DETAILED ACTION
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 9 is objected to because of the following informalities: Line 2 states “rod posher”, should be “rod pusher”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the first hinge rod " in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 18 recites the limitation "the hinge rod pusher" in line 18. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1,2, 8-11, 14, 17, and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ishikawa WO-2015025615-A1.
Claim 1, Ishikawa teaches a conveyor belt module 12 Fig. 10 comprising: a body 13 extending in thickness from a top conveying surface 12 Fig. 10 to an opposite bottom surface Fig. 11, laterally from a first edge to a second edge and longitudinally from a first end to a second end Fig. 10, the body 13 including a first set of hinge elements 16a spaced apart along the first end and defining a first rod passageway Fig. 14, a second set of hinge elements 16b spaced along the second end and defining a second rod passageway 15b and a compartment at 20 in the body 13 intersecting the first rod passageway Fig. 14; and a hinge rod pusher 17 seated in the compartment at 20, wherein the hinge rod pusher 17 selectively pushes a hinge rod 32 out of the first rod passageway to allow removal of the hinge rod 32 Abstract.
Claim 2, Ishikawa teaches the hinge rod pusher 17 pivots between a closed position containing the hinge rod 32 within the first rod passageway and an exposed position pushing the first hinge rod 32 out of the first rod passageway Figs. 10 and 14.
Claim 8, Ishikawa teaches the first edge adjacent the hinge rod pusher 17 is solid to block the hinge rod 32 Fig. 14.
Claim 9, Ishikawa teaches a latch 31 for latching the hinge rod pusher 17 in a selected position Fig. 10.
Claim 10, Ishikawa teaches the compartment at 20 is adjacent and open to the first edge Fig. 14.
Claims 11 and 19, Ishikawa teaches the hinge rod pusher 17 comprises a pivotable base Fig. 9 pivotally mounted in the compartment at 20, a flat outer wall of 17 that is flush with the first edge of 13 and a seat 20 for a head of the hinge rod 32 Fig. 14.
Claim 14, Ishikawa teaches a rotatable rod occluder 23 adjacent to the first rod passageway of 13 for selectively blocking the rod passageway Fig. 3.
Claim 17, Ishikawa teaches a method of removing a hinge rod 32 from a conveyor belt 11 comprising a series of hingedly connected conveyor belt modules 13, comprising the steps of: exposing an end of a hinge rod 32 connecting a first conveyor belt module 13 to a second conveyor belt module 13 by pushing the end out of a rod passageway using a rod pusher 17 seated in a compartment at 20 within the body 13 of the first conveyor belt module 13; and grasping and removing the hinge rod 32 from the conveyor belt 11.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-7, 12-13, 15-16, and 20 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.
Claim 18 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
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/KAVEL SINGH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
KS
