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
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) 1-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by JP 2015-36933 (“JP ‘933”).
Regarding claim 1, JP ‘933 disclosed a medium transaction device, comprising:
a storage part (15, 215) that storages a medium;
a vertically movable stage (23) that is provided in the storage part and on which the medium is stacked;
a conveyance roller (30) that is provided on the upper side of the storage part to separate the medium stacked on the stage and convey the medium to a conveyance gate;
a detector (41) that detects whether or not the medium remains on the stage;
a tongue piece roller (29) with a tongue piece that knocks off the medium remaining at the conveyance gate; and
a control unit that operates the tongue piece roller when the detector has not detected a residual of the medium (for example when discharging the sheet supplied from transfer unit 12).
Regarding claim 2, JP ‘933 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller, and then subsequently causes the detector to detect again (using 41) whether or not the medium remains as media are fed out.
Regarding claim 3, the control unit may operate the tongue piece roller after or while lowering the stage to a predetermined position (see at least Figure 3).
Regarding claim 4, JP ‘933 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller (during a discharge as mentioned above), lifts the stage to a separation position (when preparing to separate), and then causes the detector to detect again whether or not the medium remains (through monitoring the residual detection unit 41).
Regarding claim 5, JP ‘933 disclosed the detector detects whether or not the medium remains on the stage on the basis of whether or not detection light is shielded by the medium (see 41A, 41B and prism 24 in Figure 3).
Regarding claim 6, JP ‘933 disclosed as the detector, a plurality of detectors (41A, 41B) detecting different positions on the stage (Figure 3).
Regarding claim 7, JP ‘933 disclosed the tongue piece roller is movable to an exposed position where the tongue piece (formerly on the bottom of roller 29) is exposed to the conveyance gate (after rotation) and to a retracted position where the tongue piece is not exposed from the conveyance gate (after further rotation), and to operate the tongue piece roller, the control unit moves the tongue piece roller to the exposed position, and then rotates the tongue piece roller (during such operation).
Regarding claim 8, JP ‘933 disclosed the control unit lowers the stage by a predetermined amount (see at least Figure 6D and 6C), and then moves the tongue piece roller to the exposed position (during transport of media from the transport unit 13).
Regarding claim 9, JP ‘933 disclosed the control unit rotates the tongue piece roller moved to the exposed position after or while further lowering the stage to a predetermined position (as previously stated above).
Regarding claim 10, JP ‘933 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller (during discharge from transport unit 13), moves the tongue piece roller to the retracted position (as stated above, the retracted position is where the tongue piece is not exposed), lifts the stage (see at least Figures 6C and 6D), and then causes the detector to detect again whether or not the medium remains (during operation of feeding from the unit 15).
Regarding claim 11, JP ‘933 disclosed the tongue piece roller is a tongue piece roller with the tongue piece (29A) provided partially, and the control unit stops the tongue piece roller at a retracted angle where the (bottom) tongue piece (for example) is not exposed to the conveyance gate to separate the medium stacked on the stage by the conveyance roller, and rotates the tongue piece roller to operate the tongue piece roller (during operation).
Regarding claim 12, JP ‘933 disclosed the control unit operates the tongue piece roller (during discharging as referenced above), and then performs a predetermined number of times a series of operations for detection by the detector (during subsequent operation).
Regarding claim 13, JP ‘933 disclosed a control method, causing a processor to perform: separating a medium stacked on a vertically movable stage (23) in a storage part (15) storing the medium and conveying the medium to a conveyance gate by a conveyance roller (30) provided on the upper side of the storage part; detecting whether or not the medium remains on the stage (using 41); and operating, when a residual of the medium has not been detected, a tongue piece roller with a tongue piece that knocks off the medium remaining at the conveyance gate (during transportation from the transport unit 13).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP 2012-51683 teaches the retraction of a tongue piece roller in the analogous manner as claimed.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOWARD J SANDERS whose telephone number is (571)270-3096. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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/HOWARD J SANDERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653