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 .
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 “a perforation of a plurality of perforations” as recited in claim 4 line 2 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 Objections
Claim 3 objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 3 recites the limitations “each of the plurality of apertures, and each of the plurality of apertures is in fluidic communication with at least one of the plurality of pockets” in line 3. It is suggested the Applicant correct the redundancy of the limitations.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 2-6,10-12,20 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being clearly anticipated by Barnes (US 2010/0236561 A1).
Referring to claims 2, 20 and 21. Barnes discloses a bead delivery system (210; Figure 1) comprising:
a bead delivery disk (100; Figure 2) including,
a central disk portion (hub portion of 248; Figure 2) having a first side (left side of hub as shown in Figure 2) and a second side (right side of hub as shown in Figure 2),
an inner annular rim (248; Figure 2) around the central disk portion (hub portion of 248; Figure 2), the inner annular rim (248; Figure 2) between the first side and the second side (side of the hub), the inner annular rim (248; Figure 2) offset in a perpendicular direction from the first side and the second side (see Figure 5A-5D)
such that the inner annular rim (248; Figure 2) has a discontinuous (see perpendicular portion from the hub end to the projecting disk portion of 248; Figure 5B) change in thickness from a thickness of the central disk portion (hub portion of 248; Figure 2),
a plurality of pockets (454; Figure 4D) defined in an outer surface (exterior surface of the base of member 470 on which the captured articles rest; Figure 2 and 4D) of the inner annular rim (248; Figure 2),
an outer annular rim (surface of 458; Figure 4D) extending around a periphery of the inner annular rim (248; Figure 2), the outer annular rim (surface of 458; Figure 4D) offset (see Figure 4D wherein the base of 470 is position at an inner position to member 248) in the perpendicular direction from side surfaces of the inner annular rim (248; Figure 2) such that outer annular rim (surface of 458; Figure 4D) has a discontinuous change in thickness (thickness of member 470) from the thickness of the inner annular rim (thickness of member 248; Figure 2).
Referring to claim 3. Barnes discloses a bead delivery system (210; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein the bead delivery disk (100; Figure 2) defines a plurality of apertures (474) on the first side of the central disk portion (hub portion of 248; Figure 2), each of the plurality of apertures (474), and each of the plurality of apertures is in fluidic communication with at least one of the plurality of pockets (454; Figure 4D).
Referring to claim 4. Barnes discloses a bead delivery system (210; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein each of the plurality of apertures (474) includes a perforation of a plurality of perforations (470 screen comprising perforations) in a surface of the first side.
Referring to claim 5. Barnes discloses a bead delivery system (210; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein each of the plurality of perforations (470 screen comprising perforations) is in fluid communication with a respective one of the plurality of pockets (454; Figure 4D) via a passage inside the central disk portion (hub portion of 248; see Figure 4C).
Referring to claim 6. Barnes discloses a bead delivery system (210; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein the bead delivery disk (100; Figure 2) further includes a vacuum plenum on the first side of the central disk portion, the vacuum plenum covering the plurality of apertures and defining a vacuum delivery port (A vacuum or negative pressure assembly may be in fluid communication with the rotatable insertion member 248 such that a vacuum or suction may be applied to each pocket 454, in a radially-inward direction with respect to the first axis A. The vacuum/suction acts to assist in ensuring that each pocket 454 accepts the corresponding one of the first and second objects; Para. [0046]).
Referring to claim 9. Barnes discloses a bead (pill) delivery system (10; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein the plurality of apertures (474) is radially inside of the inner annular rim (248; Figure 2).
Referring to claim 10. Barnes discloses a bead (pill) delivery system (10; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein the thickness of the inner annular rim (248; Figure 2) is less than a thickness of the central disk portion (hub portion of 248; Figure 2) from the first side to the second side (see Figure 2).
Referring to claim 11. Barnes discloses a bead (pill) delivery system (10; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein the outer annular rim (surface of 458; Figure 4D) has a tapered edge (tapered edge around the aperture 474).
Referring to claim 12. Barnes discloses a bead (pill) delivery system (10; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein portions of the outer annular rim (surface of 458; Figure 4D) are between the plurality of pockets (474).
Claims 7 and 13-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barnes (US 2010/0236561 A1) in view of Dickey (US 5,531,312).
Referring to claim 7. Barnes does not disclose wherein the vacuum plenum defines a semi-annular shape.
Dickey discloses a singulating apparatus (Figure 1) wherein the vacuum plenum defines a semi-annular shape (see arcuate shape of vacuum opening between end 42 and 43; Figure 5).
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Remis to include a vacuum plenum defines a semi-annular shape as taught by Dickey because vacuum plenum defining a semi-annular shape would provide direct fluid communication to the plurality of pockets thus providing individual control of the pockets to retain articles.
Referring to claim 13. Dickey discloses a singulating apparatus (Figure 1) wherein
a bead source (44; Figure 4) configured to supply beads to the bead delivery disk (610A), and a tongue having a slot (bottom of 252A), the tongue (bottom portion of 44; Figure 4) configured to receive beads from the plurality of pockets (31) of the bead delivery disk (24) and position the beads in a moving stream of fibrous material (see Figure 1).
Referring to claim 14. Dickey discloses a singulating apparatus (Figure 1) wherein
the slot has a width (width bottom portion of 44; Figure 4), the width of the slot is greater than the thickness of the outer annular rim (see Figure 4), and the width of the slot is less than a thickness of the central disk portion (width of 24 and 22) from the first side to the second side (see Figure 4).
Referring to claims 15 and 16. Barnes discloses a bead (pill) delivery system (10; Figure 1) comprising:
portions of the outer annular rim (surface of 458; Figure 4D) are between the plurality of pockets (458), and a height of a portion of the outer annular rim is greater than a height of a center of a nominal bead the bead source is configured to supply (single bead 52 is smaller than the wall of the pocket 458).
Referring to claim 17. Barnes discloses a bead (pill) delivery system (10; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein the bead source (252; Figure 1) includes a vibrating hopper (Passage of objects from the upper hopper to the lower hopper is promoted by vibrating the objects contained in the upper hopper; Para. [0054]).
Referring to claims 18 and 19. Barnes discloses a bead (pill) delivery system (10; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein the bead source is configured to inject pressurized air through a channel to supply the beads to the bead delivery disk (Further, the rotatable feeder devices 610A, 610B may each be configured to eject the objects from the feeder pockets 612A, 612B at the transfer positions 620A, 620B via positive air pressure or otherwise by interrupting the suction/negative pressure applied to the feeder pockets 612A, 612B at the transfer position; Para. [0052]).
Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Barnes (US 2010/0236561 A1) in view of Dickey (US 5,531,312) and further in view of Taniguchi (US 4,619,360).
Referring to claim 8. Barnes in view of Dickey do not disclose comprising
a pressurized gas delivery port 180° from an upper terminus of the vacuum plenum.
Taniguchi discloses a product transporting apparatus (Figure 1) comprising pressurized gas delivery port (20b and 20c; Figure 1) 270° from an upper terminus of the vacuum plenum (see vacuum start at pickup location for D3 to port 20b).
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Barnes in view of Dickey to include a pressurized gas delivery port 270° from an upper terminus of the vacuum plenum as taught by Taniguchi because the carried articles can be forced to be ejected at a given location by releasing pressurized gas through the delivery port.
It would have been further obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Barnes in view of Dickey and Taniguchi to have disposed a pressurized gas delivery port at 180° from an upper terminus of the vacuum plenum because the location of the pressurized gas delivery port can be modified to coincide with a discharge location 180° from the vacuum plenum.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAKESH KUMAR whose telephone number is (571)272-8314. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH from 8AM-6:30PM EST.
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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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/RAKESH KUMAR/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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