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
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sato et al. (US PGPub 2012/0286469 A1).
As to claim 1, Sato et al. teaches a post-processing device (100) comprising:
a loading section (15) that has a loading surface directed obliquely upward (figures 2-3) and in which a recording medium is loaded on the loading surface in a state where one end of the recording medium is directed downward (figures 3-5);
a supporting section (805) that supports the one end of the recording medium loaded on the loading surface (figure 3 and paragraph [0037]);
a transporting section (801) that is provided at a position facing an upper portion of the loading surface and that transports the recording medium downward toward the loading surface (paragraph [0033]); and
a pushing section (12) that comes into contact with and pushes a non-facing surface of the recording medium (figures 4A-4D), which is opposite to a facing surface facing toward the loading surface (figure 4B), toward the loading surface to move the recording medium toward the loading surface (figures 4A-4B), in a constant state where a part of the recording medium transported by the transporting section on a side of the one end comes into contact with the loading surface and a part of the recording medium on a side of an upper end is separated from the loading surface and comes into contact with the transporting section (figures 4A-4D and paragraphs [0046]-[0047], where the pushing section 12 comes into contact and pushes the non-facing surface of the recording medium that was transported by the transporting section; it is considered that the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claimed invention does not require the pushing section to contact the sheet while the sheet is gripped by the transporting section and that Sato et al. reads on all of the limitations of the invention as claimed).
As to claim 2, Sato et al. teaches wherein the pushing section (12) is positioned at a non-contact position at which the pushing section is not in contact with the recording medium until the transporting section transports the recording medium downward toward the loading surface and attains the contact state (figure 4A), and
moves from the non-contact position and pushes the non-facing surface of the recording medium toward the loading surface, after the recording medium is in the contact state (figures 4B-D, paragraphs [0048]-[0049]).
As to claim 3, Sato et al. teaches wherein the pushing section returns to the non-contact position after pushing the non-facing surface of the recording medium toward the loading surface (paragraphs [0046], [0050], and [0054]).
As to claim 4, Sato et al. teaches wherein after the recording medium is in the contact state, the pushing section moves in a direction, in which the pushing section approaches the loading surface while being displaced upward from the non-contact position, to push the non-facing surface of the recording medium toward the loading surface (see motion from figure 4A-4B).
As to claim 5, Sato et al. teaches wherein after the recording medium is in the contact state, the pushing section moves from the non-contact position (figure 4A), pushes the non-facing surface of the recording medium toward the loading surface, and stops at a predetermined stop position (figure 4D), and
as the number of loaded recording media which is loaded on the loading surface increases, the stop position is separated from the loading surface (figure 4D, where more sheets cause the stop position to be further separated).
As to claim 6, Sato et al. teaches further comprising an abutting section (11),
wherein the pushing section (12) moves the recording medium toward the loading surface and then comes into contact with the non-facing surface of the recording medium loaded on the loading surface to restrict bending of the recording medium (figure 4D), and
the abutting section (11) abuts the one end of the recording medium against the supporting section by pushing the upper end of the recording medium downward, in a state where the pushing section restricts bending of the recording medium (paragraphs [0056] and [0071]).
As to claim 7, Sato et al. teaches wherein in a state where the recording medium is movable in a direction of pushing performed by the abutting section (11), the pushing section (12) comes into contact with the non-facing surface to restrict bending of the recording medium (figure 5).
As to claim 8, Sato et al. teaches wherein a gap between the loading surface and the facing surface facing toward the loading surface in the pushing section being in contact with the non-facing surface is greater than a thickness of all of recording media loaded on the loading surface (figure 4B).
As to claim 9, Sato et al. teaches wherein the pushing section increases the gap as the number of loaded recording media which is loaded on the loading surface increases (figure 4B, where more sheets cause the stop position to be further separated).
As to claim 10, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 1 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
As to claim 11, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 2 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
As to claim 12, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 3 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
As to claim 13, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 4 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
As to claim 14, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 5 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
As to claim 15, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 6 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
As to claim 16, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 7 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
As to claim 17, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 8 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
As to claim 18, Sato et al. teaches an image forming apparatus (figure 1) comprising:
an image forming section (300) that forms an image on a recording medium (paragraph [0023]); and
the post-processing device (100) according to claim 9 (as noted above in detail for claim 1) that executes post-processing on the recording medium on which the image forming section forms the image (paragraph [0022]).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/1/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
With respect to Applicant’s argument on pages 8-10 is that Sato et al. does not read on the claimed invention because the upper end of the sheet is not in contact with the saddle entrance roller pair at the time the holding member comes into contact with the sheet, it is considered that the broadest reasonable interpretation of the claimed invention does not require the pushing section to contact the sheet while the sheet is gripped by the transporting section and that Sato et al. reads on all of the limitations of the invention as claimed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 JENNIFER E S BAHLS whose telephone number is (571)270-7807. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9:00 am-3:30 pm.
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/JENNIFER BAHLS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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