DETAILED ACTION
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 .
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.
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) 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Cho (KR1019990030497) in view of Tenfelde (DE102017003815).
Referring to claim 1. Cho discloses a “Car Transporter”. See Figs. 1-7 and respective portions of the specification. Cho further discloses a cargo loading or unloading system for a vehicle, the system comprising: a storage compartment comprising a two-stage frame (11) supported by fixtures (12), the frame partitioned into a plurality of compartment portions arranged for individually loading and unloading cargo at different positions, including at least a front-upper position and a rear position on each stage of the frame. Thus, Cho discloses a storage compartment comprising at least a two high by two wide array of compartment portions. Cho further discloses a loading conveyor (50) driven by a loading motor (51) rotating a loading rotary shaft (5), installed separately at each compartment portion, configured to move cargo (via a vehicle) into and out of the respective portion. Thus, Cho discloses a compartment portion conveyor located in each compartment portion configured to move the associated cargo into and out of the respective compartment portion. Cho discloses a lift assembly located adjacent the storage compartment, comprising a lifting plate (30) including a platform (31) and a moving conveyor (34), wherein the moving conveyor cooperates with the loading conveyor (50) of compartment portion to receive cargo from and deliver cargo to, that compartment portion. Thus, Cho discloses a lift assembly comprising a platform including a lift assembly conveyor that at least one of receives the associated cargo from, and delivers the associated cargo to, the compartment portions. Likewise, Cho discloses a mounting assembly movably securing the lift assembly to the storage compartment, comprising: a vertical drive mechanism, a lifting motor (22), winding drums (23) and wire (24) coupled to the lifting platform (31), which travels within a guide groove (21) to raise and lower the lifting plate; and a lateral drive mechanism including a moving motor (40), chain connecting rods (41) and mobile chain (42) coupled to a transfer table (20) having feed rollers that ride in a groove (17) formed in a transverse section (16) of the frame (11), moving the transfer table (and lift assembly carried on it) left and right among the compartment portions. As such, Cho teaches a mounting assembly that movably secure the lift assembly adjacent the storage compartment such that the lift assembly is movable both vertically and laterally among the array of compartment portions, whereby the platform can be positioned adjacent any one or more of the compartment portions to receive the associated cargo onto the lift assembly conveyor from an adjacent compartment portion conveyor, or deliver the associated cargo to the adjacent compartment portion conveyor from the lift assembly conveyor. Further, Cho discloses that the lifting plate (30), while carried on the transfer table is selectively moved vertically downward until it contacts the ground surface on which the vehicle is supported, at which point cargo is delivered onto, or received from the lifting plate/platform (30). Thus, Cho discloses a lift assembly is selectively movable vertically downward to a location adjacent a ground surface located vertically below the compartment portions on which the delivery vehicle is supported, to deliver the associated cargo from or receive the associated cargo onto, the lifting assembly conveyor. Cho doesn’t explicitly disclose a compartment portion “opening” through which the cargo passes into and out of each compartment portion. Tenfelde discloses a “Motor Vehicle Shelf and Appropriately Equipped Motor Vehicle“. See Figs. 1-9 and respective portions of the specification. Tenfelde further discloses a motor vehicle rack having a plurality of rack compartments for storing cargo, wherein a rack compartment (compartment portion) is suitable for receiving and supporting cargo that can be opened (See Sect. 0008). Thus, Tenfelde teaches a vehicle cargo compartment portion that includes an opening through which cargo is received and supported. It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to ensure that the compartment portions included an opening as taught by Tenfelde, such that the lifting assembly and loading conveyor could pass cargo into and out of each compartment portion, which is the function of the lifting assembly and loading conveyor, which would allow cargo to be moved/slotted into compartments.
/TERRELL H MATTHEWS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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