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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-6, 8, 9 and 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kalany et al. (US 2015/0158611).
Kalany et al. show a handling device 11 having at least two object receivers 18 each of which is adapted to receive a separate object P, at least one adjustment device 21 via which a distance between the object receivers is changeable (see Figure 2) and at least one transport unit 30 that acts on the adjustment device 21 to change the distance between the object receivers 18 by movement of the transport unit 30.
Re claim 2, a longitudinal extent is present.
Re claim 3, shown is a transport system in Figure 1.
Re claim 4, the unit can be passive at times.
Re claim 5, shown is a stator arrangement.
Re claim 6, the device can be moved.
Re claim 8, stepless conveying is disclosed.
Re claim 9, a defined ratio is used for a change of the distances between receivers 18.
Re claim 13, goods P are transported.
Re claim 14, movement in horizontal and vertical directions is shown.
Re claim 15, shown is a horizontal section.
Re claim 16, see Figure 5 for multiple objects P placed into receivers 18.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 10-12 and 17 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 prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Baechle (US 2017/0341875) shows a handling device having at least two receivers each of which receives an object and the spacing between them is adjustable via an adjustment device. This reference reads at least on claim 1 as well.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R BIDWELL whose telephone number is (571)272-6910. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8 to 4.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford, can be reached at telephone number (571)272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES R BIDWELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651 02/24/2026
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