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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Menna (US 6,669,071).
Claim 20, Menna discloses a cassette (10) for storing booklets of lottery tickets, the cassette configured to be positioned in an automatic dispenser (10 can be installed inside a vending machine via 14), the cassette comprising: a framework (fig.1) comprising a bottom (16) bordered by two lateral edges (12,12); an adjustable end-stop device (30 is readjusted to home position) supported by the framework (10); and an automatic drive mechanism (32,34,36) configured to drive the lottery tickets (24), the automatic drive mechanism comprising a driving geartrain (34) is accessible from outside the framework so that the driving geartrain can be activated by an external device (automatic drive mechanism 32,34,36 is activated and driven automatically when attached to a vending machine).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1-18 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: A cassette for storing booklets of lottery tickets including the features “a rear end-stop comprising a lottery ticket first bearing surface, a positioning device, and a locking device, a positioning reference secured to the framework and configured to co-act with the positioning device, the positioning reference positioned on a rear portion of the framework along a longitudinal axis so that the rear end-stop is positionable along said longitudinal axis, and wherein the locking device is configured to keep the rear end-stop secured to the framework in a determined position.“ in combination with the remaining claim language is not taught by the prior art.
Claim 19 is allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: A cassette for storing booklets of lottery tickets including the features “wherein the adjustable end-stop device comprises a rear end-stop comprising a lottery ticket first bearing surface, a rear end-stop baseplate at a position rearwardly to the lottery ticket first bearing surface, the baseplate comprising a first surface inclined towards the front face and configured to raise first ends of lottery tickets in contact with said lottery ticket first bearing surface; and a front end-stop secured to the framework, the front end-stop comprising a lottery ticket second bearing surface that faces the lottery ticket first bearing surface, the front end-stop comprising a front end-stop baseplate in a position rearwardly of the lottery ticket second bearing surface, the front end-stop baseplate comprising a second rearwardly inclined surface and configured to raise second ends of lottery tickets in contact with said lottery ticket second bearing surface.“ in combination with the remaining claim language is not taught by the prior art.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure: US 11482080 US 20240321064 US 20240282179.
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/AYODEJI T OJOFEITIMI/ Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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