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 § 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.
Claims 1-3, 5, 8-13, 15 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akaishi (US PG Pub 2022/0321723) in view of Ueda et al. (US PG Pub 2006/0012107).
For claim 1: Akaishi teaches a recording medium storage device comprising:
a storage unit 10 (see Figs. 3 and 5, sheet tray 10) that stores a recording medium P to be transported; a blowing unit 12, 13, 14 that blows a gas onto the recording medium stored in the storage unit 10 (see paragraph 44, blowing air from the side and front); and an imaging unit 31, 32 that is disposed on a downstream side of the storage unit 10 in a recording medium transport direction (see Fig. 4, conveyance direction), and that images the recording medium stored in the storage unit. Akaishi does not teach that at least a part of the imaging unit being movable in a direction separating from a transport path of the recording medium. However, Ueda et al. teaches providing an imaging unit (see Figs. 3 and 5, either of elements image detecting units 15A, 15B or 215) being disposed with the suction device 13 (see Fig. 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Akaishi to provide the imaging unit with the suction device as taught by Ueda et al. for the purpose of making the system more compact. In combination, the imaging unit would move with the suction unit in a direction separating from the transport path of the recording medium (see Fig. 3 of Akaishi).
For claim 2: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches the recording medium storage device according to claim 1 and Ueda et al. teaches that when imaging of the recording medium stored in the storage unit is performed by the imaging unit, the part of the imaging unit is located on the transport path (see Fig. 5, the imaging portion provided with the suction device is in the transport path); and Akaishi teaches that the part located on the transport path moves in a direction separating from the transport path to be located at a position away from the transport path (see Fig. 3, movement away from the transport path, in particular in the orthogonal direction seen by the arrow).
For claim 3: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches the recording medium storage device according to claim 2 and Akaishi teaches that the part located on the transport path is a light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the recording medium (see paragraph 54, the device is an imaging device 31 which receives reflected light from LED 32), or a support unit that supports the light receiving unit (see Fig. 3, in combination, the part is also the support unit holding the light which moves with portion 23); and the light receiving unit or the support unit moves in a direction separating from the transport path to be located at a position away from the transport path (see Fig. 3).
For claim 5: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches the recording medium storage device according to claim 1, wherein: after imaging of the recording medium is performed by the imaging unit, the part moves in the separating direction; and when transport of the recording medium from the storage unit is started, the part is located at a position away from the transport path (see Fig. 3 of Akaishi, the movement of the device outside of the transport path, which in combination would also move the imaging device therewith).
For claim 8: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches the recording medium storage device according to claim 1 and Ueda et al. teaches a suction unit 13 that suctions and holds an uppermost recording medium 2A among recording media stored in the storage unit 11, wherein: the imaging unit 15A is supported by the suction unit 13 (see Figs. 3 and 5); and Akaishi teaches that the part moves relative to the suction unit, and the part moves in the direction separating from the transport path (see Fig. 3).
For claim 9: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches the recording medium storage device according to claim 1, and Akaishi teaches that the blowing unit 12 (see Fig. 3, in particular the blowing unit 12 among the blowing units 12, 13 is positioned and blows over the most downstream side of the recording medium P in the storage device in the print tray 10) blows the gas onto a portion of the recording medium stored in the storage unit, the portion being located on the downstream side in the recording medium transport direction (see Fig. 3).
For claim 10: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches the recording medium storage device according to claim 1 and Ueda et al. teaches comprising a rotating member 12A that is disposed on the downstream side of the storage unit 1 in the recording medium transport direction, and transports the recording medium 2A from the storage unit 1 to the downstream side (see Fig. 5, roller 12A working in conjunction with the suction unit 13 and the belt facilitates transport of the sheets to the downstream side of the tray and out of the tray 1), wherein the part of the imaging unit is located on the downstream side of the storage unit in the recording medium transport direction (see Fig. 5, unit 15A is generally on the downstream edge of the storage unit 1) and on an upstream side of a rotation shaft of the rotating member in the recording medium transport direction (see Fig. 5, element 15A is upstream of the roller 12A).
For claims 11-13, 15 and 18-20: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches the recording medium storage device of claims 1-3, 5 and 8-20 (see rejection of claims 1-3, 5, and 8-20 above respectively) and Akaishi further teaches an image forming apparatus (see Fig. 1, unit 1, 2 comprising image forming device 100 and recording medium storage 200) comprising a recording medium storage device 200 that stores a recording medium; and an image forming unit 100 that forms an image on the recording medium supplied from the recording medium storage device 200 (see paragraph 31).
Claims 4 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akaishi (US PG Pub 2022/0321723) in view of Ueda et al. (US PG Pub 2006/0012107) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Machii et al. (US PG Pub 2022/0017319).
For claim 4: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches all of the limitations of claim 4 except a light receiving unit that receives reflected light from the recording medium; a light reflecting unit that guides the reflected light from the recording medium to the light receiving unit; and a support unit that supports the light reflecting unit, wherein: the part located on the transport path is the light reflecting unit or the support unit, and the light reflecting unit or the support unit moves in a direction separating from the transport path to be located at a position away from the transport path. However, Machii et al. teaches a light receiving unit 35 that receives reflected light (see Fig. 3B) from the recording medium 44; a light reflecting unit 30b that guides the reflected light from the recording medium to the light receiving unit 35 (see Fig. 3B); and a support unit 31 that supports the light reflecting unit 30b.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Akaishi and Ueda et al. by providing a light reflecting unit as taught by Machii et al. to direct light reflected of the substrate to the sensor to focus the images. In combination, the part located on the transport path is the light reflecting unit or the support unit, and the light reflecting unit or the support unit moves in a direction separating from the transport path to be located at a position away from the transport path since the parts are provided on the support unit since the sensor and guides are provided adjacent the suction device.
For claim 14: The combination of Akaishi, Ueda et al. and Machii et al. teaches the recording medium storage device of claim 4 (see rejection of claim 4) and Akaishi further teaches an image forming apparatus (see Fig. 1, unit 1, 2 comprising image forming device 100 and recording medium storage 200) comprising a recording medium storage device 200 that stores a recording medium; and an image forming unit 100 that forms an image on the recording medium supplied from the recording medium storage device 200 (see paragraph 31).
Claim 6, 7, 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akaishi (US PG Pub 2022/0321723) in view of Ueda et al. (US PG Pub 2006/0012107) as applied to claims 5 and 1 above, and further in view of Takai et al. (US PG Pub 2006/0267264).
For claims 6 and 7: The combination of Akaishi and Ueda et al. teaches all of the limitations of claims 6 and 7 except that the part moves in the direction separating from the transport path, the part moves in a thickness direction of the recording medium transported on the transport path. However, Takai teaches the holder 18 holding a projecting member and a sensor and with the suction belt 6 being configured to retract upward at a time of opening and closing the sheet tray (see paragraph 31, see Fig. 9, retraction upward being movement in the thickness direction of a sheet). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to provide the components above the sheet tray with the ability to retract upward as taught by Takai et al. for the purpose of moving these components out of contact with the sheet tray being manipulated, moved or refilled.
For claims 16 and 17: The combination of Akaishi, Ueda et al. and Takai et al. teaches the recording medium storage device of claims 6 and 7 (see rejection of claims 6 and 7 above) and Akaishi further teaches an image forming apparatus (see Fig. 1, unit 1, 2 comprising image forming device 100 and recording medium storage 200) comprising a recording medium storage device 200 that stores a recording medium; and an image forming unit 100 that forms an image on the recording medium supplied from the recording medium storage device 200 (see paragraph 31).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID H BANH whose telephone number is (571)270-3851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12-8PM.
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/DAVID H BANH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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