Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
2. A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 1/7/2026 has been entered.
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.
3. Claims 1-7 and 14-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0103065 (Kotani) (hereinafter “Kotani”).
Regarding claim 1, Figs. 1-3B show a bin for storing media items, comprising:
an input channel (unnumbered channel to the right of reference numeral R1) for receiving a sequential series of media items (P);
opposing driven rollers (122) for receiving the sequential series of media items (P) via the input channel (unnumbered channel to the right of reference numeral R1) and for pushing out each of the sequential series of media items (P); and
a storage receptacle (including 21 and 22) for receiving each of the sequential series of media items (P) pushed out by the opposing driven rollers (122), the storage receptacle (including 21 and 22) having an annular-shaped storage cavity formed by a single inner cylindrical wall (21) and a single fixed outer wall (including 22), the fixed outer wall (including 22) forming a cylinder with a slot (slot at bottom of element 21) therein for receiving each of the sequential series of media items (P) into the annular-shaped storage cavity, the annular-shaped storage cavity being configured such that media items (P) received therein are free to rotate within the annular-shaped storage cavity as additional media items (P) are received.
Regarding claim 2, Figs. 1-3B show an output channel (channel below element 23), wherein the opposing driven rollers (122) push out each of the sequential series of media items (P) into the output channel (channel below element 23), and wherein the storage receptacle receives each of the sequential series of media items (P) pushed out by the opposing driven rollers (122) via the output channel (channel below element 23).
Regarding claim 3, Figs. 1-3B show that the fixed outer wall (including 22) of the storage receptacle comprises a ramp-like inward-facing protrusion (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2) on an inner surface thereof.
Regarding claim 4, Figs. 1-3B show that the ramp-like inward-facing protrusion (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2) is positioned on a lower portion of the inner surface of the fixed outer wall (22).
Regarding claim 5, Figs. 1-3B show that the fixed outer wall (including 22) of the storage receptacle comprises a plurality of ramp-like inward-facing protrusions (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2 and element 253 or element 211) on an inner surface thereof.
Regarding claim 6, Figs. 1-3B show that each of the plurality of ramp-like inward-facing protrusions (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2 and element 253) is positioned on a lower portion of the inner surface of the fixed outer wall (including 22).
Regarding claim 7, Figs. 1-3B show that the fixed outer wall (including 22) includes a cut-out region (at 23) configured so that media items positioned within the annular-shaped storage cavity can be accessed.
Regarding claim 14, Figs. 1-3B show a bin for storing media items, comprising:
an input channel (unnumbered channel to the right of reference numeral R1) for receiving a sequential series of media items (P); and
a storage (including 21 and 22) receptacle for receiving each of the sequential series of media items (P), the receptacle having an annular-shaped storage cavity formed by a single inner cylindrical wall (21) and a single fixed outer wall (including 22), the fixed outer wall (including 22) forming a cylinder with a slot (slot at bottom of element 21) therein for receiving each of the sequential series of media items (P) into the annular-shaped storage cavity and having a ramp-like inward-facing protrusion (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2) on an inner surface thereof, the annular-shaped storage cavity being configured such that media items (P) received therein are free to rotate within the annular-shaped storage cavity as additional media items (P) are received.
Regarding claim 15, Figs. 1-3B show that the ramp-like inward-facing protrusion (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2) is positioned on a lower portion of the inner surface of the fixed outer wall (including 22).
Regarding claim 16, Figs. 1-3B disclose a method for storing media items (P), comprising:
receiving a sequential series of media items (P) via an input channel (unnumbered channel to the right of reference numeral R1);
pushing out each of the sequential series of media items (P) via opposing driven rollers (122); and
receiving each of the sequential series of media items (P) pushed out by the opposing driven rollers (122) at a storage receptacle, the storage receptacle having an annular-shaped storage cavity formed by a single inner cylindrical wall (21) and a single fixed outer wall (including 22), the fixed outer wall (including 22) forming a cylinder with a slot (slot at bottom of element 21) therein for receiving each of the sequential series of media items (P) into the annular-shaped storage cavity, wherein media items (P) received within the annular-shaped storage cavity are free to rotate within the annular-shaped storage cavity as additional media items (P) are received.
Regarding claim 17, Figs. 1-3B show that the fixed outer wall (including 22) of the storage receptacle comprises a ramp-like inward-facing protrusion (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2) on an inner surface thereof.
Regarding claim 18, Figs. 1-3B show that the ramp-like inward-facing protrusion (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2) is positioned on a lower portion of the inner surface of the fixed outer wall (including 22).
Regarding claim 19, Figs. 1-3B show that the fixed outer wall (including 22) of the storage receptacle comprises a plurality of ramp-like inward-facing protrusions (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2 and element 253) on an inner surface thereof.
Regarding claim 20, Figs. 1-6 show that each of the plurality of ramp-like inward-facing protrusions (unnumbered protrusion to the left of element 122 in Fig. 2 and element 253) is positioned on a lower portion of the inner surface of the fixed outer wall (including 22).
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.
4. Claims 9-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kotani as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent No. 9,926,164 (Jeschke et al.) (hereinafter “Jeschke”) (a reference of record). With regard to claims 9 and 10, Kotani shows an upper roller and a lower roller both labeled 122, but does not show plural upper rollers and plural lower rollers on shafts, as claimed. With regard to claim 10, Kotani also does not show first and second gears, as claimed.
Jeschke shows that it is well-known in the art to provide a bin with first and second central shafts (116 and 120) and opposing driven rollers (118 and 122) that include upper rollers (118) coupled to each other via the first central shaft (116) and lower rollers (122) coupled to each other via the second central shaft (122), a first gear (126) connected to the first central shaft (116) and a second gear (138) connected to the second central shaft (120), the first gear (126) coupled to the second gear (138) such that the upper rollers (118) roll in a first direction (counter-clockwise) and the lower rollers (122) roll in a second direction (clockwise) that is opposite the first direction (counter-clockwise) when one of the first gear (126) or the second gear (138) is driven, for feeding sheets into a storage receptacle (including 42 and 108). Because both Jeschke and Kotani teach roller arrangements for feeding sheets into storage receptacles, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to substitute the roller arrangement of Jeschke for the roller arrangement of Kotani to achieve the predictable result of feeding sheets into a storage receptacle, as set forth in claims 9 and 10.
Regarding claim 11, Jeschke shows a motor (134) coupled to one of the first gear (126) or the second gear (138) to drive the upper rollers (118) and the lower rollers (122).
Regarding claim 12, Jeschke shows that the motor (134) comprises a driven shaft coupled to one of the first gear (126) or the second gear (138) via a gear and belt assembly (including 136 and 130). See, e.g., Fig. 5 of Jeschke.
Regarding claim 13, as best understood, Fig. 9 of Jeschke shows that the motor (134) is positioned within a cylindrical area formed by the inner wall (108) of the storage receptacle (including 42 and 108). Figure 9 of Jeschke shows that behind inner wall 108, a cylindrical area is formed and motor 134 is located in this cylindrical area, as claimed.
Response to Arguments
5. Applicant’s arguments, see pages 6-10 of the response, filed 1/7/2026, with respect to the rejection of claims 1-7 and 14-20 under 35 U.S.C.102(a)(1) and the rejection of claims 10-13 under 35 U.S.C.103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejections have been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, new grounds of rejection are made in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0103065 (Kotani) by itself and in combination with U.S. Patent No. 9,926,164 (Jeschke et al.).
Conclusion
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS A MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-7221. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/THOMAS A MORRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653