DETAILED ACTION
The Amendment filed 4/29/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 1-4 and 6-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kania (US 10,814,355).
Regarding independent claim 1, Kania discloses an access station for an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the access station comprises: a frame structure (3); and a drawer (16) arranged in the frame structure, wherein the drawer is a tilt drawer (see Fig. 2) comprising a compartment (16) for accommodating a goods holder (8), wherein the tilt drawer is pivotable between a receiving position for receiving a goods holder from above, and a tilted picking position for presenting a goods holder to a user (see at least abstract), wherein the tilt drawer has a horizontal axis of rotation (20) arranged in a horizontal central part of the frame structure (3), and wherein the horizontal central part of the frame structure is a part with a horizontal distance to vertical side surfaces of the frame structure (see Fig. 2).
Regarding dependent claims 2-4 and 6-9, Kania discloses that the horizontal axis of rotation (20) arranged under a middle of the tilt drawer (see Fig. 2). The access station is configured for vertical alignment of the receiving position with a port column (11) of the automated storage and retrieval system for receiving goods holder therefrom. The access station comprises a tilt limiter (see at least col. 3, lines 44-47) configured to limit pivotal movement of the tilt drawer beyond the picking position. The tilt limiter is arranged on the tilt drawer (see at least col. 3, lines 44-47). The frame structure and/or the tilt drawer are configured to prevent retrieval of a goods holder from the compartment when the tilt drawer is in the picking position (see at least item 18). The tilt drawer is automated (see at least col. 4, lines 15-40).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim(s) 10-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hognaland et al. (WO 2017/211596) in view of Kania (US 10,814,355).
Regarding independent claim 10, Hognaland discloses an automated storage and retrieval system comprising an access station (60) for an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the access station comprises: a frame structure (25); and a drawer (70) arranged in the frame structure, wherein the drawer comprises a compartment for accommodating a goods holder, wherein the drawer is slidable between a receiving position for receiving a goods holder from above, and picking position for presenting a goods holder to a user, a rail system (see at least Fig. 1) comprising a first set of parallel rails (see at least Fig. 1) arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction and a second set of parallel rails (see at least Fig. 1) arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, which first and second sets of rails form a grid (20) in the horizontal plane comprising a plurality of adjacent access openings (see at least Fig. 1); a storage section (see at least Fig. 1) comprising a plurality of goods holder arranged in storage columns located beneath the rail system, wherein each storage column is located vertically below one of the plurality of access openings (see at least Fig. 1); at least one port column located beneath the rail system and vertically aligned with a receiving position (see at least Fig. 2) of the access station (60), the at least one port column being void of goods holder (see at least Fig. 6); and a container handling vehicle (40) comprising a gripping device (50) for lifting goods holder stored in the columns above the storage section and drive means (see at least p. 1, lines 1-15) configured to drive the vehicle along the rail system in at least one of the first direction and the second direction. Hognaland discloses all the limitations of the claim, but it does not disclose that the drawer is a tilt drawer, wherein the tilt drawer is pivotable between a receiving position for receiving a goods, and a tilted picking position, wherein the tilt drawer has a horizontal axis of rotation arranged in a horizontal central part of the frame structure, and wherein the horizontal central part of the frame structure is a part with a horizontal distance to vertical side surfaces of the frame structure. While Hognaland does disclose “the drawer may be of a hinged-type of drawer”, it doesn’t explicitly disclose a tilt drawer. However, Kania discloses a similar device including a drawer which is a tilt drawer (16), wherein the tilt drawer is pivotable between a receiving position for receiving a goods, and a tilted picking position, wherein the tilt drawer has a horizontal axis of rotation (20) arranged in a horizontal central part of a frame structure (3), and wherein the horizontal central part of the frame structure is a part with a horizontal distance to vertical side surfaces of the frame structure (see Fig. 2) for the purpose of presenting a goods holder to a user and implementing a “hinged-type of drawer”. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the applicant’s invention, to utilize a tilt drawer, wherein the tilt drawer is pivotable between a receiving position for receiving a goods, and a tilted picking position, wherein the tilt drawer has a horizontal axis of rotation arranged in a horizontal central part of the frame structure, and wherein the horizontal central part of the frame structure is a part with a horizontal distance to vertical side surfaces of the frame structure, as disclosed by Kania, for the purpose of presenting a goods holder to a user and implementing a “hinged-type of drawer”.
Regarding independent claim 13, Hognaland discloses a method of presenting a goods holder at an access station using an automated storage and retrieval system, the automated storage and retrieval system comprising an access station (60) for an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the access station comprises: a frame structure (25); and a drawer (70) arranged in the frame structure, wherein the drawer comprises a compartment for accommodating a goods holder, wherein the drawer is slidable between a receiving position for receiving a goods holder from above, and picking position for presenting a goods holder to a user, a rail system (see at least Fig. 1) comprising a first set of parallel rails (see at least Fig. 1) arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction and a second set of parallel rails (see at least Fig. 1) arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, which first and second sets of rails form a grid (20) in the horizontal plane comprising a plurality of adjacent access openings (see at least Fig. 1); a storage section (see at least Fig. 1) comprising a plurality of goods holder arranged in storage columns located beneath the rail system, wherein each storage column is located vertically below one of the plurality of access openings (see at least Fig. 1); at least one port column located beneath the rail system and vertically aligned with a receiving position (see at least Fig. 2) of the access station (60), the at least one port column being void of goods holder (see at least Fig. 6); and a container handling vehicle (40) comprising a gripping device (50) for lifting goods holder stored in the columns above the storage section and drive means (see at least p. 1, lines 1-15) configured to drive the vehicle along the rail system in at least one of the first direction and the second direction; wherein the method comprises retrieving the goods holder stored in the storage section of the storage and retrieval system by means of the container handling vehicle comprising the gripping device (50, see at least col. 7, lines 1-10); moving the drawer of the access station to the receiving position (see at least p. 6, line 30-35); placing the goods holder in the compartment of the drawer (see at least p. 6, lines 30-35); and moving the drawer into a picking position to present the goods holder to the user (see at least p. 6, lines 30-35). Hognaland discloses all the limitations of the claim, but it does not disclose that the drawer is a tilt drawer, wherein the tilt drawer is pivotable between a receiving position for receiving a goods, and a tilted picking position, wherein the tilt drawer has a horizontal axis of rotation arranged in a horizontal central part of the frame structure, and wherein the horizontal central part of the frame structure is a part with a horizontal distance to vertical side surfaces of the frame structure. While Hognaland does disclose “the drawer may be of a hinged-type of drawer”, it doesn’t explicitly disclose a tilt drawer. However, Kania discloses a similar device including a drawer which is a tilt drawer (16), wherein the tilt drawer is pivotable between a receiving position for receiving a goods, and a tilted picking position, wherein the tilt drawer has a horizontal axis of rotation (20) arranged in a horizontal central part of a frame structure (3), and wherein the horizontal central part of the frame structure is a part with a horizontal distance to vertical side surfaces of the frame structure (see Fig. 2) for the purpose of presenting a goods holder to a user and implementing a “hinged-type of drawer”. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective date of the applicant’s invention, to utilize a tilt drawer, wherein the tilt drawer is pivotable between a receiving position for receiving a goods, and a tilted picking position, wherein the tilt drawer has a horizontal axis of rotation arranged in a horizontal central part of the frame structure, and wherein the horizontal central part of the frame structure is a part with a horizontal distance to vertical side surfaces of the frame structure, as disclosed by Kania, for the purpose of presenting a goods holder to a user and implementing a “hinged-type of drawer”.
Regarding dependent claims 11, 12, Hognaland discloses that the access station is configured to provide a lower section of the port column (see at least Fig. 2). The automated storage and retrieval system comprises at least two access stations (see at least Fig. 2)
Regarding dependent claim 14, the combination of Hognaland and Kania discloses after presenting the goods holder to the user, returning the tilt drawer to the receiving position (see at least p. 7, lines 10-20); and retrieving the goods holder from the compartment (see at least p. 7, lines 10-20).
Regarding claims 15 and 16, the combination of Hognaland and Kania discloses all the limitations of the claims, but it does not disclose that the automated storage and retrieval system comprises at least four stations. Rather, the combination discloses two stations. However, having at least four stations merely requires the duplication of parts already present in the combination and would result in more stations. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the applicant’s invention to have at least four stations for the purpose of proving more stations.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kania (US 10,814,355) in view of Rapier (US 7,635,171). Kania discloses an access station for an automated storage and retrieval system, wherein the access station comprises: a frame structure (3); and a drawer (16) arranged in the frame structure, wherein the drawer is a tilt drawer (see Fig. 2) comprising a compartment (16) for accommodating a goods holder (8), wherein the tilt drawer is pivotable between a receiving position for receiving a goods holder from above, and a tilted picking position for presenting a goods holder to a user (see at least abstract), wherein the tilt drawer has a horizontal axis of rotation (20) arranged in a horizontal central part of the frame structure (3), and wherein the horizontal central part of the frame structure is a part with a horizontal distance to vertical side surfaces of the frame structure (see Fig. 2). Kania discloses all the limitations of the claims, but it does not disclose that the tilt drawer is biased towards the receiving position. However, Rapier discloses a similar device which includes a tilt drawer biased towards a receiving position (see col. 3, lines 20-30; “closed position”) for the purpose of automatically returning the drawer to the receiving position after removal of a container. It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the applicant’s invention to modify Kania by having the tilt drawer biased towards the receiving position, as disclosed by Rapier, for the purpose of automatically returning the drawer to the receiving position after removal of a container.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/29/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The applicant states that Kania does not disclose “a horizontal axis of rotation arranged in a horizontal central part of the tilt drawer and/or the frame structure” as recited in claim 1. The examiner notes that while Kania may or may not disclose that the horizontal axis of rotation is arranged in a horizontal central part of the tilt drawer as the term “central” is now clarified to mean, it does disclose that the horizontal axis of rotation is arranged in the frame structure, and in a horizontal central part of the frame structure. Therefore, Kania anticipates claim 1.
Additionally, the applicant appears to state that claim 1 is distinct from Kania because Kania does not disclose that the horizontal axis of rotation is arranged under a middle of the tilt drawer. The examiner notes that this limitation is recited in claim 2, and is not relevant to the patentability of claim 1. Additionally, Kania illustrates that the pivot axis is under a middle of the tilt drawer. The middle is a plane crossing the horizontal center of the drawer. The pivot axis disclosed by Kania is under this plane.
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 PATRICK HEWEY MACKEY whose telephone number is (571)272-6916. The examiner can normally be reached M - F 9-5.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/PATRICK H MACKEY/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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