DETAILED ACTION
Claim Objections
Claim 6 is objected to because of the following informalities: “a first grammage” should be “the first grammage” and “a second grammage” should be “the second grammage”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 8 is objected to because of the following informalities: “a first size” should be “the first size” and “a second size” should be “the second size”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 10 is objected to because of the following informalities: “a first material” should be “the first material” and “a second material” should be “the second material”. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 7, 9, 14, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iino (JP 2008-137731) in view of Ueno et al. (US 11,396,438 B2).
Regarding claim 1, Iino discloses a sheet stacking apparatus comprising:
a stacking portion (25) on which a sheet is stacked;
a conveyance member (23) configured to convey the sheet toward the stacking portion;
an abutment portion (33a,b) against which a leading edge of the sheet in a sheet conveyance direction is abutted;
a belt member (29b and Paragraph 0012, which discloses the “alignment rotating body is composed of (1) a belt member stretched between a pair of pulleys and one end of which engages with the sheet on the tray means, or (2) a roller member located on the tray means and a transmission belt that rotates this roller member”) having elasticity and configured to move the sheet conveyed to the stacking portion, toward the abutment portion in the sheet conveyance direction;
a driving source (M8) configured to drive and rotate the belt member (Paragraph 0035); and
a controller (70) configured to control the driving source such that the belt member rotates at a first speed after the belt member contacts a current sheet and before the leading edge of the current sheet abuts against the abutment portion (Paragraphs 0047, the speed of the 29a is reduced immediately before the leading edge of the sheet reaches the abutment portion 33).
Iino does not disclose the controller is configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first grammage, to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second grammage larger than the first grammage. However, Ueno et al. discloses a similar device that includes a stacking portion (85), an abutment portion (76), a belt member (81) having elasticity and configured to move the sheet conveyed to a stacking portion, and a controller (80) configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first grammage (column 14 lines 16-22, Figure 8 S1 to S2), to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second grammage larger than the first grammage (column 14 lines 22-26, Figure 8 S1 to S3) for the purpose of reliably moving a heavier sheet against the abutment portion (column 14 lines 16-22) and reducing the possibility of a lighter sheet from bouncing off the alignment portion (column 14 lines 22-28). It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the applicant’s filing to modify Iino by utilizing a controller configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first grammage, to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second grammage larger than the first grammage, as disclosed by Ueno, for the purpose of reliably moving a heavier sheet against the abutment portion and reducing the possibility of a lighter sheet from bouncing off the alignment portion.
Regarding claim 7, Iino discloses a sheet stacking apparatus comprising:
a stacking portion (25) on which a sheet is stacked;
a conveyance member (23) configured to convey the sheet toward the stacking portion;
an abutment portion (33a,b) against which a leading edge of the sheet in a sheet conveyance direction is abutted;
a belt member (29b and Paragraph 0012, which discloses the “alignment rotating body is composed of (1) a belt member stretched between a pair of pulleys and one end of which engages with the sheet on the tray means, or (2) a roller member located on the tray means and a transmission belt that rotates this roller member”) having elasticity and configured to move the sheet conveyed to the stacking portion, toward the abutment portion in the sheet conveyance direction;
a driving source (M8) configured to drive and rotate the belt member (Paragraph 0035); and
a controller (70) configured to control the driving source such that the belt member rotates at a first speed after the belt member contacts a current sheet and before the leading edge of the current sheet abuts against the abutment portion (Paragraphs 0047, the speed of the 29a is reduced immediately before the leading edge of the sheet reaches the abutment portion 33).
Iino does not disclose the controller is configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first size, to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second size whose area is larger than that of the first size. However, Ueno et al. discloses a similar device that includes a stacking portion (85), an abutment portion (76), a belt member (81) having elasticity and configured to move the sheet conveyed to a stacking portion, and a controller (80) configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first weight (column 14 lines 16-22, Figure 8 S1 to S2), to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second weight larger than the first weight (column 14 lines 22-26, Figure 8 S1 to S3) for the purpose of reliably moving a heavier sheet against the abutment portion (column 14 lines 16-22) and reducing the possibility of a lighter sheet from bouncing off the alignment portion (column 14 lines 22-28). The examiner notes that Ueno changes speed based on weight and takes official notice that it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the applicant’s filing to use size instead of weight to control the speed because identical sheets except for size would weight more than smaller sheets for the purpose of preventing damage to sheets. Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the applicant’s filing to modify Iino by utilizing a controller configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first size, to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second size whose area is larger than the first size, as disclosed by Ueno and official notice, for the purpose of reliably moving a heavier sheet against the abutment portion and reducing the possibility of a less dense sheet from bouncing off the alignment portion.
Regarding claim 9, Iino discloses a sheet stacking apparatus comprising:
a stacking portion (25) on which a sheet is stacked;
a conveyance member (23) configured to convey the sheet toward the stacking portion;
an abutment portion (33a,b) against which a leading edge of the sheet in a sheet conveyance direction is abutted;
a belt member (29b and Paragraph 0012, which discloses the “alignment rotating body is composed of (1) a belt member stretched between a pair of pulleys and one end of which engages with the sheet on the tray means, or (2) a roller member located on the tray means and a transmission belt that rotates this roller member”) having elasticity and configured to move the sheet conveyed to the stacking portion, toward the abutment portion in the sheet conveyance direction;
a driving source (M8) configured to drive and rotate the belt member (Paragraph 0035); and
a controller (70) configured to control the driving source such that the belt member rotates at a first speed after the belt member contacts a current sheet and before the leading edge of the current sheet abuts against the abutment portion (Paragraphs 0047, the speed of the 29a is reduced immediately before the leading edge of the sheet reaches the abutment portion 33).
Iino does not disclose the controller is configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first material, to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second material whose density is larger than that of the first material. However, Ueno et al. discloses a similar device that includes a stacking portion (85), an abutment portion (76), a belt member (81) having elasticity and configured to move the sheet conveyed to a stacking portion, and a controller (80) configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first weight (column 14 lines 16-22, Figure 8 S1 to S2), to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second weight larger than the first weight (column 14 lines 22-26, Figure 8 S1 to S3) for the purpose of reliably moving a heavier sheet against the abutment portion (column 14 lines 16-22) and reducing the possibility of a lighter sheet from bouncing off the alignment portion (column 14 lines 22-28). The examiner notes that Ueno changes speed based on weight and density is weight per volume, and takes official notice that it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the applicant’s filing to use density instead of weight to control the speed because weight and density are directly related and density more accurately reflects the stiffness properties of paper than weight because a larger sheet would weigh more than a smaller sheet with the same density for the purpose of preventing damage to sheets. Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the applicant’s filing to modify Iino by utilizing a controller configured to set a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a first density, to a smaller value than a value of the first speed for stacking a sheet with a second density whose density is larger than the first density, as disclosed by Ueno and official notice, for the purpose of reliably moving a heavier sheet against the abutment portion and reducing the possibility of a less dense sheet from bouncing off the alignment portion.
Regarding claim 14, Iino discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: an image forming apparatus body (11) including an image forming portion (2) configured to form an image on a sheet; and the sheet stacking apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sheet stacking apparatus is configured to receive a sheet on which an image is formed from the image forming apparatus body and stack the sheet (Figure 1).
Regarding claim 16, Iino discloses wherein the controller is configured to cause the belt member to rotate at the first speed when the leading edge of the current sheet abuts against the abutment portion (Paragraph 0047).
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Iino (JP 2008-137731) in view of Ueno et al. (US 11,396,438 B2), as applied to claims above, in further view of Tachibana (US 8,864,134 B2).
Regarding claim 3, Iino in view of Ueno discloses all of the limitations of the claims and Iino further discloses the belt member is a first belt member (29b), and the sheet stacking apparatus further comprises: a second belt (30) member disposed above the stacking portion and configured to move in the sheet conveyance direction conveyed from the conveyance member in the sheet conveyance direction (Figure 2). Iino in view of Ueno does not disclose a gripper attached to the second belt. However, Tachibana discloses a similar device that includes a second belt member (130) disposed above the stacking portion (11a,b) and a gripper (114a,b) attached to the second belt member (Figures 4 and 9) and configured to move in the sheet conveyance direction (to the right in Figures 4 and 9) while holding the leading edge of the sheet conveyed from the conveyance member in the sheet conveyance direction (column 6 line 66 through column 7 line 2) for the purpose of conveying the sheet over and across the stacking portion (column 8 lines 39-44). It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art before the time of the applicant’s filing to modify Iino in view of Ueno by utilizing a gripper attached to the second belt, as disclosed by Tachibana, for the purpose of conveying the sheet over and across the stacking portion.
Regarding claim 4, the combination teaches a sheet detection portion (Iino, Se1) configured to detect a sheet; and an abutment surface (Iino, right surface of 33a,b in Figure 2) configured to be abutted by the leading edge of the sheet to release the leading edge of the sheet from the gripper (Tachibana, 114a,b), wherein the controller (Iino, 70) is configured to increase a speed of the belt member from a second speed slower than the first speed to the first speed when the leading edge of the current sheet abuts against the abutment surface, on a basis of a detection result of the sheet detection portion (Iino, Paragraphs 0047-0048 and Paragraph 0049 lines 1-2, and Paragraph 0021).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments 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.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 6, 8, 10-13, 15, and 17-20 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
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 MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH whose telephone number is (571)272-7805. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH
Supervisory Patent Examiner
Art Unit 3653
/MICHAEL MCCULLOUGH/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 3653