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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant has elected Species II encompassing claims 1-6 and 8. Upon further consideration claim 1 has been now considered generic to the identified species. Furthermore, the restriction of Species remains regarding the Restriction sent 5/22/2025.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/15/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues Nakayama does not disclose a braking unit configured to sandwich the support unit in a direction intersecting with the moving direction by operating the operation unit such that the braking unit provides a pressing force to both sides of the support unit. However, Nakayama discloses a braking unit (24, 26) where “the first contact portion 24 is pressed against the first rail surface 20c so that a force F is applied in the horizontal direction, the force F is applied from the third contact portion 26 to the third rail surface 20e” (Paragraph 0036), therefore a pressing force will be provided from both sides.
Claim Objections
Claims 9 and 10 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 9-10 discloses “the breaking unit”, “first breaking portion” and “second breaking portion” which appears to be a typographical error. The Examiner has read the claims to be “the braking unit”, “first braking portion” and “second braking portion” for continuity following the braking unit of claim 1. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 11 is 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 11 recites the limitation "the first direction" in line 1 of claim 11. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
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.
Claim(s) 1-3, 8, 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakayama (JP 2018177410) [Translation provided by Applicant in IDS filed 10/25/2023]
Regarding claim 1, a printing apparatus comprising: a printing unit configured to perform printing on a medium having an elongated shape (Figures 1, 7)
A holding unit (19, 17) including an insertion portion (10) to be inserted into a winding core form an outside in an extending direction of the winding core from an outside in an extending direction of the winding core, the winding core being any one of a first winding core of the medium being wound or a second winding core for winding the medium (Paragraphs 0028-0030)
A support unit (20; Paragraphs 0031-0036) being configured to support the holding unit and having a rail shape that allows the holding unit to move in a moving direction along an inserting direction of the insertion portion (Figure 7; Paragraph 0037)
A regulation unit (22) configured to regulate movement of the holding unit in the moving direction (B) with respect to the support unit (Paragraph 0034; Figure 7)
The regulation unit includes an operation unit (23) and a braking unit (24, 26) configured to sandwich the support unit in a direction intersecting with the moving direction by operating the operation unit such that the braking unit provid3es a pressing force to both sides of the support unit [the first contact portion 24 is pressed against the first rail surface 20c so that a force F is applied in the horizontal direction, the force F is applied from the third contact portion 26 to the third rail surface 20e; Paragraph 0036; therefore a pressing force will be provided from both sides] (Figures 3, 7; Paragraphs 0034-0036)
Regarding claim 2, the regulation unit is configured to move in conjunction with the holding unit with respect to the support unit (Figures 3, 7; Paragraphs 0031-0037)
Regarding claim 3, the support unit is arranged on a side of the printing unit with respect to the holding unit in a first direction orthogonal to the moving direction (Figures 1-7)
Regarding claim 8, wherein the holding unit comprises a pair of holding units wherein both holding units (17, 19) of the pair of holding units provided on both sides of the winding core in the extending direction are configured to move in the moving direction with respect to the support unit, and the regulation unit regulates movement of the holding units in the moving direction with respect to the support unit (Figure 7; Paragraphs 0031-0037)
Regarding claim 11, wherein the first direction is orthogonal to a vertical direction
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
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.
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nakayama (JP 2018177410) in view of Gonzalez Perello et al (U.S. Pub. 2017/0144853)
Regarding claim 6, Nakayama discloses the regulation unit, however Nakayama does not expressly disclose using a gear within the regulation unit. Gonzalez Perello discloses it is known in the art to use a gear in order to produce movement of parts, in this case, for engaging or disengaging a brake to prevent movement (Paragraph 0030; Figures 23-24)
At the time the invention was made it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to incorporate the teaching of Gonzalez Perello into the device of Nakayama, for the purpose of producing movement to engage or disengage a braking system
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The primary reason for the allowance of claim 12 is the inclusion of the limitation of a holding unit including an insertion portion to be inserted into a winding core from an outside in an extending direction of the winding core, the winding core being any one of a first winding core of the medium being wound or a second winding core for winding the medium; and the holding unit is attached rotatably with the support unit as a rotation axis. It is this limitation found in each of the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claim 13 is the inclusion of the limitation of a pair of legs to which ends of the support unit in the moving direction are attached; a coupling portion extending in the moving direction to couple the pair of legs to each other, and at least partially composed of a magnetic body; and an auxiliary regulation unit configured to regulate movement of the holding unit with respect to the support unit, wherein the regulation unit includes an operation unit and a braking unit configured to sandwich the support unit in a direction intersecting with the moving direction by operating the operation unit, and the auxiliary regulation unit includes a magnet provided at a position facing the magnetic body of the holding unit. It is this limitation found in each of the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). 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 JASON S UHLENHAKE whose telephone number is (571)272-5916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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/JASON S UHLENHAKE/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 February 17, 2026