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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 7-10 in the reply filed on 5/20/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-6 and 11-15 have been withdrawn from consideration.
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 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 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 7-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zhou (CN 104384003) in view of Wu (US Pub 2017/0223813 A1).
Regarding claim 7, Zhou discloses a device for dispensing material, comprising: a material store (material from element 21 entering element 22); a screen to disperse material from the material store (element 3); induced vibration in the material store, thereby causing at least some of the material to be dispensed through the screen (element 22 vibratory feeding material to element 3 to distribute material); but Zhou does not disclose a motor and an ion generator configured to emit charged ions to the dispensed material.
Zhou as set forth above teach all that is claimed except for expressly teaching a motor to induce vibration. These features, however, are all well-known means of powering a vibration within a feeding device in the mechanical arts and Examiner takes Official Notice of such. Therefore, it obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to modify the invention of Zhou as is well known in the art.
Wu teaches an ion generator configured to emit charged ions to the dispensed material (paragraph 0042) for the purpose of dissipating an electrostatic charge from items to be packaged. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to modify Zhou, as taught by Wu, for the purpose of dissipating an electrostatic charge from items to be packaged.
Regarding claim 8, Zhou does not disclose the claim limitations. Wu teaches a charge sensor, wherein a controller of the device configures the ion generator according to a charge detected by the charge sensor (paragraph 0042; elements 51 and 41) for the purpose of dissipating an electrostatic charge from items to be packaged. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to modify Zhou, as taught by Wu, for the purpose of dissipating an electrostatic charge from items to be packaged.
Regarding claim 9, Zhou does not disclose the claim limitations. Wu teaches the controller configures the ion generator to: emit a positive ion when a negative charge is detected; and emit a negative ion when a positive charge is detected (paragraphs 0042-0043 sensing and dissipate static values) for the purpose of dissipating an electrostatic charge from items to be packaged. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to modify Zhou, as taught by Wu, for the purpose of dissipating an electrostatic charge from items to be packaged.
Regarding claim 10, Zhou does not disclose the claim limitations. Wu teaches a controller of the device configures the ion generator to emit a sequence of positive ions and a negative ions according to a predetermined schedule (paragraph 0039-0040 where a planned pattern of alternating ions are generated to disperse any charge) for the purpose of dissipating an electrostatic charge from items to be packaged. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention with a reasonable expectation of success to modify Zhou, as taught by Wu, for the purpose of dissipating an electrostatic charge from items to be packaged.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Webb (USP 3,970,546) discloses vibratory feeding with charge induction to manipulate materials.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Kalyanavenkateshware Kumar whose telephone number is (571)272-8102. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 08:00-16:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached on 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/K.K./Examiner, Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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