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 Arguments
The rejection to claim 15 under 112, second paragraph has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 1/2/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Regarding claims 1 and 17, Applicant argues that Phillips does not teach two distinct conveyor assemblies or two distinct chassis on page 8, paragraph 6. Chassis is defined as “the supporting frame of a structure” by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary. Phillips teaches a frame structure with multiple support structures as seen throughout the figures and are well known in the are of conveyor assemblies. Applicant has not presented precise structural claim language to overcome the arguments of the chassis.
Applicant then argues that Phillips does not teach multiple cams on page 9 paragraph 1. As clarified in the rejection below, Phillips teaches cam assemblies 304,306 of actuation units 208,210 having cam followers 310,312,314 engaging with a cam trach 308 C8 L25-60 thereby teaching multiple cams with multiple cam followers. The claim language as presented does not provide structural claim language to overcome the cited prior art (engage defined as “to bring together or interlock” by Meriam-Webster’s Dictionary). The broad language of claims 1 and 17 meets the interpretation of cited prior art.
For the foregoing reasons, the claims stand rejected.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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) 1-8,10-14 and 17-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Phillips U.S. Patent No. 10,882,703.
Claims 1 and 17, Phillips teaches a transfer table 106 comprising: a first assembly 1002 comprising a first chassis 806c,d bearing a plurality of first conveyor elements of 1002 Fig. 10 spaced from one another and defining a first plane for conveying articles Fig. 10; a second assembly 1004 comprising a second chassis 806a,b bearing a plurality of second conveyor elements 1100,1106, 1102, spaced from one another and defining a second plane for conveying articles Fig. 11; and a raising-lowering mechanism 208,210 for raising and lowering at least one of: the first assembly 1002; and the second assembly 1004, the raising-lowering mechanism 208,210 comprising: a cam (304) having a cam track 308; and a pair of cam followers 310,312,314 engaging with the cam track 308 of the cam of 304, wherein a cam follower 310 of the pair of cam followers 310,312,314 is borne by the first chassis 1106 and a second cam follower 312 of the pair of cam followers 310,312,314 is borne by the second chassis 1106 C9 L25-50, and wherein the cam of 304 is mobile by pivoting via 302 between: a first position, in which the first plane is arranged above the second plane; and a second position, in which the second plane is arranged above the first plane C13 L15-60; C19 L45-67; C20 L1-5.
Claim 2, Phillips teaches the cam of 304 is a first cam 310 and the pair of cam followers 310,312,314, is a first pair of cam followers 310,312,314, wherein the raising-lowering mechanism 210 comprises a second cam follower 312 and a second pair of cam followers 310,312,314 of 306, wherein a first cam follower 310 of the second pair of cam followers 310,312,314 is borne by the first chassis 1106 and a second cam follower 312 of the second pair of cam followers 312 is borne by the second chassis 1106 Fig. 10.
Claims 3, Phillips teaches the raising-lowering mechanism 208,210 comprises a connecting rod via 302 joining the first cam 310 to the second cam of 306, wherein the connecting rod via 302 is attached by pivot to the first cam 310 and to the second cam 312 at respective points such that the first and second cams of 304,306 move in opposite directions C1 L50-67; C2 L1-15C4 L55-67; C5 L1-10; C8 L50-60.
Claim 4, Phillips teaches the raising-lowering mechanism 208,210 comprises a connecting rod joining the first cam of 304 to the second cam of 306, wherein the connecting rod via 302 is attached by pivot to the first cam of 304 and to the second cam of 306 at respective points such that the first and second cams move in identical directions C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-10; C8 L50-60.
Claim 5, Phillips teaches the cam track 308 has one or two angular end-of-range stops C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-10; C8 L50-60 Fig. 3.
Claim 6, Phillips teaches the first cam of 304 and the second cam of 306 each comprises at least one end-of-range stop configured such that when one of the at least one angular end-of-range stops of the first cam of 304 engages the first cam follower 310 of the first pair of cam followers 310,312,314, one of the at least one angular end-of-range stops of the second cam of 306 simultaneously engages the first cam follower 310 of the second pair of cam followers 310,312,314 C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-10; C8 L50-60.
Claim 7, Phillips teaches the first and second cams of 304,306 each comprises at least one end-of-range stop configured such that when one of the at least one angular end-of-range stops of the first cam of 304 engages the second cam follower 312 of the first pair of cam followers 310,312,314, one of the at least one angular end-of-range stops of the second cam of 306 simultaneously engages the second cam follower 310,312,314 of the second pair of cam follower 1104 C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-10.
Claim 8, Phillips teaches an electric motor arranged coaxially with a pivoting axis of the cam C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-10.
Claim 10, Phillips teaches the cam track 308 comprises a common portion of 208 on which the first cam follower 310 as well as the second cam follower 312 roll as the cam 304 pivots from the first position to the second position C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-10.
Claim 11, Phillips teaches the cam track 308 has a curved length and the common portion extends over 10 to 30% of the curved length of the cam track 308 Fig. 3.
Claim 12, Phillips teaches the common portion of 208 extends over an angle of the cam track 308 comprised between 10° and 60° Fig. 3.
Claim 13, Phillips teaches an angle travelled by the cam of 304 between the first position and the second position is comprised between 30° and 180° C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-25; C8 L50-60.
Claim 14, Phillips teaches the cam of 304 may be pivoted in the median angular position in which the first and second planes coincide C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-25; C8 L50-60.
Claim 18, Phillips teaches pivoting the cam of 304 from the first position to the second position comprises pivoting the cam of 304 in a first pivoting direction, and the method further comprises pivoting the cam of 304 from the second position to the first position in a second pivoting direction, the second pivoting direction being opposite the first pivoting direction C1 L50-67; C4 L55-67; C5 L1-25; C8 L50-60.
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.
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Phillips U.S. Patent No. 10,882,703 in view of Huang U.S. Patent No. 11,319,155.
Claim 9, Phillips does not teach as Huang teaches the electric motor 1 has an external rotor 22, wherein the cam 11 is formed on or attached to the external rotor C5 L5-67. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to combine the transport disclosed in Phillips with the rotor taught in Huang with a reasonable expectation of success because
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 15-16 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The prior art does not fairly teach “the transfer table comprises a third cam and a fourth cam, as well as a third pair of rollers and a fourth pair of rollers, wherein the third and fourth cams and the third and fourth pairs of rollers are arranged symmetrically to the first and second cams and first and second pairs of rollers, relative to a median plane of the transfer table” in combination with any intervening claim language.
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 KAVEL SINGH whose telephone number is (571)272-2362. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm.
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, Gene Crawford can be reached at (571) 272-6911. 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.
/KAVEL SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
KS