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) 1-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi et al. US 2021/0294249 (“Takahashi”).
Regarding claim 1, Takahashi disclosed a sheet separation device comprising:
a sheet separation unit including:
a winding roller (20) to rotate in a given rotational direction to wind a two-ply sheet (PJ) having two sheets overlapped and bonded together at a bonding portion (A); and
a separator (17) to separate a non-bonding portion of the two-ply sheet,
the sheet separation unit to insert an inner sheet between the two sheets separated from each other;
a conveyance roller pair (6) to: convey the two-ply sheet from the sheet separation unit along a conveyance passage in a first direction (Figure 4B); and
convey the two-ply sheet toward the sheet separation unit along the conveyance passage in a second direction opposite to the first direction (Figure 4D),
branched conveyance passages (see Figure 1):
branched from the conveyance passage in separate directions; and
disposed between the winding roller and the conveyance roller pair across the conveyance passage (Figure 1); and
a movable conveyance guide (16) movable in the first direction and the second direction in the conveyance passage to guide the two-ply sheet or the inner sheet (Figure 13),
wherein the separator is disposed between the winding roller and the conveyance roller pair in the conveyance passage (see at least Figures 7A-7C).
Regarding claim 2, Takahashi disclosed circuitry configured to control a movement of the movable conveyance guide (paragraph 0071), wherein the movable conveyance guide is disposed opposite the winding roller with the conveyance passage in between (Figure 7A), and the circuitry is further configured to move the movable conveyance guide between a first position and a second position (paragraph 0160), where the first position is in a first conveyance guide range from the winding roller to an upstream side of the separator in the first direction in the conveyance passage, and the second position is in a second conveyance guide range from the upstream side of the separator to the conveyance roller pair in the first direction in the conveyance passage (see at least Figure 13 noting the two ends of travel for tables 75 would mark the first and second positions of the movable conveyance guide).
Regarding claim 3, Takahashi disclosed the circuitry is further configured to: move the movable conveyance guide from the first position to the second position in sync with a conveyance of the two-ply sheet in the first direction in the conveyance passage, when the separator is at a retracted position away from the conveyance passage in a width direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the two-ply sheet is conveyed in the first direction (paragraphs 0159-0160).
Regarding claim 4, Takahashi disclosed the circuitry is further configured to: move the movable conveyance guide from the second position to the first position in sync with a conveyance of the two-ply sheet in the second direction in the conveyance passage, when the separator is at a retracted position away from the conveyance passage in a width direction orthogonal to the first direction and the second direction, and the two-ply sheet is conveyed in the second direction (paragraphs 0159-0160).
Regarding claim 5, Takahashi disclosed the movable conveyance guide may be at the first position, when the two-ply sheet is conveyed in the first direction or the second direction in the conveyance passage, and the separator may be moved from a retracted position; and inserted to a space between the two sheets of the two-ply sheet separated from each other (see paragraphs 0150 and Figure 13).
Regarding claim 6, Takahashi disclosed the circuitry is further configured to: move the movable conveyance guide from the first position to the second position in sync with a conveyance of the inner sheet in the first direction in the conveyance passage, when the two sheets of the two-ply sheet are separated from each other at the branched conveyance passages in the conveyance passage, and the inner sheet is inserted between the two sheets of the two-ply sheet separated from each other (see paragraphs 0159-0160 and Figures 6A-8C).
Regarding claim 7, Takahashi disclosed the circuitry is further configured to: move the movable conveyance guide from the second position to the first position, when the two-ply sheet is conveyed in the first direction by the conveyance roller pair, with the inner sheet inserted between the two sheets of the two-ply sheet (see paragraphs 0159-0160 and Figures 6A-8C).
Regarding claim 8, Takahashi disclosed a sheet laminator comprising: the sheet separation device according to claim 1 as listed above; and a sheet lamination unit (50) to perform a sheet laminating operation on the two-ply sheet having the inner sheet inserted between the two sheets separated by the sheet separation device.
Regarding claim 9, Takahashi disclosed an image forming system comprising: the sheet laminator according to claim 8 as listed above; and an image forming apparatus to form an image on the inner sheet (Figure 19).
Regarding claim 10, Takahashi disclosed the sheet laminator is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus (Figure 19).
Regarding claim 11, Takahashi disclosed an image forming system comprising: the sheet separation device according to claim 1; and an image forming apparatus to form an image on the inner sheet (Figure 19).
Regarding claim 12, Takahashi disclosed the sheet separation device is detachably attached to the image forming apparatus (Figure 19).
Conclusion
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael McCullough can be reached at (571) 272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/HOWARD J SANDERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653