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 .
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.
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.
Claims 1, 4, and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kashiwabuchi (US 8,833,537 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Kashiwabuchi discloses a sheet storing device, comprising: a rotary drum 31; a tape 34 to be wound on an outer circumferential surface of the rotary drum so as to wrap a sheet around the rotary drum; a guide 262 that guides the tape and the sheet to be wound on the rotary drum; and a frame that accommodates the rotary drum and the guide, wherein the guide includes a roller 68 that abuts on the rotary drum, the frame includes a first frame 61 and a second frame 263, the first frame and the second frame are connected movably relative to each other to change the frame between an open state and a closed state, and the second frame supports the guide to cause at least a part of the guide to move relative to the second frame in a direction away from the second frame in the open state. See Fig. 10, shown below.
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Regarding claim 4, Kashiwabuchi discloses the sheet storing device of claim 1, wherein a path of the tape 34 is located between the second frame 263 and the guide 262, and in the open state, at least a part of the guide moves relative to the second frame to expose the path of the tape. See Fig. 10.
Regarding claim 5, Kashiwabuchi discloses the sheet storing device of claim 1, wherein the rotary drum 31 is located between the second frame 263 and the guide 262, and in the open state, at least a part of the guide moves relative to the second frame to expose the rotary drum. See Fig. 10.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-11 are allowed.
Claims 2, 3, and 6 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: the nearest prior art does not teach or suggest the claimed subject matter. For example, Kashiwabuchi lacks the disclosure of “a first sensor located between the second frame and the guide, wherein in the open state, at least a part of the guide moves relative to the second frame to expose the first sensor”, in combination with the rest of the claimed elements.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments regarding Takamoto (JP 2019-212054) are persuasive, and claims 7-11 are thereby allowable. See Applicant’s remarks, p. 6-9.
Applicant’s arguments regarding newly amended claims 1, 4, and 5 are moot in view of the new grounds of rejection.
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 Jeremy R. Severson, whose telephone number is (571)272-2209. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Duane Smith, can be reached at (571) 272-1166. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JEREMY R SEVERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1759