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 .
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.
Claims 1-2, 18 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakamaki et al. JP 2005-104723 A (hereinafter “Sakamaki”).
Regarding claim 1, Sakamaki discloses a recording-medium-container device comprising:
a container (5) configured to contain a stack of recording media;
a blower (82, shown in FIG. 16) configured to blow gas to the recording media contained in the container; and
an image capturer (75) movable in a stacking direction (“also possible to perform imaging while moving the sensor 75 itself in the thickness direction of the sheet bundle Ps by moving means such as an actuator”) in which the recording media are stacked in the container, the image capturer being configured to capture an image of the recording media while the recording media are being blown with the gas by the blower.
Regarding claim 2, further comprising: a mover including a drive source (“actuator”, refer to rejection of claim 1) and configured to move the image capturer in the stacking direction.
Regarding claims 18 and 19, an image forming apparatus (FIG. 1) comprising:
the recording-medium-container device configured to contain recording media; and
an image forming section (2) configured to form an image on each of the recording media that is delivered from the recording-medium-container device.
Claims 1-4 and 18-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakano et al. US 2021/0163246 A1 (hereinafter “Nakano”).
Regarding claim 1, Nakano discloses a recording-medium-container device comprising:
a container (10) configured to contain a stack of recording media;
a blower (14, 15) configured to blow gas to the recording media contained in the container; and
an image capturer (31) movable in a stacking direction (by 310) in which the recording media are stacked in the container, the image capturer being configured to capture an image of the recording media (refer to FIG. 8A/8B) while the recording media are being blown with the gas by the blower.
Regarding claim 2, further comprising: a mover including a drive source ([0041]) and configured to move the image capturer in the stacking direction.
Regarding claim 3, further comprising:
a processor (66) configured to control the mover,
wherein the recording media in the container are stacked one on top of another in a top- bottom direction, and
wherein the processor is configured to:
control the mover in such a manner as to position the image capturer in an extension plane of a first one, counting from a top, of the recording media contained in the container (shown in FIG. 8A).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the processor is configured to: position the image capturer in the extension plane of the first recording medium while the first recording medium is floating with the gas blown by the blower (FIG. 8A).
Regarding claims 18-20, an image forming apparatus (FIG. 1) comprising:
the recording-medium-container device configured to contain recording media; and
an image forming section (inside 100) configured to form an image on each of the recording media that is delivered from the recording-medium-container device.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-17 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.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS A GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3094. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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, 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.
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.
/LUIS A GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
Prosecution Insights