CTNF 18/465,585 CTNF 83061 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Election/Restrictions Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I (Fig.9) in the reply filed on 02/04/2026 is acknowledged. Applicant further indicated that claims 1-12 reads on the elected species. Thus, claims 13-15 are withdrawn from further consideration as being drawn to nonelected species. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Information Disclosure Statement The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 09/12/2023 is being considered by the examiner. Specification 06-11 AIA The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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. 07-34-01 Claims 1-12 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. Regarding claim 1, claim 1 recites “… to process a print medium”. It is not clear what kind of process of a print medium is being claimed. It is not clear the term process is claiming any actions/process on a print medium for instance supporting, printing, transporting, stopping, cutting, flipping, bending, etc. The claimed process is not clear. Regarding claims 2-12, claims 2-12 are similarly rejected at least for inheriting the above issue due to their dependency on claim 1. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida et al. (US 2020/0230961) in view of Chiku (US 5,241,331) and/or Yamaguchi (US 2021/0300083) . Regarding claim 1, as best understood, Yoshida et al teaches a printing apparatus (fig.1) comprising: a housing (34 figs.4,9) including a wall with an opening (34a fig.9); a mounting section (53,51 figs.4,9) configured to allow a cartridge (50) to be mounted through the opening (34a); a head (21 figs.4,9) with a nozzle (42 figs.3,7) to eject a liquid; and a head carriage (22 figs.4,9) holding the mounting section (53,51) and the head (21). Yoshida et al does not explicitly teaches a processing unit including a processing section configured to process a print medium; wherein the processing unit is located upstream of the head carriage in a conveyance direction of the print medium, the conveyance direction being a direction in which the print medium passes while facing the head. However, Chiku teaches similar printing apparatus (fig.2) including a processing unit (cutter 326 fig.2) including a processing section configured to process a print medium (PR); wherein the processing unit (326) is located upstream of the head carriage (201,100) in a conveyance direction of the print medium (PR), the conveyance direction being a direction in which the print medium (PR) passes while facing the head (102). Similarly, Yamaguchi teaches similar printing apparatus (fig.1) including a processing unit (5 figs.1,4) including a processing section configured to process a print medium (P); wherein the processing unit (5) is located upstream of the head carriage (carriage of 61) in a conveyance direction of the print medium (P), the conveyance direction being a direction in which the print medium (P) passes while facing the head (61). Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to include such processing unit, cutter, in the printing apparatus of Yoshida et al based on the teachings of Chiku and/or Yamaguchi for instance to enable the use of a large rolled paper that is cut into desired paper sizes. Regarding claim 2, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches further comprising a conveyance roller (301,331 fig.2 of Chiku; 42 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) located between the head carriage (22 figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al; 201,100 fig.2 of Chiku; carriage of 61 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) and the processing unit (326 fig.2 of Chiku; 5 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) in the conveyance direction and configured to convey the print medium (M figs.1,2 of Yoshida et al; PR fig.2 of Chiku; P fig.1 of Yamaguchi). Regarding claim 3, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches wherein the opening (34a fig.9 of Yoshida et al) is located in an upper wall of the housing (34 fig.9 of Yoshida et al) or in a front wall of the housing (34 fig.9 of Yoshida et al) that is located upstream in the conveyance direction. Regarding claim 4, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches wherein the opening (34a fig.9 of Yoshida et al) is located in the upper wall of the housing (34 fig.9 of Yoshida et al), the head carriage (22) is located in the housing (34) with being exposed through the opening (34a), and the processing unit (326 fig.2 of Chiku; 5 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) is located in the housing (34) without being exposed through the opening (figs.1,2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; fig.2 of Chiku; fig.1 of Yamaguchi). Regarding claim 5, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches further comprising: an open/close portion (18 fig.9 of Yoshida et al) configured to move between a first position (fig.4) at which the opening (34a) is covered and a second position (fig.9) at which the opening (34a) is opened; and a shield (cover of 326 fig.2 of Chiku; 54 fig.4 of Yamaguchi) configured to shield at least a portion of the processing unit (326 fig.2 of Chiku; 52 of 5 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) from an outside of the housing in a case that the open/close portion is located in the second position (figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al; fig.2 of Chiku; fig.4 of Yamaguchi), wherein the shield (cover of 326 fig.2 of Chiku; 54 fig.4 of Yamaguchi) shields at least a portion of the processing unit (326 fig.2 of Chiku; 52 of 5 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) from the outside of the housing in a case that the open/close portion is located in the second position (figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al; fig.2 of Chiku; fig.4 of Yamaguchi). Regarding claim 6, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches wherein the head carriage (22 figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al; 201,100 fig.2 of Chiku; carriage of 61 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) is configured to move in a scanning direction orthogonal to the conveyance direction and move to a replacement position in the scanning direction, and the processing unit (326 fig.2 of Chiku; 52 of 5 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) is located in a standby position, which is displaced in the scanning direction relative to the replacement position, in a case that the cartridge is attached or detached (fig.2, paragraphs 0039,0047,0052,0061,0062,0097-0101 of Yoshida et al). Regarding claim 7, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches wherein a length is shorter than a length in the up-down direction (Z) of the cartridge (50 figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al) mounted in the mounting section (53,51 figs.4,9). Regarding claim 8, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches wherein a length in an up-down direction (Z) between the wall of the housing (34 figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al) with the opening (34a fig.9) and an upper-end of the head carriage (22) is shorter than a length in a front-rear direction, which is the conveyance direction (Y), of the cartridge (50) mounted in the mounting section (figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al). Regarding claim 9, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches wherein a length in an up-down direction (Z) between the wall of the housing (34 figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al) with the opening (34a) and an upper-end of the head carriage (22) is shorter than a length, in a left-right direction (X) perpendicular to the conveyance direction (Y), of the cartridge (50) mounted in the mounting section (figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al). Regarding claim 10, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches wherein the length in the up-down direction (Z) between the wall of the housing (34 figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al) with the opening (34a) and the upper-end of the head carriage (22) is shorter than the length in the up-down direction (Z) of the cartridge (50) mounted in the mounting section, a length in a front-rear direction, which is the conveyance direction (Y), of the cartridge (50) mounted in the mounting section and a length in the left-right direction (X), which is orthogonal to the conveyance direction (Y), of the cartridge (50) mounted in the mounting section (figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al). Regarding claim 11, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches wherein in a case that the head carriage (22 figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al) is located in the replacement position, a length between an end of the opening (34a) on a rear side of the housing (34) in a front-rear direction parallel to the conveyance direction (Y), and an upper-end of the head carriage (22) on a rear side of the housing (34) in the front-rear direction at a distance closest to the end of the opening (34a) is shorter than a length in the up-down direction (Z) of the cartridge (50) mounted in the mounting section (figs.4,9 of Yoshida et al). Regarding claim 12, Yoshida et al as modified by Chiku and/or Yamaguchi further teaches further comprising: a printer section (JA,19 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al) including the mounting section, the head, and the head carriage (22) and configured to print an image on the print medium (M); a conveyor (13 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; 301,331 fig.2 of Chiku; 42 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) configured to convey the print medium; a discharge section (14 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; 11,341 fig.2 of Chiku; 43 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) to which the print medium with the image printed by the printer section is discharged; and a controller (57 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; controller of fig.2 of Chiku; 8 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) configured to: control the conveyor (13 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; 301,331 fig.2 of Chiku; 42 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) to convey the print medium in the conveyance direction to the printer section; control the printer section (JA,19 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al) to print an image from a front edge of the print medium to a first position in the conveyance direction; generate a first print medium and a second print medium by processing the print medium with the image printed from the front edge up to the first position by the processing unit (figs.1,2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; for instance, generating two papers by cutting from the rolled paper by the cutter); control the printer section (JA,19 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al) to print an image on the first print medium and the second print medium (figs.1,2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; for instance, printing on the two papers); and control the conveyor (13 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; 301,331 fig.2 of Chiku; 42 fig.1 of Yamaguchi) to convey the first print medium and the second print medium with the image printed to the discharge section (14 figs.2,4,9 of Yoshida et al; 11,341 fig.2 of Chiku; 43 fig.1 of Yamaguchi). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENOK D LEGESSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1615. The examiner can normally be reached General Schedule 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, IFP. 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, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571)431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /HENOK D LEGESSE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 6 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 7 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 8 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 9 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 10 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/465,585 Page 11 Art Unit: 2853
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