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 .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
1. A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after allowance or after an Office action under Ex Parte Quayle, 25 USPQ 74, 453 O.G. 213 (Comm'r Pat. 1935). Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, prosecution in this application has been reopened pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 7/6/2026 has been entered.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claims 1,2,4,8-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawaoka et al. JP 2021-017298 A in view of Matsumura et al. USP 11,142,417.
Kawaoka discloses, regarding claim 1, A sheet conveyance apparatus comprising:
a stacking portion (102) on which sheets are to be stacked;
a feeding portion (112) configured to separate and feed the sheets stacked on the stacking portion one by one;
a first detection unit (140) configured to detect skewing of the sheet fed by the feeding portion (see at least fig.7, ¶0071,0072);
a second detection unit (120) configured to detect flip-up of the sheet fed by the feeding portion (see at least fig.4, ¶0047); and
a controller configured to stop feeding executed by the feeding portion in a case where skewing of the sheet is detected by the first detection unit (¶0075) and in a case where flip-up of the sheet is detected by the second detection unit (¶0047),
wherein the controller stops feeding based on flip-up detected by the second detection unit (see at least ¶0017,0034).
Further regarding claim 8, a first detection unit (140) which includes a first sensor (142) that is for detecting the sheet fed by the feeding portion and a second sensor (144) that is for detecting the sheet fed by the feeding portion and is arranged next to the first sensor in a width direction;
a second detection unit (120) which includes a light emitting portion (122) and a light receiving portion (124) arranged above the stacking portion;
a controller configured to stop feeding executed by the feeding portion in a case where any one of the first sensor or the second sensor does not detect a sheet before a prescribed period of time elapses since the other one of the first sensor or the second sensor detected the sheet (¶0075) and in a case where a light path from the light emitting portion to the light receiving portion is intercepted by a sheet (see at least ¶0017,0034,0047); and
a controller configured to stop feeding based on a detection result by the second detection unit (see at least ¶0017,0034).
Further regarding claim 9, a setting for enabling or disabling detection of flip-up of a sheet executed by the second detection unit (¶0035).
Kawaoka does not expressly disclose the remaining limitations of the claims.
Matsumura teaches [regarding claim 1] the use of a setting unit configured to set a different-width mixed document mode in which a plurality of sheets having different widths is stacked on the stacking portion (see at least fig.10,11; C14/L54-C15/L6), wherein, in a case where the different-width mixed document mode is set by the setting unit, the controller does not stop feeding based on skewing detected by the first detection unit (see at least fig.10,11; C14/L54-C15/L6), [regarding claim 8] wherein, in a case where the different-width mixed document mode is set by the setting unit, the controller does not stop feeding based on a detection results by the first detection unit (see at least fig.10,11; C14/L54-C15/L6), and [regarding claim 9] a setting unit configured to set a first setting for enabling or disabling detection of skewing of a sheet executed by the first detection unit (see at least fig.10,11; C14/L54-C15/L6).
Before the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to provide a setting unit configured to set a different-width mixed document mode in which a plurality of sheets having different widths is stacked on the stacking portion, wherein, in a case where the different-width mixed document mode is set by the setting unit, the controller does not stop feeding based on skewing detected by the first detection unit, wherein, in a case where the different-width mixed document mode is set by the setting unit, the controller does not stop feeding based on a detection results by the first detection unit, and the setting unit is configured to set a first setting for enabling or disabling detection of skewing of a sheet executed by the first detection unit, as taught by Matsumura, in the device of Kawaoka, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of improving convenience and operability (C17/L28-36).
Kawaoka further discloses, regarding claim 2, wherein the first detection unit (140) includes a first sensor (142) that is for detecting the sheet fed by the feeding portion and a second sensor (144) that is for detecting the sheet fed by the feeding portion and is arranged next to the first sensor in a width direction, and
wherein the controller stops feeding executed by the feeding portion in a case where any one of the first sensor or the second sensor does not detect a sheet before a prescribed period of time elapses since the other one of the first sensor or the second sensor detected the sheet (¶0075).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the second detection unit includes a light emitting portion (122) and a light receiving portion (124) arranged above the stacking portion, and
wherein the controller stops feeding executed by the feeding portion in a case where a light path from the light emitting portion to the light receiving portion is intercepted by a sheet after feeding is started by the feeding portion (see at least ¶0017,0034,0047).
Regarding claim 10, An image reading apparatus (fig.10) comprising:
the sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1; and
a reading unit (230) configured to read images of sheets conveyed by the sheet conveyance apparatus.
Regarding claim 11, An image forming apparatus (300; fig.10) comprising:
an image reading apparatus (200) having the sheet conveyance apparatus according to claim 1, and having a reading unit configured to read images of sheets conveyed by the sheet conveyance apparatus; and
an image forming unit (330) configured to form images on a recording material based on image information of a sheet read by the image reading apparatus.
5. Claim 3 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kawaoka et al. JP 2021-017298 A and Matsumura et al. USP 11,142,417 further in view of Yamagata USP 8,814,163.
Kawaoka discloses substantially all the limitations of the claims (see ¶4 above), but does not expressly disclose the limitations of claim 3.
Yamagata teaches the controller starts feeding of a subsequent sheet which follows a preceding sheet when a trailing edge of the preceding sheet is detected by a sensor (C5/L65-C6/L1).
Before the effective filing date, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to start feeding of a subsequent sheet which follows a preceding sheet when a trailing edge of the preceding sheet is detected by a sensor, as taught by Yamagata, in the device of Kawaoka, with a reasonable expectation of success, for the purpose of providing an adequate spacing between fed sheets so as to prevent jamming.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claim 7 is allowed.
Claims 5,6 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
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LESLIE A. NICHOLSON III whose telephone number is (571)272-5487. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4.
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 C 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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/LESLIE A NICHOLSON III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653 7/21/2026
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