DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Claims 6-9, 14 and 15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected invention and species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 1/5/2026.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the first position by rotating taking an axis along a width direction” is borderline unclear. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim 2 is objected to because of the following informalities: “the downstream conveyance unit” lacks antecedent basis. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 2 is 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. The claim recites a center of a direction, but a direction is infinite and thus has no center. Further, the claim recites “a downstream…of the support unit,” but “downstream” is an adjective, and thus it appears a noun is missing. Further yet, it is believed that the claimed “downstream conveyance unit” is intended to refer to the same item as the “downstream of the support unit, but clarification is required. Correction is required.
Because claims 3-5 depend from claim 2, they are also rejected on this basis.
Claim 4 is 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. The claim recites “when the conveyance stops…the controller makes the conveyance unit convey the medium…” I would seem the language contradicts itself. Clarification is required.
Claim 5 is 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. The claim would seem to recite that 1) the detection unit detects the medium, and 2) in response to detecting the medium, the medium is conveyed to a position where the detection unit can detect the medium. Clarification is required.
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) 1-5 and 10-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okamoto (2005/0212883).
Regarding claim 1, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus comprising: a recording unit configured to perform recording by ejecting liquid onto a medium;
a conveyance unit (fig. 1, item 20/22/24) configured to convey the medium (see fig. 1), and;
a controller (fig. 2, item 102) configured to control the conveyance unit, wherein
the conveyance unit includes a support unit (fig. 1, item 20) opposed to the recording unit, and configured to support the medium on which the liquid is ejected (see fig. 1),
an upstream conveyance unit (fig. 1, item 32) located upstream in a conveyance direction of the support unit of the medium, and configured to convey the medium to the support unit (see fig. 1), and
a downstream conveyance unit (fig. 1, item 46) located downstream in the conveyance direction of the support unit, and configured to convey the medium from the support unit (see fig. 1),
the support unit is displaced between a first position (fig. 1A position shown) opposed to the recording unit and a second position (compare figs. 1A, 1C, position intermediate to both shown positions) at a longer distance from the recording unit than the first position by rotating taking an axis along a width direction crossing the conveyance direction as a rotational axis (see fig. 1), and
when the conveyance stops in a state where at least a part of the medium is supported by the support unit, the controller controls the support unit to be displaced to the second position and controls the conveyance unit such that the medium forms a curve convex downward in a vertical direction (see fig. 1, Note that when sensor 70 does not detect a sheet after a predetermined time, a jam is determined, and the conveyance unit 20/22/24 is pivoted so that an existing sheet bends downward from chute 46).
Regarding claim 2, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotational axis is located upstream in the conveyance direction of a center in the conveyance direction of the support unit, the second position is a position where the support unit is inclined when a downstream in the conveyance direction of the support unit moves downward in the vertical direction, and the medium is supported by the downstream conveyance unit and the support unit located at the second position to thereby form the curve (see fig. 1, Note that incline of support unit, conveyance unit).
Regarding claim 3, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising: a detection unit (fig. 1, item 70) configured to detect the medium at a position downstream in the conveyance direction of the downstream conveyance unit (see fig. 1, note 70 is downstream of 46), wherein when the conveyance stops, the controller controls the conveyance unit such that the medium forms the curve in a state where the detection unit detects the medium (see fig. 1, Note that there are several portions of the medium in a curved state when conveyance stops).
Regarding claim 4, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the detection unit fails to detect the medium when the conveyance stops, the controller makes the conveyance unit convey the medium in the conveyance direction until the detection unit detects the medium (see fig. 1, Note that the medium is conveyed until sensor 70 detects it).
Regarding claim 5, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 3, wherein when the detection unit detects the medium when the conveyance stops, the controller makes the conveyance unit convey the medium in a direction opposite to the conveyance direction within a range for the detection unit to detect the medium (see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 10, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support unit includes a conveyance belt configured to adsorb and convey the medium, and the controller controls the conveyance belt when forming the curve (see fig. 1, Note belt 20).
Regarding claim 11, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller selects one of a first mode in which the conveyance unit is controlled such that the medium forms the curve when the conveyance stops in a state in which at least a part of the medium is supported by the support unit, and a second mode in which the conveyance unit is not controlled such that the medium forms the curve when the conveyance stops in the state in which at least a part of the medium is supported by the support unit (see fig. 1, Note that not curve is formed in 1A and a curve is formed in 1C).
Regarding claim 12, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller announces an occurrence of an abnormality after the medium forms the curve (fig. 6B, S140).
Regarding claim 13, Okamoto teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support unit is displaceable to a third position farther from the recording unit than the second position (see fig. 1C, position shown).
Conclusion
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853