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.
(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 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Liu et al. (US 20260015165 A1).
Liu discloses an automatic transport device (Fig. 11) transporting an object (810) to be transported to a predetermined location (Fig. 13), the automatic transport device comprising:
a holder (800) including a slide surface (920) and slidably holding the object to be transported on the slide surface;
PNG
media_image1.png
452
525
media_image1.png
Greyscale
a binder (200) binding to a side surface of the object to be transported, the binder including a sucker (310) that adheres to a first position on the side surface of the object to be transported, and a contact member (700) that abuts on a second position of the side surface;
a slide driver (500) sliding the object to be transported on the slide surface in a state where the binder is binding to the side surface of the object to be transported; and
a driver (1002) enabling the automatic transport device to travel.
Re claim 2, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 1, wherein the binder further includes a main body frame (300) slid by the slide driver; and the sucker and the contact member are provided so as to protrude from the main body frame.
Re claim 3, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 2, wherein a protruding length of the sucker from the main body frame is longer than a protruding length of the contact member from the main body frame in a state before the sucker adheres to the object to be transported, and the protruding length of the sucker becomes equal to the protruding length of the contact member in a state where the sucker adheres to the object to be transported, so that the contact member abuts on the side surface of the object to be transported (Par 0064).
Re claim 4, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 2, wherein the sucker is provided so as to be movable in an axial direction of the sucker with respect to the main body frame upon receiving pressing force (it is understood that Liu’s sucker are compressible to permit abutment of the push rods).
Re claim 5, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 1, wherein the contact member includes a first contact member and a second contact member, the sucker adheres to a central portion of the side surface of the object to be transported, the first contact member abuts on a left side of the central portion of the side surface, and the second contact member abuts on a right side of the central portion of the side surface (Liu’s push rods may be placed at circumferential intervals around the suction cups – see Par. 0064).
Re claim 6, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 1, wherein the binder is provided to be movable with respect to the slide surface in a first direction which is a protruding direction of the sucker and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the binder moves in the first direction which is a direction toward a storage in which the object to be transported is stored, and after the sucker adheres to the object to be transported in the storage, and after the contact member abuts on the object to be transported, the binder moves in the second direction together with the object to be transported, thereby placing the object to be transported on the slide surface (see Figs. 11-17).
Re claim 7, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 1, wherein the binder is provided to be movable with respect to the slide surface in a first direction which is a protruding direction of the sucker and a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the binder moves in the first direction in a state where the sucker adheres to the object to be transported placed on the slide surface and where the contact member abuts on the object to be transported, thereby moving the object to be transported to a predetermined storage (see Figs. 11-17).
Re claim 8, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 1, comprising a first side wall (930) and a second side wall (930) provided at both ends of the slide surface in a direction orthogonal to a sliding direction, wherein the binder moves between the first side wall and the second side wall in a state where the object to be transported is adhered.
Re claim 9, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 1, wherein a transfer device including the holder and the binder is provided so as to be capable of being lifted and lowered in the automatic transport device (1003). Liu’s device is also capable when the object to be transported stored in a storage is moved to the transfer device, the transfer device is lifted and lowered so that the slide surface on which the object to be transported is placed in the holder (1004) is lower than a placement surface on which the object to be transported is placed in the storage, and when the object to be transported placed on the transfer device is moved to the storage, the transfer device is lifted and lowered so that the slide surface on which the object to be transported is placed in the holder is higher than the placement surface on which the object to be transported is placed in the storage (it should be noted that the contingent limitation requires structure for performing the function should the condition occur – see MPEP 2111.04).
Re claim 10, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 9, wherein the storage is a stock shelf (1004) provided in the automatic transport device and is provided adjacent to the transfer device.
Re claim 11, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 7, wherein a movement amount of the binder is determined based on a length of the object to be transported in the first direction (it is understood that the extent of movement of Liu’s binder would be dictated by the size and location of the objects/bins – see Paragraphs 0085-0086).
Re claim 12, Liu discloses the automatic transport device according to claim 7, wherein when another object to be transported is stored in a depth direction of the storage in which the object to be transported is to be stored, a movement amount of the binder is determined based on a length of the object to be transported in the first direction and a length of said another object to be transported in the first direction (it is understood that the extent of movement of Liu’s binder would be dictated by the size and location of the objects/bins – see Paragraphs 0085-0086).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 9334114 B2 discloses a conveyor mechanism where the transfer of objects takes place at different heights (column 8, lines 38-47).
CN 115924800 A, CN 115783608 A, WO 2022105399 A1, and WO 2021227986 A1 disclose other transport devices comprising suction cups.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAUL J RODRIGUEZ whose telephone number is (571)272-7097. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 6:30-3:00.
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, Joseph Thomas can be reached at 571-272-8004. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
SAUL J. RODRIGUEZ
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3652
/SAUL RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3652
Prosecution Insights