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 .
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)(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.
Claims 1-10 and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being clearly anticipated by Sichich (US 2011/0226795 A).
Referring to claims 1 and 13. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42), wherein the machine (1) comprises a set of storage trays (5) arranged at different heights (see height of individual trays 5; Figure 5) where the products (2) to be dispensed are arranged and a front wall (12) that comprises a product collection door (opening 17) comprising a lower edge (bottom of 17; Figure 4), wherein the lift (including members 20 and 42) comprises:
a platform (bottom floor of 20) for collecting the products (2) coming from the storage trays (5), and
a movable wall (47) configured to be positioned at least partially between:
a first position (47; closed position; Figure 4) in which the movable wall (47), in use, allows a product (2) to pass from a storage tray (5) to the product (2) collection platform (bottom floor of 20), and
a second position (47 opened position; Figure 4) in which the movable wall (47), allows the product (2) to pass from the product (2) collection platform (bottom floor of 20) to the outside of the machine (1), and
blocks access to at least the storage trays (5) from inside the lift (including members 20 and 42).
Referring to claim 2. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
wherein the movable wall (47) is also configured to be positioned in a third position (midway position of 47) in which the movable wall (47), at least partially separates the inside of the lift (including members 20 and 42) from the storage trays (5) and from the front wall (12) of the machine (1).
Referring to claim 3. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
wherein the movable wall (47) is configured, in the first position (47; closed position; Figure 4), to separate the lift (including members 20 and 42) from the front wall (12) of the machine.
Referring to claim 4. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
wherein the movable wall (47) is configured, in the second position (47 opened position; Figure 4), to block (see member 47 blocking interior opening of vending machine), in use, an access to the inside of the machine through the upper part of the lift (including members 20 and 42).
Referring to claim 5. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
wherein the third position (midway position of 47) of the movable wall (47) is an intermediate position between the first position and the second position.
Referring to claim 6. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
wherein the movable wall (47) can be moved from the first position (47; closed position; Figure 4) to the second position (47 opened position; Figure 4), and/or vice versa, that is, from the second position (47 opened position; Figure 4) to the first position (47; closed position; Figure 4) below the product collection platform (movement of 47 can operated in reverse order).
Referring to claim 7. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
comprising a first actuator (58) configured to move the movable wall (47) at least between the first position (47; closed position; Figure 4) and the second position (47 opened position; Figure 4), and/or vice versa.
Referring to claim 8. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
comprising a second actuator (31; Figure 3) configured to move the lift (including members 20 and 42) in an upward and downward direction with respect to the storage trays (5; see Figure 3).
Referring to claim 9. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
comprising a blocker (49) configured to block and unblock the first actuator (58) and/or the second actuator (claimed “or” condition only requires one of the said conditions claimed to be met), thus being able to independently or jointly block/unblock (claimed “or” condition only requires one of the said conditions claimed to be met) the movable wall (47) and the upward and downward movement of the lift (including members 20 and 42).
Referring to claim 10. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42),
comprising a first detector (50) for detecting the presence of the product (2) on the product collection platform (bottom floor of 20) and arranged in a horizontal position (see Figure 3) adjacent to the product collection platform (bottom floor of 20) of the lift (20).
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.
Claims 11,12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sichich (US 2011/0226795 A)(alone).
Referring to claim 11. Sichich discloses an automatic vending machine (1) lift (including members 20 and 42), comprising a first detector (50) for detecting the presence of the product (2) on the product collection platform (bottom floor of 20) and arranged in a horizontal position (see Figure 3) adjacent to the product collection platform (bottom floor of 20) of the lift (including members 20 and 42).
Sichich does not disclose a second detector for detecting the presence of the product on the product collection platform and inclined towards the product storage trays with respect to the product collection platform.
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Sichich to include a second detector for detecting the presence of the product on the product collection platform and inclined towards the product storage trays because a plurality of detectors disposed in an inclined configuration would improve the coverage of detection of product resting on the product collection platform.
Referring to claim 12. Sichich does not disclose wherein the movable wall is a movable wall made of slats joined together.
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Sichich to include the movable wall as being made of slats joined together to form a unitary wall, since it has been held that constructing a formerly integral structure in various elements involves only routine skill in the art. Nerwin V Erlichman, 168 USPQ 177, 179.
Referring to claim 14. Sichich does not disclose wherein the product collection platform is arranged at the same height or above the lower edge of the product collection door in the second position of the movable wall.
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Sichich to include the product collection platform as being arranged at the same height or above the lower edge of the product collection door in the second position of the movable wall, since it has been held that the provision of adjustability, where needed, involves only routine skill in the art. In re Stevens, 101 USPQ 284 (CCPA 1954).
Claim 15 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sichich (US 2011/0226795 A) in view of Zhang (CN 109427127 A).
Referring to claim 15. Sichich does not disclose wherein the product collection door can be moved vertically, preferably downwards.
Zhang discloses a dispensing module (Figure 1) wherein the product collection door (2) can be moved vertically, preferably downwards (see Figure 1).
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Sichich to include wherein the product collection door can be moved vertically, preferably downwards as taught by Zhang because the opening can be further sealed with the movable door.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 07/21/2026 have been fully considered but they are persuasive. See modified rejections incorporating the lift as including members 20 and 42 which comprises a lift component and a housing component.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAKESH KUMAR whose telephone number is (571)272-8314. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH from 8AM-6:30PM EST.
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/RAKESH KUMAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
