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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy of the Japanese parent Application No. JP2024-054585 (filed on 03/25/2024) was received with the present application.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities that require appropriate corrections:
In page 9, line 8-9, the phrase “the pair of support walls 56b” should read -- the pair of support plates 56b --.
In page 10, line 16, the phrase “the bottom wall 56a” should read -- the bottom plate 56a --.
Claim Objections
Claims 4-5 are objected to because of the following informalities that require appropriate corrections:
In claim 4, line 3, the limitation “the first direction by adjustment by the first adjustor is different” should read -- the first direction by the first adjustor, is different --.
In claim 4, line 5, the limitation “the first direction by adjustment by the second adjustor” should read -- the first direction by the second adjustor --.
In claim 5, line 5, the limitation “the first direction by adjustment by the second adjustor is farther” should read -- the first direction by the second adjustor, is farther --.
In claim 5, line 7-8, the limitation “the first direction by adjustment by the first adjustor” should read -- the first direction by the first adjustor --.
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.
(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 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and/or 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Geessinck (WIPO Patent Application/Publication WO2019/177457 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Geessinck teach (Figures 1A-2J) a hand (head 150 of the head assembly 140) comprising: a base (frame 155); a first holder (suction cup 161 and the first tube 163 of the head unit 160) that is supported to be movable in a first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) with respect to the base (frame 155) and that holds an article (box 190); a second holder (suction cups 162'/162" and the second tubes 164 of the head unit 160) that is supported to be movable in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) with respect to the base (frame 155), that is aligned with the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) in a second direction (second/vertical direction away from and towards the extendable plate 153) intersecting with the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152), and that holds the article (box 190); a first driver (third guide body 173 and the electrical spindle means 175 of the of the head unit 160) that moves the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) and the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152); and an adjustor (first spring 171/second springs 174 of the head unit 160) that adjusts a position of either the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) or the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) independently of the other (see also page 7, line 18 - page 10, line 27 in the WO2019/177457 A1 provided with the IDS filed by the applicant on 12/09/2025).
Regarding claim 2, Geessinck teaches all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Geessinck further teach (Figures 1A-2J), the adjustor (first spring 171/second springs 174) including a first adjustor (first spring 171) that adjusts a position of the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) independently of the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164), and a second adjustor (second springs 174) that adjusts a position of the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) independently of the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163).
Regarding claim 3, Geessinck teaches all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Geessinck further teach (Figures 1A-2J), a maximum adjustment amount of the position (location of the suction cup 161 as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) of the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) by the first adjustor (first spring 171), being different (i.e. as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) from a maximum adjustment amount of the position (location of the suction cups 162'/162" as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) of the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) by the second adjustor (second springs 174) (figures 2C-2D clearly illustrate, the distance of the suction cups 162'/162" from the rear plate 152 in the first/horizontal direction, being greater than the distance of the suction cup 161 from the rear plate 152 in the first/horizontal direction, when said suction cups 161 and 162'/162" are in their fully extended positions).
Regarding claim 4, Geessinck teach all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Geessinck further teach (Figures 1A-2J), a position of the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) when said first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) is most advanced (i.e. as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) from the base (frame 155) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) by the first adjustor (first spring 171), being different (i.e. as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) from a position of the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) when said second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) is most advanced (i.e. as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) from the base (frame 155) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) by the second adjustor (second springs 174) (figures 2C-2D clearly illustrate, the distance of the suction cups 162'/162" from the rear plate 152 in the first/horizontal direction, being greater than the distance of the suction cup 161 from the rear plate 152 in the first/horizontal direction, when said suction cups 161 and 162'/162" are in their fully extended positions).
Regarding claim 5, Geessinck teaches all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Geessinck further teach (Figures 1A-2J), the second direction (second/vertical direction away from and towards the extendable plate 153) being an up-down direction; the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) being located above (i.e. as clearly illustrated in figures 1D and 2A-2J) the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163); and a position of the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) when said second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) is located farthest (i.e. as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) from the base (frame 155) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) by the second adjustor (second springs 174), being farther away (i.e. as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) from the base (frame 155) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) than a position of the first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) when said first holder (suction cup 161 with the first tube 163) is located farthest (i.e. as illustrated in figures 2C-2D) from the base (frame 155) in the first direction (first/horizontal direction away from and towards the rear plate 152) by the first adjustor (first spring 171) (figures 2C-2D clearly illustrate, the distance of the suction cups 162'/162" from the rear plate 152 in the first/horizontal direction, being greater than the distance of the suction cup 161 from the rear plate 152 in the first/horizontal direction, when said suction cups 161 and 162'/162" are in their fully extended positions).
Regarding claim 6, Geessinck teaches all intervening claim limitations as shown above. Geessinck further teach (Figures 1A-2J), the hand (head 150 of the head assembly 140) additionally comprising: a guide (guide 176 of the head unit 160) that supports (via the second guide body 172) the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) such that said second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) is movable (via the actuator/motor 240') in the second direction (second/vertical direction away from and towards the extendable plate 153); and a second driver (actuator/motor 240' of the head unit 160) that moves (via the spindle of the guide 176) the second holder (suction cups 162'/162" with the second tubes 164) in the second direction (second/vertical direction away from and towards the extendable plate 153).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: See the attached PTO-892 for complete list of pertinent prior art references made of record by the examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAVEEN J DIAS whose telephone number is (571) 272-2195. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Thursday 8:00AM - 4:30PM, Alternate Fridays.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, VICTORIA P AUGUSTINE can be reached at (313) 446-4858. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from the Patent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information for published applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see https://ppair-my.uspto.gov/pair/PrivatePair. Should you have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated information system, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/R.J.D./Examiner, Art Unit 3654
/Victoria P Augustine/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3654
Prosecution Insights