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 .
Claims 1, 5, 7, 9 have been amended.
Claims 3, 6 and 8 have been canceled.
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, 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.
wherein the pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) 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); and 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.
Claim 5 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyake [JP 2000055170] in view of Fosnight [US Pub # 2020/0087067]
Miyake shows 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).
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.
wherein the pinion chamfered edge (25a, 25b) 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.
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 shelves (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 shelves (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).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 05/15/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to applicant argument that JP'170 fails to disclose the feature of the amended
claim 1 of the present invention reciting, "wherein the pinion chamfered edge (202A) is
configured to shift direction of a reaction force from a radial direction of the pinion (102)
such that a degree of shift of the direction of the reaction force lie between from about 35 to
about 45 from the radial direction of the pinion (102).”
JP 170 describes the angle of the tooth in the translated passage as follow “… it is set according to the tooth module or the like, but it is generally set to be lower in the angle range of 5 to 45 degrees with respect to the conventional flat tooth tip which is not set to be lower. Is appropriate…”. The contact surface 15 is between 5 and 45. The reaction force is perpendicular to the contact surface, meaning if the contact surface is at 45 degree, the reaction force will have a 45 angle with respect to the horizontal plane.
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.
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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.
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/ZAKARIA ELAHMADI/
Examiner, Art Unit 3618
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