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.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 2, 11, and 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Imoto (US-20210198072-A1).
Regarding claim 1, Imoto discloses an automated teller machine comprising:
a lower module (12) providing a space for accommodating mediums; and
an upper module (11) supported by the lower module and receiving mediums from a user and guiding the mediums to the lower module;
wherein the upper module includes:
an upper case (11a) disposed above the lower module;
a main unit (11b) including a conveyance path (301), the main unit being placed in any one of a closed state (11b as shown in figure 9) in which the main unit is drawn in the upper case and an open state (11b as shown in figure 7) in which the main unit is drawn out of the upper case;
an opening/closing unit (72) hingedly connected to a lower portion of the main unit to expose the conveyance path to an outside; and
a collision avoidance unit (81) preventing the opening/closing unit from colliding with at least one of the upper case (72 contacts 81 to prevent contact with 121) and the lower module when the main unit is switched from the open state to the closed state.
Regarding claim 2, Imoto discloses wherein an opening (opening left by rotation of 72) is formed in a lower surface of the main unit (11b),
the opening/closing unit (72) opens and closes the opening, and
the opening/closing unit opens the opening to expose the conveyance path to the outside (301).
Regarding claim 11, Imoto discloses wherein the main unit includes:
a main unit frame (71) in which a component accommodating space (space formed by 71 and 72, as shown in figure 5) is formed and the opening is formed on a lower surface thereof;
a deposit (21)/withdrawal (22) unit, disposed in the component accommodation space, through which mediums are deposited and withdrawn;
a discriminating unit (25) disposed in the component accommodating space and configured to discriminate mediums; and
a first upper conveyance path (302) disposed in the component accommodation space and connected to the deposit/withdrawal unit and the discrimination unit, the mediums being conveyed through the first upper conveyance path, and
wherein the opening/closing unit includes:
an opening/closing unit frame (frame of 72, paragraph 95, lines 1-2) hingedly connected to a lower portion of the main unit frame to open and close the opening; and
a second upper conveyance path (301) disposed on the opening/closing unit frame and connected to the first upper conveyance path (Connection 303 between 301 and 302, paragraph 85, lines 8-10) .
Regarding claim 12, Imoto discloses wherein the main unit further includes a temporary storage unit (24) disposed in the component accommodation space, configured to temporarily store the mediums and connected to the first upper conveyance path (connected via 314 to ring road 300, which includes first upper conveyance path 302).
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.
Claim(s) 3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imoto (US-20210198072-A1).
Imoto expressly teaches teaches wherein the main unit (11b) is configured to be relatively movable with respect to the upper case (11a) in a front-rear direction (Paragraph 46, lines 1-5),
and the collision avoidance unit (81) rotates the opening/closing unit so that the opening/closing unit closes the opening when the main unit is switched from the open state to the closed state (Paragraph 130, lines 8-13).
Imoto does not expressly teach the opening/closing unit (72) is rotatably connected to the main unit about a hinge (72a) extending in the front-rear directions. Imoto does expressly teach, however, the opening/closing unit being connected to the main unit about a hinge perpendicular to the front-rear direction. It would have been obvious as a matter of design choice to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to extend the hinge in a direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, rather than the front-rear direction itself. One of ordinary skill in the art would identify that the direction of extension of the hinge taught by Imoto would allow the opening/closing unit to close while the main unit is being pushed back into the upper case, when if contact is made between the opening/closing unit and the lower module.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-10 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.
Claim 4 is seen as allowable over the prior art due to structure of the collision avoidance unit. The collision avoidance unit being rotatably supported by the main-unit, as well as supporting the motion of the opening/closing unit overcomes the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JONATHAN R UEBERSCHAER whose telephone number is (571)270-5553. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 8:30am-5:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael 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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/J.R.U./ Examiner, Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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