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 .
Amendment received 11/25/25 was entered into the record.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the capability for automatically providing the sheet print medium to the printing device for printing on a second side of the sheet (the subject matter of claim 15) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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 15 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.
The claim recites, “automatically providing the sheet of print medium to the printing device for printing on a second side of the sheet of print medium. How? The Examiner does not understand what structure or method of what is claimed that would satisfy automatically providing… The scope of the claim is entirely unclear. The disclosure provides no guidance as to how to understand the step of automatically providing.
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) 1-6, 8, 9, 12-14, 16, and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Khovaylo et al. US 6,065,747 (“Khovaylo”).
Regarding claim 1, Khovaylo disclosed a decurling assembly for decurling a sheet of print medium at an outlet of a printing device, the decurling assembly comprising
a frame (including 264, 262) attachable to a sheet collecting tray (232) at an outlet of a printing device (Figure 13),
a first corner component (one of 256) mounted on the frame, comprising a first sloping surface to receive only a first corner of a leading edge of a sheet of print medium issued by the printing device, and
a second corner component (the other mirrored component of 256, see Figure 13) mounted on the frame, comprising a second sloping surface to receive only a second corner of a leading edge of the sheet of print medium issued by the printing device.
Regarding claim 2, Khovaylo disclosed the first and second sloping surfaces comprise a rectilinear sloping surface or a curved sloping surface (see Figure 13).
Regarding claim 3, Khovaylo disclosed the first and second sloping surfaces comprise a concave sloping surface (Figure 13).
Regarding claim 4, Khovaylo disclosed the first and second sloping surfaces comprise a curved concave sloping surface (Figure 13).
Regarding claim 5, Khovaylo disclosed an intermediate component (265) between the first corner component and the second corner component, the intermediate component comprising a sloping surface to receive a portion of a leading edge of the sheet of print medium between the first leading corner and the second leading corner (Figure 13).
Regarding claim 6, Khovaylo disclosed a stopper (265) between the first corner component and the second corner component to stop advancement of a sheet of print medium.
Regarding claim 8, Khovaylo disclosed the intermediate component sloping surface comprises a convex sloping surface (Figure 13).
Regarding claim 9, Khovaylo disclosed the first corner component and the second corner component comprise a backstop (260) to stop advancement of a sheet of print medium.
Regarding claim 12, Khovaylo disclosed a printing device, comprising a decurling surface for decurling a sheet of print medium at an outlet of a printing device,
wherein the decurling surface comprises a first curved surface at a first position on the frame to receive only a first leading corner of the sheet of print medium, a second curved surface at a second position on the frame to receive only a second leading corner of the sheet of print medium (as mentioned above with regard to claim 1).
Regarding claim 13, Khovaylo disclosed an intermediate curved surface (265) at an intermediate position on the frame between the first curved surface and the second curved surface.
Regarding claim 14, Khovaylo disclosed a method for printing a sheet of print medium on a printing device, comprising:
feeding the sheet of print medium to a print engine and outputting the sheet of print medium through an outlet, providing a stacking surface at an outlet of a printing device to receive portions of a leading edge of the sheet of print medium, wherein the stacking surface comprises a plurality of sloping components (256) to receive portions of a leading edge of a sheet of print medium, at least two of the plurality of sloping components being corner components that only receive respective corners of the sheet of print medium (see at least Figure 13 and column 1 of the disclosure).
Regarding claim 16, Khovaylo disclosed at least one of a first height of at least one of the first sloping surface and a second height of the second sloping surface increases in an advancing direction of the sheet of print medium and a direction perpendicular to the advancing direction (Figure 13).
Regarding claim 17, Khovaylo disclosed a first height of at least one of the first curved surface and a second height of the second sloping surface increases in an advancing direction of the sheet of print medium and a direction perpendicular to the advancing direction (see Figure 13).
Claim(s) 1, 2, 5-7, 9-11, and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 61-221050 (“JP ‘050”).
Regarding claim 1, JP ‘050 disclosed a decurling assembly for decurling a sheet of print medium at an outlet of a printing device, the decurling assembly comprising
a frame (11) attachable to a sheet collecting tray (14) at an outlet of a printing device (Figure 1),
a first corner component (41b) mounted on the frame, comprising a first sloping surface to receive only a first corner of a leading edge of a sheet of print medium issued by the printing device, and
a second corner component (41c) mounted on the frame, comprising a second sloping surface to receive only a second corner of a leading edge of the sheet of print medium issued by the printing device.
Regarding claim 2, JP ‘050 disclosed the first and second sloping surfaces comprise a rectilinear sloping surface or a curved sloping surface (see Figure 8).
Regarding claim 5, JP ‘050 disclosed an intermediate component (41a) between the first corner component and the second corner component, the intermediate component comprising a sloping surface to receive a portion of a leading edge of the sheet of print medium between the first leading corner and the second leading corner (Figure 8).
Regarding claim 6, JP ‘050 disclosed a stopper (41a) between the first corner component and the second corner component to stop advancement of a sheet of print medium.
Regarding claim 7, JP ‘050 disclosed the first corner component and the second corner component are displaceable along a length of the frame (see at least Figure 8).
Regarding claim 9, JP ‘050 disclosed the first corner component and the second corner component comprise a backstop (see at least Figures 6 and 7) to stop advancement of a sheet of print medium.
Regarding claim 10, JP ‘050 disclosed the first corner component and the second corner component are slidably connected to the frame (see Figure 8).
Regarding claim 11, JP ‘050 disclosed the first corner component and the second corner component are connected to the frame via a releasable connection mechanism (Figure 8).
Regarding claim 14, JP ‘050 disclosed a method for printing a sheet of print medium on a printing device, comprising:
feeding the sheet of print medium to a print engine and outputting the sheet of print medium through an outlet, providing a stacking surface at an outlet of a printing device to receive portions of a leading edge of the sheet of print medium, wherein the stacking surface comprises a plurality of sloping components (41b, 41c) to receive portions of a leading edge of a sheet of print medium, at least two of the plurality of sloping components being corner components that only receive respective corners of the sheet of print medium (see at least Figures 1 and 8).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to the claim(s) have been considered but are moot because of the new grounds of rejection necessitated by the amendment.
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 HOWARD J SANDERS whose telephone number is (571)270-3096. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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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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/HOWARD J SANDERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653