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 .
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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-6, 9-10, 12, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Haller U.S. Patent No. 11,299,307.
Claims 1 and 10, Haller teaches a transfer unit 14 for transferring articles 4,6, the transfer unit 14 comprising: a first transfer element 24 provided with at least a first support structure 34 and a first abutment structure 39 Fig. 7, wherein the first support structure 34 defines a first support plane and the first abutment structure 39 defines a first abutment plane transverse to the first support plane C6 L54-67; C7 L1-10, wherein said first abutment structure 34 cooperates with said first support structure 39 to define a housing seat for a first article 4; a second transfer element 25 provided with at least a second support structure 34 and a second abutment structure 39, wherein the second support structure 34 defines a second support plane and the second abutment structure 39 defines a second abutment plane transverse to the second support plane Fig. 7, wherein said second abutment structure 39 cooperates with said second support structure 34 to define a housing seat for a second article 4 C6 L54-67; C7 L1-10; a conveyor 12,16 adapted to receive said first article 4 and said second article 6 from said first transfer element 24 and from said second transfer element 25, wherein the conveyor 12,16 is positioned at a vertical height lower than said first support structure 34 and said second first support structure 34, a rotation unit 44 configured to rotate said first support structure 34 about a first rotation axis A1 from a support configuration in which said first article is supported by the first support structure 34 to a discharge configuration in which said first article 4 is free to fall from said first transfer element 24 onto said conveyor 12 and to rotate said second support structure 34 about a second rotation axis A1’ from a support configuration in which said second article 6 is supported by the second support structure 34 to a discharge configuration in which said second article 6 is free to fall from said second transfer element 25 onto said conveyor 16, wherein, in said support configuration, said first support structure 34 and said second support structure 34 are inclined with respect to a horizontal plane so as to ease the movement of said first article 4 and of said second article 6 respectively towards said first abutment structure 39 and said second abutment structure 39 Fig. 5 C7 L45-60.
Claim 3, Haller teaches said support configuration Figs. 2-7 at least one of said first support structure 34 or said second support structure 34 is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane respectively by a first angle of inclination and a second angle of inclination of at least 10° via 44.
Claim 4, Haller teaches said support configuration said Figs. 2-7 first support structure 34 and said second support structure 34 are adjacent to each other and said first abutment structure 39 and said second abutment structure 39 are positioned on opposite sides with respect to said first support structure 34 and said second support structure 34 Fig. 7.
Claim 5, Haller teaches said rotation unit 44 is configured to rotate said first transfer element 24 along a first rotation A1 direction to bring said first transfer element 24 from said support configuration to said discharge configuration Figs. 2-7 and wherein said rotation unit 44 is configured to rotate said second transfer element 25 along a second rotation direction opposite the first rotation direction to bring said second transfer element 25 from said support configuration to said discharge configuration Figs. 2-7.
Claims 6 and 16, Haller teaches an actuation device 64 configured to translate said first transfer element 24 and said second transfer element 25 between a first receiving station 22,26 and a second receiving station 23,27, wherein said first transfer element 24 is arranged to receive said first article 4 at said first receiving station 22 and a second receiving station 23 said second transfer element 25 is arranged to receive said second article 6 at said second receiving station 26,27 C9 L1-17.
Claim 9, Haller teaches said rotation unit 44 is configured to rotate said first transfer element 24 and said second transfer element 25 such that in said rotation from said support configuration to said discharge configuration Figs. 2-7 at least one of said first abutment structure 39 or said second abutment structure 39 pushes said first article 4 and said second article 6, respectively, towards said conveyor 12,16.
Claim 12, Haller teaches said first transfer element 24 and said second transfer element 25 are rotated in a synchronized manner via 44 to bring said first and second transfer elements 24,25 from said support configuration to said discharge configuration Figs. 2-7.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 7-8, 11, 13-15, and 17-18 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KAVEL SINGH whose telephone number is (571)272-2362. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Thursday 8am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford can be reached at (571) 272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/KAVEL SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
KS
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