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 with respect to claims 1-6 and 8 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 (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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-6 and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Sato et al. (US 2022/0126613 – hereinafter Sato.)
Regarding claim 1,
Sato discloses a transport device [20 in fig. 1] comprising:
a transport belt [33 in fig. 1] that includes an outer peripheral surface [33a in fig. 1] for supporting a medium [P in fig. 1] and that is configured to transport the medium [paragraph 0031];
a blade [301 in figs. 3A-4A] configured to wipe the outer peripheral surface by contacting the outer peripheral surface [paragraph 0045];
a first frame [302 in fig. 4A] that holds the blade [paragraph 0049; see fig. 4A];
an elastic member [371 in fig. 4A] configured to bias the first frame in a direction in which the blade contacts the outer peripheral surface [paragraph 0049; as seen in figs. 3B and 5A];
a second frame [303 in fig. 4A] that supports the first frame so that the first frame is movable along a normal direction [Z-direction] of the outer peripheral surface [paragraphs 0047-0048; as seen in figs.3A-3B]; and
a sliding member [352 (352a-352b) in figs. 4A and 9A-9B] disposed between the first frame and the second frame to space the first frame from the second frame and provide a gap between the first frame and the second frame [as seen in figs. 4A and 9A-9B; paragraphs 0055 and 0080.]
Regarding claim 2,
Sato further discloses wherein the elastic member is a spring [paragraph 0049.]
Regarding claim 3,
Sato further discloses wherein the spring includes an attaching section configured to be attached to the first frame and the second frame [as seen in fig. 4A.]
Regarding claim 4,
Sato further discloses wherein the elastic member is attached to the first frame and the second frame and is configured to be attached to and detached from the first frame and the second frame [paragraph 0069.]
Regarding claim 5,
Sato further discloses wherein the first frame is configured to attach a plurality of the elastic members [as seen in fig. 4B; also, see embodiment in fig. 11B.]
Regarding claim 6,
Sato further discloses wherein a plurality of the first frames are connected to one second frame via the elastic member [as seen in fig. 4B; also, see embodiment in fig. 11B.]
Regarding claim 8,
Sato further discloses a recording device [100 in fig. 1] comprising:
the transport device according to claim 1 [see Rejection above] and
a recording section [60 in fig. 1] configured to perform recording on the medium transported by the transport belt [paragraphs 0027 and 0032.]
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.
Communication with the USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANNELLE M LEBRON whose telephone number is (571)272-2729. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm.
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, Douglas X Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JANNELLE M LEBRON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
