DETAILED ACTION
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
Claims 4 and objected to because of the following informalities:
In regards to claim 4, line 3 states “the second claim”. It should state –the second clamp--. Appropriate correction is required.
In regards to claim 6, line 3 “plurality of rollers” should state – a plurality of rollers” 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.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mancini (U.S. 3,967,434).
In regards to claim 1. Mancini discloses a container-packing system, comprising: an article conveyor (at least element 53) configured to transport articles to a loading station (see at least station 5 see at least fig. 1), a container conveyor (at least elements 1, 4 ) including a first conveyor segment (at least section 4) configured to transport a container (2) to the loading station and a second conveyor segment (at least the section 8 and 7 after the loading station 5 ) configured to transport the container away from the loading station after being filled with the articles (see at least col 4 lines 5-13 and 20-30), and a container-packing unit (see at least elements 53 and 5) located at the loading station and configured to facilitate filling of the container with the articles (illustrated in fig. 1 ), wherein the container packing unit includes a foundation ( at least elements 1 and 7) configured to rest on a surface to support the container above the surface (illustrated in at least fig. 10), an agitator (at least element 60 ) coupled to the foundation and configured to move the foundation and the container as the container is filled with the articles to cause the articles to settle within the container (see at least fig. 10) prior to the container leaving the loading station with the second conveyor segment (see at least col 7 lines 34-64 this is before the discharge station noted in col 8 lines 40-50 as such it is still in the loading station section), and a motion- control system (abstract, see at least fig. 15) coupled to the foundation and configured to control movement of the container relative to the foundation before and after activation of the agitator (fig. 15 and), the motion- control system including a container-guide system (see at least element 55 see at least col 7 lines 9-68) configured to engage the container at the loading station to block movement of the container relative to the foundation so that the container remains on the foundation and moves with the foundation while the agitator is activated and the container is filled with the articles (see at least col 7 lines 34- col 8 lines 7), and a packing-unit conveyor configured to transfer the container from the loading station on the foundation to the second conveyor segment of the container conveyor after the container is filled with the articles (see at least col 8 lines 30-44 and lines 42-62).
In regards to claim 2. Mancini discloses The container-packing system of claim 1, wherein the container- guide system includes a first clamp (30 first side fig. 1) coupled to a first side of the foundation (fig. 1) and a second clamp (30 opposite the first fig. 1 there are two one on each side) coupled to an opposite, second side of the foundation (fig. 1), and the first and second clamps are configured to engage the container when the container reaches the loading station (illustrated in fig. 1).
In regards to claim 6. Mancini discloses The container-packing system of claim 1, wherein the packing-unit conveyor includes a conveyor belt (fig. 2 at least element ), a conveyor actuator (9 and 10) configured to drive the conveyor belt, and plurality of rollers coupled to the foundation and underlying a portion of the conveyor belt to locate the conveyor belt between the portion of the plurality of rollers and the container (see at least element 3 fig. 2, fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 21 is allowed.
Claims 3-5 and 7-20 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.
In regards to claim 21, upon examination of the art of record it has been decided that the prior art neither anticipates nor renders obvious the claimed container packing unit comprising: a foundation configured to rest on a surface to support a container above the surface, an agitator coupled to the foundation and configured to move the foundation and the container as the container is filled with articles to cause the articles to settle within the container, and a motion-control system coupled to the foundation and configured to control movement of the container relative to the foundation before and after activation of the agitator, the motion-control system including a container-guide system configured to engage the container to block movement of the container relative to the foundation so that the container remains on the foundation and moves with the foundation while the agitator is activated and the container is filled with the articles, and a packing-unit conveyor configured to move the container relative to the foundation. The prior art Mancini U.S. 3,967,434 discloses a similar system but fails to distinctly disclose a foundation configured to rest on a surface to support a container above the surface, an agitator coupled to the foundation and configured to move the foundation and the container as the container is filled with articles to cause the articles to settle within the container, and a motion-control system coupled to the foundation and configured to control movement of the container relative to the foundation before and after activation of the agitator, the motion-control system including a container-guide system configured to engage the container to block movement of the container relative to the foundation so that the container remains on the foundation and moves with the foundation while the agitator is activated and the container is filled with the articles.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUCAS E A PALMER whose telephone number is (303)297-4779. The examiner can normally be reached Monday -Thursday 8am-6pm PT.
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/Lucas E. A. Palmer/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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