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)(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.
Claim(s) 1, 7, 9, 16-17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by JP096 (JP S50 115096 U, available in IDS)
JP096 discloses
1. A money item gate apparatus, comprising:
an actuatable portion (7);
an actuator portion (10) comprising at least one drive element configured to move along an arced path between first and second configurations (12a, 12b); and
at least one limit region;
wherein the at least one drive element (first drive element in figure below) is configured to sequentially:
[first drive element of actuator 10] move along a first section of the arced path to engage a receiving part (8d, 9a, 9b) of the actuatable portion (7) at a first position of the actuatable portion (i.e. part 8a of actuable portion 7 holding a coin);
move along a second section of the arced path to actuate the actuatable portion from the first position to a second position (dosed coin state by rotation of actuable portion 7, corner 9a catches and engages the notch 12a) of the actuatable portion;
move along a third section of the arced path to disengage the receiving part at the second position of the actuatable portion (first drive element has left part 8d); and
move along a fourth section of the arced path to secure the actuatable portion (7) in the second position against the at least one limit region (part 9b will rest against second limit region, see fig. below while coin A1 is still in dosed state or second position).
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7.1, wherein in the second position a gate element of the actuatable portion (7) is in abutment with the at least one limit region. (corner wall sections of star wheel 7 functions as a gate when holding a coin)
9.1, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one further limit region (see illustration); and wherein, in the first position, the actuatable portion (7) is in abutment with the at least one further limit region (see discussion regarding claim 1 above)
16.1, wherein the receiving part comprises a recess (8) in the actuatable portion (7) into which the at least one drive element is configured to move at an end of the first section of the arced path (see Fig. 1illustration).
17.16, wherein the at least one drive element is configured to move out of the recess at an end of the third section of the arced path (see Fig. 1 illustration).
Claim(s) 1, 11, 27, 29 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a1 as being anticipated by Sakurai (JP 2022 102479 A, available in IDS)
Sakurai discloses
1. A money item gate apparatus, comprising:
an actuatable portion (116);
an actuator portion (115) comprising at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) configured to move along an arced path between first and second configurations (in contact with reference position and being away from the reference position, e.g. trajectory to open reject path 12r, see par. 57 and 58); and
at least one limit region (first roller 118p);
wherein the at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) is configured to sequentially:
move along a first section of the arced path to engage a receiving part (groove 116t) of the actuatable portion (116) at a first position of the actuatable portion (see fig. 8);
move along a second section of the arced path to actuate the actuatable portion (116) from the first position to a second position of the actuatable portion (rotate part 116 clockwise to move away of reference position, Fig. 8, par. 57-58);
move along a third section of the arced path to disengage the receiving part (groove 116t) at the second position of the actuatable portion (par. 57-59: convex part 115t releases part 116t); and
move along a fourth section of the arced path to secure the actuatable portion (116) in the second position against the at least one limit region (par. 58: when the motor is stopped, limit region as roller 118p holds the actuatable portion 116 in place).
11.1, wherein movement of the at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) along the first section of the arced path starts at a first lock configuration of the actuator portion in which the at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) secures the actuatable portion (116) in the first position (Fig. 8, par. 57).
27. A method of operating a money item gate apparatus, comprising:
moving at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) of the money item gate apparatus along a first section of an arced path to engage a receiving part of an actuatable portion (116) at a first position of the actuatable portion (116), wherein the at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) is configured to move along the arced path between first and second configurations;
moving the at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) along a second section of the arced path to actuate the actuatable portion (116) from the first position to a second position of the actuatable portion (116); (Fig. 8, par. 57-58: convex portion 115t is moved to contact and move the groove 116t)
moving the at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) along a third section of the arced path to disengage the receiving part at the second position of the actuatable portion (116) (Fig. 8, par. 57-58: disengagement occurs portion 115t moves and roller moves to contact the sidewall of groove); and
moving the at least one drive element (convex portion 115t) along a fourth section of the arced path to secure the actuatable portion (116) in the second position against at least one limit region of the money item gate apparatus (par. 58: when the motor is stopped, limit region as roller 118p holds the actuatable portion 116 in place).
29. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer readable instructions which, when executed by at least one computing apparatus, cause the at least one computing apparatus to operate a money item gate apparatus to:
move at least one drive element 115t of the money item gate apparatus along a first section of an arced path to engage a receiving part of an actuatable portion 116 at a first position of the actuatable portion, (Fig. 8, par. 57-58: convex portion 115t is moved to contact and move the groove 116t)
wherein the at least one drive element 115t is configured to move along the arced path between first and second configurations;
move the at least one drive element along a second section of the arced path to actuate the actuatable portion 116 from the first position to a second position of the actuatable portion (rotate part 116 clockwise to move away of reference position, Fig. 8, par. 57-58);
move the at least one drive element 115t along a third section of the arced path to disengage the receiving part at the second position of the actuatable portion (par. 57-59: convex part 115t releases part 116t); and
move the at least one drive element along a fourth section of the arced path to secure the actuatable portion in the second position against at least one limit region of the money item gate apparatus (par. 58: when the motor is stopped, limit region as roller 118p holds the actuatable portion 116 in place).
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) 18, 20-22, 24-26 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP096 (JPS50115096U) in view of Sakurai (JP 2022102479 A)
Re claim 18.16, JP096 is silent to wherein the at least one drive element comprises a pin which fits into the recess and applies rotary force to the actuatable portion as the actuatable portion moves between the first and second positions.
Sakurai discloses wherein the at least one drive element comprises a pin 118p which fits into the recess 116p and applies rotary force to the actuatable portion (116) as the actuatable portion (116) moves between the first and second positions.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective date the invention was made to incorporate the teachings of Sakurai for a more secured drive element.
20.1, wherein the actuatable portion comprises a gate element which, in the first position, facilitates a flow of money items into a first money item routing and, in the second position, facilitates a flow of money items into a second money item routing (Sakura, par. 6-7, 17-18, 36-37, 48-49).
21.20, wherein, in the first position, the gate element blocks entry of money items into the second money item routing; and/or wherein, in the second position, the gate element blocks entry of money items into the first money item routing (Sakura, par. 6-7, 17-18, 36-37, 48-49).
22.1, wherein the actuator portion further comprises a rotatable element having a curved perimeter surface for cooperating with at least one correspondingly curved surface of the actuatable portion adjacent to the receiving part (JP096, Fig. 1; Sakurai, Fig. 8).
24.1, further comprising an electrically powered drive apparatus configured to selectively move the at least one drive element along the arced path (JP096, motor 11; Sakurai, motor 14).
25.1, wherein the at least one drive element is configured to continuously and uninterruptedly move along the arced path in a first direction to cause the actuatable portion to be moved from the first position to the second position (JP096, Fig. 1; Sakurai, Fig. 8, par. 57-58)
26.25, wherein the at least one drive element is configured to continuously and uninterruptedly move along the arced path in a second direction opposite to the first direction to cause the actuatable portion o be moved from the second position to the first position (Sakurai, Fig. 8, par. 57-58).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim(s) 2-5, 13 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the prior art of record does not disclose all limitations recited in claims 2-5, 13 in conjunction with the parent claim.
As allowable subject matter has been indicated, applicant's reply must either comply with all formal requirements or specifically traverse each requirement not complied with. See 37 CFR 1.111(b) and MPEP § 707.07(a).
Conclusion
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/THIEN T MAI/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
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