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, 4-7, 9-14 and 21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Komatsu JP 2007-206768 A (hereinafter “Komatsu”).
Regarding claim 1, Komatsu, with reference to annotated FIG. 2 below, discloses an apparatus for storing media items at a storage zone, comprising:
a storage zone (space between 8s, 8r and 8f) for storing media items;
a port region (nip between feed roller 1 and reverse roller 2) proximate to the storage zone for receiving at least one media item;
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at least one lateral urging member (16L or 16R) spaced apart along a lateral axis (sheet widthwise direction, which is perpendicular to the discharge direction) from a central transport plane (refer to annotated FIG. 2) associated with a transport center line of a desired location (refer to annotated FIG. 2);
wherein each lateral urging member is configured to urge a media item into the desired location for forming an aligned stack of media items in the storage zone; and
wherein each lateral urging member comprises a plurality of outwardly extending arm elements to engage the media items, each of the plurality of outwardly extending arm elements formed from a flexible material such that a shape thereof is deformable.
Regarding claim 2, wherein each lateral urging member is configured to urge the media item in a respective lateral direction.
Regarding claim 4, wherein the lateral urging member is configured to urge the media item away from a side peripheral region of the desired location.
Regarding claim 5, wherein the lateral urging member is located at a side of the storage zone.
Regarding claim 6, wherein the lateral urging member is configured to push the media item into the desired location in the storage zone or the lateral urging member is configured to flatten the media item in the desired location at the storage zone (both).
Regarding claim 7, wherein the lateral urging member is configured to draw the media item back towards a guide member (8s) at a boundary of the storage zone into the desired location.
Regarding claim 9, wherein the lateral urging member comprises a flicker wheel.
Regarding claim 10, wherein the lateral urging member is rotatable about an axis of rotation (refer to axis of 16L/16R in FIG. 2) substantially parallel to the transport center line.
Regarding claim 11, wherein the apparatus comprises at least one further urging member (5) to urge the media item along a transport axis parallel to the transport center line.
Regarding claim 12, wherein the further urging member is rotatable about an axis of rotation (refer to axis of 5 in FIG. 1) substantially parallel to the lateral axis.
Regarding claim 13, wherein the lateral urging member is rotatable (capable of rotating at same speed, refer to MPEP 2114) at a same speed of rotation as the further urging member.
Regarding claim 14, wherein the apparatus comprises a landing area (lower guide of 15) to temporarily receive at least part of the media item.
Regarding claim 21, wherein the lateral urging member comprises a cylindrical body with the plurality of outwardly extending arm elements extending outward from the cylindrical body, wherein the plurality of outwardly extending arm elements are not distributed evenly around the cylindrical body (refer to shape of 16L/16R in FIG. 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
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Claims 1-10 and 17-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hirano JP 2012-126491 A (hereinafter “Hirano”) in view of Komatsu.
Regarding claim 1, Hirano discloses an apparatus for storing media items at a storage zone, comprising:
a storage zone (area above 102) for storing media items;
a port region (111, 223) proximate to the storage zone for receiving at least one media item; at least one lateral urging member spaced apart along a lateral axis from a central transport plane associated with a transport center line of a desired location;
wherein each lateral urging member (222R, 222F) is configured to urge a media item into the desired location for forming an aligned stack of media items in the storage zone, and
wherein each lateral urging member comprises a plurality of outwardly extending arm elements to engage the media items.
Hirano teaches the claimed invention except for explicitly teaching wherein each of the plurality of outwardly extending arm elements formed from a flexible material such that a shape thereof is deformable.
Komatsu teaches a similar device that employs a conventional lateral urging members (16L and 16R), wherein each urging member includes a plurality of outwardly extending arm elements formed from a flexible material such that a shape thereof is deformable.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute Hirano’s lateral urging member with the lateral urging member of Komatsu to achieve the same predictable result of lateraling urging a sheet.
Regarding claim 2, Hirano teaches wherein each lateral urging member is configured to urge the media item in a respective lateral direction.
Regarding claim 3, Hirano teaches wherein the lateral urging member is configured to urge the media item in a respective lateral direction towards the central transport plane.
Regarding claim 4, Hirano teaches wherein the lateral urging member is configured to urge the media item away from a side peripheral region of the desired location.
Regarding claim 5, Hirano teaches wherein the lateral urging member is located at a side of the storage zone.
Regarding claim 6, Hirano teaches wherein the lateral urging member is configured to push the media item into the desired location in the storage zone or the lateral urging member is configured to flatten the media item in the desired location at the storage zone.
Regarding claim 7, Hirano teaches wherein the lateral urging member is configured to draw the media item back towards a guide member (210R, 210F) at a boundary of the storage zone into the desired location.
Regarding claim 9, Hirano teaches wherein the lateral urging member comprises a flicker wheel.
Regarding claim 10, Hirano teaches wherein the lateral urging member is rotatable about an axis of rotation substantially parallel to the transport center line.
Regarding claim 17, Hirano teaches a method for receiving media items at a desired location in a storage zone, comprising:
providing at least one media item one-by-one at a port region that is proximate to a storage zone (space above 102); and
as each media item leaves a transport guide surface (L3 or 120) to enter the storage zone, via at least one lateral urging member, urging each media item in a predetermined direction towards a lateral center line of a desired location for a media item thereby locating each media item one-by-one at the desired location for stacking media items into an aligned stack of media items, and
wherein each lateral urging member comprises a plurality of outwardly extending arm elements to engage the media items.
Hirano teaches the claimed invention except for explicitly teaching wherein each of the plurality of outwardly extending arm elements formed from a flexible material such that a shape thereof is deformable.
Komatsu teaches a similar device that employs a conventional lateral urging members (16L and 16R), wherein each urging member includes a plurality of outwardly extending arm elements formed from a flexible material such that a shape thereof is deformable.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to substitute Hirano’s lateral urging member with the lateral urging member of Komatsu to achieve the same predictable result of lateraling urging a sheet.
Regarding claim 18, Hirano teaches wherein each lateral urging member is disposed at a respective side of the lateral center line of a media item as it is transported from the port region to the desired location associated with the aligned stack, wherein the method further comprising, as a media item moves along a transport pathway portion from the port region towards a storage zone, urging an edge region of a media item in a direction that assists centering the media item at the desired location for aligning media items in a stack.
Regarding claim 19, further comprising: urging the edge region of each media item by repeatedly flicking the edge region via rotating arm elements of the urging member that comprises a flicker wheel, disposed in a lateral position with respect to a transport axis.
Regarding claim 20 further comprising: simultaneously rotating arm elements of a plurality of flicker wheel members that are disposed in a spaced apart relationship on opposed lateral sides of a transport axis thereby providing an inwards alignment force towards a center of a transport pathway portion on both of two respective sides of a media item as it is transported to a stack.
Regarding claim 21, the combination of references teaches wherein the lateral urging member (of Komatsu) comprises a cylindrical body with the plurality of outwardly extending arm elements extending outward from the cylindrical body, wherein the plurality of outwardly extending arm elements are not distributed evenly around the cylindrical body.
Claim 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komatsu or Hirano in view of Hosokawa JP 2014-125323 A (“Hosokawa”).
Regarding claim 16, Komatsu or Hirano fails to explicitly teach wherein the storage zone comprises a chamber region in a storage receptacle, wherein the storage receptacle comprises a currency cassette, and wherein each media item comprises a currency note of a specified denomination whereby currency notes of a common denomination are stacked in the currency cassette.
Hosokawa teaches a similar apparatus (shown in FIG. 3) for accumulating currency in a cassette (FIG. 13). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to incorporate Komatsu’s or Hirano’s apparatus in a currency cassette as taught by Hosokawa as a known alternative arrangement for stacking and storing currency
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 15 is 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.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1 and 17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nagasawa et al. JP 2000-016678 A is another 102(a)(1) reference for claims 1, 5, 6, 9-14 and 16 (storage zone-3, port region- nip of 4 and 5, at least one lateral urging member-blades of 12 may “bend”).
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 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.
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/LUIS A GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653