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 § 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) 1-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Naslund U.S. Patent No. 3,357,539.
Claim 1, Naslund teaches a method for compacting a flow of goods in an overhead conveyor system C1 L10-20 Fig. 1, the method including: conveying overhead a plurality of conveyor containers 23, each conveyor container 23 of the plurality of conveyor containers 23 loaded with at least one good 26 in the overhead conveyor system C6 L5-25; unloading automatically the at least one good 26 from each conveyor container 23 of the plurality of conveyor containers 23 into a collecting conveyor container 32 C6 L5-25; and conveying overhead the collecting conveyor container 23 loaded with the at least one good 26 from each conveyor container 23 of the plurality of conveyor containers 23 in the overhead conveyor system Fig. 1 C1 L10-30.
Claim 2, Naslund teaches the unloading automatically the at least one good 26 from each conveyor container 23 of the plurality of conveyor containers 23 includes opening automatically via 94 each conveyor container 23 on an underside C4 L30-55.
Claim 3, Naslund teaches the unloading automatically the at least one good 26 from each conveyor container 23 of the plurality of conveyor containers 23 includes unloading into a buffer store 80 and discharging the goods 26 from the buffer store 80 into the collecting conveyor container 32 C3 L3-15; C4 L30-55.
Claim 4, Naslund teaches the conveyor containers 23 of the plurality of conveyor containers 23 are each arranged vertically above the buffer store 80 during the unloading into the buffer store 80 C3 L3-15.
Claim 5, Naslund teaches detecting with an entry detection unit 154 the at least one good 26 from each conveyor container 23 of the plurality of conveyor containers 23 unloaded into the buffer store 80 via 118 C5 L30-45 Fig. 8a.
Claim 6, Naslund teaches detecting with an exit detection unit the goods 26 discharged from the buffer store 80 via 118 into the collecting conveyor container 32 C5 L30-45 Fig. 8a.
Claim 7, Naslund teaches the collecting conveyor container 32 is arranged vertically below the buffer store 80 while the goods 26 are discharged from the buffer store 80 C5 L30-45 Fig. 8a.
Claim 8, Naslund teaches the unloading into the buffer store 80 includes unloading based at least in part on at least one property of the goods 26, the at least one property one of at least 1) good volume or 2) a combined good length and girth or 3) good weight or 4) good order via 74 C4 L5-30.
Claim 9, Naslund teaches a transfer station for compacting a flow of goods 26 in an overhead conveyor system Fig. 1, the transfer station comprising: a first conveyor rail 14; a plurality of conveyor containers 23, each container 23 of which is loaded with at least one good 26 and is displaceable along the first conveyor rail E; an unloading unit at 32 arranged along the first conveyor rail 14 for automatically unloading the at least one goods 26 from the plurality of conveyor containers 23; a second conveyor rail 16; and at least one collecting conveyor container 32, the at least one collecting conveyor container 32 configured to receive the at least one goods 26, the at least one collecting conveyor container 32 displaceable along the second conveyor rail 16.
Claim 10, Naslund teaches a buffer store 80 for receiving the at least one goods 26 from the plurality of conveyor containers 23, wherein the buffer store 80 includes a switchable discharge element 154 for automatically discharging the goods 26 received C5 L30-45 Fig. 8a.
Claim 11, Naslund teaches the first conveyor rail 14 is arranged vertically above the buffer store 80.
Claim 12, Naslund teaches the second conveyor rail 16 is arranged vertically below the buffer store 80.
Claim 13, Naslund teaches an entry detection unit 154 for detecting goods 26 received into the buffer store 80 or an exit detection unit for detecting goods 26 discharged from the buffer store 34 C5 L30-45 Fig. 8a.
Claim 14, Naslund teaches the switchable discharge element 154 is configured as an openable base, which is displaceable or pivotable in a base plane C5 L30-45 Fig. 8a.
Claim 15, Naslund teaches an opening unit 94 for automatically opening the at least one collecting conveyor container 23 arranged along the second conveyor rail 16.
Claim 16, Naslund teaches a chute surface 118 arranged vertically below the buffer store 80 and facing the opening unit 94.
Claim 17, Naslund teaches an exit detection unit 154 arranged in an end region of the chute surface 118 C5 L30-45 Fig. 8a.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAVEL SINGH whose telephone number is (571)272-2362. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford can be reached at (571) 272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KAVEL SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
KS