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 .
Election/Restrictions
Claim 17 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Applicant's election with traverse of Species 5 in the reply filed on 23 June 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that there is no undue burden. This is not found as the time required to examine a newly introduced species, after the initial search and rejection, places an undue burden on the examiner.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
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) 13-16 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ciaschi et al. (U.S. 20140150284 A1).
Ciaschi et al. discloses, with regards to claim:
13. A drying device (fig. 1) for drying a sheet on which an image is formed by discharged ink, the drying device comprising:
a belt (12) configured to convey the sheet;
a blowing fan (fig. 6, element 52A, [0044] );
a duct (fig. 6, 23/24) configured to guide an air blown from the blowing fan to the sheet conveyed by the belt; and
a heater ( [0036], “air which may be heated”) configured to heat the air in the duct, wherein the duct includes:
(1) a main duct portion (23/24, fig. 6) provided along a widthwise direction of the belt;
(2) a plurality of branch duct portions (fig. 10A) branched from the main duct portion and arranged side by side in the widthwise direction of the belt (cross-track dimension), wherein the plurality of branch duct portions includes (a) a plurality of upstream branch duct portions branching toward an upstream side in the conveyance direction of the belt and (b) a plurality of downstream branch duct portions branching toward a downstream side in the conveyance direction of the belt (figs. 6, 10A);
(3) a plurality of openings provided on an opposing surface of the branch duct portions facing the belt and configured to blow the air in the branch duct portions to the sheet conveyed by the belt (51);
(4) a plurality of first penetrating portions (33) formed between the plurality of upstream branch duct portions and configured to permit the air blown from the branch duct portions toward the belt to pass through; and
(5) a plurality of second penetrating portions (33) formed between the plurality of downstream branch duct portions and configured to permit the air blown from the branch duct portions toward the belt to pass through.
14. A drying device according to Claim 13, wherein positions of the plurality of first penetrating portions are different from positions of the plurality of second penetrating portions in the widthwise direction of the belt (fig. 10A, element 33).
15. A drying device for drying a sheet on which an image is formed by discharged ink, the drying device comprising:
a belt (12) configured to convey the sheet;
a blowing fan 52A;
a duct (fig. 6, 23/24) configured to guide an air blown from the blowing fan to the sheet conveyed by the belt; and
a heater [0036] configured to heat the air in the duct, wherein the duct includes:
(1) a main duct portion (23/24) provided along a widthwise direction of the belt;
(2) a plurality of branch duct portions (fig. 10A) branched from the main duct portion and extending in a conveyance direction of the belt, the plurality of branch duct portions including a first branch duct portion and a second branch duct portion adjacent to the first branch duct portion with respect to the widthwise direction of the belt (fig. 10A);
(3) a plurality of first openings (51) provided on a first opposing surface of the first branch duct portion facing the belt and at different positions in the conveyance direction of the belt, and configured to blow the air in the first branch duct portion to the sheet conveyed by the belt;
(4) a plurality of second openings (51) provided on a second opposing surface of the second branch duct portion facing the belt and at different positions in the conveyance direction of the belt, and configured to blow the air in the second branch duct portion to the sheet conveyed by the belt; and
(5) at least one penetrating portion (33) formed between the first branch duct portion and the second branch duct portion in the widthwise direction of the belt and configured to permit the air blown from the branch duct portions toward the belt to pass through (fig. 10A),
wherein the plurality of first openings includes (a) a plurality of first predetermined openings arranged on a first predetermined line along the conveyance direction of the belt at predetermined intervals and (b) a plurality of second predetermined openings arranged on a second predetermined line adjacent to the first predetermined line in the widthwise direction of the belt and along the conveyance direction of the belt at predetermined intervals (6, 10A), and
wherein the plurality of second openings includes (a) a plurality of third predetermined openings arranged on a third predetermined line along the conveyance direction of the belt at predetermined intervals and (b) a plurality of fourth predetermined openings arranged on a fourth predetermined line adjacent to the third predetermined line in the widthwise direction of the belt and along the conveyance direction of the belt at the predetermined intervals (6, 10A).
16. A drying device according to Claim 15, wherein as viewed in the widthwise direction of the belt, the plurality of first predetermined openings are disposed at different positions from the plurality of second predetermined openings (10A).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, 4-6 and 10-12 are allowed.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 Julian D Huffman whose telephone number is (571)272-2147. The examiner can normally be reached Monday through Friday 9am-6pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Group Director Andrea Wellington can be reached at (571)272-4483. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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JULIAN D. HUFFMAN
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 2859
/JULIAN D HUFFMAN/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2859
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