DETAILED ACTION
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Priority
1. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claims 1-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Chung et al. USP 6,164,511.
Chung discloses, regarding claim 1, A binding device comprising:
a binding unit (300) that binds a plurality of media (1);
a first moving unit (400) that moves along a width direction (H,J) of the medium;
a second moving unit (200) that is supported by the first moving unit, supports the binding unit, and moves in an inclined direction (I) with respect to the width direction of the medium; and
a contact unit (240) that is supported by the first moving unit and comes into contact with a guide unit (112,114,116) that extends in a movement direction of the first moving unit.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the second moving unit (200) is supported by the first moving unit (400) to be rotatable about a rotary shaft (222,224), and moves in the inclined direction about the rotary shaft (fig.5,6).
Regarding claim 3, further comprising:
a guided unit (420) that is disposed at a position away from the rotary shaft (222,224) and is guided by a second guide unit (500) extending in the movement direction of the first moving unit and in a movement direction of the second moving unit,
wherein, in a case where the guided unit is guided to a portion of the second guide unit along the movement direction of the second moving unit, the guided unit moves the second moving unit about the rotary shaft (fig.5,6).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the contact unit (240,222,224) is disposed at a bottom surface of the first moving unit (400).
Regarding claim 5, wherein a portion (240) of the contact unit that comes into contact with the guide unit is made of a low friction material (C4/L15-16).
Regarding claim 6, further comprising:
a moving mechanism (600,610,700) that is disposed on an inner side in a medium transport direction (E,E’) with respect to the binding unit and moves the first moving unit.
Regarding claim 7, further comprising:
a third guide unit (420,500) that is disposed on the inner side in the medium transport direction with respect to the guide unit, is formed in a rod shape extending in the width direction of the medium, and guides the first moving unit.
Regarding claims 8-14, A post-processing device comprising:
a loading unit on which media (1) are loaded (the “tray” discussed in at least C1/L5-21); and
the binding device according to claims 1-7, respectively, that binds the media loaded on the loading unit.
Regarding claims 15-20, An image forming apparatus comprising:
An image recording device that records an image on a medium (see at least C1/L14-18); and
The post-processing device according to claims 8-13, respectively, that performs post-processing on the medium on which the image is recorded by the image recording device.
Conclusion
5. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Noso (USP 11,279,587) discloses a binding device comprising a binding unit (73), a first moving unit (71), a second moving unit (72), and a contact unit (721,722) that is supposed by the fist moving unit and comes into contact with a guide unit (761-764) that extends in a movement direction of the first moving unit.
6. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LESLIE A. NICHOLSON III whose telephone number is (571)272-5487. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael C McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LESLIE A NICHOLSON III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653 2/9/2026
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