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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 28 May 2024, have been considered.
Drawings
The drawings received on 28 May 2024 are accepted.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Examiner’s Note
The examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record in the body of this action for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. Applicant should consider the entire prior art as applicable as to the limitations of the claims. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the response, to consider fully the entire references as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mindler et al. (US 2014/0055548).
With respect to claim 1, Mindler discloses a thermal transfer printer with a de-curling function, comprising:
a paper cartridge (Fig. 12, element 704) for providing roll type printing paper (paragraph 0069);
a paper feed path (Fig. 12, element 716) for providing a path along which the printing paper unwound from the paper cartridge moves during a printing operation (paragraph 0071);
a feed roll (Fig. 12, element 708) for providing a roll type ink ribbon (Fig. 12, element 706; paragraph 0070);
a winding roll (Fig. 12, element 710) for winding and collecting the ink ribbon used for printing (paragraph 0070);
a ribbon feed path (Fig. 12, i.e. from element 708 to element 710) for providing a path along which the ink ribbon unwound from the feed roll moves to the winding roll, the ribbon feed path corresponding to a given area of the paper feed path (Fig. 12, i.e. portion of element 716; paragraph 0070);
a thermal print head (Fig. 12, element 712) located at a specific point where the paper feed path and the ribbon feed path correspond to each other (Fig. 12, i.e. between elements 712 and 714) and adapted to apply heat to the ink ribbon to print the printing paper (paragraph 0079);
a platen roller (Fig. 12, element 714) adapted to allow the printing paper and the ink ribbon to come into close with the thermal print head during the printing (paragraph 0079);
a diverter (Fig. 12, element 732) located at a branch point located under the thermal print head with respect to a transfer direction of the printing paper to guide the printing paper to any one of a paper escape path (Fig. 12, element 726) and a paper exit path (Fig. 12, element 724) according to a rotational direction thereof (paragraph 0071, i.e. feeding and reversing media);
a de-curler (Fig. 12, element 910) located on at least a given area of the paper exit path (Fig. 12, element 905, i.e. left side) and adapted to perform de-curling through which the printing paper is bent to the opposite direction to the curled direction thereof (paragraph 0095); and
a cutter (Fig. 12, element 742) located between the de-curler (Fig. 12, element 910) and an exit hole (Fig. 12, element 744) for discharging the printing paper whose printing has been done to the outside of the printer and adapted to cut the printing paper to a predetermined length (paragraphs 0074-0075),
wherein after the de-curling for the printing paper has been completed through the de-curler (Fig. 12, element 910), the printing paper is directly discharged through the exit hole (Fig. 12, element 744), without having any back-feeding through which the printing paper passes through the diverter (Fig. 12, element 732) and is changed to the other path (Fig. 12, i.e. one side printing).
The examiner notes to applicant that the limitations concerning the location of each element of the thermal transfer printer are broad in scope and would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of Mindler as applied above or in any subsequent claims.
With respect to claim 2, Mindler discloses the paper cartridge (Fig. 12, element 704) is located on one side of a printer housing (Fig. 12, element 905) in a transverse direction (Fig. 12, i.e. left/right direction) of the printer housing, the feed roll (Fig. 12, element 708) and the winding roll (Fig. 12, element 710) are located on the upper and lower portions of the other side of the printer housing in the transverse direction of the printer housing, the thermal print head (Fig. 12, element 712) is placed between the feed roll and the winding roll that are located on the upper and lower portions of the printer housing (Fig. 12, element 905), the paper escape path (Fig. 12, element 726) is provided above the paper cartridge, the paper exit path (Fig. 12, i.e. portion of element 716) is provided above the feed roll, and the branch paths of the paper escape pat and the paper exit path are formed above the diverter (Fig. 12, element 732).
With respect to claim 3, Mindler discloses the diverter (Fig. 12, element 732) is kept at a slant posture to a given angle if the diverter rotates in a direction blocking the paper escape path (Fig. 12, element 726), so that the diverter provides a moving path bent (Fig. 12, element 727) in the opposite direction to the curled direction of the printing paper (Fig. 12, element 704).
With respect to claim 4, Mindler discloses on a given area including an area before the printing paper passes through the diverter (Fig. 12, element 732) and an area after the printing paper has passed through the diverter, a sub de-curler (Fig. 12, element 727) is located to provide a path along which the printing paper is bent in the opposite direction to the curled direction thereof (paragraph 0072).
With respect to claim 5, Mindler discloses the de-curler (Fig. 12, element 910) comprises: a de-curling guide (Fig. 12, element 915) for providing a path bent to the opposite direction to the curled direction of the printing paper along the transfer direction of the printing paper; and a de-curling roller (Fig. 12, element 910) located in a space formed inside the de-curling guide, while being spaced apart from the inner wall of the de-curling guide, so that a path is formed between the de-curling roll and the de-curling guide (paragraph 0095).
With respect to claim 6, Mindler discloses the de-curling guide (Fig. 12, element 915) comprises: an entry portion (Fig. 12, i.e. upper portion of element 915) where the printing paper passes through the diverter (Fig. 12, element 732) and thus enters the de-curler (Fig. 12, element 910); an exit portion (Fig. 12, i.e. portion of element 915) where the printing paper is discharged toward the exit hole (Fig. 12, element 744`); and a de-curling portion (Fig. 12, element 910) formed between the entry portion and the exit portion in such a way as to be bent to the opposite direction to the curled direction of the printing paper (paragraphs 0095, i.e. numerous other variations).
With respect to claim 7, Mindler discloses an internal angle (θ) between a first tangent line coming into contact with the entry portion (Fig. 12, i.e. upper portion of element 915) and a second tangent line coming into contact with the exit portion (Fig. 12, i.e. lower portion of element 915) is at an angle of 85 to 95° (paragraphs 0095, i.e. numerous other variations such as a wrap angle of media on element 910).
Conclusion
In view of the foregoing, the above claims have failed to patentably distinguish over the applied art.
The remaining references listed on forms 892 and 1449 have been reviewed by the examiner and are considered to be cumulative to or less material than the prior art references relied upon in the rejection above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Geoffrey Mruk whose telephone number is (571)272-2810. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4:30 PM.
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, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at (571) 272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GEOFFREY S MRUK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 02/10/2026