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
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claim(s) 1-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Komuro et al. (US 2020/0239252),
Komuro et al. disclose the following claimed limitations:
* Re clm 1, a recording apparatus/printer 1/ (Abst., figs 1-7);
* a recording unit/ink jet printer 1 having head 9/ configured to perform recording on a medium/paper/ conveyed in a first direction/+Y/ (paras 0029-0035, figs 1-9);
* a recording-time conveying path/FR1, see upper dotted line shown in the x direction that runs before, under and after the recording head/ that is a medium conveying path facing the recording unit/9/ (paras 0030, 0035, figs 2 & 4-5);
* a discharge path/FR5/ located downstream in the recording-time conveying path/F1/, the discharge path being for discharging the medium/paper/ on which the recording was performed (para 0036, figs 2 & 3);
* a discharge roller/46, 48, 47/ disposed in the discharge path and configured to feed the medium/paper/ downstream in the discharge path/FR5/ (para 0036, figs 2 & 3);
* a motor/66, rotationally driven, gears mechanism in the roller that drive the discharge roller 42/ for discharge configured to drive the discharge roller (paras 0047, 0050-0051, figs 2-4).
* a first path forming section/18 support member including structures 25 bottom section & sections 27, 27a shown on FR3 & FR5 paths/ forming a lower surface of the recording-time conveying path/FR1/;
* a second path forming section/see structures 18 support member including structures 22 & 25 upper surface formed along FR2 & FR4 path, top surface of section/ forming an upper surface of the guide path, wherein
* the motor/second transport motor 66, for conveying roller 16, 17 that is the first discharge drive roller, motor is provided with gear mechanism 41/ for conveyance is disposed at a position between the first path forming section and the second path forming section (para 0040, 0050-0051, figs 2-4),
* Re clm 2, wherein the discharge path is formed in a shape for reversing the medium by bending a surface of the medium on which the recording was performed (see figs 2 & 3), a plurality of the discharge rollers/40, 42, 41, 49, 46, 48, 47/ are provided, and the plurality of discharge rollers include a first discharge roller/40,42,41/ and a second discharge roller/46, 48, 47/ located downstream of the first discharge roller/40, 42,41/ (para 0043, figs 2 & 4).
* Re clm 3, wherein the first discharge roller/40. 42, 41/ and the second discharge roller/ 46, 48,47/are located in the first direction with respect to the recording unit/ ink jet printer 1 having head 9/, and the motor/66 in drive roller 41 & 47/ for discharge is located in the first direction with respect to the recording unit/ink jet printer 1 having head 9/ (paras 0050-0051, figs 2-4)
* Re clm 4, wherein, in the motor for discharge/66 in discharge , at least a motor main body unit does not project from the first path forming section in a width direction, which is a direction intersecting the first direction, when viewed from a normal direction with respect to a surface of the medium conveyed on the recording-time conveying path.
* Re clm 5, wherein the motor/66/ first discharge drive roller 16, motor is provided with gear mechanism/ for conveyance is in contact with the second path forming section/ path forming unit 27, see structure below or the structure that is formed below 72, / (paras 0050, 0061, figs 2-4).
* Re clm 6, a reversing path/RR/ coupled to the guide path/FR3/, the reversing path/RR/ reversing the medium and causing the medium to join the recording-time conveying path/FR1/ (paras 0033.0035, fig 2);
* a reversing roller/21 reverse roller/ disposed in the reversing path/RR/ and configured to feed the medium downstream in the reversing path (fig 2;
* a motor/driven rollers 14a, 14b, 14c, 14d/ for reversing configured to drive the reversing roller, wherein the motor/driven roller 14d/ for reversing is disposed at a position between the first path forming section and the second path forming section /driven rollers have. motors is provided with gear mechanism/ (para 0038, figs 2-4).
* Re clm 7, wherein the motor/14d driven roller/ for reversing is located in the second direction/-Y/ with respect to the recording unit/ink jet printer 1 having head 9/ driven roller implies a motor is present/ (para 0038, figs 2-4).
* Re clm 8, a conveying roller/transport drive roller 17, 41/ disposed in the recording-time conveying path/FR1/ and configured to feed the medium/recording paper/ downstream in the recording-time conveying path/FR1/ (para 0040, fig 2);
* a motor/second transport motor 66/ for conveyance configured to drive the conveying roller/16/ (para 0050, figs 2-4); wherein the motor/second transport motor 66, fir conveying roller 16, 17 that is the first discharge drive roller, motor is provided with gear mechanism 41/ for conveyance is disposed at a position between the first path forming section and the second path forming section (para 0040, 0050-0051, figs 2-4),
* Re clm 9, wherein the motor/66/ for conveyance/transport driven roller 16, motor present/ is disposed in the first direction with respect to the recording unit/ink jet printer 1 having head 9/, and the motor/66 motor present in driven roller 41/ for discharge is disposed at one end portion with respect to the first path forming section/25/ in a width direction, which is a direction intersecting the first direction, and the motor/66/ for conveyance/motor present in driven roller 16/ is disposed at another end portion with respect to the first path forming section/structure path 25/ in the width direction (paras 0040, 0042-0043, 0050-0051, figs 2-4)
* Re clm 10, wherein the first path forming section/18 support member/ is formed of one member formed in a shape extending in the first direction from a position facing the recording unit/9/ and extending in the second direction from a position facing the recording unit /the support member extends in the left and right directions of the recording unit/ (para 0042, fig 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
5. 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.
6. Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komuro et al. (US 2020/0239252) in view of Nakashima et al. (2019/0248144).
Komuro et al. disclose the following:
* Re clm 11, wherein the recording unit/inkjet recording apparatus10/ includes a liquid ejection head/20K, 20C, 20M, 20Y/ configured to perform recording on the medium by ejecting liquid, the first path forming section includes an opening section/space between 22 and 20 maintenance units 22K, 22C, 22M, 22Y/ at a position facing the recording unit/20K, 20C, 20M, 20Y/ and the recording apparatus/14 image recording section/ (paras 0041-0042, fig 2)
* a cap section disposed on an inner side of the opening section/dotted line/ and configured to switch a state in which the cap unit covers a liquid ejection surface of the liquid ejection head and a state in which the cap unit is separated from the liquid ejection surface (paras 0041-0042, fig 2).
* a shutter/moved to opposing positions, moving mechanism, see fig 1, 22K, 22C,22M,22Y/ that is displaceable to a shielding position/cap covering the nozzle/ for shielding the opening section and an opening position for opening the opening section (paras 0041-0042, fig 2).
Komuro et al. does not disclose
* the shutter supporting the medium passing a position facing the liquid ejection head when the shutter is present in the shielding
Nakashima et al. disclose the following:
* a shutter/mounting mechanism 54, access area AA, support portion 15, see figs 4/ / that is displaceable to a shielding position/closing of access area AA, support portion 15 moves under the head 29/ for shielding the opening section and an opening position/access area AA opens, the support portion 15 moves from under the head/ for opening the opening section the shutter/mounting mechanism 54, access area AA, support portion 15, front surface cover 16/ supporting the medium passing a position facing the liquid ejection head/29/ when the shutter is present in the shielding position/access area AA is closed position, the support portion 15 is moved under the head 29, front surface cover 16 is closed/ (paras 0033, 0043-0049, 0060, 0062, 0064, 0066-0067, 0070, figs 2, 4, 10-12).
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to utilize the shutter supporting the medium passing a position facing the liquid ejection head when the shutter is present in the shielding position, taught by Nakashima et al. into Komuro et al. for the purpose of mounting the waste liquid container in a mounting mechanism that proves a cover for closure thereby providing an easy access to the waste liquid container.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISTAL FEGGINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2254. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 930-530pm.
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/KRISTAL FEGGINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853