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
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.
Claim(s) 1-6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a) (1) as being anticipated by Nakagawa (# JP 2007/0268824A).
Nakagawa discloses:
1. A medium transport apparatus (see Abstract; figure: 1) comprising:
a medium support portion configured to support a medium to be transported (element: 12 & 14; figure: 1);
a winding portion configured to wind the medium (element: 26, 72, figure: 1; [0009]);
a tension bar configured to apply tension to the medium between the medium support portion and the winding portion (element: 82, figure: 1; [0010]; [0017]);
an arm portion configured to support the tension bar at one end thereof (element: 78, figure: 1; [0010]);
a pivoting portion configured to pivotably support the other end of the arm portion (element: 80, figure: 1); and
a power source configured to apply a force for pivoting the arm portion (element: 78, 80, 82, figure: 1), wherein
the power source applies the force to the arm portion such that an amount of change in the force has a sign opposite to a sign of an amount of change in a moment due to weights of the tension bar and the arm portion (figure: 1).
2. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the power source is a spring (figure: 1).
3. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the pivoting portion includes a reduction gear, and the power source applies the force to the arm portion at the reduction gear (figure: 1).
4. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the medium support portion includes a sidewall including a surface intersecting a surface supporting the medium, and the pivoting portion is provided at the sidewall (figure: 1).
5. The medium transport apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the power source is disposed on the outer side of the sidewall (figure: 1).
6. A printing apparatus (see figure: 1) comprising:
a printing unit (head, element: 92, figure: 1; [0019]) configured to perform printing on a medium;
a medium support portion configured to support the medium to be transported (element: 12 & 14; figure: 1);
a winding portion configured to wind the medium (element: 26, 72, figure: 1; [0009]);
a tension bar configured to apply tension to the medium between the medium support portion and the winding portion (element: 82, figure: 1; [0010]; [0017]); and
an arm portion configured to support the tension bar at one end thereof (element: 78, figure: 1; [0010]);
a pivoting portion configured to pivotably support the other end of the arm portion (element: 80, figure: 1); and
a power source configured to apply a force for pivoting the arm portion (element: 78, 80, 82, figure: 1), wherein
the power source applies the force to the arm portion such that an amount of change in the force has a sign opposite to a sign of an amount of change in a moment due to weights of the tension bar and the arm portion ([0021]-[0022]).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
(1) Akahane (# US 2019/0168522) discloses a printing apparatus includes a transport unit configured to transport a medium, a winding unit disposed downstream, in a transport direction, of the transport unit, the winding unit being configured to wind the medium, and a tension applying unit including a rod member biased toward the medium between the transport unit and the winding unit, the rod member being for applying a tension to the medium. The tension applying unit is configured so that the rod member moves along a predetermined direction as at least one of the transport unit and the winding unit is driven to transport the medium. An upper limit position of a movement of the tension bar along the predetermined axis is changed according to a winding mode of the winding unit (see Abstract).
(2) Torigoe (# US 2017/0334224) discloses a printing apparatus and a conveying apparatus are provided. The printing apparatus is provided with a main body unit including a printing unit configured to print on a medium and legs supporting the printing unit. The printing apparatus includes a pair of holding members configured to hold both ends, in an axial direction, of a roll of media at a position vertically above a floor surface on which the main body unit is placed. The roll of media is formed by winding the medium. A drive unit is configured to rotate the roll of media held by the holding members. A guide member connected to the main body unit is configured to support the holding members moveably in a width direction X. The guide member is disposed at a position horizontally closer to the main body unit than the holding members (see Abstract).
(3) Horie et al. (# US 2012/0205418) discloses a recording apparatus includes a feeding unit that can feed roll-shaped roll medium downstream in the transport direction, a recording apparatus main body having a recording unit that performs recording on the fed roll medium, and a winding device that winds the recorded roll medium in a roll at a predetermined position, in which the winding device can move with respect to the recording apparatus main body (see Abstract).
(4) Montoya et al. (# US 2017/0152120) discloses the system (100) has a tensioning device (102) having a longitudinal position movement mechanism. A material sag senor determines an amount of a material (112) between a roll (110) and a processing station (108) in a longitudinal direction. A roll rotator (111) rotates the roll about an axis perpendicular to the material flow direction. A rotational velocity of the roll rotator is adjustable based on information from the material sag sensor to maintain a nadir distance range for the material extending between the roll and the processing station (see Abstract).
(5) Lane (# US 2017/0113474) discloses a web processing apparatus is provided comprising a web transport station and a web processing station. Said web transport station is arranged to transport, in a single mode of the web processing apparatus, a first web in a process direction towards or away from the web processing station, and to transport, in a tandem mode of the web processing apparatus, the first web and a second web in the process direction towards or away from the web processing station (see Abstract).
(6) Albertalli et al. (# US 5825374) discloses The apparatus comprises a supply roller (25) and a receiving roller (27) between which a sheet of paper (23) is conveyed along a predetermined conveyance path. An intermittently driven drive roller (29) is arranged between the supply and take- up roller to contact with rear surface (31) of sheet and move the sheet intermittently towards the take-up roller. A pair of conveyance rollers (65,37) is provided between the drive roller and supply roller. The roller (37) is pivotable about the pivot point (35). Another pair of conveyance rollers (67,47) are provided between the drive and take-up rollers (see Abstract; figure: 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANISH S SHAH whose telephone number is (571)272-2152. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at 571-272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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MANISH S. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/Manish S Shah/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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