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, and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Beer (DE 102005007472).
Regarding claim-1. Beer discloses Conveyor device (1, Fig.1), comprising:
a conveyor belt (2, Fig.1) with a support surface (defined on which suctions blocks 6 are placed) and a rear surface (opposite of support surface defined at 9, Fig.1) facing away from the support surface;
at least one flow path (9 or 31, Fig.1, 3) connecting the support surface to the rear surface;
a suction box (vacuum unit 2 or 22, Fig.1, 3) arranged on the rear surface of the conveyor belt and fluidly connected to one end of the flow path which opens into the rear surface (Fig.3-5); and
at least one valve element (33, Fig.3-5) adjustable between a passage position (Fig.3) and a blocking position (Fig.4-5), wherein the valve element interrupts or closes the at least one flow path in its blocking position (closes suction pressure for 33 to release 7, Fig.4-5) and establishes or releases it in its passage position (open suction pressure for 33 to hold 7, Fig.3), and
wherein the valve element in the blocking position protrudes at least partially from the support surface of the conveyor belt (suction 6 having valve element 33 is protrudes from 2, Fig.1).
Regarding claim-5. Beer discloses further comprising at least one compressed gas nozzle (19, Fig.3) which is designed and intended to move the at least one valve element from the passage position into the blocking position.
Claim(s) 1, and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Robert (US 20220281696).
Regarding claim-1. Beer discloses Conveyor device (20, Fig.1, carrier maybe a conveyor, or a transport belt[0007]), comprising:
a conveyor belt (20, Fig.1) with a support surface (22, Fig.2) and a rear surface (24, Fig.2) facing away from the support surface;
at least one flow path (Fig.2, and 4) connecting the support surface to the rear surface;
a suction box (implicitly disclosed, such device is present to provide negative pressure, [0033], Fig.2) arranged on the rear surface of the conveyor belt and fluidly connected to one end of the flow path which opens into the rear surface (Fig.2); and
at least one valve element (40, Fig.4) adjustable between a passage position (in which negative pressure is applied) and a blocking position (in which negative pressure is stopped),
wherein the valve element (40) interrupts or closes the at least one flow path in its blocking position (closes suction pressure) and establishes or releases it in its passage position (open suction pressure), and
wherein the valve element (40) in the blocking position protrudes at least partially from the support surface of the conveyor belt (Fig.4A-B).
Regarding claim-5. Beer discloses further comprising at least one compressed gas nozzle (64, Fig.3) which is designed and intended to move at least one valve element from the passage position into the blocking position.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, and 6-16 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure “See PTO-892”. Examiner suggest applicant to take a look at PTO-892 are there are other prior arts that can be used to reject independent claim-1.
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/MA/Examiner, Art Unit 3651
/GENE O CRAWFORD/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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