DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claims 1-10, 12-18 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.
Regarding claims 1 and 15, the applicant’s use of the term “substantially” in relation to the extension of the laterally inward concave surface is a relative term. This relative term is not discussed in the specification to show that one having ordinary skill would understand what “substantially” means in this context. As the cited art extends well over a substantial portion which faces laterally inwardly and the applicant arguments that it doesn’t disclose this feature, the metes and bounds of this claimed feature cannot be ascertained with the original disclosure or from one having ordinary skill. While the applicant uses this term for various other parts of the disclosure, the applicant is believed to have a reasonable understanding of the term and how relative terms apply (i.e. claimed features of “substantially concave” and “substantially parallel” which are discussed in the applicant’s specification but are not discussed to the degree in which they are considered substantial). Given the applicant’s arguments to “substantially across the full width”, each of these terms are now considered unclear as the applicant has provided no flexibility in the claimed term and the applicant’s disclosure provides no guidance as to what substantially consist of. For substantially parallel, is 1 degree from parallel still considered substantially parallel? How about 2? Where are these lines reasonably drawn? How much of the surface has to be concave for it to be “substantially concave”, 80%, 90%?
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) 1-10, 12-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kojima et al (US Pat No 9,873,584).
Regarding claim 1, Kojima discloses an apparatus for storing media items at a storage zone, comprising:
a storage zone (30S) for storing media items (BL);
a port region (34) proximate to the storage zone for receiving at least one media item;
at least one guide member (33, 333L) laterally offset from a desired location (30SC) in the storage zone for urging media items towards a central transport plane associated with a transport center line of the desired location; and
wherein the at least one guide member has an interior surface facing laterally inwards towards the central transport plane of the desired location of the storage zone, wherein an upper end of the interior surface of the at least one guide member has a substantially concave curved surface facing laterally inwards toward the central transport plane and extending substantially across a full width of the interior surface, and wherein a lower end of the interior surface of the at least one guide member has a vertical face region (see column 26, lines 1-14, relating to figure 23).
Regarding claim 2, Kojima discloses the curved surface of the guide member comprises an abutment surface (e.g. inside surface) that has a single curved surface region that is open towards the desired location.
Regarding claim 3, Kojima discloses an axis of curvature of the abutment surface is substantially parallel to the central transport plane and wherein the abutment surface faces towards the central transport plane (e.g. the sheet being discharged to the stacking mechanism, the central transport plane being vaguely defined the axis is parallel to the central transport plane).
Regarding claim 4, Kojima discloses the curved surface of the guide member is inclined relative to a boundary surface (e.g. outside surface) defining an upper boundary of the storage zone.
Regarding claim 5, Kojima discloses an angle defined between the curved surface of the guide member and the boundary surface of the storage zone is 45 degrees (e.g. since the curved surface comprises angles of 0-90 degrees, the angle of 45 degrees would fall within the curved surface).
Regarding claim 6, Kojima discloses the curved surface of the guide member comprises a ramp descending laterally inwardly towards the transport center line (see figure 5).
Regarding claim 7, Kojima discloses the guide member comprises a side wall around the storage zone or a guide body proximate to the storage zone (see figure 3).
Regarding claim 8, Kojima discloses at least one urging member (39) to urge the media item into the desired location.
Regarding claims 9 and 10, Kojima discloses the urging member is located adjacent to a side region of the desired location.
Regarding claim 12, Kojima discloses the urging member is configured to push the media item against the abutment surface of the guide member and is configured to push the media item into the desired location (as shown in figures 10-13) for forming an aligned stack of media items in the storage zone (see column 16, lines 32-43).
Regarding claim 13, Kojima discloses the urging member is configured to flatten the media item in the desired location in the storage zone or the urging member is configured to draw the media item rearwardly in the storage zone (see column 14, lines 33-39).
Regarding claim 14, Kojima discloses the storage zone comprises a chamber region in a storage receptacle, wherein the storage receptacle comprises a currency cassette (e.g. banknote BL), and wherein each media item can comprise a currency note of a specified denomination whereby currency notes of a common denomination are stacked in the currency cassette (see MPEP 2115).
Regarding claim 15, Kojima discloses a method for receiving media items at a desired location in a storage zone, comprising:
providing at least one media item (BL) one-by-one at a port region (34) that is proximate to a storage zone (30S); and
as each media item is transported from the port region towards a desired location (30SC), urging (via 39) the media item towards the desired location via an abutment surface of a guide member (33) that comprises a substantially concave curved surface region, wherein the substantially concave curved surface region is located at an upper end of an interior surface of the guide member, faces laterally inwards towards the central transport plane of the desired location of the storage zone and extends substantially across a full width of the interior surface, and wherein a lower end of the interior surface of the guide member has a vertical face region facing laterally inwards towards the central transport plane of the desired location of the storage zone. (see column 26, lines 1-14).
Regarding claim 16, Kojima discloses the guide member is disposed at a location that is laterally offset from the desired location (see figure 3).
Regarding claim 17, Kojima discloses the abutment surface faces the desired location and consists of a single curved surface (e.g. inside surface).
Regarding claim 18, Kojima discloses the abutment surface is open towards the desired location.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 3/31/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to the applicant’s arguments that the prior art fails to disclose the claimed invention as amended; the applicant’s arguments are requiring features of the claims which are not explicitly claimed but disclosed by the applicant (i.e. disclosed differences between the prior art and the disclosed invention). The applicant’s arguments recite that Kojima discloses only a partial feature of the interior surface and this is acknowledged; however, the applicant’s claim doesn’t require the feature to be more than a partial feature. The applicants claim merely requires the upper end to have a substantially concave surface, which is taught by the prior art.
Further the applicant argues that the prior art doesn’t disclose the feature extending “substantially” over the full width of the surface; as noted above, the prior art discloses this feature and this term is being rejected under 112, throughout the applicant’s claims since the applicant doesn’t consider Kojima to be substantially of the full width of the surface even though it’s disclosed to be the overwhelming majority. One having ordinary skill would understand that the term substantially would apply for this reference.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Patrick Cicchino whose telephone number is (571)270-1954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30AM to 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Coupe can be reached at (571)270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Patrick Cicchino/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
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