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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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) 1-9 and 11-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Trebbi et al. (US 2021/0292014) (“Trebbi”).
Claim 1: a station (5) comprising:
a moving portion (12/15); and
a guide configured to guide movement of the moving portion (8 and portion between 12/15), and
a manipulator (4) configured to pick up an object (11/100) from the moving portion or to place the object on the moving portion,
wherein the moving portion is configured to move in response to the manipulator picking up the object from the moving portion or placing the object on the moving portion (Fig. 3-6);
Claim 2: wherein the moving portion is further configured to move in a plane direction of the guide (horizontal plane of 12 that is a box/plate shape);
Claim 3: wherein the moving portion comprises a first plate (12 is a box/plate shape);
Claim 4: wherein the guide comprises a second plate (box containing 8 has multiple plate sections);
Claim 5: wherein the moving portion comprises a guide column (12 has a box/plate shaped column);
Claim 6: wherein the moving portion is further configured to move from an original position, and
wherein the guide comprises an aligner (8 is an aligning opening formed by box/plate) configured to align the moving portion in the original position (Fig. 3-6);
Claim 7: wherein the aligner comprises an elastic portion (all structures have a modulus of elasticity);
Claim 8: wherein the guide comprises a stopper configured to absorb shock from a collision of the moving portion with the stopper (top/bottom of/at 8);
Claim 9. The platform system of claim 1, wherein the moving portion is further configured to move from an original position, and
wherein the guide comprises a plunger (portion between 12/15) configured to fix a position of the moving portion to the original position (Fig. 3-6);
Claim 11: wherein the manipulator is configured to move relative to the station (Fig. 3-6);
Claim 12: wherein the manipulator comprises a gripper configured to grip the object, the gripper having an inclined surface (13; 17,18; FIG. 2 shows 17,18 having inclined surface);
Claim 13: a moving portion (12/15) on which an object is placed (11/100), the moving portion being configured to move in response to the object being picked up from the moving portion or in response to the object being placed on the moving portion (Fig. 3-6); and
a guide configured to guide movement of the moving portion (8 and portion between 12/15);
Claim 14: wherein the moving portion is further configured to move in a plane direction of the guide (horizontal plane of 12 that is a box/plate shape);
Claim 15: a gripper configured to grip an object, the gripper having an inclined surface (13; 17,18; FIG. 2 shows 17,18 having inclined surface),
wherein the manipulator is configured to pick up the object (11/100) from a station (5) or place the object on the station using the gripper (Fig. 3-6);
Claim 16: wherein the manipulator is further configured to move relative to the station (Fig. 3-6).
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.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Trebbi in view of Son et al. (US 2024/0009855; 102(a)(2) date: Jul. 5, 2022) (“Son”). Trebbi discloses all the limitations of the claims as discussed above.
Trebbi does not directly show:
Claim 10: a roller between the moving portion and the guide.
Son shows a similar device having:
Claim 10: a roller between the moving portion and the guide (1114; para. [0068]; alternatively, 120);
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of preventing damage to the moving portion, guide, and/or object (para. [0068]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Trebbi as taught by Son and include Son’s similar device having:
Claim 10: a roller between the moving portion and the guide;
with a reasonable expectation of success for the purpose of preventing damage to the moving portion, guide, and/or object.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 9351569 discloses manipulator 15.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Gerald McClain whose telephone number is (571)272-7803. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and at gerald.mcclain@uspto.gov (see MPEP 502.03 (II)).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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/Gerald McClain/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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