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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copies have been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) submitted on 22 August 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statement has been considered by the Examiner.
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 1-2 & 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Matsumoto (2018/0029393 A1).
As related to independent claim 1, Matsumoto teaches a recording apparatus comprising: a recording head attached to a carriage and configured to perform recording on a medium, the carriage being configured to reciprocate (Matsumoto – Page 1, Paragraphs 5-6 and Figure 1, Reference #2, shown below); a discharge roller configured to discharge the medium on which the recording was performed (Matsumoto – Page 2, Paragraphs 17-18 and Figure 1, Reference #9, shown below); a medium reception tray configured to receive the medium discharged by the discharge roller, the medium reception tray being configured to be in a first state and in a second state in which the medium reception tray is displaced from a position in the first state in a discharge direction of the medium (Matsumoto – Page 1, Paragraphs 5-6; Page 2, Paragraph 18;Page 5, Paragraph 28; and Figures 6A-6B, Reference #16, shown below); a motor being a power source of the discharge roller; a power transmission unit configured to be in a power transmission state in which power of the motor is transmitted from the motor to the medium reception tray and a power non-transmission state in which power of the motor from the motor is not transmitted to the medium reception tray (Matsumoto – Page 2, Paragraphs 17-20; Figure 1, Reference #12, #13, #15, #14, #17, shown below); and a switching lever unit configured to switch between the power non-transmission state and the power transmission state, wherein the switching lever unit rotates between a contact position at which the switching lever unit is configured to come into contact with the carriage as the carriage reciprocates and a non-contact position at which the switching lever unit does not come into contact with the carriage even when the carriage moves, and when the switching lever unit is at the contact position, switches between the power non-transmission state and the power transmission state by sliding in contact with the carriage as the carriage reciprocates (Matsumoto – Page 2, Paragraphs 17-21; Page 3, Paragraphs 21-24; Page 4, Paragraph 27; Page 5, Paragraph 28; and Figures 5A-5C & 6A-6B, Reference #183 & #183a, shown below).
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As related to dependent claim 2, Matsumoto teaches when the switching lever unit is at the contact position, at least a distal portion of the switching lever unit enters a reciprocating range of the carriage (Matsumoto – Figure 6B, Reference #183a & #3, shown above), and when the switching lever unit is at the non-contact position, the distal end portion exits from the reciprocating range of the carriage (Matsumoto – Figure 6A, Reference #183a & #3, shown above).
As related to dependent claim 9, Matsumoto teaches the switching lever unit located at the contact position is configured to be arranged at a first contact position and second contact position where the switching lever unit and the carriage are contactable as the carriage reciprocates (Matsumoto – Page 3, Paragraph 22 – Page 4, Paragraph 27 and Figures 5A-5C, & 6B, shown above).
As related to further dependent claim 10, Matsumoto teaches the switching lever unit is configured to be arranged at the first contact position and the second contact position by rotating (Matsumoto – Page 3, Paragraph 22 – Page 4, Paragraph 27 and Figures 5A-5C, & 6B, shown above).
As related to further dependent claim 11, Matsumoto teaches the switching lever unit includes a contactable portion extending in a rotating direction and being contactable with the carriage (Matsumoto – Page 3, Paragraph 22 – Page 4, Paragraph 27 and Figures 5A-5C, & 6B, shown above).
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the Examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the Examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Matsumoto (2018/0029393 A1).
Matsumoto teaches the power transmission unit is configured to space apart the drive connect unit from the motor to prevent rotation of the gears (Matsumoto – Page 3, Paragraph 23). Matsumoto also teaches a lock component to maintain the position of the ejection tray (Matsumoto – Page 5, Paragraph 29). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to recognize the use of a lock component and spacing to prevent rotation of a gear when the power transmission unit is in the power non-transmission state and a transmission component configured to transmit power of the motor when the power transmission unit is in the power transmission state (Matsumoto – Page 3, Paragraph 22 – Page 5, Paragraph 29), and the switching lever unit switches coupling of the lock component and the transmission component in the power transmission unit by sliding in contact with the carriage (Matsumoto – Page 3, Paragraph 22 – Page 5, Paragraph 29 and Figures 5A-5C, shown above).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3 & 5-8 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim [claim 1], 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:
As related to further dependent claim 3, the prior art does not teach the carriage is provided with a non-allowable portion and a guard portion configured to guard the non-allowable portion and the distal end portion provided as claimed.
As related to further dependent claim 5, the prior art does not teach the power transmission unit switches coupling from the lock component to the transmission component by applying an external load as claimed.
As related to further dependent claim 6, the prior art does not teach the power transmission unit includes a cam having a cam surface and a holding unit configured to hold the lock component and the transmission component and including a pin to be arranged on the cam surface as claimed.
As related to further dependent claim 7, the prior art does not teach the cam surface is provided with a flat surface portion at which the pin is positioned… and a pin holding portion as claimed.
As related to dependent claim 8, the prior art does not teach the power transmission unit is provided to a unit being a separate body from the frame and being configured to be attached to and detached from the frame as claimed.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Kofman et al. (US 2006/0119628 A1) teaches a recording apparatus with a guiding mechanism with gears and teeth to move media trays into and out of a printing station. Muramatsu (US 2006/0176662 A1) teaches an apparatus with a power transmission unit that uses a motor to extend and retract a media tray through an output port. Nakano et al. (US 2013/0257960 A1) teaches a recording apparatus having a medium reception tray which extends and retracts out of and into the confines of the frame behind a control panel. NAKANO et al. (US 2017/0355202 A1) teaches a recording apparatus having a medium reception tray which extends and retracts out of and into the confines of the frame behind a control panel which is driven by a motor and gear train. TAMAI et al. (US 2020/0282750 A1) teaches a recording device with a driving motor to discharge a media tray using gears and teeth.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular Figures & Reference Numbers, Columns, Paragraphs and Line Numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to JOHN P ZIMMERMANN whose telephone number is (571)270-3049. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 0700-1730 EST.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at (571) 272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/John P Zimmermann/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853