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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of claims 1-17 in the reply filed on 10/31/2025 is acknowledged.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-3, 6, 9-10 and 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the corresponding one of the plurality of suction chambers" in line 17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the suction chamber" in line 21. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the outer cylinder vent holes" in lines 5-6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the corresponding one of the plurality of suction chambers" in line 8. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 2 recites the limitation "the opening" in line 10. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 3 recites the limitation "the inner cylinder vent holes" in lines 16-17. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the moving direction" in lines 11 and 13. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the corresponding one" in line 24. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the suction chamber" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 9, lines 9-10 recites “a suction force from a suction source” and also recites in lines 24-25 “a suction force from the suction source”. It is unclear whether the suction source is providing a singular suction force or different/multiple suction forces.
Claim 10, lines 9-10 recites “a suction force from the suction source”. It is unclear whether the suction source is providing a singular suction force or different/multiple suction forces.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the plurality of outer cylinder vent holes" in line 19. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the corresponding " in line 20. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the opening" in line 21. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 10 recites the limitation "the suction chamber" in line 21. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 14 recites the limitation "the others" in line 19. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 15 recites the limitation "the others" in line 23. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Dependent claims 2-8 and 10-18 inherit the profile of independent claims 1 and 9, respectively and therefore are also rejected.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Rasmussen (JP 2000318235A) discloses a suction roller (201) comprising; a cylindrical roller (203) with a plurality of openings (213), an outer cylinder (205) with an outer cylinder vent hole (252), an inner cylinder (207) with an inner cylinder vent hole (233) an overlapping region being formed by overlapping the outer cylinder vent hole and the inner cylinder vent hole. However, the overlapping vent hole of the outer and inner cylinder are staggered from each other from the center toward both ends in the longitudinal direction and so does not “become narrower from a center toward both ends in the longitudinal direction.”
Rinke (CN104812539A) discloses a suction roller (1) comprising: a cylindrical roller (32) having an outer peripheral surface formed with a plurality of openings, an outer cylinder (30) [Fig. 2] having an outer peripheral surface formed with an outer cylinder vent hole(52) being inserted into the cylindrical roller [Fig. 2]; an inner cylinder (2) [Fig. 2] having a suction port (10) [internal space; Para. 0035] receiving a suction force [low pressure; Para. 0035] from a suction source (12) [vacuum pump; Para. 0035] and an outer peripheral surface formed with an inner cylinder vent hole (22) through which air passes, the inner cylinder being inserted in the outer cylinder [Fig. 2]; a plurality of suction chambers (46) [distribution channels; Para. 0041] formed to be arranged in a longitudinal direction between an inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical roller and the outer peripheral surface of the outer cylinder [Fig. 2], each of the plurality of openings communicates with the corresponding one of the plurality of suction chambers [Fig. 2], and an overlapping region being formed by overlapping the outer cylinder vent hole and the inner cylinder vent hole [Fig. 2]. However, the overlapping region is provided across the longitudinal direction equally and so is not “becoming narrower from a center toward both ends in the longitudinal direction.
Quan (CN 207341518) discloses a first vacuum hole (21) and a plurality of second vacuum holes (22). The same radial direction of second vacuum holes from the center to the outside size is gradually reduced [Fig. 1].
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACEY M MCMILLION whose telephone number is (571)270-5193. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6AM-2:30PM EST.
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/TRACEY M MCMILLION/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/RICARDO I MAGALLANES/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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