Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. 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.
2. Claims 1, 4 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Japanese Publication No. 2018-150127 (hereinafter “JP’127”) (cited in the 11/20/2025 IDS).
Regarding claim 1, Figs. 1-4 show a sheet conveying apparatus (Fig. 1) comprising:
a sheet stacking portion (Tg) on which a sheet is to be stacked;
a sheet feeding portion (numbered paragraph [0028] of the machine translation) configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion (Tg);
a sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) through which the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion (numbered paragraph [0028] of the machine translation) is to be conveyed;
an escape conveyance path (path between R4 and T12 in Fig. 1) branching off from the sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) at a branch-off portion (V-shaped portion between R4 and T11);
a sheet discharge portion (T12) to which the sheet conveyed through the escape conveyance path (path between R4 and T12) is to be discharged;
a double-feed detector (SE1 or SE2) configured to detect double-feed of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion (numbered paragraph [0028] of the machine translation) at a detection position (at SE1) located on an upstream side in a conveyance direction with respect to the branch-off portion (V-shaped portion between R4 and T11), with a path length in the sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) from the detection position (at SE1) to the branch-off portion (V-shaped portion between R4 and T11) being shorter than a length of a conveyable sheet; and
a controller (110) configured to execute, in a case in which the double-feed detector (SE1 or SE2) detects the double-feed, a first mode (discharge sheet from R4 to T12) of discharging the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected onto the sheet discharge portion (T12) via the escape conveyance path (path between R4 and T12 in Fig. 1), and a second mode (numbered paragraph [0043] of machine translation) of stopping the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected on the sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) without discharging the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected onto the sheet discharge portion (T12),
wherein the controller (110) is configured to switch a mode between the first mode (discharge sheet from R4 to T12) and the second mode (numbered paragraph [0043]) in accordance with timing at which the double-feed detector (SE1 or SE2) detects the double-feed. See, e.g., numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0038] – [0039] of the machine translation. With regard to the recitation “with a path length in the sheet conveyance path from the detection position to the branch-off portion being shorter than a length of a conveyable sheet”, this recitation depends upon the material or article worked upon by the apparatus being claimed. A sheet of a certain length can be selected to meet the limitations of the claim. As such, this recitation does not patentably distinguish this claim from the prior art apparatus of JP’127. See, e.g., MPEP 2115.
Regarding claim 4, Figs. 1-4 show that the sheet stacking portion (Tg) includes a plurality of sheet stacking portions (Ta-Th),
wherein the sheet feeding portion (numbered paragraph [0028] of the machine translation) includes a plurality of sheet feeding portions (sheet feed motors in numbered paragraph [0028] of the machine translation), wherein the double-feed detector (SE1 or SE2) includes a plurality of double-feed detectors (SE1 and SE2),
wherein the controller (110) is configured to switch the mode between the first mode (discharge sheet from R4 to T12) and the second mode (numbered paragraph [0043] of machine translation) in accordance with the timing at which the double-feed is detected in a case in which any one of the plurality of double-feed detectors (SE1 and SE2) detects the double-feed, and
wherein a criterion for determining the timing is different between at least two or more of the plurality of double-feed detectors (SE1 and SE2).
Regarding claim 7, Figs. 1-4 show an image forming apparatus (Fig. 1) comprising:
a sheet stacking portion (Tg) on which a sheet is to be stacked;
a sheet feeding portion (numbered paragraph [0028] of the machine translation) configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion (Tg);
a sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) through which the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion (numbered paragraph [0028] of the machine translation) is to be conveyed;
an escape conveyance path (path between R4 and T12 in Fig. 1) branching off from the sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) at a branch-off portion (V-shaped portion between R4 and T11);
a sheet discharge portion (T12) to which the sheet conveyed through the escape conveyance path (path between R4 and T12 in Fig. 1) is to be discharged;
a double-feed detector (SE1 or SE2) configured to detect double-feed of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion (numbered paragraph [0028] of the machine translation) at a detection position (at SE1) located on an upstream side in a conveyance direction with respect to the branch-off portion (V-shaped portion between R4 and T11), with a path length in the sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) from the detection position (at SE1) to the branch-off portion (V-shaped portion between R4 and T11) being shorter than a length of a conveyable sheet;
a controller (110) configured to execute, in a case in which the double-feed detector (SE1 or SE2) detects the double-feed, a first mode (discharge sheet from R4 to T12) of discharging the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected onto the sheet discharge portion (T12) via the escape conveyance path (path between R4 and T12 in Fig. 1), and a second mode (numbered paragraph [0043] of machine translation) of stopping the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected on the sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) without discharging the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected onto the sheet discharge portion (T12); and
an image forming portion (140) configured to form an image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveyance path (including R1 and R2) on a downstream side of the branching portion (V-shaped portion between R4 and T11) in the conveyance direction,
wherein the controller (110) is configured to switch a mode between the first mode (discharge sheet from R4 to T12) and the second mode (numbered paragraph [0043] of machine translation) in accordance with timing at which the double-feed detector (SE1 or SE2) detects the double-feed. See, e.g., numbered paragraphs [0035] and [0038] – [0039] of the machine translation. With regard to the recitation “with a path length in the sheet conveyance path from the detection position to the branch-off portion being shorter than a length of a conveyable sheet”, this recitation depends upon the material or article worked upon by the apparatus being claimed. A sheet of a certain length can be selected to meet the limitations of the claim. As such, this recitation does not patentably distinguish this claim from the prior art apparatus of JP’127. See, e.g., MPEP 2115.
3. Claims 1, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0187746 (Hirata et al.) (hereinafter “HIrata”).
Regarding claim 1, Figs. 1-8 show a sheet conveying apparatus (Fig. 1) comprising:
a sheet stacking portion (135a) on which a sheet is to be stacked;
a sheet feeding portion (136) configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion (135a);
a sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 180 in Fig. 1) through which the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion (136) is to be conveyed;
an escape conveyance path (23) branching off from the sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 22) at a branch-off portion (at 24);
a sheet discharge portion (20) to which the sheet conveyed through the escape conveyance path (23) is to be discharged;
a double-feed detector (numbered paragraphs [0048] – [0049]) configured to detect double-feed of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion (136) at a detection position (at 2 in Fig. 6) located on an upstream side in a conveyance direction with respect to the branch-off portion (at 24), with a path length in the sheet conveyance path from the detection position (at 2) to the branch-off portion (at 24) being shorter than a length of a conveyable sheet; and
a controller (C1 in Fig. 2) configured to execute, in a case in which the double-feed detector (numbered paragraphs [0048] – [0049]) detects the double-feed, a first mode of discharging the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected onto the sheet discharge portion (20) via the escape conveyance path (23), and a second mode of stopping the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected on the sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 22) without discharging the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected onto the sheet discharge portion (20),
wherein the controller (C1) is configured to switch a mode between the first mode and the second mode in accordance with timing at which the double-feed detector (numbered paragraphs [0048] – [0049]) detects the double-feed. See, e.g., numbered paragraphs [0006], [0052] – [0054] and abstract of Hirata. With regard to the recitation “with a path length in the sheet conveyance path from the detection position to the branch-off portion being shorter than a length of a conveyable sheet”, this recitation depends upon the material or article worked upon by the apparatus being claimed. A sheet of a certain length can be selected to meet the limitations of the claim. As such, this recitation does not patentably distinguish this claim from the prior art Hirata apparatus. See, e.g., MPEP 2115.
Regarding claim 6, Figs. 1-8 show a sheet sensor (2 or 3) configured to detect whether the sheet is present in the detection position (at 2 in Fig. 6) in the sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 180),
wherein the controller (C1) is configured to switch the mode between the first mode and the second mode based on a detection result obtained by the sheet sensor (2 or 3) when the double-feed detector (numbered paragraphs [0048] – [0049]) detects the double-feed.
Regarding claim 7, Figs. 1-8 show an image forming apparatus (Fig. 1) comprising:
a sheet stacking portion (135a) on which a sheet is to be stacked;
a sheet feeding portion (136) configured to feed the sheet stacked on the sheet stacking portion (135a);
a sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 180 in Fig. 1) through which the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion (136) is to be conveyed;
an escape conveyance path (23) branching off from the sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 180 in Fig. 1) at a branch-off portion (at 24);
a sheet discharge portion (20) to which the sheet conveyed through the escape conveyance path (23) is to be discharged;
a double-feed detector (numbered paragraphs [0048] – [0049]) configured to detect double-feed of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion (136) at a detection position (at 2 in Fig. 6) located on an upstream side in a conveyance direction with respect to the branch-off portion (at 24), with a path length in the sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 180) from the detection position (at 2 in Fig. 6) to the branch-off portion (at 24) being shorter than a length of a conveyable sheet;
a controller (C1) configured to execute, in a case in which the double-feed detector (numbered paragraphs [0048] – [0049]) detects the double-feed, a first mode of discharging the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected onto the sheet discharge portion (20) via the escape conveyance path (23), and a second mode of stopping the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected on the sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 180) without discharging the sheet for which the double-feed has been detected onto the sheet discharge portion (20); and
an image forming portion (including 101-105) configured to form an image on the sheet conveyed through the sheet conveyance path (path from 135 to 180) on a downstream side of the branching portion in the conveyance direction,
wherein the controller (C1) is configured to switch a mode between the first mode and the second mode in accordance with timing at which the double-feed detector (numbered paragraph [0048] – [0049]) detects the double-feed. See, e.g., numbered paragraphs [0006], [0052] – [0054] and abstract of Hirata. With regard to the recitation “with a path length in the sheet conveyance path from the detection position to the branch-off portion being shorter than a length of a conveyable sheet”, this recitation depends upon the material or article worked upon by the apparatus being claimed. A sheet of a certain length can be selected to meet the limitations of the claim. As such, this recitation does not patentably distinguish this claim from the prior art Hirata apparatus. See, e.g., MPEP 2115.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant’s arguments, see pages 5-8 of the response, filed 11/19/2025, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) 1, 4, 6 and 7 under 35 U.S.C. 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, several new grounds of rejection are made of claims 1, 4, 6 and 7.
Conclusion
5. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS A MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-7221. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/THOMAS A MORRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653