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) 1-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Benjamin (US 10807809) in view of Mark (US 20230278808).
Regarding claim-l. Benjamin discloses an induction board (110 having plate body 200, Fig.2) for a conveyor system (100 including an end plate 110, Fig.1; Abstract), the induction board (200) comprising:
a first side (front side of 200 defined by 210, Fig.2) fabricated with a plurality of angled sides (310, Fig.4), wherein each of the plurality of angled sides (310) have a first sloped edge (beveled edges, Fig.4A-C);
a second side (defined by left lateral side of 200, Fig.2) and a third side (defined by right lateral side of 200, Fig.2), wherein the second side is parallel to the third side (Fig.2); and
a fourth side (back side of 200) positioned opposite to the first side (210), the fourth side having a fourth sloped edge (See Fig.2 for sloped edge),
wherein the fourth side connects to the second side and the third side (See Fig.2),
wherein the plurality of angled sides of the first side are configured to allow a user to receive or place one or more packages (objects) from or on the conveyor system from the second side, the third side, or the fourth side (the plate 200 is suitable for this use, because a package/object may move above the sides), and
wherein the first sloped edge (beveled edges, Fig.4A-C) of each of the angled sides (310) of the first side (210), the of the second side (defined by left lateral side of 200, Fig.2), the of the third side (defined by right lateral side of 200, Fig.2), and the fourth sloped edge (See Fig.2 for sloped edge) of the fourth side (back side of 200) are configured to provide a smooth transition of the one or more packages from or off the induction board (the package/object may smoothly transit above the sides).
Benjamin lacks the sloped edges of second and third side respectively of the induction board (200). However, it is just a mere of design and constructional detail of an apparatus in which providing a sloped edge to a side of a transfer plate to ease the transition is considered as common general knowledge. Depending on the incoming direction of the packages, the skilled person would consider to apply the geometry of the front side of the board to other sides particularly lateral sides.
Mark also discloses an object conveying system to allow the transit of article/objects through several sides (See Fig.2-3), and also discloses an inboard flat surface portion (120) having a chamfered sides (154/156 or 124/126, See Fig.2-3).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to the skilled person in the art before the effective filing date of claimed invention to modify Benjamin induction board with sloped edges of second and third side as taught by Mark for purpose of providing chamfers on any sides of a board to provide a cleaner finish and/or avoid injuries due to sharp edges,
Regarding claim-2 and 14, Benjamin as modified implicitly discloses wherein the induction board (200) defines a dimension having a length and a breadth, wherein the length corresponds to 81 centimeters (cm) and the breadth corresponds to 166 cm. Benjamin does not discloses a specific dimension however it is just a mere of design and constructional detail of an apparatus in which designing and scaling the dimension of the induction board can be selected according to desired needs and is considered as common general knowledge.
Regarding claim-3 and 15, Benjamin as modified wherein the plurality of angled sides of the first side (310) are configured to provide a plurality of positions for the user to receive or place the one or more packages (Fig.4).
Regarding claim-4 and 16, Benjamin as modified implicitly discloses wherein the plurality of angled sides (310) of the first side (210) comprises a first angled side and a second angled side (V-shaped Fig.4C), wherein the first angled side and the second angled side form an angle, wherein the angle corresponds to 130 degrees. Benjamin does not disclose a specific angle however it is just a mere of design and constructional detail of an apparatus in which designing and scaling the dimension or angles of the induction board can be selected according to desired needs and is considered as common general knowledge.
Regarding claim-5 and 17, Benjamin as modified wherein the angle formed by the first angled side and the second angled side defines a V shape (310 is V-Shaped Fig.4C).
Regarding claim-6 and 18, Benjamin as modified wherein the first sloped edge (beveled edges, Fig.4A-C) of each of the angled sides (310) of the first side (210) are chamfered (Fig.4) at a predefined angle, wherein the predefined angle corresponds to 50 degrees. Benjamin does not disclose a specific angle however it is just a mere of design and constructional detail of an apparatus in which designing and scaling the dimension or angles of the induction board can be selected according to desired needs and is considered as common general knowledge.
Regarding claim-7, Benjamin as modified wherein the second side and the third side of the induction board comprises a plurality of apertures (408, See Fig.4-6; Col.7 line7-27).
Regarding claim-8, Benjamin as modified wherein the plurality of apertures (408) are configured to equip one or more fasteners, wherein the one or more fasteners are configured to mount the induction board (200) with the conveyor system (100) (See Fig.4-6; Col.7 line7-27).
Regarding claim-9, Benjamin as modified wherein the induction board (200) is fastened at a loading point or at an unloading point of the conveyor system and the first side of the induction board is positioned over the conveyor system (100) (See Fig.4-6; Col.7 line7-27).
Regarding claim-10, Benjamin as modified wherein the fourth side (back side of 200) of the induction board (300) is monolithic with an extended portion (Fig.2), wherein the extended portion is configured to rest over an edge of the conveyor system (Fig.2, 4-6).
Regarding claim-11, Benjamin as modified wherein the extended portion is configured to enable the user to maintain a predefined distance from the conveyor system (Fig.4-6).
Regarding claim-12, Benjamin as modified A conveyor system (100) comprising:
a conveyor assembly (100) comprising a conveyor belt (102) (See Fig.6); and an induction board (200) coupled (fastened via screws, See Fig.4-6; Col.7 line7-27) to the conveyor assembly and positioned over the conveyor belt, wherein the induction board comprises (See claim-1 rejection for following limitations):
a first side fabricated with a plurality of angled sides, wherein each of the plurality of angled sides have a first sloped edge; a second side having a second sloped edge and a third side having a third sloped edge, wherein the second side is parallel to the third side; and
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a fourth side positioned opposite to the first side, the fourth side having a fourth sloped edge, wherein the fourth side connects to the second side and the third side, wherein the plurality of angled sides of the first side are configured to allow a user to receive or place one or more packages from or on the conveyor system from the second side, the third side, or the fourth side, and wherein the first sloped edge of each of the angled sides of the first side, the second sloped edge of the second side, the third sloped edge of the third side, and the fourth sloped edge of the fourth side are configured to provide a smooth transition of the one or more packages from or off the induction board.
Regarding claim-13, Benjamin as modified A method comprising: fastening (fastened via screws, See Fig.4-6; Col.7 line7-18) an induction board (200) at a loading point or at an unloading point of a conveyor system (100) from a first side of the induction board (See claim-1 rejection for following limitations),
wherein the first side of the induction board is positioned over the conveyor system, wherein the induction board further comprising: the first side fabricated with a plurality of angled sides, wherein each of the plurality of angled sides have a first sloped edge; a second side having a second sloped edge and a third side having a third sloped edge, wherein the second side is parallel to the third side; and a fourth side positioned opposite to the first side, the fourth side having a fourth sloped edge, wherein the fourth side connects to the second side and the third side, wherein the plurality of angled sides of the first side are configured to allow a user to receive or place one or more packages from or on the conveyor system from the second side, the third side, or the fourth side, and wherein the first sloped edge of each of the angled sides of the first side, the second sloped edge of the second side, the third sloped edge of the third side, and the fourth sloped edge of the fourth side are configured to provide a smooth transition of the one or more packages from or off the induction board.
Regarding claim-19, Benjamin as modified (See claims 7-9 rejections) wherein the second side and the third side of the induction board comprises a plurality of apertures, wherein the plurality of apertures is configured to equip one or more fasteners, wherein the one or more fasteners are configured to mount the induction board with the conveyor system.
Regarding claim-20, Benjamin as modified (See claims 10-11 rejections) wherein the fourth side of the induction board is monolithic with an extended portion, wherein the extended portion is configured to rest over an edge of the conveyor system, wherein the extended portion is configured to enable the user to maintain a predefined distance from the conveyor system.
Conclusion
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/MA/Examiner, Art Unit 3651
/GENE O CRAWFORD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651