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
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.
Claims 1-4, 7-13 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Fujihara US 2020/0316787 (hereinafter Fujihara).
Re. Cl. 1, Fujihara discloses: An end effector (2, Fig. 1), comprising: an upright mast (4, Fig. 1); a gripper (10, Fig. 3) movably coupled to said mast (see Fig. 7, via 4f for instance), said gripper configured to engage a pack side of a pack (see Fig. 2, configured to engage a pack P); a support plate (15, Fig. 3) extendable in relation to said upright mast (see Fig. 3, via 16a, b), said support plate configured to engage a pack bottom of said pack (see Fig. 6); and a compressor arm (12, Fig. 3) movably coupled to said mast (see Fig. 9-10 as being movable coupled to 10), said compressor arm configured to engage a pack top of said pack (see Fig. 10), said end effector having said support plate engaged to said pack bottom and said compressor arm engaged to said pack top adapted to move said pack from a first location to a second location (see Fig. 9-11, and Paragraph 0077) .
Re. Cl. 2, Fujihara discloses: said gripper includes one or more cups (11p, Fig. 3) configured to grip said pack side (see Fig. 5).
Re. Cl. 3, Fujihara discloses: said one or more cups have an internal surface which defines an interior space (see Fig. 3) fluidically coupled to a vacuum source adapted to draw a partial vacuum in said interior space of said one or more cups (Paragraph 0043 and 0044).
Re. Cl. 4, Fujihara discloses: said gripper engaged to said pack side moves upward on said mast to lift a portion of said pack bottom (see Fig. 1-2, by attaching to P and lifting P off the stack using joint within arm 4).
Re. Cl. 7, Fujihara discloses: said first location comprises a first pallet containing a plurality of packs, and wherein said second location comprises a second pallet configured to receive one or more of said plurality of packs (see Fig. 1-11, the device is configured to be used in the claimed intended use in the same manner as attaching to P and moving them).
Re. Cl. 8, Fujihara discloses: said pack comprises a case or a carrier tray (see Fig. 1-11, the device is configured to be used in the claimed intended use in the same manner as attaching to P).
Re. Cl. 9, Fujihara discloses: said carrier tray comprises a cardboard carrier tray having a carrier tray bottom and interconnected upwardly extending carrier tray sides (see Fig. 1-11, the device is configured to be used in the claimed intended use in the same manner as attaching to P).
Re. Cl. 10, Fujihara discloses: A method of making an end effector (see Fig. 1-2), comprising: providing an upright mast (4, Fig. 1); movably coupling a gripper (2, Fig. 1) to said mast (see Fig. 9 at 4f for example), said gripper configured to engage a pack side (see Fig. 9); coupling a support plate (15, Fig. 3) in extendable retractable relation to said mast (see Fig. 3, via 16a, b), said support plate configured to engage a pack bottom (see Fig. 5-6); and moveably coupling a compressor arm (12, Fig. 3) to said mast (see Fig. 9-11), said compressor arm configured to engage a pack top (see Fig. 11 for example), said end effector having said support plate engaged to said package bottom and said compressor arm engaged to said package top (see Fig. 11) capable of moving a pack from a first location to a second location (see Fig. 1-2 and Paragraph 0077).
Re. Cl. 11, Fujihara discloses: coupling one or more cups to said gripper (11p, Fig. 3), said one or more cups configured to grip said pack side (see Fig. 9-11).
Re. Cl. 12, Fujihara discloses: fluidically coupling a vacuum source to an interior space of said one or more cups, said vacuum source adapted to draw a partial vacuum in said interior space of said one or more cups (see Paragraph 0043-0044).
Re. Cl. 13, Fujihara discloses: configuring said gripper to move upward on said mast with said gripper engaged to said pack side to lift a portion of said pack bottom (see Fig. 1-2 using the joints within the arm 4).
Re. Cl. 16, Fujihara discloses: said first location comprises a first pallet containing a plurality of packs, and wherein said second location comprises a second pallet configured to receive one or more of said plurality of (see Fig. 1-11, the device is configured to be used in the claimed intended use in the same manner as attaching to P and moving them).
Re. Cl. 17, Fujihara discloses: said pack comprises a case or a carrier tray (see Fig. 1-11, the device is configured to be used in the claimed intended use in the same manner as attaching to P).
Re. Cl. 18, Fujihara discloses: said carrier tray comprises a cardboard carrier tray having a carrier tray bottom and interconnected upwardly extending carrier tray sides (see Fig. 1-11, the device is configured to be used in the claimed intended use in the same manner as attaching to P).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 5-6 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujihara in view of Polido US 11207786 (hereinafter Polido).
Re. Cls. 5-6 and 14-15, Fujihara does not disclose said compressor arm further includes a compression pad adapted to compress upon engaging said pack top (Cl. 5) or said compression pad defines a compression pad external surface fluidically coupled to a vacuum source adapted to draw a partial vacuum at said compression pad external surface (Cl. 6), coupling a compression pad to said compressor arm, said compression pad adapted to compress upon engaging said pack top (Cl. 14) or fluidically coupling said compression pad to a vacuum source adapted to draw a partial vacuum at an external surface of said compression pad (Cl. 15). Polido discloses an end effector (Fig. 9) which includes a compressor arm (62’ Fig. 9) having a compression pad (72’ Fig. 9) adapted to compress upon engaging said pack top (see Fig. 9, the suction cup 72’ would compress against a pack when the negative pressure is created); said compression pad defines a compression pad external surface fluidically coupled to a vacuum source adapted to draw a partial vacuum at said compression pad external surface (Col. 4, Lines 36-41; it is the Examiner’s position that the suction cup 72’ would function as claimed).
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 compression arm of Fujihara to include the suction cup of Polido with reasonable expectation of success to provide a more secure connection to the article which would be more resistant to slipping or dropping.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Olson US 3207348, Schmalz US 2001/0052708 and Kang US 2026/0145920 disclose other known end effectors presented to the Applicant for their consideration.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHRISTOPHER E GARFT whose telephone number is (571)270-1171. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m..
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Terrell McKinnon can be reached at (571)272-4797. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/CHRISTOPHER GARFT/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3632
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