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 .
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: In paragraph [0001] of the specification the patent number for the parent application 18/184,844 should be added.
Appropriate correction is required.
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)(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) 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Inwood (US 3,586,142).
Inwood shows a conveyor system for a retail shelf having a base 18, a first sidewall 14 and a second sidewall 16 and a plurality of sockets 20 having apertures 22.
Re claim 17, the sockets can be considered enclosed as is broadly recited.
Re claim 18, shown is a lip element 24 disposed adjacent to the sockets 20.
Re claim 19, shown are rollers 26 having first and second shafts 28 and 30 which engage within the sockets 20.
Re claim 20, the length from the end of one roller shaft 28 to the end of roller shaft 30 is greater than the distance between lip elements 24.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-15 are allowed.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ciesck (US 2021/0059434) shows a retail shelf having rollers 14 which are mounted to first and second sidewalls which have enclosed sockets.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JAMES R BIDWELL whose telephone number is (571)272-6910. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday from 8 to 4.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Gene Crawford, can be reached at telephone number (571)272-6911. 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 Patent Center. Status information for published applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Status information for unpublished applications is available through Patent Center to authorized users only. Should you have questions about access to the USPTO patent electronic filing system, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free).
Examiner interviews are available via a variety of formats. See MPEP § 713.01. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) Form at https://www.uspto.gov/InterviewPractice.
/JAMES R BIDWELL/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651 07/20/2026
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