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 Interpretation
Applicant appeared to be misunderstanding to the previously stated claim interpretation statement. The Office pointed out exactly to what applicant is arguing about in the filed remarks on 04/27/2026. Considering claim 1 stated structural limitations to the claimed “correction mechanism”, the claim was never interpreted under 112(f).
Double Patenting
In light of the filed remarks on 04/27/2026, the Double Patenting rejection is withdrawn.
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)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kawanami et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 9,771,221).
Regarding claim 1: Kawanami discloses a belt conveyor device comprising:
an endless belt (Figs. 2-3; via belt 5);
a plurality of rollers on which the belt is stretched turnable (via rollers 6, 7, and 9s); and
a correction mechanism for correcting meanders of the belt relative to the rollers (Fig. 4; via adjusting mechanism), wherein
the correction mechanism includes:
a pair of inclined bearings including a pair of bearing portions for bearing a shaft portion of one of the rollers (Fig. 4 & 12; via 19L & 19R; while having “tension roller 7 is tilted with respect to the driving roller 6”), and further including a pair of inclined portions that are inclined symmetrically with respect to an axial direction of the rollers (Figs. 12A-12C and via “the positions of the tension-roller-bearing holders 19R and 19L are adjusted…adjustment members 21R and 21L”), where the pair of inclined bearings rotatably support the shaft portion of any one of the plural rollers, and are movable in the axial direction, see for example (Figs. 2-4; via bearings 19R/19L moves toward and supporting roller 7b, also moving in the shown direction A); and
a pair of main-body guides which are put into contact with the pair of inclined portions, respectively, and which make end portions of the rollers in the axial direction moved in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction, together with the pair of inclined bearings that are moved in the axial direction by meandering of the belt (Figs. 2-4, 12, & 20; via guide portions 17b), where
the pair of inclined portions and the pair of main-body guides are placed inside the pair of bearing portions of the pair of inclined bearings, respectively, in the axial direction, as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rollers, see for example (Figs. 2-4, 12, & 20; via 17b in respect to bearings 19L/19R) and inside both end portions of the belt, respectively, in the axial direction, as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the axial direction of the rollers, see for example (Figs. 2-4, 12, & 20; via 17b in respect to bearings 19L/19R and belt 5 and/or Fig. 25 shows the bearing guide portions 17b with its adjustment members 21R and 21L along with the curved cam surfaces 21b inside both ends of belt 5). Also, see annotated figure below.
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Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 04/27/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s main argument related to the applied art of Kawanami ‘221 is that no pair guides placed inside both end portions of the belt.
The Office as set forth above believes that ‘221 indeed suggests placements of the pair guides at both ends of the belt, see for example Fig. 25; the bearing guide portions 17b with its adjustment members 21R and 21L along with the curved cam surfaces 21b placed inside both ends of belt 5.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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 SAMEH TAWFIK whose telephone number is (571)272-4470. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri. 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Shelle Self can be reached at 571-272-4524. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SAMEH TAWFIK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3731
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