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 § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 includes “the two cranes being disposed such that each faces a direction opposite to a direction in which the one of the pair of surfaces on which the transfer unit is provided to be capable of being raised and lowered face each other in the traveling direction.” This renders the claims indefinite as it is not clear what is required by this language and it is unclear what it means for a crane to “face[] a direction” as the cranes do not have a defined front and rear (or face) per se. Clarification is necessary. The language appears to refer to the configuration of figure 3, where the lifting platforms and transfer units are on opposing outer sides of the masts such that the masts can be brought into close proximity to one another, but this is not apparent from the claim language.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2015/0336472.
Regarding claim 1 Tanaka discloses a stocker comprising: two cranes (4/5) configured to travel on a rail (10) extending in one direction; racks (12/13) being disposed to extend along and sandwich the rail (see figure 1), an article being placed in and removed from the racks by the two cranes (39); a first space constituent part constituting a first space housing the two cranes and the racks (14); and a controller (24) configured to control the two cranes, each of the two cranes including a mast (6) having a pair of surfaces orthogonal to a traveling direction of the two cranes and a transfer unit provided to be capable of being raised and lowered along one of the pair of surfaces and configured to transfer the article to and from the racks (7), the two cranes being disposed such that each faces a direction opposite to a direction in which the one of the pair of surfaces on which the transfer unit is provided to be capable of being raised and lowered face each other in the traveling direction (see figure 1), the first space being provided with an entry area that the two cranes mutually enter, and the controller controlling traveling of the two cranes such that the two cranes do not collide with each other (para 0026).
Regarding claim 2 Tanaka discloses the entry area is provided at a central portion of the first space in the traveling direction (see 14 and figure 1).
Regarding claim 3 Tanaka discloses the transfer unit is provided to protrude from the one of the pair of surfaces of the mast in the traveling direction (see figure 1, 7 protrudes from side of 6).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the configuration of the second space with the opening and closing part such that the second space can accommodate all of one crane and a portion of the other crane such that the crane that is partially in the second space can access the last column of the rack closest to the second space differentiates the claim from the prior art when considered in combination with the other limitations of the claims.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Additional cited references show other dual stacker crane arrangements.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MARK C HAGEMAN whose telephone number is (571)272-5547. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:15-4:45 (PST).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached at 571-272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/MARK C HAGEMAN/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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