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 .
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.
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.
(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.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 6, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by EP 4270112 to Takagi.
Regarding claim 1, Takagi teaches a booklet production apparatus comprising, a heating and pressurizing unit configured to heat and pressurize an adhesive layer Tn formed on each of a plurality PB of sheets Pin a state where the plurality of sheets is stacked on each other, the heating and pressurizing unit including: a pressurizing plate 502 configured to be brought into contact with the plurality of sheets and pressurize the plurality of sheets, a heating element 501 configured to heat the pressurizing plate, a receiving member 506 provided opposite the pressurizing plate, and a pressurizing mechanism 504 configured to apply pressure to the plurality of sheets held between a first surface of the pressurizing plate and a second surface of the receiving member, the booklet production apparatus being configured to produce a booklet by holding the plurality of sheets between the pressurizing plate and the receiving member and heating and pressurizing the adhesive layer formed along a side of each sheet (Fig.6A), wherein in a region W of the adhesive layer, the pressure is higher at an area (corresponding to contact portion 502A) close to a central part of each sheet than an area (e.g., curved portion of 502A) close to the side of each sheet in a direction perpendicular to the side (Figs. 3C, 5A-5C, [0058-0059]).
Regarding claim 5, Takagi teaches the booklet production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing plate 502 includes a projection 502A extending toward the plurality of sheets at a position close to the central part of each sheet on a surface of the pressurizing plate that comes into contact with plurality of sheets, such that the pressure applied to the plurality of sheets is higher at the position of the projection (Fig.3C, 5A-5C).
Regarding claim 6, Takagi teaches a booklet production apparatus comprising, a heating and pressurizing unit configured to heat and pressurize an adhesive layer Tn formed on each of a plurality PB of sheets P in a state where the plurality of sheets is stacked on each other, the heating and pressurizing unit including: a pressurizing plate 502 configured to be brought into contact with the plurality of sheets and pressurize the plurality of sheets, a heating element 501 configured to heat the pressurizing plate, a receiving member 506 provided opposite the pressurizing plate, and a pressurizing mechanism 504 configured to apply pressure to the plurality of sheets held between a first surface of the pressurizing plate and a second surface of the receiving member, the booklet production apparatus being configured to produce a booklet by holding the plurality of sheets between the pressurizing plate and the receiving member and heating and pressurizing the adhesive layer formed on a corner of each sheet (Fig.6B), wherein in a region W of the adhesive layer, the pressure is higher at an area (corresponding to contact portion 502A) close to a central part of each sheet than an area (e.g., curved portion of 502A) close to the side of each sheet in a direction perpendicular to the side (Figs. 3C, 5A-5C, [0058-0059]).
Regarding claim 10, Takagi teaches the booklet production apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pressurizing plate 502 includes a projection 502A extending toward the plurality of sheets at a position close to the central part of each sheet on a surface of the pressurizing plate that comes into contact with plurality of sheets, such that the pressure applied to the plurality of sheets is higher at the position of the projection (Fig.3C, 5A-5C).
Claim(s) 1, 5, 6, and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102 (a)(2) as being anticipated by US 8,838,014 to Matsue.
Regarding claim 1, Matsue teaches a booklet production apparatus 100D (Fig.17) comprising, a heating and pressurizing unit 200 configured to heat and pressurize an adhesive layer Y formed on each of a plurality of sheets P in a state where the plurality of sheets is stacked on each other, the heating and pressurizing unit including: a pressurizing plate 43 configured to be brought into contact with the plurality of sheets and pressurize the plurality of sheets, a heating element 44 configured to heat the pressurizing plate, a receiving member 33 provided opposite the pressurizing plate, and a pressurizing mechanism 281-282 configured to apply pressure to the plurality of sheets held between a first surface of the pressurizing plate and a second surface of the receiving member, the booklet production apparatus being configured to produce a booklet by holding the plurality of sheets between the pressurizing plate and the receiving member and heating and pressurizing the adhesive layer formed along a side of each sheet (Fig.2B), wherein in a region W2 of the adhesive layer, the pressure is higher at an area (due to curved surface of sheet heat generator 43) close to a central part of each sheet than an area close to the side of each sheet in a direction perpendicular to the side (Figs. 3-5, 17-21).
Regarding claim 5, Matsue teaches the booklet production apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pressurizing plate includes a projection extending toward the plurality of sheets at a position close to the central part of each sheet on a surface of the pressurizing plate that comes into contact with plurality of sheets, such that the pressure applied to the plurality of sheets is higher at the position of the projection (Figs. 3 & 5, col. 22 lines 38-42).
Regarding claim 6, Matsue teaches a booklet production apparatus 100D (Fig.17) comprising, a heating and pressurizing unit 200 configured to heat and pressurize an adhesive layer Y formed on each of a plurality of sheets P in a state where the plurality of sheets is stacked on each other, the heating and pressurizing unit including: a pressurizing plate 43 configured to be brought into contact with the plurality of sheets and pressurize the plurality of sheets, a heating element 44 configured to heat the pressurizing plate, a receiving member 33 provided opposite the pressurizing plate, and a pressurizing mechanism 281-282 configured to apply pressure to the plurality of sheets held between a first surface of the pressurizing plate and a second surface of the receiving member, the booklet production apparatus being configured to produce a booklet by holding the plurality of sheets between the pressurizing plate and the receiving member and heating and pressurizing the adhesive layer formed on a corner of each sheet (Fig.5), wherein in a region W2 of the adhesive layer, the pressure is higher at an area (corresponding to contact portion 502A) close to a central part of each sheet than an area (e.g., curved portion of 502A) close to the side of each sheet in a direction perpendicular to the side (Figs. 3C, 5A-5C, [0058-0059]).
Regarding claim 10, Matsue teaches the booklet production apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the pressurizing plate includes a projection extending toward the plurality of sheets at a position close to the central part of each sheet on a surface of the pressurizing plate that comes into contact with plurality of sheets, such that the pressure applied to the plurality of sheets is higher at the position of the projection (Figs. 3 & 5, col. 22 lines 38-42).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4 and 7-9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The identified prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the second surface of the receiving member forms an angle with the first surface of the pressurizing plate so that the pressure becomes higher at the area close to the central part of each sheet than the area close to the side of each sheet when the first surface and the second surface are brought into contact with the plurality of sheets, in combination with all other features recited in claim 2. Claims 3-5 are allowable per their dependence on claim 2.
The identified prior art does not teach or suggest wherein the second surface of the receiving member forms an angle with the first surface of the pressurizing plate so that the pressure becomes higher at the area close to the central part of each sheet than the area close to the corner area of each sheet when the first surface and the second surface are brought in contact with the plurality of sheets, in combination with all other features recited in claim 7. Claims 7-9 are allowable per their dependence on claim 6.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
US 4,978,055 discloses a welding die including a seam-producing die surface for producing the seam, and widened die surface portions inwardly extending and downwardly inclined from the seam-producing die surface for producing an improved reinforcing weld.
US 2006/0169388 discloses an ultrasonic bonding system including an anvil and a horn arranged facing the anvil to ultrasonically bond a gripped portion of two or more layers of material, the gripped portion of the layers includes an inner region and an outer region; the anvil and the horn apply a gripping force to the outer region that is less than a gripping force applied to the inner region of the gripped materials.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARLENE HEREDIA whose telephone number is (571)272-8393. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30-5:30.
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/Arlene Heredia Ocasio/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852