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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group II, Claims 17-22 in the reply filed on 03/20/2026 is acknowledged.
Claims 1-16 and 23-32 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to nonelected inventions, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 03/20/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 17 is objected to because of the following informalities:
“comprising:” in line 1 should read “the Z stacking system comprising:”.
“pin and” in line 3 should read “pin, and”.
“pin wherein” in line 4 should read “pin, wherein”.
“foot and” in line 6 should read “foot, and”.
“foot wherein” in line 7 should read “foot, wherein”.
“side” in line 7 should read “sides”.
Claim 18 is objected to because of the following informalities:
“position and” in line 3 should read “position, and”.
“being” in line 3 should read “the first and second wrapping pins are”.
Claim 21 is objected to because of the following informalities:
“foot are” in line 2 should read “foot is”.
“pin respectively” in line 3 should read “pin, respectively”.
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 18, 19, and 22 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 pre-AIA the applicant regards as the invention.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the loading zone" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. For examination purposes, the examiner is interpreting the limitation as if it instead reads “the stacking zone”.
The term "generally" in claim 19 line 3 is a relative term which renders the claim indefinite. The term "generally" is not defined by the claim, the specification does not provide a standard for ascertaining the requisite degree, and one of ordinary skill in the art would not be reasonably apprised of the scope of the invention. The direction in which the first and second wrapping pins slide has been rendered indefinite by the use of the term. The examiner suggests omitting the phrase “generally horizontally” in line 3 of claim 19 in order to overcome this rejection.
Claim 22 recites the limitation "the products" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim because only one product was previously recited in claim 17. For examination purposes, the examiner is interpreting the limitation as if it instead reads “the product”.
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)(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 17-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Akiyama (KR 970010791 B1).
Regarding claim 17, Akiyama discloses a Z stacking system (shown in Figures 4a-4g) for use with a product (B in Figures 4a-4g) and a wrap (A in Figures 4a-4g), comprising:
a stacking zone (the space above surface 1a in which B is disposed in Figures 4a-4g) for receiving the wrap (A) and the product (B) thereon (as shown in Figures 4a-4g);
a first wrapping pin assembly (2 on the left side of Figure 4a) having a first wrapping pin (2 on the left side of Figure 4a) and a second wrapping pin assembly (2 on the right side of Figure 4a) having a second wrapping pin (2 on the right side of Figure 4a) wherein the second wrapping pin (2 on the right side of Figure 4a) is spaced from the first wrapping pin (2 on the left side of Figure 4a) on opposing sides of the stacking zone (the space above surface 1a in which B is disposed) (apparent from Figure 4a); and
a first foot assembly (2d on the left side of Figure 4a) having a first foot (2d on the left side of Figure 4a) and a second foot assembly (2d on the right side of Figure 4a) having a second foot (2d on the right side of Figure 4a) wherein the second foot (2d on the right side of Figure 4a) is spaced from the first foot (2d on the left side of Figure 4a) on opposing side of the stacking zone (the space above surface 1a in which B is disposed) (apparent from Figure 4a).
Regarding claim 18, Akiyama discloses that the first wrapping pin (2 on the left side of Figure 4a) and the second wrapping pin (2 on the right side of Figure 4a) are configured to move from an engaged position (the position shown in Figure 4e) to a rest position (the position shown in Figure 4a) (clear when Figures 4a-4e are viewed in relation to one another) and in the engaged position (the position shown in Figure 4e) being spaced from the product (B) positioned in the loading zone (the space above surface 1a in which B is disposed) (it is apparent from Figure 4e that in the engaged position shown in Figure 4e, the first and second wrapping pins 2 are spaced from the product B by at least the thickness of wrap A).
Regarding claim 19, Akiyama discloses that the first wrapping pin (2 on the left side of Figure 4a) and the second wrapping pin (2 on the right side of Figure 4a) slide outwardly from the engaged position (the position shown in Figure 4e) to the rest position (the position shown in Figure 4a) generally horizontally (clear when Figures 4a-4e are viewed in relation to one another).
Regarding claim 20, Akiyama discloses that the first foot (2d on the left side of Figure 4a) and the second foot (2d on the right side of Figure 4a) are each configured to move from an engaged position (the downwardly extended position of feet 2d shown in Figure 4b) to a rest position (the upwardly retracted position of feet 2d shown in Figure 4a) (apparent when Figure 4a is viewed in relation to Figure 4b, Page 13 lines 1-6 of Machine Translation of KR 970010791 B1).
Regarding claim 21, Akiyama discloses that in the engaged position (the downwardly extended position of feet 2d shown in Figure 4b) each of the first foot (2d on the left side of Figure 4a) and the second foot (2d on the right side of Figure 4a) are in registration with the first wrapping pin (2 on the left side of Figure 4a) and the second wrapping pin (2 on the right side of Figure 4a) respectively (because the first and second feet 2d respectively clamp wrap A together with the first and second wrapping pins 2 in the engaged position shown in Figure 4b, Page 13 lines 5-6 of Machine Translation of KR 970010791 B1).
Regarding claim 22, Akiyama discloses that the first wrapping pin (2 on the left side of Figure 4a) and the second wrapping pin (2 on the right side of Figure 4a) are configured to be spaced from the products (B) (apparent from Figure 4a).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
The patent documents listed on the PTO-892 form teach limitations of the claims.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TANZIM IMAM whose telephone number is (571)272-2216. The examiner can normally be reached on Mon - Fri 8:00AM - 4:00PM.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shelley Self can be reached on 571-272-4524. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TANZIM IMAM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731