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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10/29/2024 is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the dynamo or alternator comprised by the electrical generator must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 101
35 U.S.C. 101 reads as follows:
Whoever invents or discovers any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof, may obtain a patent therefor, subject to the conditions and requirements of this title.
Claim 10 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 101 because the claimed invention is directed to non-statutory subject matter. The claim(s) does/do not fall within at least one of the four categories of patent eligible subject matter because claim 10 is directed to a method, however no steps or actions are recited in the process of using the conveyor system. Because there are no actions, the BRI of the claim does not fall within a statutory category and fails eligibility step 1.
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.
Claim 10 is 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 10 recites the limitation " A method of using the conveyor system of claim 1 in logistics for generating electricity with a piece good sliding down a chute" in lines 1-2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim as it is further unclear if claim 10 is dependent on 1 or not; Claim 10 refers to claim 1 but does not maintain antecedent basis – “a piece good”, “a chute” for example. Appropriate correction is advised.
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.
Claims 1, 3, 5, 6, and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zimmer (EP3480140A1) in view of Ghassemi (US7067932) and Tsudo (JPH1151095A).
Claim 1
Zimmer teaches: A conveyor system (Fig. 3) with a chute and a device (80) for generating electricity, wherein:
the chute comprises a slide surface (surface along 101) which is configured to transport a piece good (9) by sliding down from a starting point (highest point of downslope 91) to an end point arranged in the horizontal direction lower than the starting point (highest point of downslope 91), and
the device (80) for generating electricity comprises at least one rotatable drive roll (101) arranged in a plane of the slide surface (surface along 101) and an electrical generator (80) connectable with the at least one rotatable drive roll (101), wherein:
in an active state the at least one drive roll (101) is connected with the flywheel, and
in an inactive state the at least one drive roll (101) is disconnected from the flywheel.
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Zimmer is silent to the electrical generator comprising a flywheel connectable with the at least one rotatable drive roll.
Ghassemi teaches a mechano-electrical energy generation apparatus having a rotatable wheel (50), a flywheel (80), and an electrical generator (90). Ghassemi discloses that the flywheel (80) is coupled to the wheel (50) through a crankshaft and gear assembly (82) and a closed loop web or belt member (84), and that the flywheel (80) is rotationally coupled to the electrical generator (90). Ghassemi expressly teaches that rotation of the wheel (50) drives the flywheel (80), which in turn drives the electrical generator (90) to produce electrical energy. Ghassemi further expressly claims that “said electrical generator is driven by a flywheel that is coupled to a rotationally driven by said wheel” (claim 3), and that the flywheel crankshaft is coupled to the wheel by a closed loop web (claim).
Ghassemi further teaches a ratchet/freewheeling mechanism associated with the flywheel that permits the flywheel to continue rotating in a prescribed direction when the wheel is subsequently rotated in the opposite direction. Ghassemi explains that this arrangement allows the flywheel to continue driving the electrical generator during periods in which the mechanically driven wheel Is not providing forward rotational input, thereby smoothing operation of the generator.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the claimed invention was filed to modify the generator driven downhill conveyor system of Zimmer by incorporating the flywheel generator drivetrain of Ghassemi between the rotatable brake roller (101) and generator (80). Zimmer and Ghassemi are directed to closely analogous mechano electrical energy recovery systems in which movement of a mass produces rotation of a mechanical member that is converted into electrical energy. Zimmer specifically identifies the need to convert the kinetic energy of a gravity driven workpiece into electrical energy, while Ghassemi specifically teaches that a flywheel may be interposed between a mechanically driven wheel and an electrical generator to store and regulate rotational energy and maintain generator operation during interruptions or reversals.
The proposed modification would therefore merely employ Ghassemi’s known flywheel energy storage and transmission arrangement in Zimmer’s existing roller driven generator system, with the predictable result that rotational energy produced by the downhill movement of workpiece (9) would be transmitted from brake roller (101), through the flywheel (80), to generator (90/80), thereby providing a more continuous and regulated rotational input to the generator. Such a modification would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art because Ghassemi expressly teaches the use of a flywheel between a mechanically driven wheel and an electrical generator for this purpose.
Tsuda, in the same field of inclined non powered roller conveyors and addressing the same problem of controlling the speed of gravity driven articles, teaches incorporating a flywheel into a rotating roller assembly to store/regulate rotational energy. Therefore, it would have been obvious to incorporate Tsuda’s flywheel arrangement into Zimmer’s roller-generator system.
Furthermore, the motivation to incorporate a flywheel is further reinforced by Tsuda, which is directed to the same type of inclined, non-powered roller conveyor used to transport articles downward by gravity and expressly employs a flywheel mechanically associated with a free roller to control the rotational behavior and descending speed of the article. Thus, the use of a flywheel in Zimmer’s gravity driven roller assembly would have been a known solution in the same field to the same problem of controlling rotational energy by gravity driven articles.
Claim 3/1
The conveyor system (Fig. 3) of claim 1, wherein the slide surface (surface along 101) comprises a plurality of rolls (100-102).
Claim 5/1
The conveyor system (Fig. 3) of claim 1, wherein the flywheel (as taught by Ghassemi) is arranged in a plane different from the plane of the slide surface (surface along 101).
Claim 6/1
The conveyor system (Fig. 3) of claim 1, wherein the flywheel (as taught by Ghassemi) and the at least one drive roll (101) are connectable via a movable gearing system (Ghassemi’s gear assembly 82).
Claim 10/1
A method of using the conveyor system (Fig. 3) of claim 1 in logistics (as best understood for workpiece transport system; Abstract) for generating electricity with a piece good (9) sliding down a chute.
Claims 2 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zimmer as modified by Ghassemi and Tsudo in view of Dooley (US 3986605 A).
Claim 2/1
The conveyor system (Fig. 3) of claim 1, but is silent to: further comprising a monitoring unit configured to detect a piece good (9) sliding down the slide surface (surface along 101).
Dooley conversely teaches a roller conveyor system having a plurality of non-powered conveyor rollers (18) for transporting loads along a conveyance path. Dooley further teaches a photocell monitoring system comprising monitoring photocells positioned along the conveyor path for detecting the presence and arrival of loads. In particular, Dooley discloses a photocell monitoring system positioned upstream of a discharge end to “sense the arrival of a stack of blanks or other load” and further discloses additional photocell monitoring units spaced upstream along the conveyor to “detect arrival of other stacks of blanks or load” at respective monitoring positions. Dooley further teaches automatically controlling operation of the conveyor in response to detection of the load by the monitoring system.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the claimed invention was filed to provide Zimmer’s gravity driven roller conveyor with Dooley’s photocell monitoring system to detect the presence and movement of a workpiece along the downhill conveyor section. Such a modification would have had the predictable benefit of detecting when a workpiece enters or travels through a monitored region of the conveyor and associated components to be controlled in response to the detected workpiece.
Furthermore, the modification would have been particularly straightforward because Zimmer and Dooley both employ roller conveyors for transporting discrete workpiece/loads, and Dooley expressly teaches positioning multiple monitoring units along the conveyor path to detect loads at different locations.
Claim 8
A method for generating electricity with a conveyor system (Fig. 3) with a chute and a device (80) for generating electricity, wherein:
the chute comprises a slide surface (surface along 101) which is configured to transport a piece good (9) by sliding down from a starting point (highest point of downslope 91) to an end point arranged in the horizontal direction lower than the starting point (highest point of downslope 91) and a monitoring unit configured to detect a piece good (9) sliding down the slide surface (surface along 101), and
the device (80) for generating electricity comprises at least one rotatable drive roll (101) arranged in a plane of the slide surface (surface along 101) and an electrical generator (80) comprising at least one rotatable drive roll (101);
Zimmer is silent to:
a) the electrical generator comprising a flywheel connectable with the at least one rotatable drive roll, wherein in an active state the at least one drive roll (101) is connected with the flywheel and in an inactive state the at least one drive roll (101) is disconnected from the flywheel,
b) method steps: detecting whether a piece good (9) slides down the slide surface (surface along 101), if a piece good (9) slides down the slide surface (surface along 101), then connecting the at least one drive roll (101) with the flywheel, and
if no piece good (9) slides down the slide surface (surface along 101), then disconnecting the at least one drive roll (101) from the flywheel.
Ghassemi teaches a mechano-electrical energy generation apparatus having a rotatable wheel (50), a flywheel (80), and an electrical generator (90). Ghassemi discloses that the flywheel (80) is coupled to the wheel (50) through a crankshaft and gear assembly (82) and a closed loop web or belt member (84), and that the flywheel (80) is rotationally coupled to the electrical generator (90). Ghassemi expressly teaches that rotation of the wheel (50) drives the flywheel (80), which in turn drives the electrical generator (90) to produce electrical energy. Ghassemi further expressly claims that “said electrical generator is driven by a flywheel that is coupled to a rotationally driven by said wheel” (claim 3), and that the flywheel crankshaft is coupled to the wheel by a closed loop web (claim).
Ghassemi further teaches a ratchet/freewheeling mechanism associated with the flywheel that permits the flywheel to continue rotating in a prescribed direction when the wheel is subsequently rotated in the opposite direction. Ghassemi explains that this arrangement allows the flywheel to continue driving the electrical generator during periods in which the mechanically driven wheel Is not providing forward rotational input, thereby smoothing operation of the generator.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the claimed invention was filed to modify the generator driven downhill conveyor system of Zimmer by incorporating the flywheel generator drivetrain of Ghassemi between the rotatable brake roller (101) and generator (80). Zimmer and Ghassemi are directed to closely analogous mechano electrical energy recovery systems in which movement of a mass produces rotation of a mechanical member that is converted into electrical energy. Zimmer specifically identifies the need to convert the kinetic energy of a gravity driven workpiece into electrical energy, while Ghassemi specifically teaches that a flywheel may be interposed between a mechanically driven wheel and an electrical generator to store and regulate rotational energy and maintain generator operation during interruptions or reversals.
The proposed modification would therefore merely employ Ghassemi’s known flywheel energy storage and transmission arrangement in Zimmer’s existing roller driven generator system, with the predictable result that rotational energy produced by the downhill movement of workpiece (9) would be transmitted from brake roller (101), through the flywheel (80), to generator (90/80), thereby providing a more continuous and regulated rotational input to the generator. Such a modification would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art because Ghassemi expressly teaches the use of a flywheel between a mechanically driven wheel and an electrical generator for this purpose.
Tsuda, in the same field of inclined non powered roller conveyors and addressing the same problem of controlling the speed of gravity driven articles, teaches incorporating a flywheel into a rotating roller assembly to store/regulate rotational energy. Therefore, it would have been obvious to incorporate Tsuda’s flywheel arrangement into Zimmer’s roller-generator system.
Furthermore, the motivation to incorporate a flywheel is further reinforced by Tsuda, which is directed to the same type of inclined, non-powered roller conveyor used to transport articles downward by gravity and expressly employs a flywheel mechanically associated with a free roller to control the rotational behavior and descending speed of the article. Thus, the use of a flywheel in Zimmer’s gravity driven roller assembly would have been a known solution in the same field to the same problem of controlling rotational energy by gravity driven articles.
Dooley teaches a conveyor system having a photocell monitoring system configured to detect the arrival or presence of conveyed loads at predetermined locations along the conveyor. Dooley explains that the photocell monitoring system detects the arrival of a load and, in response, activates a control mechanism to withdraw the driving force from the associated conveyor rollers. Dooley further provides additional photocell monitoring units upstream for detecting subsequent loads and controlling the corresponding conveyor drive sections.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the claimed invention was filed to incorporate Dooley’s load monitoring and responsive control arrangement into Zimmer’s conveyor system to automatically detect the presence of a piece good traveling along the slide surface and selectively control the coupling of the drive roll and flywheel based on whether a piece good is precent. Such a modification would provide automatic operation of the electricity generating device only when a piece good is being conveyed, thereby avoiding unnecessary operation of the generator/flywheel when no piece good is present and conserving mechanical and electrical energy.
Upon detection of a piece good, the control system would cause the drive roll to be coupled to the flywheel so that movement of the piece good rotates the drive roll and rives the flywheel/generator. When no piece good is detected, the control system would cause the drive roll to be decoupled from the flywheel, thereby preventing the flywheel/generator from being driven unnecessarily.
This modification would merely apply Dooley’s known technique of detecting conveyed articles and automatically changing the operating state of conveyor drive components in response to the detection of Ghassemi’s flywheel driven generator, yielding the predictable result of selectively operating the generator in response to the presence of conveyed articles.
The motivation to combine Dooley with Ghassemi & Tsuda to modify Zimmer would be desirable to operate Ghassemi’s generator in view of Tsuda only when a piece of good is actually traversing the chute, avoiding unnecessary mechanical loading, energy consumption, and wear.
Claim(s) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zimmer as modified by Ghassemi and Tsudo in view of Phillips (US 3326355 A).
Claim 4/1
The conveyor system (Fig. 3) of claim 1, wherein the electrical generator (80) comprises a dynamo or an alternator.
Phillips conversely discloses a conveyor system having drive motors mechanically coupled to conveyor pulleys through shafts and gearing. Phillips further teaches that mechanical energy generated by movement of a conveyor, particularly on a downhill section where gravity accelerates the conveyor, can cause an electric motor to operate as an “alternator-generator,” thereby converting mechanical energy into electrical energy (see para. 38).
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time the claimed invention was filed to employ an alternator-generator as the electrical generator of Zimmer’s conveyor system in order to convert the mechanical energy associated with conveyor movement into electrical energy, as taught by Philips.
Claim(s) 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zimmer as modified by Ghassemi and Tsudo in view of Siemens (EP3629469A1).
Claim 7/1
The conveyor system (Fig. 3) of claim 1, but is silent to: further comprising a control unit for controlling the flywheel, wherein a rotation speed of the at least one rotatable drive roll (101) is controllable via the flywheel in the active state.
Siemens conversely addresses the control of a conveyor drive having a flywheel energy store. In particular, Siemens discloses a belt conveying device having at least one belt drive roller (5) coupled to a motor (7) for driving the belt (para. 0067-0069). Siemens expressly states that the flywheel energy store supplies electrical energy to the motor and permits continued operation of the motor at a reduced rotational speed (para. 0069-0071).
Siemens further discloses a control device/regulating device for controlling the rotational speed of the motor. The control device supplies setpoint rotational speeds to the motor based on a characteristic curve and causes the motor to be decelerated according to the characteristic curve (para. 0024-0029, 0039-0042, 0061-0064, 0072). Siemens expressly explains that the motor drives the belt drive roller and that regulation of the motor’s rotational speed therefore provides controlled deceleration of the belt drive roller (para. 0012-0015, 0016, 0035, 0053-0055). Siemens additionally teaches that the speed of the motor can be controlled by regulating the voltage of the intermediate circuit, with the energy store maintaining the intermediate circuit voltage (para. 0057-0060).
Thus, Siemens teaches the claimed functional relationship in which a control device controls the rotational speed of a conveyor drive, while the flywheel energy store supplies the energy necessary to maintain and regulate rotation of the motor and drive roller. In particular, para. 0055 states that the control device controls the supply of electrical energy from the energy store to the motor, thereby allowing the motor to continue driving the belt drive roller for the stop time. Accordingly, the rotational speed of the drive roller is controllable via the flywheel energy store during the controlled operating state.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to incorporate Siemen’s control arrangement into Ghassemi’s flywheel equipped conveyor system concept. Such a modification would have advantageously permitted the drive roll speed to be selectively regulated, particularly during flywheel operation, thereby providing controlled conveyor operation and avoiding uncontrolled changes in rotational speed.
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Zimmer as modified by Ghassemi Tsudo, and Dooley in view of Siemens (EP3629469A1).
Claim 9/8
The method of claim 8, but is silent to: further with the following method step:
controlling a rotation speed of the at least one drive roll via the flywheel.
Siemens conversely addresses the control of a conveyor drive having a flywheel energy store. In particular, Siemen’s discloses a belt conveying device having at least one belt drive roller (5) coupled to a motor (7) for driving the belt (para. 0067-0069). Siemens expressly states that the flywheel energy store supplies electrical energy to the motor and permits continued operation of the motor at a reduced rotational speed (para. 0069-0071).
Siemens further discloses a control device/regulating device for controlling the rotational speed of the motor. The control device supplies setpoint rotational speeds to the motor based on a characteristic curve and causes the motor to be decelerated according to the characteristic curve (para. 0024-0029, 0039-0042, 0061-0064, 0072). Siemens expressly explains that the motor drives the belt drive roller and that regulation of the motor’s rotational speed therefore provides controlled deceleration of the belt drive roller (para. 0012-0015, 0016, 0035, 0053-0055). Siemens additionally teaches that the speed of the motor can be controlled by regulating the voltage of the intermediate circuit, with the energy store maintaining the intermediate circuit voltage (para. 0057-0060).
Thus, Siemens teaches the claimed functional relationship in which a control device controls the rotational speed of a conveyor drive, while the flywheel energy store supplies the energy necessary to maintain and regulate rotation of the motor and drive roller. In particular, para. 0055 states that the control device controls the supply of electrical energy from the energy store to the motor, thereby allowing the motor to continue driving the belt drive roller for the stop time. Accordingly, the rotational speed of the drive roller is controllable via the flywheel energy store during the controlled operating state.
It would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art at the time of the claimed invention to incorporate Siemen’s control arrangement into Ghassemi’s flywheel equipped conveyor system concept. Such a modification would have advantageously permitted the drive roll speed to be selectively regulated, particularly during flywheel operation, thereby providing controlled conveyor operation and avoiding uncontrolled changes in rotational speed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to AHMED F SECK whose telephone number is (571)272-4638. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday 7:30 am - 4:30 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Christopher Koehler can be reached at (571) 272-3560. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/AHMED F SECK/Examiner, Art Unit 2834
/CHRISTOPHER M KOEHLER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2834
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