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 Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities:
Each of the words “an”, on lines 3 and 4, should be replaced with the word --a--.
Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-4 and 7-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shin (KR 2021 0009779) in view of Koure et al (U.S. Patent No. 9,499,287), hereinafter “Koure”.
With respect to Claim 1, Shin, Figures 1-5, teaches a transfer device that adsorbs picks up and transports a laminate with a plurality of electrodes and separators, the transfer device comprising:
a base plate 213 configured to move in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, wherein the base plate is configured to ascend and descend in the vertical direction (See Figure 1);
a grasping unit 211 coupled to a lower part of the base plate and configured to pick up an upper surface of the laminate.
Shin teaches all the elements of the elements of the transfer device except for
a support unit coupled to the base plate and configured to support a lower part of the laminate, wherein
the support unit comprises:
a vertical moving member, and
a rotating member coupled to the vertical moving member and configured to rotate about a coupling point to support the laminate.
However, Koure, Figures 1-8, teaches
a support unit 1 coupled (via 22) to the base plate 30 and configured to support a lower part of the laminate 102, wherein
the support unit 1 comprises:
a vertical moving member 20, and
a rotating member 21 (note element 21 rotates from an open position shown in Figure 1 to a closed position in Figure 2) coupled to the vertical moving member 20 and configured to rotate about a coupling point to support the laminate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to provide Shin with a support unit, as taught by Koure, because
in this manner the tray to be picked up is always positioned in the same way with respect to this carrier unit and therefore also the rotating member will always be pivoted into the proper position with respect to the lower edge of this laminate. Further, failure of pickup of a normal, laminate is substantially completely prevented. See Column 5, lines 63-67 & Column 6, lines 1-6.
With respect to Claim 2, Shin further teaches wherein the grasping unit 211 comprises:
a grasping pad configured to attach to the upper surface of the laminate; and
a grasping tube 219 having both ends respectively coupled to the base plate and the adsorption grasping pad, respectively, so as to fix the grasping pad to the base plate.
With respect to Claim 3, Shin further teaches wherein a plurality of grasping units 211 are coupled to the lower part of the base plate and configured to pick up each corner of the upper surface of the laminate.
With respect to Claim 4, Koure further teaches wherein the support unit 1 comprises:
a fixing member coupled to opposing sides of the base plate and extending downward;
the vertical moving member coupled to the fixing member and configured to be slidable along the vertical direction; and
the rotating member coupled to a lower part of the vertical moving member.
With respect to Claim 7, Koure further teaches wherein the fixing member comprises a pneumatic cylinder, and
the vertical moving member is coupled to the pneumatic cylinder and configured to move in the vertical direction according to a movement of a piston of the pneumatic cylinder.
With respect to Claim 8, Koure further teaches wherein
the support unit is coupled to the base plate and is configured to be slidable along the base plate in the horizontal direction.
With respect to Claim 9, Koure further teaches wherein
the rotating member is axially coupled to an end of the vertical moving member, and includes a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction, about which the rotating member is configured to rotate.
With respect to Claim 10, Koure further teaches wherein
the rotating member 21 extends horizontally with respect to the rotation axis, and
the lower part of the laminate is supported by the rotating member.
With respect to Claim 11, Koure further teaches wherein
the rotating member 21 comprises an inclined surface extending from the rotation axis towards a center of the laminate.
With respect to Claim 12, Shin further teaches wherein
the vertical moving member comprises a servo motor at the end, and
the rotating member 21 is coupled to the servo motor and configured to rotate about the rotation axis.
With respect to Claim 13, Shin further teaches wherein
the vertical moving member comprises a pneumatic motor at the end, and
the rotating member 21 is coupled to the pneumatic motor and configured to rotate about the rotation axis.
With respect to Claim 14, Shin further teaches wherein
a plurality of rotating members are coupled to a lower part of the vertical moving member.
With respect to Claim 15, Shin further teaches wherein
the base plate is coupled to a driving device configured to move the base plate in the vertical direction and the horizontal direction.
With respect to Claims 16-17, the method described in these claims would inherently result from the use of transfer device of Shin in view of Koure as advanced above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Claims 5-6 are allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest the entire combination of elements of the transfer device set forth including wherein the fixing member comprises a vertical guide rail extending vertically along a side of the fixing member; the vertical moving member is coupled to the fixing member so as to be guided by the vertical guide rail; and the vertical moving member is configured to be guided by the vertical guide rail so as to move in the vertical direction with respect to the fixing member.
None of the references of the prior art teach or suggest the fixing member comprises a vertical guide rail extending vertically along a side of the fixing member; the vertical moving member is coupled to the fixing member so as to be guided by the vertical guide rail; and the vertical moving member is configured to be guided by the vertical guide rail so as to move in the vertical direction with respect to the fixing member as advanced above and such do not provide the necessary motivation, absent applicant's specification, for modifying the transfer device in the manner required by the claims.
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.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to WILLIAM ARAUZ RIVERA whose telephone number is (571)272-6953. The examiner can normally be reached Monday to Friday 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM MDT.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Victoria P. Augustine can be reached at 313-446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/WILLIAM A. RIVERA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3654
Prosecution Insights