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 § 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 4, 5, 9, and 10, 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 4 recites the limitation "the one side surfaced" in line 4. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim earlier establishes “one side surface,” but not “one side surfaced”
Claim 5 is rejected as being indefinite by depending on the indefinite claim 4.
Claim 9 recites the limitation "the side surface" in line 6. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. The claim earlier establishes both “four peripheral side surfaces of the cash handling apparatus.” The limitation “the side surface” is indefinite and lacks antecedent basis.
Claim 10 is rejected as being indefinite by depending on the indefinite claim 9.
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, 4-11, and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Baunsit (US-20190333305-A1).
Regarding claim 1, Baunsit discloses A cover of a cash inlet of a cash handling apparatus, the cover comprising:
an upper surface (106) shaped to have an opening (320) for depositing cash into the cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) and to block intrusion of liquid from above into the cash inlet; and
a base (104) including a groove (202) to receive the liquid that has been received on the upper surface and which has flowed along the upper surface, wherein
the upper surface has a slope (“sloped” Paragraph 19, lines 7-8) upon which the liquid flows in a first direction (direction along groove 310, as shown in Fig. 3), and
the groove receives the liquid having flowed in the first direction along the slope, and the liquid is discharged in a second direction (direction out of drain 210) different from the first direction.
Regarding claim 2, Baunsit discloses wherein the slope of the upper surface (106) is inclined so that the liquid flows in a direction (direction along incline of 202) toward a first side surface out of four peripheral side surfaces of the cash handling apparatus, and the cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) is provided on a direction (direction into coin accepter through opening 206) corresponding to a second side surface, which is different from the first side surface, out of the four peripheral side surfaces.
Regarding claim 4, Baunsit discloses wherein the liquid flows via the groove (202) to be discharged in a direction (direction out of drain 210) toward one side surface out of four peripheral side surfaces of the cash handling apparatus (“Self-service terminal (SST)” Paragraph 14, lines 1-5), the cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) being provided on the direction corresponding to the one side surfaced (direction into coin accepter through opening 206).
Regarding claim 5, Baunsit discloses wherein the groove (202) discharges the liquid from a plurality of positions (210 Col.2, lines 46-47).
Regarding claim 6, Baunsit discloses wherein the
the base (104) is fixed to the cash handling apparatus (“Self-service terminal (SST)” Paragraph 14, lines 1-5), and
the cover further comprises an upper cover (106) which includes the upper surface (304) and is mountable and dismountable with respect to the base (“Press fit” paragraph 15, lines 5-7).
Regarding claim 7, Baunsit discloses wherein the groove (202) of the base (104) is formed in a U shape (groove 202, formed by 3 walls of 104) that surrounds the cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) from three sides.
Regarding claim 8, Baunsit discloses wherein the groove (202) of the base (104) surrounds the cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) from three sides (3 surrounding walls of 104), and discharges the liquid from a remaining fourth side (side corresponding direction out of drain 210).
Regarding claim 9, Baunsit discloses wherein
the liquid flows via the groove (202) in a direction (direction out of drain 210) toward one side surface out of four peripheral side surfaces of the cash handling apparatus (“Self-service terminal (SST)” Paragraph 14, lines 1-5),
the cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) is provided on the direction (direction into coin accepter through opening 206) corresponding to the one side surface, and
the groove discharges the liquid from a position on an outside (210), in a width direction of the side surface, of the cash inlet.
Regarding claim 10, Baunsit discloses wherein the base (104) discharges the liquid from two positions (210 Col.2, lines 46-47) which are outside, in the width direction, of the cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2).
Regarding claim 11, Baunsit discloses wherein the upper cover (106) includes a flat surface (304) formed corresponding to the groove of the base (202), and the flat surface of the upper cover is fitted in the groove of the base to dismountably fix the upper cover to the base (“Press fit” paragraph 15, lines 5-7).
Regarding claim 13, Baunsit discloses wherein the upper cover (106) is formed of a transparent material (paragraph 35, lines 1-3) allowing the cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) to be visible from an outside of the cover.
Regarding claim 14, Baunsit discloses a cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) that is provided in the cash handling apparatus, the cash inlet receives cash (402) from an outside of the cash handling apparatus (“Self-service terminal (SST)” Paragraph 14, lines 1-5) and feeds the cash into the cash handling apparatus, the cash inlet being provided with the cover according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1).
Regarding claim 15, Baunsit discloses a cash handling apparatus (“Self-service terminal (SST)” Paragraph 14, lines 1-5) that handles cash (402) received from an outside of the cash handling apparatus, the cash handling apparatus comprising:
a cash inlet (“coin accepter” paragraph 12, lines 1-2) configured to receive cash from the outside of the cash handling apparatus, and feed the cash into the cash handling apparatus; and
the cover according to claim 1 (see rejection of claim 1).
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 Baunsit (US-20190333305-A1) in view of Takashima (US-20120210916-A1).
Baunsit does not disclose, but Takashima discloses a cash outlet (2 or 3), from which the cash handling apparatus dispenses cash. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to combine the cash outlet taught by Takashima with the cover according to claim 1 taught by Baunsit. One of ordinary skill in the art would identify that a cover for the cash outlet would prevent intrusion of liquids into the cash handling apparatus. In addition, a cash outlet presents the same structural requirements as one for a cash inlet. Therefore, claim 3 is rejected under the same reasoning as claim 2 (see above rejection of claim 2).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baunsit (US-20190333305-A1) in view of Smith (US-20190311586-A1).
Baunsit disclose the cover according to claim 6. Baunsit does not disclose, but Smith discloses wherein the upper cover (66) is dismountably fixed to the base (62) with a magnet (72 as shown in Fig 11) fixed to one of the base and the upper cover, and a metal member fixed to an other of the base and the upper cover. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the invention to combine the cover of claim 6 taught by Baunsit with the magnetic attachment method taught by Smith. One of ordinary skill in the art would identify magnets as an obvious method of attaching the cover to the base. While Smith does not explicitly teach the base having a metal member to attach to the magnets of the cover, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that a magnetic attachment required a metallic member.
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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/J.R.U./ Examiner, Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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