DETAILED ACTION
This is a non-final Office Action in response to communications received on 08/19/2024. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority or Provisional
Priority to 08/23/2023 is recognized.
Drawings
The drawings filed on 08/19/2024 are acknowledged.
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 1-2, 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 over Shibata (US 2013/0195588) in view of Kinugawa (US 2013/0142597).
Regarding claim 1, Shibata discloses the limitations of claim 1 as follows:
An article transport facility comprising: a plurality of transport vehicles configured to transport articles inside a building with a plurality of levels; (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], Figs. 1-6, teaches an article transport facility for transporting articles among processing stations).
a first level rail disposed in a first level, which is one of the plurality of levels, and configured to allow the plurality of transport vehicles to travel thereon; (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0044]-[0050], teaches a primary path 20 (first travel path) which the article transport vehicles travel on).
a second level rail disposed in a second level, which is one of the plurality of levels and different from the first level, and configured to allow the plurality of transport vehicles to travel thereon; (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0044]-[0055], Figs. 1-6, teaches a secondary path 21 (second travel path) connected to the primary path 20 by connecting paths, wherein the first rail and second rail positioned at different elevations (i.e., plurality of levels). Iner-secondary connecting path 22 extends above or below the primary path in the straddling portion (i.e., disposed in a second level). Also teaches that the article transport vehicle 3 is configured to travel on both the primary path and the secondary paths, and transports articles through the facility (i.e., plurality of transport vehicles)).
an inter-level transport apparatus configured to transport the plurality of transport vehicles in a vertical direction over the first level and the second level, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0044]-[0055], teaches that vertically movable rail portion moved by a lifting device between first and second heights).
wherein the inter-level transport apparatus includes a first elevation rail on which the plurality of transport vehicles travel, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], first height rail portion), a second elevation rail on which the plurality of transport vehicles travel, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], second height rail portion), the second elevation rail being provided in parallel with the first elevation rail,
and an elevator configured to move the first elevation rail and the second elevation rail in the vertical direction while maintaining a positional relationship between the first elevation rail and the second elevation rail, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], teaches that vertically moving rail portion connects first and second height rail portions),
the elevator is configured to stop the first elevation rail and the second elevation rail at a predetermined first stop position in the first level (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], teaches that vehicle stops at the first height rail portion for transfer),
and a predetermined second stop position in the second level, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], teaches that the transport vehicle is transferred to the second height rail portion after the vertically movable rail portion is raised. And further teaches that the vertically movable rail portion being selectively aligned with the first height rail portion and second height portion, therefore, defining transfer/stop positions for the transport vehicle),
a direction along each of the first level rail and the second level rail is a traveling direction, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0044]-[0050], teaches that the transport vehicles traveling along both the primary path and the second travel path), one side of the traveling direction is a first side of the traveling direction, and an opposite side of the traveling direction is a second side of the traveling direction, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0044]-[0050], teaches bidirectional rail arrangement by defining one lateral side of the travel direction, shown in Fig. 1), the first level rail includes a first rail portion that is connected to the first elevation rail present at the first stop position from the first side of the traveling direction, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], teaches that the first rail portion is the primary path 20 connected to the first height rail),
and a second rail portion that is connected to the second elevation rail present at the first stop position from the first side of the traveling direction, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], teaches that the vertically movable rail portion is connected to the second height rail portion when raised to the second position),
Shibata taches transfer at the upper level using the vertically movable rail portion, but does not explicitly disclose:
the second level rail includes a third rail portion that is connected to the first elevation rail present at the second stop position from the first or second side of the traveling direction,
and a fourth rail portion that is connected to the second elevation rail present at the second stop position from the first or second side of the traveling direction.
However, Kinugawa discloses:
the second level rail includes a third rail portion that is connected to the first elevation rail present at the second stop position from the first or second side of the traveling direction, (Kinugawa, Paras. [0013]-[0023], and Figs. 1-4, teaches an intermediate transfer device movable between different transfer positions, with guide rails permitting transport in opposite travel directions between the article delivery or receiving positions, and the intermediate rack),
and a fourth rail portion that is connected to the second elevation rail present at the second stop position from the first or second side of the traveling direction. (Kinugawa, Paras. [0013]-[0023], and Figs. 1-4, teaches a fourth rail portion connected to the second elevation rail present at the second stop position from the first or second side of the traveling direction).
Shibata and Kinugawa are combinable, because both are from the same field of article transport facilities using rail guided vehicles. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify Shibata’s multi-level transport facility by incorporating the guide rail arrangement as taught by Kinugawa, to provide additional connecting rail portions between vertically separated positions, in order to improve routing flexibility and transport efficiency.
Regarding claim 2, Shibata and Kinugawa disclose the limitations of claim1. Shibata discloses:
The article transport facility according to claim 1, wherein the first elevation rail and the second elevation rail are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0065]-[0069], Figs. 1-6, teaches that the first elevation rail and the second elevation rail are arranged side by side in the vertical direction. And further teaches a pair of right and left vertically movable rail portions 202c that are spaced apart from one another, and connected by a connecting path, and moved vertically together),
Regarding claim 9, Shibata and Kinugawa disclose the limitations of claim1. Shibata discloses:
The article transport facility according to claim 1, wherein a processing apparatus is configured to move in a vertical direction together with the first elevation rail and the second elevation rail, thereby performing a processing on a transport vehicle present on at least one of the first elevation rail and the second elevation rail. (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0065]-[0069], Figs. 1-7, teaches a vertically moving device 23 (i.e., a processing apparatus) for the movable rail portions, and vertically moving rail portions 202c moved by device 23 between the first and second heights. And further teaches that the vertically movable rail portions move between the first and second height rail portions while remaining connected by connecting 28. Therefore, the transport vehicle travels on either the first rails 201 or the second rail portions 202b, while the movable portions are positioned to enable transport vehicles to travel through the facility).
Claims 3-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 over Shibata (US 2013/0195588) in view of Kinugawa (US 2013/0142597), and further in view of Umeda (US 2020/0272172).
Regarding claim 3, Shibata and Kinugawa disclose the limitations of claim 1. Shibata and Umeda disclose:
The article transport facility according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of transport vehicles travel on the first level rail toward the second side of the traveling direction, the second rail portion branches from the first rail portion on the first side of the traveling direction with respect to the inter-level transport apparatus, (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0065]-[0069], Figs. 1-7, teaches that the transport vehicles traveling along the first level rail toward the second side of traveling direction, also teaches a second rail portion through the inter-level transport system).
and a wait section is set in the second rail portion to allow each of the plurality of transport vehicles to stop and wait therein. (Umeda, Paras. [0026]-[0046], and Figs. 1-3, 7-9, teaches a waiting section 92, 93, where vehicles stop and wait before entering or after leaving the path. Therefore, the vehicles wait in the waiting sections until instructed to proceed by the operation control system).
Shibata, Kinugawa and Umeda are combinable, because all are from the same field of article transport systems using guided transport paths. It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify Shibata’s multi-level transport facility, and Kinugawa’s system by incorporating the waiting section as taught by Umeda, in order to improve traffic management, and reducing interference with vehicles in travel on the path.
Regarding claim 4, Shibata, Kinugawa and Umeda disclose the limitations of claim 3. Shibata, Kinugawa discloses:
The article transport facility according to claim 3, wherein the third rail portion is connected to the first elevation rail present at the second stop position from the second side of the traveling direction, and the fourth rail portion is connected to the second elevation rail present at the second stop position from the second side of the traveling direction, the second level rail includes a fifth rail portion that is connected to the first elevation rail present at the second stop position from the first side of the traveling direction, and a sixth rail portion that is connected to the second elevation rail present at the second stop position from the first side of the traveling direction, the fourth rail portion joins the third rail portion on the second side of the traveling direction with respect to the inter-level transport apparatus, and the wait section is also set in the fourth rail portion. (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0065]-[0069], Figs. 1-7, teaches an article transport facility including first and second level rails and an inter-level transport system).
The same motivation to combine utilized in claim 1 is equally applicable in the instant claim.
(Kinugawa, Paras. [0013]-[0023], and Figs. 1-4, teaches guide rail portions an opposite sides of a vertically movable transfer device to permit travel in multiple directions).
The same motivation to combine utilized in claim 1 is equally applicable in the instant claim.
Regarding claim 5, Shibata, Kinugawa and Umeda disclose the limitations of claim 3. Shibata, Umeda disclose:
The article transport facility according to claim 3, wherein a processing apparatus is disposed corresponding to the wait section to perform a processing on each of the plurality of transport vehicles that stops in the wait section. (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0065]-[0069], Figs. 1-7, teaches an article transport facility including first and second level rails and an inter-level transport system).
(Umeda, Paras. [0026]-[0029], [0046]-[0049], teaches a transport operation control associated with waiting sections 92, 93, for controlling transport vehicles while stopped in the waiting sections).
The same motivation to combine utilized in claim 3 is equally applicable in the instant claim.
Regarding claim 6, Shibata, Kinugawa and Umeda disclose the limitations of claim 3. Shibata, Umeda discloses:
The article transport facility according to claim 4, further comprising: a control system configured to control the plurality of transport vehicles, wherein the control system performs a priority travel process to allow a transport vehicle traveling on the third rail portion to travel with priority over a transport vehicle traveling on the fourth rail portion, at a confluence where the fourth rail portion joins the third rail portion. (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0065]-[0069], Figs. 1-7, teaches an article transport facility including first and second level rails and an inter-level transport system).
Umeda, Paras. [0026]-[0029], [0040]-[0043], [0046]-[0049], teaches a transport operation control system associated with waiting sections 92, 93, for controlling transport vehicles while stopped in the waiting sections. And further teaches selecting vehicles, replacement vehicles, controlling remaining vehicles, and sequencing movement to avoid disturbance (i.e., priority)).
The same motivation to combine utilized in claim 3 is equally applicable in the instant claim.
Regarding claim 7, Shibata, Kinugawa and Umeda disclose the limitations of claim 3. Shibata, Umeda discloses:
The article transport facility according to claim 5, further comprising: a control system configured to control the plurality of transport vehicles, wherein the control system performs a necessity determination process to determine whether the processing by the processing apparatus is necessary for each of the plurality of transport vehicles, and a first guiding process to guide a transport vehicle, for which the processing by the processing apparatus is determined to be necessary as a result of the necessity determination process, to the wait section where the processing apparatus is disposed. (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0065]-[0069], Figs. 1-7, teaches an article transport facility including first and second level rails and an inter-level transport system).
(Umeda, Paras. [0026]-[0029], [0040]-[0049], teaches determining whether processing is necessary for each vehicle and guiding selected vehicles to waiting sections before transport operation. And shows threshold determination, selects vehicles when predetermined condition satisfied, replacement vehicle enters from waiting section, and selected vehicle leaves after replacement).
The same motivation to combine utilized in claim 3 is equally applicable in the instant claim.
Regarding claim 8, Shibata, Kinugawa and Umeda disclose the limitations of claim 3. Shibata, Umeda discloses:
The article transport facility according to claim 7, wherein for each of the plurality of transport vehicles, the control system performs a transport priority determination process to determine a transport priority of an article that is being transported, and performs a second guiding process to guide a transport vehicle, for which the transport priority is determined to be equal to or more than a predetermined determination threshold value as a result of the transport priority determination process, to the first elevation rail, regardless of the result of the necessity determination process. (Shibata, Paras. [0015]-[0022], [0065]-[0069], Figs. 1-7, teaches an article transport facility including first and second level rails and an inter-level transport system).
(Umeda, Paras. [0040]-[0049], teaches determining transport priority among multiple vehicles and guiding vehicles according to the determined priority using the transport operation control system).
The same motivation to combine utilized in claim 3 is equally applicable in the instant claim.
References Considered But Not Relied Upon
Sullivan (US 2011/0241845) teaches a transport system comprising transport track sections and at least one transport vehicle configured to move along the transport track sections and configured to transport a carrier.
Bufano (US 7,798,758) teaches a primary transport system, a secondary transport system and one or more interfaces between first transport system and second transport system. The primary and secondary transport systems each have one or more sections of substantially constant velocity and in queue sections communicating with the constant velocity sections.
Conclusion
Accordingly, claims 1-9 are rejected.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to PEGAH BARZEGAR whose telephone number is (703)756-4755.
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/P.B./Examiner, Art Unit 3615
/S. Joseph Morano/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3615
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