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 .
Amendment received 1/13/26 was entered into the record.
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) 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2017-114628 (“JP ‘628”).
Regarding claim 1, JP ‘628 disclosed a medium conveying apparatus comprising:
a placement surface (including 103 and bottoms of 104a and 104b) to support a medium, the placement surface having a width corresponding to a maximum width of a medium conveyable by the apparatus;
a roller (211) to assist conveyance of the medium; and
a holding part (210) fixed to a central part of the placement surface (see opening 220 in Figure 1 along which side guide 104a moves) in a direction perpendicular to a medium conveying direction, to hold the roller, the holding part including a first arm and a second arm each extending from a front side of the placement surface (see Figure 3D), wherein
the placement surface includes an opening located between the first arm and the second arm (Figures 3A-3D), and wherein
at least one of the first arm and the second arm is deflectably mounted to the placement surface and configured to deflect outward in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction when the roller is installed from a back side of the placement surface through the opening (see at least Figures 3A-3D).
Regarding claim 2, JP ‘628 disclosed wherein at least one of the first arm and the second arm configured to deflect inward in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction when the roller is pressed from the front side of the placement surface to the back side (see Figures 3A-3D).
Regarding claim 3, JP ‘628 disclosed the holding part is attachably and detachably provided on the placement surface (Figures 3A and 3B).
Regarding claim 4, JP ‘628 disclosed a diameter of a body of the roller at an end portion in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction is less than a diameter of the body of the roller at a central portion in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction (Figures 3C and 3D).
Regarding claim 5, JP ‘628 disclosed the roller includes an aperture or a recessed part, and an engaging part engaged with the aperture or the recessed part is formed on the holding part (Figure 3D).
Regarding claim 6, JP ‘628 disclosed the holding part includes an aperture or a recessed part (see the voids of 210 in Figure 3A and/or the portions 213 recessed from the rest of the plane 210 in Figure 3D), and a rotation axis of the roller is an engaging part engaged with the aperture or the recessed part.
Regarding claim 7, JP ‘628 the central part of the placement surface in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction is a center position of the placement surface in the direction perpendicular to the medium conveying direction (see at least Figure 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as anticipated by or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over JP ‘628.
JP ‘628 appears to teach a first surface inclined relative to the placement surface is formed on an upper surface of the engaging part, and a second surface inclined relative to the placement surface is formed on a lower surface of the engaging part, see the regions identified below in a modified Figure 3D:
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204
230
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Nevertheless, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the invention to use inclined surfaces where indicated to allow for a smoother assembly and ensure less friction once assembled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/13/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argued that JP ‘628 failed to teach the claimed holding part fixed to a central part of the placement surface since the fastening member can move along the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction.
The Examiner disagrees. The claims must be given their broadest reasonable interpretation in view of the disclosure as a whole. While member 210 can indeed move along the mentioned direction, it may also be considered fixed to a central part of the placement surface once it is made to be located at the central part of the placement surface. It is considered fixed, or fastened securely, when oriented there - see at least Figures 3A and 3D.
Applicant argued that the opening 220 cannot be the opening as recited in claim 1. The Examiner notes that the void seen between the first and second arm in Figure 3D, for example, satisfies the claimed opening.
Therefore, the rejections are considered proper.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOWARD J SANDERS whose telephone number is (571)270-3096. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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/HOWARD J SANDERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653