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
Applicant's arguments filed with respect to claims 1, 9 and 14 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues JP2002338006 does not disclose its two transfer robots 25 coupled to a single (the same) displacement mechanism. Applicant further argues JP2002338006 discloses multiple separate transfer robots, with separate moving means teaching away from the claimed two manipulators coupled to the same displacement mechanism. However, as outlined in the office action and in the annotated figure 7 below, the displacement mechanism of JP2002338006 comprises both the two transfer robots 25 and the components coupled to the robots 25, all of which are considered to be a part of the displacement mechanism. In other words all of the components of both first and second manipulators (robots 25) are considered to be coupled to, be a part of and make up one displacement mechanism for the robotic container handler disclosed by JP2002338006. Hence first and second manipulators (robots 25) are not separate and distinct as they are a part of one robotic container handler that service the automatic storage and retrieval system disclosed by JP2002338006.
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The broad recitation of the displacement mechanism do not prevent the interpretation outlined in the rejection of the claims. Applicant might be able to get past such a broad interpretation of the claim language if the displacement mechanism and the coupling of the first and second manipulators was explained with further detail to better distinguish applicant’s device.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
3. The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
4. Claim(s) 1-12, 14-18 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2002338006.
JP 2002338006 discloses a method and apparatus including (claims 1, 2, 9, 14-20) a robotic container handler (25, figures 7 and 9) comprising a displacement mechanism (29-33, figure 9) having a vertical centre plane (the vertical plane between the two manipulators 25, figure 7), a first manipulator (25, on the right, figure 7) including a first inner end (29, figure 9) movably coupled to the displacement mechanism (28) at a first side of the vertical center plane and a first outer end (33, figure 9) fixed to a first coupler (34+35, figure 9) allowing releasable connection to a container (1, figure 9) and a second manipulator (25, on the left, figure 7) comprising a second inner end (29, figure 9) coupled to the displacement mechanism (28) at a second side of the vertical center plane opposite of the first side and a second outer end (33, figure 9) fixed to a second coupler (34+35, figure 9) allowing releasable connection to the container (1, figure 9), wherein the displacement mechanism (29-33) is configured to move the first and second couplers (34+35) parallel to the vertical center plane (for instance using the rails 30 or 32, figure 9); (claim 3) the displacement mechanism has a stand 28, a displacement part 31 horizontally displaced along the rail 30, and at least one of the first inner end and second inner end of the manipulator 25 are coupled is coupled to displacement part 29; (claim 4) displacement mechanism 29-33 includes a vertical displacement mechanism including a vertically guiding part 32 and a vertical displacement motor 33 to move manipulator 25 (see paragraph 0024); (claim 5) a coupler frame 35 (figure 10b), a gripper 34, an actuator system 37; (claims 6,8) the actuator system including a motor 37 and a linkage system 38, 39, 41-43 interconnecting the motor 37 and gripper 34 (paragraph 0025); (claim 7) grippers 34 including paddles having protrusions 45 for insertion into a corresponding aperture within an inner volume of container 1; (claim 9) a conveyor system 23, 24, figure 5 including an inner conveyor transporting containers 5 are delivered from the framework structure 20 and into a first container handling area within reach of the first coupler 34,35 of the robotic container handler 25; (claim 10) the inner conveyor 24 transports containers 5 through the first container handling area into a pickup area 24a and stored within framework 20; (claims 11, 12) an outer conveyor 23, external locations 21, 22.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claim(s) 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over WO 2014/075937 in view of JP 2002338006.
WO 2014/075937 includes a framework structure 10 comprising a plurality of vertical upright members 50 defining a plurality of storage columns for storing stacks of storage containers 30 and at least one drop-off port column 56 for transporting a storage container to a drop-off area 66 of an access and distribution station wherein at least one of the storage containers 30 within the framework structure 10 has a delivery container stored therein, a rail system 20, 22, 24 arranged on the framework structure 10, the rail system comprising perpendicular rails, the intersections of which form a grid made up of grid cells (figure 2), the rails defining grid openings for a plurality of storage columns, a remotely operated vehicle 40, 42 comprising drive means configured to travel along the rail system 20, 22, 24 and a storage container lifting device for storing and retrieving storage containers 30 through the grid openings. WO 2014/075937 does not disclose a robotic container handler as claimed. However, JP 2002338006 discloses a robotic container handler having the claimed features as outlined above in the 102 section for servicing a storage and retrieval system. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the effective filing date of the invention to include the robotic handler of JP 2002338006 in the storage system of WO 2014/075937 to facilitate loading and unloading of containers to and from the framework structure of the storage and retrieval system.
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.
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GENE O CRAWFORD whose telephone number is (571)272-6911. The examiner can normally be reached M-Thurs 6a-5p; Fri 6a-2p.
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/GENE O CRAWFORD/
Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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