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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicants’ arguments filed 06/05/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. In response to Applicant’s argument that the prior art fails to teach or suggest “ the reading section does not overlap the transport roller in the depth direction and the reading section does not overlap the curved section in the depth direction, Examiner disagrees.
The depth direction is defined in claim 1 as being a direction from a front surface of the housing to a rear surface of the housing. Looking from the front surface towards the rear surface, the controlling board (38) is the only element that overlaps with the scanner unit (8). The feeding mechanism (5) and the inclined (15c) also overlap in the depth direction.
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.
Claim(s) 1- 8 and 11-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushima (US 2013/0286433) in view of Aono (US 2019/0098156) and Minemura (JP 2019059590).
With regard to claim 1, Matsushima discloses a recording apparatus (1) [Fig. 10] comprising: a housing (2) [Para. 0079];
a recording section (4) [printer unit; Para. 0079] that performs a recording operation on a medium (100) [paper sheet; Para. 0079] the recording section being disposed inside the housing [Fig. 10];
a storage section (15) [paper cassette; Para. 0079] that stores the medium;
a separation section (16) [pickup roller; Para. 0079] that separates the medium from other media stored in the storage section;
a transport roller (24) [Para. 0084] that transports the medium separated by the separation section toward the recording section;
a curved section [section between inclined face (15C) and roller pair (24); Fig. 10] that the medium being transported from the storage section to the recording section is turned over;
a reading section (8) [scanner unit; Para. 0077] that reads an originals sheet, the reading section being positioned higher than the recording section [Fig. 10]; wherein
the depth direction being a direction from the front surface of the housing to a rear surface of the housing [Fig. 10],
the housing has a front surface [Fig. 10] with an ejection hole (6) [Para. 0076] through which the medium on which the recording section has performed the recording operation is ejected [Fig. 10], the reading section is positioned behind the recording section in the depth direction [Fig. 10], the ejection hole is positioned below the reading section [Fig. 10], the reading section does not overlap the transport roller in the depth direction [Fig. 10], and the reading section does not overlap the curved section in the depth direction [Fig. 10].
Matsushima does not disclose a supply section that supplies the original sheet to the reading section; and an ejection section that ejects the original sheet that has been read by the reading section, wherein the separation section is positioned behind the reading section in a depth direction.
Aono teaches a document placement section (102) [document feed tray; Para. 0037] that supplies an original sheet; a supply section (103/104) [feed rollers and registration rollers; Para. 0037 Fig. 2] that supplies the original sheet to the reading section (100) [Para. 0037] and an ejection section (105) [discharge roller pair; Para. 0037; Fig. 2] that ejects the original sheet that has been read by the reading section [Fig. 2].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the reading section of Matsushima with that of Aono to utilize reading multiple documents one by one.
In addition, Minemura teaches a separation section (42) positioned behind a scanner unit (14) in the depth direction and the scanner unit reads the document when closed [Para. 0042; Fig. 5].
Although Minemura does not explicitly teach the scanner unit having a reading unit like 433, one of ordinary skill in the art can deduce that there is a reading unit within the scanner unit area that makes it possible to read the document when the cover is closed. Modifying the separation section of Aono to be positioned behind the reading section would be obvious since the position of the pickup roller is dependent on the size of the paper cassette. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955)
With regard to claim 2, Matsushima discloses a recording apparatus (1) [Fig. 10] comprising: a housing (2) [Para. 0079];
a recording section (4) [printer unit; Para. 0079] that performs a recording operation [ejecting ink; ] on a medium (100) [paper sheet; Para. 0079] the recording section being disposed inside the housing [Fig. 10];
a storage section (15) [paper cassette; Para. 0079] that stores the medium;
a separation section (16) [pickup roller; Para. 0079] that separates the medium from other media stored in the storage section;
a transport roller (24) [Para. 0084] that transports the medium separated by the separation section toward the recording section;
a curved section [section between inclined face (15C) and roller pair (24); Fig. 10] that the medium being transported from the storage section to the recording section is turned over;
a reading section (8) [scanner unit; Para. 0077] that reads an originals sheet, the reading section being positioned higher than the recording section [Fig. 10]; wherein
the depth direction being a direction from the front surface of the housing to a rear surface of the housing [Fig. 10],
the housing has a front surface [Fig. 10] with an ejection hole (6) [Para. 0076] through which the medium on which the recording section has performed the recording operation is ejected [Fig. 10], the front surface also having a control panel (9) [operation panel; Para. 0089],
the width direction being a direction view from the front surface of the housing [Fig. 10] the reading section does not overlap the transport roller in the depth direction [Fig. 10], and
the reading section does not overlap the curved section in the depth direction [Fig. 10].
Matsushima does not disclose a document placement section that places an original sheet, a supply section that supplies the original sheet to the reading section; and an ejection section that ejects the original sheet that has been read by the reading section, wherein the separation section is positioned behind the reading section in a depth direction and the document placement section and control panel overlap in a width direction.
Aono teaches a document placement section (102) [document feed tray; Para. 0037] that supplies an original sheet; a supply section (103/104) [feed rollers and registration rollers; Para. 0037 Fig. 2] that supplies the original sheet to the reading section (100) [Para. 0037] and an ejection section (105) [discharge roller pair; Para. 0037; Fig. 2] that ejects the original sheet that has been read by the reading section [Fig. 2].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the reading section of Matsushima with that of Aono in order to read multiple documents one by one.
In addition, Minemura teaches a separation section (42) positioned behind a scanner unit (14) in the depth direction and the scanner unit reads the document when closed [Para. 0042].
Although Minemura does not explicitly teach the scanner unit having a reading unit like 433, one of ordinary skill in the art can that there is a reading unit within the scanner unit area that makes it possible to read the document when the cover is closed. Modifying the separation section of Aono to be positioned behind the reading section would be obvious since the position of the pickup roller is dependent on the size of the paper cassette. A change in size is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art. In re Rose, 105 USPQ 237 (CCPA 1955)
Lastly, modifying Matsushima with the reading unit of Aono, the document placement section and the control panel overlap in the width direction and satisfies the claim language.
With regard to claims 3 and 4, Matsushima discloses the supply section is positioned behind the recording section in a depth direction [Fig. 10]
With regard to claims 5 and 6, Matsushima does not disclose wherein the reading section is positioned between the transport roller and the curved section in the depth direction, respectively.
It would be obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art that modifying the separating section behind the reading section also modifies the inclined face to extend behind the reading section, therefore the reading section is positioned between the transport roller and the curved section in the depth direction would satisfy the claim.
With regard to claims 7 and 8, Matsushima discloses wherein the reading section does not overlap the recording section in the depth direction [Fig. 10].
With regard to claims 11-12, Matsushima does not disclose a reading unit cover that covers the supply route.
Aono discloses a reading unit cover that covers the supply route.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the reading unit cover of Matsushima to cover the supply route as taught by Aono such that it is positioned behind the recording section in the depth direction[Fig 10] and therefore satisfies the claim.
Claim(s) 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsushima (US 2013/0286433) as modified by Aono (US 2019/0098156) and Minemura (JP 2019059590) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Takahata (US 2015/0181062).
With regard to claims 9-10, Matsushima discloses further comprising: a transport route along which the medium is transported [Fig. 10], the transport route extending between the storage section and the recording section [Fig. 10]; the transport route has the curved section [Fig. 10] and a maintenance unit (7) [Para. 0076].
Aono discloses a supply route through which the original sheet passes, the supply route extending between the supply section and the ejection section; Fig. 2]; a maintenance cover (7) [Para. ];
Matsushima modified does not disclose a reading unit cover that covers the supply route and the reading unit cover and the maintenance cover open in the same direction.
Takahata teaches a reading unit cover (9c) that covers a supply route (path from supply tray (91) to discharge tray (92)], an opening /closing cover (9c) and teaches the reading unit cover and the opening/closing cover open in the same direction [Fig. 1]
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure a reading unit cover to open and close in the same direction as an maintenance cover in order to access the ink jet head or recording section without any blockage from the reading unit cover or recording papers waiting to be supplied the reading unit or discharged from the read section.
In addition, Minemura teaches a scanner unit (14) rotated with respect to the apparatus main body (12) that allows for a recording unit (5) to be accessed and maintenance [Para. 0044]. It is rotated in the same direction as a cover (25) attached to the apparatus main body (12).
Conclusion
Applicants’ 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 TRACEY M MCMILLION whose telephone number is (571)270-5193. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6AM-2:30PM EST.
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/TRACEY M MCMILLION/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/KRISTAL FEGGINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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