DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant's claim for foreign priority based on an application filed in Japan on 8/9/23. It is noted, however, that applicant has not filed a certified copy of the JP2023-130406 application as required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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.
Claim(s) 1, 3, 5-7, and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yamada et al (US Pat No 11,180,333).
Regarding claim 1, Yamada discloses a medium transport device comprising:
a first roller pair (132) configured to transport a medium in a transport direction and
an ultrasonic detection section positioned downstream of the first roller pair in the transport direction, wherein
the ultrasonic detection section includes:
a transmission sensor chip (151B) configured to emit ultrasonic waves along a first axis toward a first surface of the medium being transported,
a receiving sensor chip (152B) that is configured to receive the ultrasonic waves and that is disposed at a position sandwiching the medium with the transmission sensor chip, the position being on the first axis,
a transmission board (151A) on which the transmission sensor chip is provided,
a receiving board (152A) on which the receiving sensor chip is provided,
a first protection member (154, on the transmitter side) that is a protection member provided on the first axis and that is positioned between the transmission sensor chip and the medium,
a second protection member (154, on the receiving side) that is a protection member provided on the first axis and that is positioned between the receiving sensor chip and the medium,
a transmission board holder (31) configured to hold the transmission board and the first protection member, and
a receiving board holder (32) configured to hold the receiving board and the second protection member.
Regarding claim 3, Yamada discloses the transmission sensor chip and the receiving sensor chip are inclined at a first angle with respect to a surface of the medium passing between the transmission sensor chip and the receiving sensor chip, the first protection member and the second protection member are inclined at a second angle with respect to the surface of the medium passing between the transmission sensor chip and the receiving sensor chip, and the first angle and the second angle are different and the second angle is smaller than the first angle (as shown in figure 3).
Regarding claim 5, Yamada discloses the transmission board holder has a fixing section configured to fix the first protection member, the transmission board is fixed to a back side of the fixing section, and the fixing section has a wall section that is a wall section facing a side portion of the fixed transmission board and that covers at least a part of the transmission board (see column 9, lines 12-34).
Regarding claim 6, Yamada discloses the first protection member and the second protection member are mesh-shaped members (see figure 5).
Regarding claim 7, Yamada discloses an opening width of the mesh-shaped member is 30 μm or less (e.g. less than 1mm noted in column 10, lines 30-42).
Regarding claim 9, Yamada discloses a reading section (14) that is positioned downstream of the first roller pair in the transport direction and that is configured to read an image on the medium.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2, 4, and 8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: None of the prior art on record discloses or suggests each and every element of the applicant’s claimed invention. Specifically, the details relating to the transmission board holders, transmission board, and cover are not taught or suggested by the cited art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Cited art generally discloses similar features to the applicant’s claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Patrick Cicchino whose telephone number is (571)270-1954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30AM to 5PM.
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/Patrick Cicchino/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619