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 .
Specification
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
Claim Objections
Claim 18 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 18 should start with “The pushable transport cart system of claim 11”
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
(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) 1-2, 6-7, 10-11, and 26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by DE 202006000074 U1.
Regarding claims 1, 11, and 26, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses a system (figs.1-10) with a plurality of pushable transport cart (10, figs.1-10), at least one electric and/or electronic device (display 114, article recognition device 40, communication device 110, etc. figs.3-6), an electric storage device (battery 130, fig.8B), a mechanical connecting device (locking container 140 with socket 145 and locking pins 142, figs.7-8), an electric connecting device (locking container 140 with socket 145 and locking pins 142 which are electrically conductive, figs.7-8) configured for at least one of an electric power exchange, a signal exchange, or a data exchange (), a further electric connecting device (sliding contact 154 contacts contact rail 153, figs.7-8), a circuit (circuit formed as seen in figures 7-8) with a feed line (feed line going to the pin 152/142, figs.7-8), and a return line (return line connecting the sliding contact 154 to the contact rail 153) forming a closed loop (figs.7-8).
Regarding claim 2, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses a securing chain (chain 141, figs.7-8)
Regarding claim 6, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses the further electric connecting device forms an electric contact (sliding contact 154 contacts contact rail 153, figs.7-8) when the pushable transport cart and an adjacent pushable transport cart are pushed into one another or forms and electric contact when the pushable transport cart is pushed into the stockage and/or charging station (figs.7-8).
Regarding claim 7, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses the further electrical connecting device comprises at least one of: connectors for an electric power supply, at least one connector for detecting a charging station, at least one additional connector, at least on connector for signal transmission, or at least one connector for data transmission (sliding contact 154 for contacting rail 153, charge control device 131, figs.7-8).
Regarding claim 10, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses comprising at least one of a direction setting current flow element which is interposed between a plug and a plug socket, a current sensor or switch, an AC/DC voltage converter, a charging device for a portable electronic device of a customer that can be connected to a main electrical line, a voltage transformer that changes a voltage level, a wireless transmitting and/or receiving device configured for a communication of the pushable transport cart or the stockage and/or charging station with a portable, network-compatible electronic device of a customer, a flexible connecting cord which is a part of the electric connecting device and is connected in one end region to a plug or a plug socket, an optical detection device which is integrated into the mechanical connecting device and a specific identifier (charge control device 131, communication device 110, figs.3-6).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 202006000074 U1 in view of Fuchs (DE 3238091 A1).
Regarding claims 3-4, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses a plug (pins 142, figs.7-8) with an electrically conductive plug-in tongue and a plug socket (socket 145, figs.7-8), but fails to disclose the plug socket comprising an elastic or elastically supported electric plug contact element, the plug-in tongue comprises a snap-in or interlocking surface which interacts with a snap-in or interlocking element of a plug socket of the other pushable transport cart.
However, Fuchs discloses plug socket comprising an elastic or elastically supported electric plug contact element, the plug-in tongue comprises a snap-in or interlocking surface which interacts with a snap-in or interlocking element of a plug socket of the other pushable transport cart (spring 44, page 13, 3rd paragraph, figs.4-5).
DE 202006000074 U1 and Fuchs are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of transport carts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified DE 202006000074 U1 with the spring of Fuchs with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have combined prior art elements yielding predictable results of securely mounting the plu inside the socket to prevent unintentional removal.
Claim(s) 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 202006000074 U1 in view of Du (US 7625212 B2).
Regarding claim 5, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses the pushable transport cart of claim 1 but fails to disclose a permanent magnet.
However, Du discloses a mechanical connecting device with a permanent magnet (plug 10, receptacle 20, permanent magnets 18 and 28, fig.1)
DE 202006000074 U1 and Du are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of mechanical and electrical connectors. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified DE 202006000074 U1 with the magnets of Du with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have combined prior art elements yielding predictable results of adding in the mechanical connecting between the plug and the receptacle.
Claim(s) 8-9 and 12-25 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over DE 202006000074 U1 in view of Kim (US 20200254895 A1).
Regarding claim 8, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses the pushable transport cart of claim 1, but fails to disclose the storage release device.
However, Kim discloses a storage release device (switch 201, fig.11), which in a release position connects the storage device to the electric connecting device to charge, in a disconnected position electrically disconnects the storage device from the electric connecting device (switch 201 connects the charger 210 to the power connector 290, fig.11).
DE 202006000074 U1 and Kim are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of transport carts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified DE 202006000074 U1 with the switch of Kim with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have combined prior art elements yielding predictable results of providing increased safety by being able to control the current flow.
Regarding claim 9, DE 202006000074 U1 comprising a plug (locking pin 142, figs.7-8) and a plug socket (socket 145, figs.7-8) and a charge flow control unit (charge control device 131, figs.7-8) connected between the plug ang plug socket (charge control device 131 is electrically between plug 142 and socket 145, figs.7-8) and the charge flow control unit is capable of having a pass-through mode and a charging operating mode (it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the charge control device 131 would have different modes).
Kim discloses a pass-through mode and a charging operating mode (charge mode for certain carts with lower battery and a pass-through mode for carts with a higher battery, fig.9, paragraphs [0123-0125]).
DE 202006000074 U1 and Kim are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of transport carts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified DE 202006000074 U1 with the charging modes of Kim with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have combined prior art elements yielding predictable results of charging the carts with lower battery charge in the system.
Regarding claims 12-25, DE 202006000074 U1 discloses the mechanical and electric connection (locking container 140, pin 142, socket 145, sliding contact 154, rail 153, figs.7-8), charge control device (131, fig.8B), a communication device (110, fig.6), weighting device (41, fig.4), article recognition device (40, fg.3), business system (1, fig.2). Kim discloses (figs.1-17) a controller (350, fig.3), a communicator (380, fig.3), control portion (150, fig.2), with controller (250, fig.2), a pass-through mode and a charging operating mode (charge mode for certain carts with lower battery and a pass-through mode for carts with a higher battery, fig.9, paragraphs [0123-0125]). The combination of DE 202006000074 U1 and Kim disclose control logic for controlling exchange of energy, charge flow, detecting objects, detecting connection and number of transport carts, charging threshold, time of charge, interface, etc and hence disclose the control logic of claims 12-25.
DE 202006000074 U1 and Kim are both considered to be analogous to the claimed invention because they are in the same field of transport carts. Therefore, it would have been obvious to someone of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have modified DE 202006000074 U1 with the charging modes of Kim with a reasonable expectation of success because it would have combined prior art elements yielding predictable results of charging the carts with lower battery charge in the system.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The prior art not relied upon but considered pertinent to the applicant’s disclosure is included in the 892 form. The art included has features related to claim limitations, the general structural of the invention, teachings, and other analogous art to the invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to IAN BRYCE SHELTON whose telephone number is (571)272-6501. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 8:00-5:00.
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/IAN BRYCE SHELTON/Examiner, Art Unit 3613
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