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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/26/2024, 07/24/2025, and 12/02/2025 are being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the claims 8, 9, and 18 recite “one second detent feature” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Claims 3,4 are 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.
Regarding claim 3, claim 3 recites “… wherein the first spring member is disposed laterally between the first spring member and the second spring member…”. It is not clear how the first spring member can be disposed between the first spring member and the second spring member.
Regarding claim 4, claim 4 is rejected for inheriting the above discussed issue of claim 3 due to its dependency.
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.
Claims 1-6, 11-13,15, 16, 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Connor et al. (US 2005/0174421).
Regarding claim 1, Connor et al teaches a printer (10 figs.2-4,6), comprising:
a media path (media path of sheet 12 in figs.2-4,6) along which a media (12) is movable;
a printhead assembly (printhead assembly elements in figs.10-12 excluding elements 42 and 12) positioned along the media path (media path of sheet 12) at a first side of the media path (above the media path of sheet 12);
a print roller (42 figs.10,12) positioned along the media path (media path of sheet 12) at a second side of the media path (below the media path of sheet 12) such that media (12) passes between the printhead assembly (printhead assembly elements above 12 in fig.12) and the print roller (42);
wherein the printhead assembly (printhead assembly elements above 12 in fig.12) includes a printhead unit (48) that is biased toward the print roller (42) by at least a first spring member (for instance the middle spring 98 in figs.10-12, note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed spring member) that is movable in a direction across a width of the media path (media path of sheet 12) (the spring members 98 in figs.10-12 are movable laterally on rods 104 and 106).
Regarding claim 2, Connor et al further teaches wherein the printhead assembly (printhead assembly elements in figs.10-12 excluding elements 42 and 12) includes a support bracket (114,86 figs.10-12), wherein the printhead unit (48) is mounted to permit at least some relative movement between the printhead unit (48) and the support bracket (114,86), wherein the first spring member (98) is positioned to bias the printhead unit (48) away from the support bracket (114,86).
Regarding claim 3, Connor et al further teaches further comprising a second spring member (for instance spring 98 on the left side of the middle spring 98 in figs.10,11; note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed spring member) positioned to bias the printhead unit (48) away from the support bracket (114) and a third spring member (for instance spring 98 on the right side of the middle spring 98 in figs.10,11; note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed spring member) to bias the printhead unit (48) away from the support bracket (114,86), wherein the first spring member (for instance the middle spring 98 in figs.10,11) is disposed laterally between the first spring member (for instance the middle spring 98 in figs.10,11) and the second spring member(for instance spring 98 on the left side of the middle spring 98 in figs.10,11), relative to the direction across the width of the media 92path (figs.10-12).
Regarding claim 4, Connor et al further teaches wherein a position of the second spring member (for instance spring 98 on the left side of the middle spring 98 in figs.10,11; note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed spring member) is fixed and a position of the third spring member (for instance spring 98 on the right side of the middle spring 98 in figs.10,11; note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed spring member) is fixed (each of carriages 86 which includes spring 98 are configured to be fixed in place, figs.10-12).
Regarding claim 5, Connor et al further teaches wherein the first spring member (for instance the middle spring 98 in figs.10,11; note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed spring member) is a compression spring.
Regarding claim 6, Connor et al further teaches further comprising a first carrier (92 of 86 figs.10-12) component with a pocket (supporting portion of 92) in which a printhead end of the first spring member sits (98 figs.10-12; note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed spring member and in this case 78+80 can correspond to the first carrier, and 82 can correspond to pocket).
Regarding claim 11, Connor et al further teaches wherein the first spring member (98 figs.10-12) is secured to the first carrier (92) component by a fastener (90+84 fixed 98 to 92).
Regarding claim 12, Connor et al further teaches wherein a portion of the fastener (90+84 figs.10-12) extends through a slot located in the support bracket (114,86 figs.10-12).
Regarding claim 13, Connor et al further teaches further comprising: a printer body (body of printer 10 figs.2-4,6), wherein the printhead assembly (printhead assembly elements in figs.10-12 excluding elements 42 and 12) is pivotably mounted to the printer body (the printhead assembly is pivotably attached to printer 10 body by pivot rods 116).
Regarding claim 15, Connor et al teaches a printer (10 figs.2-4,6), comprising:
a media path (media path of sheet 12 in figs.2-4,6) along which a media (12) is movable;
a printhead assembly (printhead assembly elements in figs.10-12 excluding elements 42 and 12) positioned along the media path (media path of sheet 12) at a first side of the media path (above the media path of sheet 12), wherein the printhead assembly includes a printhead unit (48);
a print roller (42 figs.10,12) positioned along the media path (media path of sheet 12) at a second side of the media path (below the media path of sheet 12) such that media (12) passes between the printhead assembly (printhead assembly elements above 12 in fig.12) and the print roller (42);
a biasing assembly (printhead assembly elements above 12 in fig.12) arranged for biasing the printhead unit (48) toward the print roller (42), wherein the biasing assembly (biasing assembly spring 98 in figs.10-12, note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed biasing assembly) includes a biasing component (98 / and/or 98+90+84/ in figs.10-12) that is movable in a direction across a width of the media path in order to laterally shift a zone of biasing pressure that urges the printhead unit (48) toward the print roller (42) as needed to accommodate media of different widths (the biasing assembly spring 98/ and/or 98+90+84/ in figs.10-12 are movable laterally on rods 104 and 106).
Regarding claim 16, Connor et al further teaches wherein the printhead assembly (printhead assembly elements in figs.10-12 excluding elements 42 and 12) includes a support bracket (114,86 figs.10-12), wherein the printhead unit (48) is mounted to permit some relative movement between the printhead unit (48) and the support bracket (114,86), wherein the biasing component (98 / and/or 98+90+84/ in figs.10-12) is positioned to bias the printhead unit (48) away from the support bracket (114,86), wherein the biasing component (98 / and/or 98+90+84/ in figs.10-12) comprises a spring member (98) that rides in a movable carrier component (92 of 86 figs.10-12, 92 moves with the compression/expansion of spring 98).
Regarding claim 18, Connor et al further teaches wherein the carrier component has at least one first detent feature (for instance the opening in 92 and/or 88 figs.10-12) and the printhead unit (48) includes at least one second detent feature (top portion of 48 where bottom of 84 is disposed fig.12) to provide multiple set positions for the carrier component and thus the spring member (98) (note also 98+90+84 can be considered as the claimed spring member and in this case 78+80 can correspond to the carrier, channel 82 can correspond to the first detent feature).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 14 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Connor et al. (US 2005/0174421) in view of Toraka et al. (US 2004/0168834).
Regarding claims 14 and 19, Connor et al substantially teaches the claimed invention including wherein the printer having all the elements claimed above (10 figs.2-4,6).
Connor et al does not explicitly teaches wherein the printer is included/ formed in a weighing scale apparatus that also includes a weighing station for receiving items to be weighed and a load cell for outputting a weight indicative signal.
However, Toraka et al Teaches printer unit (A2 figs.1,2,11) included in a weighing scale apparatus (A figs.1,2,11) that also includes a weighing station (7) for receiving items to be weighed and a load cell (4) for outputting a weight indicative signal (figs.1,2,11).
Therefore, it would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use such printer of Connor et al in a weighing scale apparatus based on the teachings of Toraka et al for instance to enable printing of the weight of a weighed item on a label paper.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-10, 17 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable provided that the objection to drawing is fully addressed and if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENOK D LEGESSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1615. The examiner can normally be reached General Schedule 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, IFP.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571)431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HENOK D LEGESSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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