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 Objections
Claim 6 depend on itself, a claim cannot depend on itself. For the purpose of examination, it will be assumed that claim 6 is dependent on the independent claim 5.
Claim 5 recites “plurality of shelf…” should be corrected to “…plurality of shelves...”
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.
Claims 1, 3, 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Miyake [JP 2000055170].
Regarding claim 1: Miyake shows a rack and pinion drive apparatus comprising: a pinion (21) having a plurality of pinion teeth (24) in a manner that each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth (24) comprise a top land (27) and a bottom land (29); a rack (4) having a plurality of rack teeth (14) in a manner that a set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth (14) comprise a rack chamfered edge (15); wherein the top land (27) of each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth (24) comprises a pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) in a manner that the pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) is configured to engage with the rack chamfered edge (15) of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth (14) to facilitate meshing of the plurality of pinion teeth (24) with the plurality of rack teeth (14); wherein a chamfer angle of the pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) of the top land (27) of the pinon tooth (24) lie between from about 5 degrees to about 45 degrees ().
Regarding claim 3: Miyake shows wherein the pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) of the top land (27) of the pinion tooth (24) is configured to shift the direction of reaction force from the radial direction of the pinion (21) such that the degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from 35 0 to about 45 0 from the radial direction of the pinion ().
Regarding claim 7: Miyake shows a method (400) for meshing a pinion (21) with a rack (4), the method comprising: chamfering a pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) of a top land (27) of each pinion teeth of a plurality of pinion teeth (21); chamfering a rack chamfered edge (15) of a set of rack teeth of a plurality of rack teeth (14); and meshing the plurality of the pinion teeth (24) with the plurality of rack teeth (14) by engaging the chamfered edge (25a, 25b) of the top land (27) of each pinion teeth of the plurality of teeth (24) with the rack chamfered edge (15) of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth (14).
Regarding claim 8: Miyake shows further comprising: shifting the direction of reaction force from the radial direction of the pinion (21) such that the degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from 35 0 to about 45 0 from the radial direction of the pinion (see fig 5, contact surface between teeth 14 and 24).
Regarding claim 9: Miyake shows wherein the pinion (21) is configured to mesh with the rack (14) from either of a first end or a second end (see fig 3) of the rack (14) such that the pinion (21) rolls in direction perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the pinion (21) and parallel to the pitch line of rack teeth while meshing with the rack (14).
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 2 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyake [JP 2000055170] in view of Fujiki [US Pub # 2013/0112028].
Regarding claim 2 and 4: Miyake does not explicitly disclsoe wherein height of the plurality of pinion teeth (108) lie between from about 6 milli-meter (6 mm) to about 8 mm.
wherein the width of the plurality of pinion teeth lie between from about 4.5 mm to about 5 mm.
However Fujiki teaches a dimension height if the teeth lie between 6 mm and 8 mmm (see [0018].
Miyake and Fujiki do not disclose a width of the pinion teeth. As claimed device would not perform different than the prior art device, the claimed device is not patentably distinct from the prior art device based on the claimed relative dimensions. Gardner v. TEC Systems, Inc., 725 F.2d 1338, 220 USPQ 777 (Fed. Cir. 1984), cert. denied, 469 U.S. 830, 225 USPQ 232 (1984). Accordingly, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to modify Miyake to include pinion teeth height between 6 mm and 8 mm, and a width between 4.5 mm and 5 mm as the relative dimension of the teeth would cause the device of Miyaki to function as disclosed.
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyake [JP 2000055170] in view of Fosnight [US Pub # 2020/0087067]
the pinion (21) having a plurality of pinion teeth (24) in a manner that each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth (24) comprises a top land (27) and a bottom land (29); the rack (4) having a plurality of rack teeth (14) in a manner that a set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth (14) comprising a rack chamfered edge (15); wherein the top land (27) of each pinion teeth of the plurality of pinion teeth (24) comprises a pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) in a manner such that the pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) is configured to engage with the rack chamfered edge (15) of the set of rack teeth of the plurality of rack teeth (14) to facilitate meshing of the plurality of pinion teeth (24) with the plurality of rack teeth (14).
Miyake does not explicitly disclose a storage facility of warehouse comprising: a robot having a robot wheel operatively coupled to a pinion configured to rotate on the rack; a plurality of shelf (402) having a rack (104). However Fosnight shows A storage facility (see abstract) of warehouse comprising: a robot (10) having a robot wheel (14) operatively coupled to a pinion (18) configured to rotate on the rack ([0045]); a plurality of shelf (420) having a rack (see fig 25).
It would have been obvious to someone having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filling date to implement rack and pinion assembly in storage to control and assist with the movement of the compartment.
Regarding claim 6: Miyaki shows wherein the pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) of the top land (27) of the pinion tooth (24) is configured to shift the direction of reaction force from the radial direction of the pinion (21) such that the degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from 35 0 to about 45 0 from the radial direction of the pinion (21).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. For example Wang [WO 2021/087624] shows rack 12 and 4 with chamfered teeth at an angle.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ZAKARIA ELAHMADI whose telephone number is (571)270-5324. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F 10-6 EST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Minnah Seoh can be reached on 571-270-7778. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618