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 .
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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Uehara et al. JP 02-215627 A (hereinafter “Uehara”).
Regarding claim 1, Uehara discloses a medium conveying apparatus comprising:
a separator (2 and 3) configured to separate a plurality of media from each other to convey the medium; and
at least one first guide member (20a, 20b, refer to FIGS. 3 and 4) configured to guide the media to the separator, wherein
the separator includes a conveying roller (2) and a separation roller (3) configured to nip the media in a nip range,
the conveying roller is configured to come into contact with a first surface of the medium to convey the medium in a conveyance direction,
the separation roller is configured to come into contact with a second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium, and is configured to switch between a separation state in which the plurality of media are separated from each other, and a conveying state in which the medium separated is conveyed, and
a tip (downstream portion of 20a and 20b) of the first guide member that is configured to guide the medium is located at a position that overlaps the nip range when viewed from an axial direction of the separation roller,
wherein, a base end (upstream portion of 20) of the first guide member is disposed below a medium conveyance path and the tip of the guide member being configured to move across the nip range toward the separation roller by movement of the medium along the conveyance path.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the first guide member is configured to be displaced between a first position (FIG. 3) where the first guide member is located when the first guide member does not guide the medium, and a second position (FIG. 4) where the first guide member is located when the first guide member guides the medium.
Regarding claim 3, wherein the first guide member has flexibility.
Regarding claim 4, wherein the first guide member is configured to be in contact with the second surface of the medium.
Regarding claim 5, comprising a plurality of the first guide members, wherein the plurality of first guide members are disposed at both sides of the separator in the axial direction (refer to FIG. 2).
. Claims 1-4, 11 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kurihara et al. JP 05-238571 A (hereinafter “Kurihara”).
Regarding claim 1, Kurihara discloses a medium conveying apparatus comprising:
a separator (5 and 6) configured to separate a plurality of media from each other to convey the medium; and
at least one first guide member (13, refer to FIGS. 1 and 3) configured to guide the media to the separator, wherein
the separator includes a conveying roller (5) and a separation roller (6) configured to nip the media in a nip range,
the conveying roller is configured to come into contact with a first surface of the medium to convey the medium in a conveyance direction,
the separation roller is configured to come into contact with a second surface opposite to the first surface of the medium, and is configured to switch between a separation state in which the plurality of media are separated from each other, and a conveying state in which the medium separated is conveyed, and
a tip (portion of 13 that faces 5 and contacts sheet) of the first guide member that is configured to guide the medium is located at a position that overlaps the nip range when viewed from an axial direction of the separation roller,
wherein, a base end (upstream portion of 13, including 13i and 13h in FIG. 3) of the first guide member is disposed below a medium conveyance path and the tip of the guide member being configured to move across the nip range toward the separation roller by movement of the medium along the conveyance path.
Regarding claim 2, wherein the first guide member is configured to be displaced between a first position where the first guide member is located when the first guide member does not guide the medium, and a second position where the first guide member is located when the first guide member guides the medium (refer to two positions of 13 in FIG. 3).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the first guide member has flexibility.
Regarding claim 4, wherein the first guide member is configured to be in contact with the second surface of the medium.
Regarding claim 11, a recording apparatus (printer) comprising: the medium conveying apparatus according to claim 1; and a recording unit configured to perform recording on the medium.
Regarding claim 12, further comprising
a cassette (tray 1) configured to be inserted into and pulled out from the recording apparatus, wherein
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.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uehara or Kurihara in view of Izumichi et al. US 2009/0014945 A1 (hereinafter “Izumichi”).
Uehara or Kurihara fail to explicitly teach a drive source that is configured to rotate the separation roller in a reverse rotation direction; and a torque limiter that is configured to switch transmission of driving force to the separation roller from the drive source.
Izumichi teaches a well-known separation roller connected to a drive source that is configured to rotate the separation roller in a reverse rotation direction; and a torque limiter that is configured to switch transmission of driving force to the separation roller from the drive source (refer to [0068]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Uehara/Kurihara’s separation roller to use a drive source and torque limiter as taught by Izumichi as a known alternative means of ensuring the separation roller is powered to correct a double feed state.
Claim 7, 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Uehara in view of Izumichi, and further in view of Matsumura et al. JP 2006-008352 A (hereinafter “Matsumura”).
Regarding claim 7, while Uehara does show a second guide member (24), Uehara fails to explicitly teach
a feed roller configured to come into contact with the first surface of the medium placed to convey the medium, and the feed roller may be disposed upstream of the separator in the conveyance direction,.
a second guide member configured to come into contact with the first surface of the medium to guide the medium, wherein
the second guide member may be disposed between the feed roller and the conveying roller in the conveyance direction.
Matsumura teaches a known feed roller (56) and conveying roller (58) arrangement with an intermediate second guide member (72) configured to come into contact with a first surface of the medium to guide the medium, wherein the second guide member may be disposed between a feed roller and the conveying roller in the conveyance direction.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to modify Uehara’s apparatus with a feed roller and second guide member located between the feed roller and conveying roller as taught by Matsumura as known alternative means of separating a sheet from a stack and also suppressing lift of the sheet upstream of the nip further ensuring guidance of the sheet toward the nip.
Regarding claim 8 and 10, the combination of references would further teach
wherein the second guide member of Matsumura crosses an imaginary perpendicular line perpendicular to a first imaginary line segment connecting a rotation center point of the feed roller and a rotation center point of the conveying roller to each other at a midpoint of the first imaginary line segment (claim 8); and
wherein the second guide member is disposed between a first imaginary line segment connecting a rotation center point of the feed roller and a rotation center point of the conveying roller to each other, and a second imaginary line segment connecting a contact point where the feed roller comes into contact with the medium and the nip range to each other (claim 10).
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
An alternative rejection not made for at least claims 1-5 include Okumura et al. US 2014/0203495 (teaches the majority of limitations of claim 1 except for the amended limitation requiring the base of the first guide member to be arranged below a medium conveyance path) in view of Uehara JP 02-215627 (teaches use of a similar known guide member in manner claimed when using a top sheet feed separator as shown in FIGS. 3-4 as opposed to a bottom sheet feed separator as shown in FIG. 5-similar to Okumura).
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LUIS A GONZALEZ whose telephone number is (571)270-3094. The examiner can normally be reached 9am-5:30pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael 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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/LUIS A GONZALEZ/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653