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
Applicant's arguments filed November 12, 2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1-11 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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 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 and 4-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kokubu US 11,281,152 B1 (Kokubu).
Regarding claim 1, Kokubu teaches an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a cartridge (22); and
an apparatus main body (20) to which the cartridge is attached in an attaching direction,
the apparatus main body including:
a housing (50) provided with an opening through which the cartridge passes when the cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body; and
an opening/closing member (60+70) configured to move, with respect to the housing (50), between a closed position in which the opening/closing member closes the opening and an open position in which the opening/closing member opens the opening (FIG. 3),
wherein the opening/closing member (60+70) includes a first cover portion (70) which is opposed to an end surface of the cartridge on an upstream side in the attaching direction so as to cover the end surface of the cartridge when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position and a second cover portion (60) which is opposed to a top surface of the cartridge on the upstream side so as to cover the top surface of the cartridge when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position (FIG. 5),
wherein the opening/closing member (60+70) is movable from the closed position to the open position by being rotated downward about a rotation axis provided at a lower end part of the first cover portion when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position (FIG. 6),
wherein the second cover portion (60) is configured to slide with respect to the first cover portion (70) (C17 L53-59), and
when the opening/closing member (60+70) is located at the closed position with the first cover portion (70) opposed to the end surface of the cartridge, the first cover portion (70) prevents detachment of the cartridge from the apparatus main body (20).
Regarding claim 4, Kokubu teaches an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a cartridge (22); and
an apparatus main body (20) to which the cartridge is attached in an attaching direction, the apparatus main body including:
a housing (50) provided with an opening through which the cartridge passes when the cartridge is attached to the apparatus main body; and
an opening/closing member (60+70) configured to move, with respect to the housing, between a closed position in which the opening/closing member (60+70) closes the opening and an open position in which the opening/closing member (60+70) opens the opening,
wherein the opening/closing member (60+70) includes a first cover portion (60) which is opposed to an end surface of the cartridge on an upstream side in the attaching direction to cover the end surface of the cartridge when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position and a second cover portion (70) which is opposed to a top surface of the cartridge (22) on the upstream side so as to cover the top surface of the cartridge when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position,
wherein the opening/closing member (60+70) is movable from the closed position to the open position by being rotated in a first rotation direction downward about a first rotation axis provided at a lower end part of the first cover portion when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position (FIG. 5-6), and
wherein the second cover portion (70) has a first posture and a second posture with respect to the first cover portion (60), the second cover portion in the first posture being opposed to the top surface of the cartridge when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position, the second cover portion being configured to be transitioned to the second posture (FIG. 6) from the first posture (FIG. 5) by being rotated, with respect to the first cover portion, in the first rotation direction about a second rotation axis extending in a direction of the first rotation axis (FIG. 6), and
wherein, when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position with the first cover portion (70) opposed to the end surface of the cartridge, the first cover portion (70) prevents detachment of the cartridge form the apparatus main body.
Regarding claim 5, Kokubu teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the opening/closing member (60+70) is located at the closed position, the second cover portion is engaged with the housing so that a position of the second cover portion is restricted so as not to be transitioned from the first posture to the second posture (FIG. 11).
Regarding claim 6, Kokubu teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 5, wherein when the opening/closing member (60+70) is located at the open position (FIG. 5), the second cover (70) portion is configured to be transitioned from the first posture to the second posture with respect to the first cover portion by an external force being applied to the second cover portion (C17 L50-59).
Regarding claim 7, Kokubu teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the opening/closing member (60+70) is located at the closed position (FIG. 3), the second cover portion (70) is rotated with respect to the first cover portion (60) in conjunction with a rotation of the first cover portion in the first rotation direction so that the second cover portion is transitioned from the first posture to the second posture (70) with respect to the first cover portion (FIG. 11).
Regarding claim 8, Kokubu teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the second cover portion (70) of the opening/closing member is connected to the housing by a link (7281234560*.03330302123
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Regarding claim 9, Kokubu teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a sheet stacking unit (16) exposed to outside of the image forming apparatus; and
a discharge roller (FIG. 2) configured to discharge a sheet on which an image is formed to the sheet stacking unit in a discharge direction,
wherein when the opening/closing member is located at the closed position, a top surface of the second cover portion is a part of the sheet stacking unit (FIG. 6).
Regarding claim 10, Kokubu teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:
a sheet stacking unit (16) exposed to outside of the image forming apparatus; and
a discharge roller (FIG. 2) configured to discharge a sheet on which an image is formed to the sheet stacking unit in a discharge direction,
wherein when the opening/closing member (60+70) is located at the closed position, the first cover portion constitutes a part of an end surface of the image forming apparatus on a downstream side in the discharge direction (FIG. 4).
Regarding claim 11, Kokubu teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:
a second sheet (top of 20) stacking unit on which a sheet is stacked; and
a feed roller (feed rollers 18) configured to feed the sheet from the second sheet stacking unit in a feeding direction,
wherein the feeding direction is opposite to the discharge direction (FIG. 2).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 2-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kokubu US 11,281,152 B1 (Kokubu) and Kumagai et al. US 2020/0409288 A1 (Kumagai).
Regarding claims 2 and 3, Kokubu teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1. However, Kokubu differs from the instant claimed invention by not explicitly disclosing: the second cover portion is biased by a biasing unit is biased by biasing unit in a direction (i) in which the second cover portion (70) is away from the first cover portion (60) so as to cover the top surface of the cartridge. However using urging members with cover members is well known. Kumagai teaches the urging member 23 as a biasing unit in which the second cover portion is away from the first cover portion so as to cover the top surface of the cartridge (FIG> 4). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to use the urging member taught by Kumagai with the device taught by Kokubu since urging members are well known and can be implemented with the cover members taught by Kokubu and would yield predictable results namely, the cover being biased toward open.
Conclusion
Applicant's 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 JESSICA L ELEY whose telephone number is (571)272-9793. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday-Friday 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM CST.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter Jr. Lindsay can be reached on (571)272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JESSICA L ELEY/
Examiner, Art Unit 2852