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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 7/21/26 is acknowledged.
Claims 4-6 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 7/21/26.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers 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 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Matsumoto (US 2018/0029393 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Matsumoto discloses A recording apparatus comprising:
a recording-head (2, fig. 1, para 17) attached to a carriage (3, fig. 1, para 17) and configured to perform recording on a medium (inherent), the carriage being configured to reciprocate (inherent);
a transport roller (6, fig. 6A-D, para 17,23-24) configured to transport the medium (see para 17,23-24);
a discharge roller (9, fig. 6A-D, para 17,23-24) configured to discharge the medium on which the recording was performed (see para 17,23-24);
a medium reception tray (16, fig. 1,6A-D, para 17,23-24) configured to receive the medium discharged by the discharge roller (see para 17,23-24), the medium reception tray being configured to be in a first state (retracted, fig. 6A, para 17,23-24) and in a second state (extended, fig. 6C, para 17,23-24) in which the medium reception tray is displaced from the first state in a discharge direction of the medium (see fig. 6A-C);
a motor (12, fig. 6A-D, para 17,23-24) being a power source of the discharge roller (see para 17,23-24);
a power transmission unit (17, fig. 6A-D, para 18,23-24) 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 the power of the motor is not transmitted from the motor to the medium reception tray (see para 17,23-24); and
a belt (15, fig. 6A, para 17,23-24) being stretched around a transport roller pulley provided to the transport roller and a discharge roller pulley provided to the discharge roller (see fig. 6A), wherein
the power transmission unit is positioned between an outer end portion of the transport roller pulley and an outer end portion of the discharge roller pulley in the discharge direction (see fig. 6A).
Regarding claim 2, Matsumoto further discloses A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission unit is positioned on an inner side closer to a center of the recording apparatus in a reciprocating direction of the carriage than a routing range of the belt (see fig. 1).
Regarding claim 3, Matsumoto further discloses A recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power transmission unit is positioned around the motor as viewed in a direction along the reciprocating direction of the carriage (see fig. 6A).
The following reference(s) is/are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and is/are cited for disclosing related limitations to the applicant’s claimed and disclosed invention.
US 20230219355 A1
This reference is available under 102a1 and 102a2. In order to expedite prosecution, the Office recommends that applicant disqualify this reference via both 102b1 and 102b2 statements.
CN 116409662 A
This reference appears to have the same teachings as those of US 20230219355 A1, and is available under 102a1. In order to expedite prosecution, the Office recommends that applicant disqualify this reference via first perfecting foreign priority with a certified English language translation and then providing a 102b1 statement.
US 20220063310 A1
Base reference for claim 1, dated 8/22/24. See fig. 3, para 78-79.
US 20250065650 A1
This reference is available under 102a2. In order to expedite prosecution, the Office recommends that applicant disqualify this reference via either perfecting foreign priority with a certified English language translation or providing a 102b2 statement.
US 20150049138 A1
See fig. 3,6A-D, para 45-47.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN SEO whose telephone number is (571)270-1327. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo I 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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/JUSTIN SEO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
September 3, 2026
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