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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 11 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor, or for pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
It is unclear what is being claimed by “the movable component is seated on the first surface and fixedly connected to the movable component through a fastener arranged on the second surface.”. It appears the movable component is claimed to be fastened to itself.
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 1-5, 7, 11-16, 19-20 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by CN 114940455, cited by Applicant, English translation attached, herein after CN 455.
Regarding claim 1, CN 455 discloses a lifting apparatus, the lifting apparatus comprising
a first actuator (1), the first actuator comprising a first actuating rod (air cylinder rod), the first actuating rod being configured to be movable in a first direction (horizontal direction);
a movable component (3), the movable component being connected with the first actuating rod and configured to be movable with motion of the first actuating rod;
a lifting component (4), the lifting component being configured to lift an object to be lifted, wherein the lifting component is configured to be able to receive a force exerted by the movable component and move in a second direction motion, and the second direction is different from the first direction (jacking cross beam 4 is configured to be capable of receiving acting forces applied by the wedge-shaped blocks 3, as to move in a vertical direction); and
a first connecting mechanism (transmission shaft 2), wherein the first actuating rod is connected to the movable component through the first connecting mechanism (Fig.2), and the first connecting mechanism is configured such that the motion of the first actuating rod is transmitted to the movable component (Fig.2), and the first connecting mechanism is configured such that there is a motion margin in the first direction between the first actuating rod and the movable component (Fig.2).
Regarding claim 2, CN 455 further discloses wherein the movable component (3) is configured to be movable along the first direction with the motion of the first actuating rod (1), the movable component has an inclined surface (Fig.2), and the inclined surface is configured to exert a force on the lifting component when the movable component moves, so that the lifting component moves in the second direction (jacking cross beam 4 is configured to be capable of receiving acting forces applied by the wedge-shaped blocks 3, as to move in a vertical direction).
Regarding claim 3, CN 455 further discloses wherein an inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to the first direction is 10 degrees to 45 degrees (Pg.3, Para.8).
Regarding claim 4, CN 455 further discloses wherein the inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to the first direction may be is 15 degrees to 30 degrees (Pg.3, Para.8).
Regarding claim 5, CN 455 further discloses wherein the inclination angle of the inclined surface with respect to the first direction may be is 20 degrees to 25 degrees (Pg.3, Para.8).
Regarding claim 7, CN 455 further discloses wherein the first connecting mechanism comprises a connecting rod (43) and a connecting seat (42), the connecting rod is connected with the first actuating rod (Fig.3), and the connecting seat is connected with the movable component (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 11, CN 455 further discloses wherein the connecting seat (42) has a step portion (Fig.3), the step portion comprises a first surface and a second surface perpendicular to each other (Fig.3), and the movable component is seated on the first surface and fixedly connected to the movable component through a fastener arranged on the second surface (see 112 rejection above).
Regarding claim 12, CN 455 further discloses wherein the movable component comprises at least one tapered wedge, the tapered wedge has an inclined surface (Fig.2), and the inclined surface is configured to exert a force on the lifting component when the movable component moves, so that the lifting component moves in the second direction (jacking cross beam 4 is configured to be capable of receiving acting forces applied by the wedge-shaped blocks 3, as to move in a vertical direction).
Regarding claim 13, CN 455 further discloses the lifting apparatus comprises at least two movable components (3), and the at least two movable components are connected through a connection rod (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 14, CN 455 further discloses wherein one of a sliding rail and a slider is arranged on the movable component (3) and the other of the sliding rail and the slider is arranged on a frame of the lifting apparatus (4), and the sliding rail and the slider cooperate with each other so that the movable component is able to move in the first direction (slides along 4, Fig.3).
Regarding claim 15, CN 455 further discloses wherein a lifting surface of the lifting component for lifting the object is provided with a plurality of fixing seats (42), and each fixing seat is provided with a plurality of universal balls (41).
Regarding claim 16, CN 455 further discloses wherein the plurality of fixing seats comprise a plurality of first fixing seats, wherein the universal balls on the first fixing seats are arranged in straight lines (Fig.3).
Regarding claim 19, CN 455 further discloses wherein the lifting apparatus further comprises a second actuator (8) and a clamping mechanism (Pg.4, Para.8), and the second actuator is configured to drive the clamping mechanism to move between a clamping position and a releasing position (Pg.4, Para.8).
Regarding claim 20, CN 455 further discloses wherein the lifting apparatus further comprises a positioning mechanism (Fig.4), the positioning mechanism is fixed on the lifting component (Fig.1), the positioning mechanism comprises a third actuator (61) and a positioning pin (Fig.4), and the third actuator is configured to be able to drive the positioning pin to move between an extension position and a retraction position along the second direction (Fig.4).
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 of this title, 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.
Claims 17-18 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over CN 114940455 in view of Babinet (FR 3132444).
Regarding claim 17, CN 455 further discloses wherein the plurality of fixing seats comprise a plurality of second fixing seats (Fig.2)
CN 455 does not further specifically disclose wherein the universal balls on the plurality of second fixing seats are arranged in triangles.
Babinet teaches a device for gripping wherein each bearing 63 has a substantially triangular shape with a vertex at the proximal end 72 and two vertices at the distal end 73 (Figs.3-4).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the application was filed to have modified CN 455 in view of Babinet to have universal balls (ball bearings) arranged in triangles in order to allow for precise determination of direction and distance by forming triangles between points on a 2D plane.
Regarding claim 18, CN 455, as modified above, further teaches wherein triangular arrangements of the universal balls on the plurality of second fixing seats have at least two different orientations (Babinet, Figs.3-4).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 8-10 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:
The prior art of record fails to disclose or render obvious the claimed invention as set forth in claim 8 and subsequent dependent claims. The prior art of record does not disclose or render obvious the connecting rod has a first position-limiting part with an increased diameter, a second position-limiting part with an increased diameter, and a third part located between the first position-limiting part and the second position-limiting part, the connecting seat has a groove, the first position-limiting part and the second position-limiting part are located outside the groove on opposite sides respectively and configured to limit motion of the connecting rod in the first direction, and the third part is accommodated in the groove.
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. Kurita, Kritzer, Foroni, Stone, Clarke, Bafile and Martin further disclose elements of a lifting apparatus.
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/SAUL RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3652
/ASHLEY K ROMANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3652