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 .
Claims 1-20 are pending.
Claim Objections
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: In claim 2, line 2, the term “the arm” should be changed to “the plurality of arms”. Appropriate correction is required.
In claim 12, line 10, the term “andmoving” should be changed to “and moving”. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claims 1-11 and 16-18 are 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.
In claim 1, line 6, the “one or more conveyors” is stated in line 3, it is unclear as to if this is a new element or referring to the first element, clarification is required and the claims amended to reflect this.
In claim 1, line 9, the “one or more conveyors” is stated in lines 3 and 6, it is unclear as to if this is a new element or referring to one of the previous elements, clarification is required and the claims amended to reflect this. It appears that this is a new element and should be clarified in the claims.
in claim 7, lines 1 and 2, the term “one or more conveyors” is unclear as there is no way to tell which of the conveyors is being referred to from claim 1 stated earlier, which makes the claim unclear.
Claim 16 recites the limitation "the second arm" in line 3. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
In claim 18, line 2, the term “item type” is unclear which makes the claim indefinite as there is no way to tell what an “item type” is referring to.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Claims 2-11 and 16-18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Claims 12-15, 19 and 20 would be allowable if written to overcome the claim objections to claim 12.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
European Patent No. WO2025/133151 to Westwood et al. and U.S. Patent No. 12,421,038 to Salichs et al. both teach a multilevel rack system, but lack a teaching of a transition mechanism with a lifting mechanism along with a source tray intake having a plurality of arms.
European Patent No. EP4067265 to Kiyokawa et al. teaches a multi level input system.
U.S. Publication No. 2021/0047121 to Stevens et al. teaches a cross conveyor.
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/JUSTIN HOLMES/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3655
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