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 .
Response to Amendment
The Applicant’s Remarks, filed 01/27/2026 have been accepted and entered. Claim 1 has been amended. No claims have been added or canceled. Claims 1-6 are pending.
Response to Argument
1. Applicant’s arguments/amendment, see pgs. 4-7, filed 01/27/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1-6 rejected under 35 U.S.C. §102(a)(1) or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being obvious over U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2023/0305029 to Asai et al. (hereinafter "Asai"), have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
The Applicant argues that Asai “…is not directed to a safety interlock mechanism for confirming the attachment state of physical components. The purpose of providing the camera 23 in Asai is solely to "verify the operation of the sorting device 20"….” The Applicant further argues “…if the camera 23 in Asai were somehow relocated to a position "adjacent to a lateral side" of the conveying, the conveyor frame itself would obstruct the view, preventing the camera 23 from capturing the critical moment when the article is discharged. In other words, placing the camera 23 at a position "adjacent to the lateral side of the conveyor unit" significantly impairs the camera's ability to accomplish its intended purpose of "operational verification." If the location of the camera 23 of Asai were somehow modified to meet the claims of the present invention, it would require a complete reconstruction of the system disclosed in Asai, which would destroy the teaching of Asai… a person of ordinary skill in the art would not relocate the camera 23 adjacent to a lateral side of the conveyor, as doing so would undermine the system's primary purpose without any apparent benefit.” The Applicant amends claim 1, clause 4, to recite, “a determination unit arranged adjacent to a lateral side of the conveying unit, …” (Emphasis on “determination unit).
The Examiner respectfully states that claim 1 and the corresponding amendment do not address/claim sensor arrangements and a safety interlock mechanism. Further, the Examiner points to FIG. 1A-1B which shows the management PC 40, 41, PLC 55 and camera 23 being laterally adjacent to the conveyor 10. The Examiner previously viewed the management PC, PLC and camera as being a combined determination unit (see also [0096]. Also, the Examiner further points to [0149] which discloses that the management PC 40, 41 is LAN-connected to control units of a plurality of article inspection devices 2 to 4 and to PLC 55 in a predetermined wired or wireless bus manner. Peripherals, such as the wired/wireless management PC, PLC and arrangeable cameras/sensors determination units, are commonly arranged into a configuration which are suitable for the user and the operation of such inspection systems and it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill within the art to arrange the units for such suitability and operations. The rejection stands.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Asai et al. (US 2023/0305029) hereinafter known as Asai.
With regards to claim 1, Asai discloses an X-ray inspection apparatus (FIG. 8A-8B; [0050][0068][0076]; X-ray inspection device in the article inspection verification system.)[0142] comprising:
a conveying unit configured to convey an article ([0080]; “The sorting device 20 includes a plurality of conveyors 17, 18, and 19…”);
an irradiation unit ([0142]; FIG. 8A; X-ray irradiation unit 81) configured to irradiate the article conveyed by the conveying unit with an electromagnetic wave [0145];
a detection unit (FIG. 8A; X-ray detection unit 82) configured to detect the electromagnetic wave emitted from the irradiation unit and transmitted through the article [0145][0148];
an inspection unit configured to inspect the article based on a detection result of the detection unit article ([0062][0086][0097]; FIG. 2; article inspection verification system 5)(Note; [0083] teaches that the article inspection verification system can be utilized with article inspection devices 2-4 wherein 4 is an X-ray inspection device (see [0076])). ; and
a determination unit ([0088][0089]; PLC (programmable logic controller 55 and management PC 40) arranged adjacent to a lateral side of the conveying unit (see the Response to Arguments above), and configured to determine attachment of the conveying unit ([0096]; “…the PLC 55 may be able to verify the operation of the sorting device 20 in the article inspection system 1 by receiving a monitoring image of a camera 23 that inputs a line monitoring image to the management PC 40,…”), wherein
the conveying unit includes first and second conveying units (FIG. 2; and conveyor 16 and dropout type sorting conveyor 17) arranged side by side with a passing region through which the electromagnetic wave from the irradiation unit to the detection unit passes therebetween ([0078] “The article inspection system 1 includes the plurality of types of article inspection devices 2 to 4 arranged in order from the upstream side along the article conveyance path 10,…”) and
the determination unit includes:
a support portion ([0085]; “…a pair of rollers for supporting an endless conveyor belt are supported by a common shaft support frame.”) attached to the first conveying unit 16;
a swing member ([0080]; “The conveyor 17 on the upstream side is used as a dropout type sorting conveyor, and the sorting device 20 further includes a plurality of stages of flipper type rejection mechanisms 27 and 28…”) swingably attached to the second conveying unit 17 and at least partially in contact with the support portion (see above) when the first 16 and second 17 conveying units are attached ([0085]; “A swing drive mechanism of such a drop-down type sorting conveyor…”); and
a sensor unit ([0096]; camera 23)(see also [0168] relating to operation detection sensors 33 and 34) configured to detect whether the swing member is present at a predetermined position in a state where the swing member is in contact with the support portion ([0096]; “the PLC 55 may be able to verify the operation of the sorting device 20 in the article inspection system 1 by receiving a monitoring image of a camera 23 that inputs a line monitoring image to the management PC 40, pieces of detection information of a plurality of operation detection sensors 31, 33, and 34 that detect the operation state of the dropout type sorting conveyor 17 of the sorting device 20 and the operation states of the plurality of stages of flipper type rejection mechanisms 27 and 28, detection...”).
With regards to claim 2, Asai discloses the X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the swing member includes a magnet ([0100]; magnetic field fluctuation generator 51)([0101]; “The loop coil 61 is made of, for example, a one-turn magnet wire…”), and
the sensor unit is a magnetic proximity switch for detecting whether the magnet is present at a predetermined position ([0100]; “….the magnetic field fluctuation generator 51 attached to the metal detection device 2 can switch ON/OFF of a loop coil 61 that affects the inspection section Z1…”).
With regards to claim 3, Asai discloses the X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the support portion (Fig. 2; Mc1; see the rejection of claim 1) and the swing member 17 are arranged between a conveying surface of the first and second conveying units (16, 17, 18) and a side wall of a housing extending in a vertical direction on a side of the conveying surface [0143], and
the sensor unit 23 is disposed on an inner surface side of the side wall [0143].
With regards to claim 4, Asai discloses the X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second conveying unit is provided with a restriction mechanism for restricting a swing range of the swing member. ([0157]; The flipper type rejection mechanisms 27 and 28 can perform the predetermined sorting and discharging operation of supporting, for example, the base end portion of each flipper on the downstream side by a rotary shaft and entering the tip end portion thereof on the upstream side at a predetermined crossing angle on the conveyor 18.”)
With regards to claim 5, Asai discloses the X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection unit stops irradiation with the electromagnetic wave when the determination unit does not determine attachment of the first and second conveying units. [0100][0105][0173]
With regards to claim 6, Asai discloses the X-ray inspection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection unit provides notification that there is an abnormality when the determination unit does not determine attachment of the first and second conveying units. [0096][0170][0193]
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 HUGH H MAUPIN whose telephone number is (571)270-1495. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 7:30 - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Uzma Alam can be reached at 571-272-3995. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HUGH MAUPIN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2884