DETAILED ACTION
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed July 16, 2025, have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues Hiramoto fails to teach “the downstream end portion of the first container unit is higher than the upstream end portion of the first container unit with the first container unit positioned at the second position.” However this argument is not persuasive.
The downstream end IS HIGHER than the upstream end.
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Figure 1, Reproduced from US 2003/0230841 A1
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 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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6 and 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hiramoto et al. US 2003/0230841 A1 (Hiramoto).
Regarding claim 1, Hiramoto teaches a container apparatus comprising:
a first container unit (feed/output unit 6, 31, 32) that is movable from a first position (FIG. 5a) at which a recording medium having a first size is to be supplied into an apparatus body to a second position (FIG. 5b) at which a user is to supply the recording medium and that includes an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion in a direction in which the recording medium is to be supplied into the apparatus body with the first container unit positioned at the first position (FIG. 5a),
wherein the downstream end portion of the first container unit is higher than the upstream end portion of the first container unit with the first container unit positioned at the second position (FIG. 5b).
Regarding claim 2, Hiramoto teaches the container apparatus according to Claim 1, further comprising:
a second container unit (e.g., 31c) that contains a recording medium having a second size (e.g., B4, ¶0042) and that enables the contained recording medium having the second size to be transported with the second container unit positioned at a second transport position,
wherein the first container unit (6) tilts with respect to a horizontal direction with the first container unit positioned at a first transport position at which the recording medium having the first size is transportable such that a first end and a second end in a width direction of the apparatus are located at different heights when viewed in a first direction (FIG. 5a-b), and
wherein the recording medium having the second size (B4) that is contained in the second container unit (e.g., 31c) at the second transport position is entirely located within a range in which the recording medium having the first size is contained in the first container unit at the first transport position in the width direction of the apparatus when viewed in the first direction (FIG. 5a-b).
Regarding claim 4, Hiramoto teaches the container apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the recording medium having the second size (B4) that is contained in the second container unit (e.g., 31c) is located within ranges in which the recording medium having the first size is contained in the first container unit in a vertical direction of the apparatus and in the width direction of the apparatus (FIG. 5a-b).
Regarding claim 6, Hiramoto teaches the container apparatus according to Claim 4, further comprising:
a third container unit (e.g., 31d) that is disposed below the second container unit and that contains a recording medium having a third size (¶0038),
wherein the recording medium having the third size that is contained in the third container unit is located within the range in which the recording medium having the first size is contained in the first container unit in the width direction of the apparatus (FIG. 5a-b).
Regarding claim 15, Hiramoto teaches the container apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the first container unit (6) is movable to the second position regardless of a position of the second container unit and a position of the third container unit (FIG. 5a-b).
Regarding claim 16, Hiramoto teaches the container apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the first container unit (6) includes a guide member (Z1) that is formed at an upper edge portion thereof and that guides the recording medium that is transported from the second container unit, and
wherein a transport path extends from the second container unit to the guide member within a range in which the first container unit is disposed in the width direction of the apparatus (FIG. 5a-b).
Regarding claim 17, Hiramoto teaches an image forming apparatus comprising:
the container apparatus according to Claim 1; and
an image forming member (4) that forms an image on a recording medium that is contained in the container apparatus and that is transported.
Regarding claim 18, Hiramoto teaches the image forming apparatus according to Claim 17, wherein the image forming member is disposed within a range in which the first container unit (6) is disposed in a width direction of the apparatus (FIG. 1).
Regarding claim 19, Hiramoto teaches the image forming apparatus according to Claim 18, wherein there is a reverse path along which the recording medium is reversed upside down, and wherein the reverse path is located within the range in which the first container unit is disposed in the width direction of the apparatus (see duplex portion in FIG. 1).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 5, 7-14 and 20 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim 2 but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. Claims 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 are objected to by virtue of their dependence on claim 3. Claims 10 and 12 are objected to by virtue of their dependence on claim 8.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JESSICA L ELEY whose telephone number is (571)272-9793. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM CST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Jr. Lindsay can be reached on (571)272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JESSICA L ELEY/
Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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