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 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, 5 and 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Minoru et al (US 2019/0242640 A1).
Regarding Claim 1, Minoru discloses
a transmission mechanism, i.e., sliding apparatus (30) as illustrated in figures 1-10 and as mentioned at paragraph 46, for example, comprising:
a first frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60);
a second frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60), having a first position and a second position, i.e., aligned together longitudinally or moved into a telescoped longitudinal position, relative to the first frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60); and
a transmission assembly comprising a mounting frame, i.e., housing (71) as mentioned in paragraph 57 and as illustrated in figure 4, for example, a first transmission member, i.e., drive gear (72),
a second transmission member, i.e., transmission gears (not shown) as mentioned at paragraph 57, or rack (81) as illustrated in figures 3, 4, 7, 8 and 10, for example, and an elastic member (82), as mentioned at paragraph 69 and as illustrated in figures 4 and 8, for example, wherein the mounting frame (71) is movably disposed on the first frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60), the first transmission member, i.e., drive gear (72), is
disposed on the mounting frame (71), the second transmission member, i.e., transmission gears (not shown) as mentioned at paragraph 57, or rack (81) is disposed on the second frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60), the elastic member (82) is connected between the mounting frame (71) and the first frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60), and the elastic member (82) is configured to enable the
mounting frame (71) to drive the first transmission member (72), i.e., via drive unit/motor (70), to move in a set direction, so
that the first transmission member (72) is mated with the second transmission member, i.e., transmission gears (not shown) as mentioned at paragraph 57, or rack (81),
wherein when the second frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60), is at the first position, the first transmission member (72)
is drivingly connected to the second transmission member and the mounting frame (71)
abuts against the second frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60), under action of the elastic member (82); and when the
second frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and slide rail (60), is at the second position, the first transmission member (72) is separated
from the second transmission member, i.e., transmission gears (not shown) as mentioned at paragraph 57, or rack (81).
Regarding Claim 5, Minoru discloses wherein the first transmission member (72) is one of a gear or a rack, noting the gear (72) as illustrated in figure 4, for example, and the second transmission member (81) is the other one of the gear or the rack, noting the rack (81) as illustrated in figure 4;
or, both the first transmission member (72) and the second transmission member (81) are gears.
Regarding Claim 6, Minoru discloses
wherein the first frame, i.e., any of first rail (40), second rail (50) and a slide rail (60), comprises a frame body, i.e., side walls (13) of the storage compartment (R1), as illustrated in figures 2 and 6, and a movable frame, i.e., inner member (62), fixed to second rail (50) as mentioned at paragraph 71 and as illustrated in figures 4 and 6, movably disposed on the frame body (13), the mounting frame (71) is movably disposed on the movable frame (62), and the elastic member (82) is connected between the mounting frame
(71) and the movable frame (62), noting that figures 3 and 4 show elastic member (82) to be between rack (81), beneath which is located housing (71), and above which is located inner member/movable frame (62), as seen in figure 6; and
wherein the frame body (13) is further provided with a drive assembly, i.e., drive unit (70), the drive assembly (70) is
drivingly connected to the movable frame (62), a length of the mounting frame (71) extends
along the first direction, i.e., left to right in the horizontal direction, which is the direction container/drawer (C) moves as illustrated in figure 2, and the drive assembly (70) is configured to drive the movable frame (62)
to move in the first direction so that the first transmission member (72) drives the second transmission member, i.e., transmission gears (not shown) as mentioned at paragraph 57, or rack (81), to move.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 8-10, 14 and 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takada (US 2013/0307210 A1) in view of Minoru et al (US 2019/0242640 A1).
Regarding Claim 8, Takada teaches
a sheet-type medium processing device, i.e., automatic teller machine/ATM (1) as illustrated in figures 2-24, comprising the transmission
mechanism, as mentioned in paragraphs 235, 236, 318 and 319, for example, which states as follows.
[0235] Among the two-way delivery transport units 40 to 44, for example, the forefront transport unit 40 has a drive transmitting unit 110 arranged, which has a gear, a driving pulley, a driving belt and so on disposed on the left side of the transport unit frame 60. Thus, the forefront two-way delivery transport unit 40 is configured such that, when the upper unit 13 is installed in the teller machine housing 2, a drive transmitting gear provided in the sorting and transport unit 28 is rendered coupled to the gear of the drive transmitting unit 110.
[0236] Thus, in the forefront two-way delivery transport unit 40, during the bill deposit and withdrawal processing, the motor driving force transmitted from the sorting and transport unit 28 is received via the drive transmitting gear by the gear of the drive transmitting unit 110, of which the rotation will be transmitted via the driving pulley and the driving belt from the driving pulley 107 of its transport unit frame 60 to the driving pulley 107 of other transport unit frames 60.
[0318] The one-way delivery transport unit 39 is provided with a left drive transmission mechanism 155 disposed on the left side of the transport unit frame 150. The transmission mechanism includes a gear, a driving pulley, a driving belt and so on. The one-way delivery transport unit 39 is configured such that, when the upper unit 13 is installed into the teller machine housing 2, a gear of the left drive transmission mechanism 155 is brought into engagement with the drive transmitting gear of the sorting and transport unit 28.
[0319] Thus, in the one-way delivery transport unit 39, during the bill deposit and withdrawal processing, the motor driving force transmitted from the sorting and transport unit 28 is received by the drive transmitting gear of the left drive transmission mechanism 155 to transmit the gear rotation via the driving pulley and driving belt to the driving pulley of the transport unit frame 150 to thereby rotate the roller shafts.
Emphasis provided.
Regarding Claim 8, Takada does not expressly teach
a sheet-type medium processing device comprising the transmission
mechanism of Claim 1.
Regarding Claim 8, Takada does not expressly teach, but Minoru teaches
the transmission mechanism of Claim 1, as described above with respect to the rejection of Claim 1, above.
Regarding Claim 8, before the effective filing date of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to have provided the transmission mechanism of Claim 1, as taught by Minoru, in Takada’s sheet-type medium processing device for the purpose of enabling mechanical power transmission from rotary power to linear power via a common transmission mechanism.
Regarding Claim 9, Takada teaches
an automatic teller machine, i.e., automatic teller machine/ATM (1) as illustrated in figures 2-24, comprising: the transmission mechanism of Claim 1, as taught by Minoru, a passage assembly, i.e., storage transport (17a, 20a-24a), stored-bill transport paths (17ax, 20ax-24ax), bill transport units (39-44), one-way bill transport path (39a), two-way bill transport paths (40a-44a), a drive assembly, i.e., drive transmission (155), a cash box, i.e, bill repository (20-24) and reject storage (17), as illustrated in figure 2, for example, a public passage, i.e., front transport unit (32) and transport path/channel (32A), as illustrated in figures 2 and 3, for example, and a processing device, i.e., validator (30), bill receiving/ejecting port (5), temporary repository (31), and various passages (32, 32a), as previously mentioned, which communicates with the public passage (32, 32a), wherein the processing device (5, 30, 31, 32, 32a), the drive assembly (155) and the public passage (32, 32a) are disposed on the first frame, i.e., bill processing unit (11), as illustrated in figure 2, of the transmission mechanism (155), the passage assembly, (17a, 20a-24a), (17ax, 20ax-24ax), (39-44), (39a), (40a-44a), and the cash box, i.e., bill repository (20-24) and reject storage (17), as illustrated in figure 2, for example, are disposed on the second frame, i.e., lower unit (12) and repository load casing (16) as mentioned at paragraphs 61 and 62 and as illustrated in figure 6, for example, of the transmission mechanism, as taught by Minoru, and the drive assembly (155) is drivingly connected to the first transmission member of the transmission mechanism, as taught by Minoru; and
wherein the passage assembly, (17a, 20a-24a), (17ax, 20ax-24ax), (39-44), (39a), (40a-44a), comprises a first passage plate, i.e., front guide holding member (70), i.e., as illustrated in figure 7, and a second passage plate, i.e., rear guide holding member (71), as illustrated in figure 7, a conveyance passage (41), as illustrated in figure 2, is formed between the first passage plate (70) and the second passage plate (71), two ends of the conveyance passage form a first access port and a second access port respectively, i.e., noting the inlet and the outlet of conveyance passage (41), as illustrated in figure 2, and the second access port communicates with the cash box (17, 20-24); when the second frame (12, 16) is at the first position, i.e., the pushed in position, as illustrated in figure 2, the first access port communicates with the public passage (32, 32a);
when the second frame (12, 16) is at the second position, i.e., the pulled out position, as illustrated in figure 6, the first access port is separated from the public passage (32, 32a); and the second transmission member of the transmission mechanism, as taught by Minoru, is disposed on the first passage plate (70), and the drive assembly (155) is configured to drive the first transmission member to move so as to drive the second transmission member, as taught by Minoru, and the first passage plate (70) to move so that the first access port, i.e., one of the inlet and the outlet of conveyance passage (41), front guide (151) or rear guide (152), is enlarged and the second access port, i.e., one of the inlet and the outlet of conveyance passage (41), front guide (151) or rear guide (152), is shrunk or so that the first access port, i.e., one of (41, 151, 152), is shrunk and the second access port, i.e., the other one of (41, 151, 152), is enlarged, for example, as mentioned at paragraph 314. See also reject storage front guide (157a) and paragraphs 324-327 and as illustrated in figure 4, for example.
Regarding Claim 10, Takada teaches wherein the automatic teller
machine (2) comprises a plurality of passage assemblies (17a, 20a-24a), (17ax, 20ax-24ax), (39-44), (39a), (40a-44a), as illustrated in figures 2 and 3, for example, and a plurality of cash boxes, i.e., bill repository (20-24) and reject storage (17), as illustrated in figure 2, for example,
the transmission mechanism, as taught by Minoru, comprises a plurality of transmission assemblies, noting that it would have been obvious to have duplicated the transmission configuration as needed with each rear and front guide assembly (151, 152) as illustrated in figure 3, for example, the plurality of transmission assemblies are arranged in one-to-one correspondence with the plurality of passage assemblies, (17a, 20a-24a), (17ax, 20ax-24ax), (39-44), (39a), (40a-44a), as illustrated in figures 2 and 3, and second access ports, i.e., any one of (41, 151, 152), of the plurality of passage assemblies, (17a, 20a-24a), (17ax, 20ax-24ax), (39-44), (39a), (40a-44a), communicate with the plurality of cash boxes (17, 20-24) in a one-to-one correspondence, as illustrated in figures 2 and 3; and
wherein when the second frame (12) is at the first position, i.e., the pushed in position, as illustrated in figure 2,
a first transmission member, as taught by Minoru, of each of the plurality of transmission assemblies is drivingly connected to a respective second transmission member, as taught by Minoru, noting that it would have been obvious to have duplicated the transmission configuration as needed with each rear and front guide assembly (151, 152), and noting that each rear and front guide assembly (151, 152) corresponds to each cash box (17, 20-24).
Regarding Claim 14, see the rejection of Claim 7, above.
Regarding Claim 20, see the rejection of Claim 9, above.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 7, 11-13 and 15-19 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.
Conclusion
Applicant is encouraged to contact the Examiner should there be any questions about this rejection or in an endeavor to explore potential amendments or potential allowable subject matter.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Holland-Letz ‘380 is cited as teaching a transmission system (322) as illustrated in figure 13, for example.
Cost ‘453 and ‘914 is cited as teaching a transmission system (520, 522, 524, 526) as illustrated in figure 8, for example. See also figures 3a-7b.
Fick ‘255 is cited as teaching a transmission system (24, 50, 70) as illustrated in figure 2, for example.
Mays ‘157 is cited as teaching a transmission system (140) as illustrated in figure 3, for example.
Kim ‘148 is cited as teaching a transmission system (110, 210, 130) as illustrated in figure 2, for example.
Furuichi ‘799 is cited as teaching a transmission system (50, 56) as illustrated in figures 2-7, for example.
Baitz ‘912 is cited as teaching a transmission system (30, 34) as illustrated in figures 1-11, for example.
Ohshima ‘294 is cited as teaching a transmission system (9) as illustrated in figures 1-8, for example.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JEFFREY ALAN SHAPIRO whose telephone number is (571)272-6943. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday generally between 8:30AM and 6:30PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Y Coupe can be reached at 571-270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEFFREY A SHAPIRO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
January 20, 2026