning system, a distributor line and a second distributor infeed line connected to the buffer outfeed line of the other buffer device, wherein the other distributor device is connected, in terms of conveyance, to the buffer infeed line of the first buffer device and is configured to convey loading aids from the distributor line to the first buffer device, and wherein each distributor device is additionally connected, in terms of conveyance, to the buffer infeed line of the other buffer device and is configured to convey loading aids from the respective distributor line to the other buffer device, see reproduced figure 1 above, which shows the second buffer loop, 12, and the another distributor device, 16, all connected to the distributor line, as claimed.
Regarding claim 12, Mathi et al. teaches a method for provisioning at least one article included in an order in a target system of a picking system by a distributor system for conveying articles with loading aids, 8, the method comprising the steps of:
i) acquiring orders and determining at least one article that is assigned to an order of the orders by means of an electronic order management system;
ii) provisioning the at least one article with at least one loading aid in a provisioning system;
iii) discharging the at least one loading aid from the provisioning system and forwarding the at least one loading aid into a first distributor device via a first distributor infeed line of the first distributor device;
iv) conveying the at least one loading aid along a distributor line of the first distributor device and transferring the at least one loading aid from the distributor line onto a buffer infeed line of a first buffer device;
v) forwarding the at least one loading aid into a buffer region of the first buffer device and temporarily storing the at least one loading aid in the buffer region;
vi) discharging the at least one loading aid from the buffer region via a buffer outfeed line of the first buffer device and transferring the at least one loading aid from the buffer outfeed line onto the distributor line of the first distributor device via a second distributor infeed line of the first distributor device;
vii) conveying the at least one loading aid along the distributor line and discharging the at least one loading aid from the distributor line;
viii) forwarding the at least one loading aid to the target system, see figure 1 and column 7, lines 55+.
Regarding claim 13, Mathi et al. teaches that the steps iv) to vi) are repeated with the same at least one loading aid in a second cycle before carrying out the step vii), see column 8, lines 28-34, and figure 1.
Regrading claim 14, Mathi et al. teaches in the second cycle, the steps iv) to vi) are carried out for another buffer device instead of the first buffer device, see figure 1 and column 8, lines 28-34.
Regarding claim 15, Mathi et al. teaches that, in the second cycle, the at least one loading aid, in the step vi), is transferred onto a distributor line of the other a second distributor device via a second distributor infeed line of another the second distributor device, see figure 1 and column 7, lines 55+.
Regarding claim 16, Mathi et al. teaches that, in the step i), at least one article that is assigned to another order of the orders is determined, wherein the steps ii), iii), vii) and viii) are carried out for the at least one article assigned to the second order while omitting the steps iv), v) and vi), see column 7, lines 55+ and figure 1.
Regarding claim 24, Mathi et al teaches the distributor system, as claimed, see figure 1.
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) 17-23, 25, and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mathi et al. (US 11,186,437).
Regarding the method steps of claims 17-23, while Mathi et al. does not teach the exact steps, as claimed, Mathi et al. teaches a distribution system, as claimed, and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was filed to perform the method steps of claims 17-23 using the system taught by Mathi et al. in its usual and expected fashion in order to achieve the predictable result of efficiently provisioning, distributing, sorting, and convoying articles in an order picking system.
Regarding claims 25 and 26, Mathi et al. teaches the distribution system, as claimed, see figure 1.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Prior art cited on the PTO-892 and not relied upon are included to show additional examples of order picking and distribution systems and the general state of the prior art.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAITLIN S JOERGER whose telephone number is (571)272-6938. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30-5 (CST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at (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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/KAITLIN S JOERGER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
20 February 2026