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 .
Priority
1. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Claims 1,5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takahashi et al. USP 10,406,772.
Takahashi discloses, regarding claim 1, A medium processing apparatus comprising:
a liquid applier to apply liquid onto a medium; and
a post-processing device (teeth 82) to perform a process on a media bundle including the medium with the liquid applied by the liquid applier,
wherein the liquid applier includes:
a liquid application member having an end portion (86) to contact with the medium to apply the liquid onto the medium;
a liquid storage (88) to store the liquid to be supplied to the liquid application member;
a movement mechanism to move the liquid application member toward or away from the medium to bring the end portion into contact with the medium or separate the end portion from the medium as an approaching operation (see at least C15/L56-C16/L4, fig.17-19); and
a compression support (90,104) to compress the liquid application member according to the approaching operation of the movement mechanism (C9/L55-61, C17/L3-14).
Regarding claim 5, An image forming system (fig.1) comprising:
an image forming apparatus (A) to form an image on a medium; and
the medium processing apparatus (B) according to claim 1 to perform the process on multiple media including the medium having the image formed by the image forming apparatus.
5. Claims 1,5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Takai et al. JP 2015-101009 A.
Takai discloses, regarding claim 1, A medium processing apparatus comprising:
a liquid applier to apply liquid onto a medium; and
a post-processing device (91) to perform a process on a media bundle including the medium with the liquid applied by the liquid applier,
wherein the liquid applier includes:
a liquid application member having an end portion (96) to contact with the medium to apply the liquid onto the medium;
a liquid storage (97) to store the liquid to be supplied to the liquid application member;
a movement mechanism to move the liquid application member toward or away from the medium to bring the end portion into contact with the medium or separate the end portion from the medium as an approaching operation (drive mechanism discussed in at least ¶0030, fig.6); and
a compression support to compress the liquid application member according to the approaching operation of the movement mechanism (see unlabeled support arm connecting end portion 96 to rotating shaft 96a; see at least ¶0030, fig.6).
Regarding claim 5, An image forming system (fig.1) comprising:
an image forming apparatus (1) to form an image on a medium; and
the medium processing apparatus (50) according to claim 1 to perform the process on multiple media including the medium having the image formed by the image forming apparatus.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 2-4 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.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yamanaka et al. (JP 2017-013930 A) discloses A medium processing apparatus comprising at least a post-processing device (20), a liquid storage (27), a liquid application member (28) movable between a retracted position (P2) and a liquid application position (P1), and a movement mechanism (51).
8. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LESLIE A. NICHOLSON III whose telephone number is (571)272-5487. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael C 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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/LESLIE A NICHOLSON III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653 6/26/2026
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