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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims.
Therefore, the limitations “a hollow portion,” “a first caster,” “a moving unit,” and “a bottom surface” as recited in claim 30 line 3-8 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
Therefore, the limitations “an accommodating unit,” as recited in claim 33 line 2 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s).
No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: Reference numerals 802,119c,119d,142a and 143a are not disclosed in the specifications.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 30-35 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Asami (JP 10291722A) in view of Hamasaki (US 2014/0021680 A1).
Referring to claim 30. Asami discloses a sheet processing apparatus (100; Figure 1) comprising:
a processing unit (D; Figure 2) configured to perform a predetermined process on a sheet (to provide a paper sheet post-treatment device; abstract);
a hollow portion (interior of housing 100; Figure 2) configured to allow the processing unit (D; Figure 2) to be inserted (see Figure 2);
a first caster (casters under 100; Figure 1) configured to facilitate movement of the sheet processing apparatus (100; Figure 1);
a second caster (support leg 104; Figure 2) configured to facilitate a draw-out operation (pull out of member D) in which the processing unit (D; Figure 2) is drawn out from the hollow portion (interior of housing 100; Figure 2) and an inserting operation (insertion of member D) in which the processing unit (D; Figure 2) is inserted into the hollow portion (interior of housing 100; Figure 2); and
a moving unit (members 105 and 106; Figure 4) configured to move the second caster (104; Figure 2) to a position above a bottom surface (bottom surface of D below 103) of the sheet processing apparatus (100; Figure 1) in accordance with the inserting operation (insertion of member D).
Asami does not specifically disclose a second caster (wheel) configured to facilitate a draw-out operation in which the processing unit is drawn out from the hollow portion.
Hamasaki discloses a sheet feeding apparatus (1; Figure 1) wherein a second caster (36) configured to facilitate a draw-out operation (see Figure 2) in which the processing unit (31; Figure 2) is drawn out from the hollow portion (37A; Figure 4).
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Asami to include a second caster disposed at the end of the support leg of Asami configured to facilitate a draw-out operation in which the processing unit is drawn out from the hollow portion as taught by Hamasaki because a second castor would allow the removal of the processing unit from the sheet processing apparatus to be drawn out more easier because the weight of the processing unit can be supported by the second castor in the removal process.
Referring to claims 31 and 34. Asami discloses a sheet processing apparatus (100; Figure 1) comprising:
wherein the moving unit (members 105 and 106; Figure 4) is configured to move the second caster (36; Hamasaki) to the position above the bottom surface of the sheet processing apparatus (bottom surface of D below 103) by pivoting the second caster (support leg 104; member 36 of Hamasaki).
Referring to claims 32 and 35. Hamasaki discloses an image forming system (full system of image forming apparatus; Figure 1; Para. [0004]) comprising:
an image forming unit (copier machine; Figure 1; Para. [0004]) configured to form an image on a sheet; and
the sheet processing apparatus (100; Figure 1; Asami) according to claim 30,
wherein the sheet processing apparatus (100; Figure 1) is configured to perform the predetermined process on the sheet on which the image has been formed by the image forming unit (copier portion of 100; not shown).
Referring to claim 33. Asami discloses a sheet accommodating apparatus (apparatus as shown in Figure 1) comprising:
an accommodating unit (D; Figure 2) configured to accommodate a sheet;
a hollow portion (interior of housing 100; Figure 2) configured to allow the accommodating unit (D; Figure 2) to be inserted;
a first caster (casters under 100; Figure 1) configured to facilitate movement of the sheet accommodating apparatus (apparatus as shown in Figure 1);
a second caster (support leg 104; Figure 2) configured to facilitate a draw-out operation (pull out of member D) in which the accommodating unit is drawn out from the hollow portion (interior of housing 100; Figure 2) and an inserting operation (insertion of member D) in which the accommodating unit (D; Figure 2) is inserted into the hollow portion (interior of housing 100; Figure 2); and
a moving unit (members 105 and 106; Figure 4) configured to move the second caster (support leg 104; Figure 2) to a position above a bottom surface (bottom surface of D below 103) of the sheet accommodating apparatus in accordance with the inserting operation (insertion of member D).
Asami does not specifically disclose a second caster (wheel) configured to facilitate a draw-out operation in which the processing unit is drawn out from the hollow portion.
Hamasaki discloses a sheet feeding apparatus (1; Figure 1) wherein a second caster (36) configured to facilitate a draw-out operation (see Figure 2) in which the processing unit (31; Figure 2) is drawn out from the hollow portion (37A; Figure 4).
It would have been obvious for a person of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to have modified the teachings of Asami to include a second caster disposed at the end of the support leg of Asami configured to facilitate a draw-out operation in which the processing unit is drawn out from the hollow portion as taught by Hamasaki because a second castor would allow the removal of the processing unit from the sheet processing apparatus to be drawn out more easier because the weight of the processing unit can be supported by the second castor in the removal process.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to RAKESH KUMAR whose telephone number is (571)272-8314. The examiner can normally be reached M-TH from 8AM-6:30PM EST.
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, Gene Crawford can be reached at (571) 272-6911. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RAKESH KUMAR/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3651
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