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 § 103
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 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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18 & 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takao (US 2016/0001992) in view of Xiao (CN 111606033) (English translation attached) and Mioshi (US 10,233,039).
Interpretative note 1. "Connecting member" (claim 1, line 10) has been interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder, e.g. member, that is coupled with functional language, e.g. connecting, without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
Takao discloses-
one pair of pick and place assemblies and two detectors, wherein: each pick and place assembly comprise:
a first guide rail 33a/47a, 34a/37a, extending in a first direction (extending vertically as represented in FIG. 9);
a second guide rail 44a/45a, 39a/49a extending in a second direction (extending horizontally as represented in FIG. 9) intersecting a first direction;
a clamping assembly, comprising-
a first clamping member 9a, 9b is arranged on a first guide rail,
a second clamping member 9c, 9d is arranged on a second guide rail, and
first and second clamping members are movable closer to or away from each other; and
a connecting member 33b, 34b, 37b, 39b, 44b, 45b, 46b, 47b connected to a first and second guide rails, and configured to be movable along a first guide rail and a second guide rail; and
each detector is arranged on respective connecting members and is configured to detect whether there is an obstacle within a specified range in a preset direction.
Takao does not disclose a detector located on a connecting member, or a detector configured to detect whether there is an obstacle within a specified range in a preset direction.
With respect to locating detectors on connecting members Xiao discloses locating sensors 3 on connectors 2 for accurately locating the clamp position when moving a pick-and-place device to a battery module for picking which generally avoids adverse impact with the battery module. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention of Takao to locate sensors on connecting members, as taught by Xiao, to avoid damage to a battery module during clamping by a pick-and-place device.
Miyoshi discloses a pair of sensors 47, 47 on a pick-and-place device 2, wherein sensors 47, 47 perform a comparison operation when detecting the top of an article. A comparison operation is performed between a detected value of the upper end height of the transferred container detected by the sensor 47 and a normal value, e.g. threshold value, of the upper end height of the transferred container calculated on the basis of a height of the container (C) that is handled so as to determine abnormality in posture of the transferred container (C). In other words, whether the "upper end height thereof exceeds the allowable range." Miyoshi's detectors sense in a predetermined direction insomuch that the direction is fixed and oriented parallel to the movement of clamping members. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the invention of Takao to provide detectors configured to detect whether there is an obstacle within a specified range in a preset direction, as taught by Miyoshi, to determine if the posture of an article to be picked is exceeds the allowable range then gripping is halted for operator intervention.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 8, 10, 11, 12, 17 & 19 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY W ADAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-8101. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 8am-5pm.
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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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/GREGORY W ADAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit