DETAILED ACTION
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 .
Status of the Claims
Claim 1 is pending.
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 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kunczynski (US 4864937 A) in view of Creissels (US 4619206 A).
In regards to claim 1, Kunczynski teaches a transportation system (21) (Fig. 2) comprising:
a support structure (27);
a vertical loop (56-57) supported from the support structure (as seen in Fig. 2);
and, a gondola cabin (46) supported from the vertical loop (as seen in Fig. 2).
Kunczynski does not explicitly teach a power supply.
Creissels teaches a power supply (44) for moving a loop (abstract, lines 3-7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified the transportation system of Kunczynski to include a power supply as taught by Creissels with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of increasing the efficiency and control of the transportation system (see Creissels, col. 1, lines 31-33).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Troy (EP 1878631 B1) discloses a cable car system with at least one transport cable.
Souchal (CA 2101661 C) discloses a cableway cabin for transport of passengers.
Cathiard (US 5172640 A) discloses an overhead cable transport installation having two successive sections.
Kunczynski (US 4998482 A) discloses an aerial tramway and method for relieving induced torque.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES WILLIAM JONES whose telephone number is (571)270-7063. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 11am-7pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Samuel Morano can be reached at (571) 272-6684. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JAMES WILLIAM JONES/ Examiner, Art Unit 3615
/S. Joseph Morano/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3615