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 § 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) 1-5, 7-14, and 18-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hendrick (US 20190263596) in view of Takayama (JP 2001019132).
Regarding claim-1. Hendrick discloses an adaptor (520, Fig.49-51; [0127-0128]) for mounting a conveyor component (i.e., 590) to a drive assembly (500) for a conveyor belt (420), the drive assembly comprising spaced-apart end plates (530), comprising:
a shaped body (of 520, Fig.51) forming a bearing opening (521) for seating a bearing (523) for rotatably housing a drive shaft (580) mounted to the end plates (530) ([0127]);
a plurality of fastening openings distributed about the periphery of the bearing opening (521) for receiving fasteners (522) to mount the adaptor (520) to an end plate (530) ([0128]);
at least one mounting opening (526) formed in a bottom portion of the adaptor (520) for mounting a conveyor component (590) ([0128]); and
But Hendrick does not teach at least one pin hole for receiving an alignment pin in the conveyor component to ensure proper alignment of the conveyor component with the adaptor.
Takayama discloses an adaptor (horizontal member 14) comprising at least one pin hole (14c) for receiving an alignment pin (13b) to ensure proper alignment of the connecting plate (13) with the adaptor (14) (Fig.1-4; [0014-0018]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the skilled person in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to additionally provide/modify Hendrick adaptor with at least one pin hole for receiving an alignment pin as taught by Takayama for purpose to ensure highly accurate connection between components.
Regarding claim-2 and 3. Features of both claims are just mere of design variation and constructional detail in which Hendrick as modified disclose wherein the shaped body (of 520, Fig.50-51) comprises: a planar outer surface; an inner surface configured to sit against an end plate (530); a shaped outer edge; a shaped inner edge; a convexly curved top edge; and a bottom edge shaped to form a central concave curve, a first tab on a first side of the central concave curve and a second tab on a second side of the central concave curve (Fig.50-51)
wherein a first mounting opening (526 is formed in the first tab and a second mounting opening (513) is formed near the shaped outer edge and aligned with the bottom of the bearing opening (521).
Regarding claim-4. Features of claim 4 is just mere of design variation and constructional detail in Hendrick as modified wherein a first pin hole (14c) is formed in the second tab, aligned with the first mounting opening and a second pin hole (14c) aligns laterally and vertically with the first and second mounting openings and is formed near the inner shaped edge (See Fig.1-3, pin holes 14c’s formed in the adaptor 14 as taught by Takayama).
Regarding claim-5. Hendrick as modified wherein the top edge follows the curve of the bearing opening (521) (See Fig.50-51).
Regarding claim-7 and 8. Features of both claims are just mere of design variation and constructional detail in which Hendrick as modified wherein the at least one mounting opening (526) comprises first and second diagonally opposing mounting openings (Fig.50-51; [0128]).
wherein the first and second diagonally opposing mounting openings are tapped (Fig.50-51; [0128]).
Regarding claim-9. Hendrick as modified wherein the at least one pin hole (14c as taught by Takayama) comprises first and second diagonally opposing pin holes (See Fig.1-3, pin holes 14c’s formed in the adaptor 14 as taught by Takayama).
Regarding claim-10. Hendrick discloses a conveyor assembly (Fig.49-51), comprising: a first end plate (530) adjacent to an end of a conveyor; a second end plate (530) opposing the first end plate; and
an auxiliary conveyor assembly mounted to and between the first end plate and second end plate using a first adaptor plate (520) mounted to the first end plate and a second adaptor plate (520) mounted to the second end plate (520, Fig.49-51; [0127-0128]),
wherein each adaptor plate comprises a shaped body forming a bearing opening (521) for seating a bearing (523) for rotatably housing a drive shaft (580) mounted to the end plates (530) ([0127]),
a plurality of fastening openings distributed about the periphery of the bearing opening (521) for receiving fasteners (522) to mount the adaptor (520) to an end plate (530); and first and second mounting openings (526) for mounting a conveyor component (590) ([0127-0128]; Fig.49-51).
Regarding claim-11 and 12. Features of both claims are just mere of design variation and constructional detail in which Hendrick discloses wherein the adaptor plate (520) further comprises: a planar outer surface; an inner surface configured to sit against an end plate; a shaped outer edge; a shaped inner edge; a convexly curved top edge; a bottom edge shaped to form a central concave curve, a first tab on a first side of the central concave curve and a second tab on a second side of the central concave curve, wherein a first mounting opening (526) is formed the first tab and a second mounting opening (513) is formed in the second tab (Fig.50-51).
wherein the mounting openings (526) are diagonally opposed to each other (Fig.50-51).
Regarding claim-13. Hendrick as modified wherein the adaptor plate (520) further comprises first and second diagonally opposing pin holes (14c’s as taught by Takayama) for receiving alignment pins (13b as taught by Takayama) in the conveyor component to ensure proper alignment of the conveyor component with the adaptor plate.
Regarding claim-14. Hendrick disclose wherein the auxiliary conveyor component comprises a roller limiter scraper assembly (330).
Regarding claim-18. Hendrick as modified discloses a method of integrating an auxiliary conveyor component to a drive end of a conveyor (700), comprising the steps of: mounting a first adaptor (710) to a first end plate (730) at the drive end (Fig.53-57; [0129-0131]);
aligning the auxiliary conveyor component with the first adaptor by inserting alignment pins extending from the auxiliary conveyor component into alignment holes in the adaptor, such that fastener openings in the auxiliary conveyor component align with mounting openings of the adaptor (As taught by Takayama: an adaptor (horizontal member 14) comprising at least one pin hole (14c) for receiving an alignment pin (13b) to ensure proper alignment of the connecting plate (13) with the adaptor (14) (Fig.1-4; [0014-0018]);
and inserting fasteners (725) through the fastener openings (726) and into the mounting openings (729) to mount the auxiliary conveyor component relative to the first end plate (730) (See Fig.53-57; [0129-0131]).
Regarding claim-19. Hendrick as modified discloses further comprising the “similar” steps “for other side” of: mounting a second adaptor (other side 710) to a second end plate (other side 730) opposing the first end plate; and aligning the auxiliary conveyor component with the second adaptor by inserting alignment pins extending from the auxiliary conveyor component into alignment holes in the second adaptor, such that fastener openings in the auxiliary conveyor component align with mounting openings of the second adaptor (As taught by Takayama: an adaptor (horizontal member 14) comprising at least one pin hole (14c) for receiving an alignment pin (13b) to ensure proper alignment of the connecting plate (13) with the adaptor (14) (Fig.1-4; [0014-0018]); and inserting fasteners through the fastener openings and into the mounting openings to mount the auxiliary conveyor component relative to the second end plate (See Fig.53-57; [0129-0131]).
Claim(s) 6, and 15-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hendrick (US 20190263596) in view of Takayama (JP 2001019132) and further view of Michael (WO 2018111743).
Regarding claim-6. Hendrick as modified doesn’t teaches wherein the inner surface includes a vertical channel intersecting the bearing opening and open to the top edge and the bottom edge.
Michael discloses a conveyor belt system and also discloses wherein the inner surface includes a vertical channel (1534) intersecting the bearing opening and open to the top edge and the bottom edge (See Fig.46A; Pg.20 line5-26).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the skilled person in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to additionally provide/modify Hendrick adaptor with the vertical channel as taught by Michael for purpose of cleaning and drainage.
Regarding claim-15 and 16. Hendrick as modified doesn’t teaches wherein the auxiliary conveyor component comprises a first snap-on position limiter mounted on a first shaft extending from a first position limiter mounting plate mounted to the first adaptor plate.
further comprising a second snap-on position limiter mounted on a second shaft extending from a second position limiter mounting plate mounted to the second adaptor plate.
Michael discloses a first snap-on position limiter (50) mounted on a first shaft (344) and a second snap-on position limiter (50o) mounted on a second shaft (346) extending from a second position limiter mounting plate mounted to the second adaptor plate (391, 392) (See Fig.18; Pg.13 line21-26).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the skilled person in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to additionally provide/modify Hendrick adaptor with position limiters as taught by Michael for purpose of allowing space between the shaft and belt to accommodate flights.
Regarding claim-17. Hendrick as modified doesn’t teaches wherein the auxiliary conveyor component comprises a roller position limiter assembly comprising: a first mounting plate mounted to the first adaptor plate; a second mounting plate mounted to the second adaptor plate; a mounting bar extending between the first and second mounting plates; and a plurality of rollers for controlling the engagement of the conveyor belt with a drive extending from the mounting bar (as taught by Michael See Pg.9 line30 to Pg.12 line16; Fig.4-6, 9A-11).
Conclusion
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/MA/Examiner, Art Unit 3651
/GENE O CRAWFORD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651