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 Objections
Claim 14 objected to because of the following informalities: Claim appears to contain a typo. It appears “wherein the system further comprises a an automatic tensioning device” should be “wherein the system further comprises an automatic tensioning device”. 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)(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.
Claims 1-2, 14-15 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Adachi (US Pub App 2019/0128777).
Regarding claim 1, Adachi discloses a system for determining slippage of a drive belt, the system comprising:
a drive belt (53);
first and second motors (51, 61) configured to drive the drive belt; and
a controller (2) configured to:
receive first and second current transients from the first and second motors, respectively, during a simultaneous activation of the first and second motors to drive the drive belt (Abstract, Para.51); and
determine slippage of the drive belt if first and second current values of the first and second current transients, respectively, differ by at least a threshold at substantially a same time (Abstract, Para.50-68).
Regarding claim 2, Adachi further discloses wherein the threshold is defined by: a minimum percentage difference between the first and second current values (see at least Para.50-53); and/or a minimum ampere difference between the first and second current values.
Regarding claim 14, Adachi further discloses the system further comprises an automatic tensioning device (Para.50), and the controller is further configured to control the automatic tensioning device to increase a tension of the drive belt upon determining slippage of the drive belt has occurred, and/or reduce the tension of the drive belt upon determining slippage of the drive belt has not occurred (Para.57-58).
Regarding claim 15, Adachi further discloses a method for determining slippage of a drive belt in a system, wherein the system comprises the system of claim 1, the method comprising using the controller to: receive first and second current transients from the first and second motors respectively (Para.57-58) during a simultaneous activation of the first and second motors to drive the drive belt (Para.23, 57-58); and determine slippage of the drive belt has occurred if first and second current values of the first and second current transients, respectively, differ by at least a threshold at substantially the same time (Para.57-58).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-13 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 an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
The prior art of record fails to disclose or render obvious the claimed invention as set forth in claim 3 and subsequent dependent claims. The prior art of record does not disclose or render obvious a load-handling device for lifting and moving storage containers stacked in a grid framework structure comprising a first set of parallel rails or tracks and a second set of parallel rails or tracks extending substantially perpendicularly to the first set of rails or tracks in a substantially horizontal plane to form a grid pattern comprising a plurality of grid spaces, wherein the grid framework structure is supported by a set of uprights to form a plurality of vertical storage locations beneath the framework structure for containers to be stacked between and be guided by the uprights in a vertical direction through the plurality of grid spaces, the load-handling device comprising a body or skeleton mounted on a first set of wheels being arranged to engage with the first set of parallel tracks and a second set of wheels being arranged to engage with the second set of parallel tracks and a drive assembly comprising a first system according to claim 1, wherein the drive belt and first and second motors of the first system are configured to drive the first or second sets of wheels to move the load-handling device along the first or second set of parallel rails respectively, and wherein the controller of the first system is configured to receive the first and second current transients from the first and second motors of the first system respectively during a driving of the first or second sets of wheels and a direction-change assembly comprising a second system according to claim 1, wherein the drive belt and first and second motors of the second system are configured to raise or lower the first set of wheels, and or lower or raise the second set of wheels with respect to the body or skeleton to engage and disengage the wheels with the parallel tracks, and wherein the controller of the second system is configured to receive the first and second current transients from the first and second motors of the second system respectively during a raising or lowering of the first set of wheels, and or a lowering or raising of the second set of wheels; and a container-lifting assembly comprising a third system according to claim 1, wherein the drive belt and first and second motors of the third system are configured to raise or lower a gripping device in the vertical direction, and wherein the controller of the third system is configured to receive the first and second current transients from the first and second motors of the third system respectively during a raising or lowering of the gripping device.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s amendments, filed 10/15/2025, do not address the claim objection(s). The claim objection(s) remain.
Applicant’s arguments filed 10/15/2025 with respect to the 102 and 103 rejections of the claims have been fully considered and are persuasive. See new 102 rejection above.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ASHLEY K ROMANO whose telephone number is (571)272-9318. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Saul Rodriguez can be reached on 571-272-7097. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SAUL RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3652
/ASHLEY K ROMANO/Examiner, Art Unit 3652