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) 23, 31, 32, 33, 34 & 35 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yuyama (US 6,789,996).
Yuyama discloses an apparatus comprising:
a stacking unit 3, 3, 3, 3 where product boxes are stacked, stacking unit includes first through n-th stacking units, where n is an integer greater than 1;
a release unit 7 disposed under a stacking unit, a release unit where product boxes are released;
a rotation guide structure 12 disposed under a release unit,
in a first mode a rotation guide structure supporting a product box placed in a first position of a release unit among product boxes,
in a second mode (position of #12 in FIG. 3(a)) a rotation guide structure guiding a product box so that a product box is rotated while a product box 16 placed in a first position of a release unit is dropped; and
a conveyer 24 (FIG. 2) disposed under a rotation guide structure, a conveyer where a rotated product box is provided;
wherein a part of a frame 1, 2a is connected to a first distal end of a k-th stacking unit 3 among, where k is an integer between 1 and n, and a k-th stacking unit 3 has an open state via door 5 and a close state on an axis with respect to a portion where a first distal end (upper end of unit 3 in FIG. 1) of a k-th stacking unit is connected to a frame; and
a third supporting member 9.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to GREGORY W ADAMS whose telephone number is (571)272-8101. The examiner can normally be reached Mon - Fri, 8am-5pm.
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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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/GREGORY W ADAMS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3652
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