DETAILED ACTION
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) 9-15 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Namiki et al (US Pub No 2024/0270531).
Regarding claim 9, Namiki discloses a medium discharge device configured to discharge a medium to a placement unit on which the medium is placed, the medium discharge device comprising:
a roller pair (24) including a first roller and a second roller positioned above the first roller and being configured to nip the medium between the first roller and the second roller and discharge the medium to the placement unit; and
a discharge assisting member (33) configured to assist a discharge operation of the medium to be discharged from the roller pair, wherein the discharge assisting member includes:
a medium pressing portion (e.g. downstream side of 32) configured to move between a first position below a nipping position at which the roller pair nips the medium and a second position above the first position and press down the medium in the process of moving from the second position to the first position; and
a medium abutting portion (e.g. upstream side of 32) against which the medium abuts upstream of the medium pressing portion in the discharge direction of the medium,
wherein the device of Nanki is capable of performing the functions of:
when the medium abuts against the medium abutting portion while a downstream leading edge of the medium in the discharge direction passes through the nipping position, the medium pressing portion moves from the first position to the second position, and
when the medium abutting portion is separated from the medium while an upstream trailing edge of the medium in the discharge direction passes through the nipping position, the medium pressing portion moves from the second position to the first position.
Regarding claim 10, Namiki discloses a transport unit (22) configured to transport the medium toward the roller pair, wherein the discharge assisting member is a member configured to rotate about a third rotation shaft (34), and is capable of performing when the medium transported by the transport unit abuts against the medium abutting portion, the discharge assisting member rotates about the third rotation shaft in a first direction, and the medium pressing portion moves from the first position to the second position as the discharge assisting member rotates in the first direction.
Regarding claim 11, Namiki is capable of performing the claimed function such that when the trailing edge of the medium is away from the medium abutting portion, the discharge assisting member rotates about the third rotation shaft in a second direction opposite to the first direction, and the medium pressing portion moves from the second position to the first position as the discharge assisting member rotates in the second direction.
Regarding claim 12, Namiki discloses when the medium pressing portion is positioned at the first position, a region in which the medium pressing portion and the first roller overlap with each other as viewed in an axial direction of the first roller is larger than that in a case in which the medium pressing portion is positioned at the second position (shown in figure 4).
Regarding claim 13, Namiki discloses when the medium pressing portion is positioned at the first position, an angle of the medium pressing portion with respect to a vertical direction is smaller than that in a case in which the medium pressing portion is positioned at the second position (e.g. since the pressing portion is a curved surface, range from approx. 0-90 degrees, the angle can be taken at any point on that curve the meet the claim limitation).
Regarding claim 14, Namiki discloses the medium pressing portion presses the medium downstream of the nipping position in the discharge direction (e.g. the pressing portion extends downstream of the nip).
Regarding claim 15, Nanki discloses the medium pressing portion at the second position does not contact the medium.
Regarding claim 18, Namiki discloses an electronic apparatus (e.g. image reader 51, 52).
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.
Claim(s) 16 and 17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoshida et al in view of Sekiyama et al (US Pat No 7,431,289).
Regarding claims 16 and 17, it is noted that Namiki fails to specifically disclose features of the discharge rollers, or any scraping member. However, Sekiyama discloses a discharge nipping pair including a nip formed between rollers (100 and 110) wherein at least one of the rollers of 110 could be considered a scraping member being configured by an elastic member rotating coaxially with the first roller and being configured to nip the medium with the second roller, as well as an assisting member (111). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art to have modified the device of Namiki with the teachings of Sekiyama to achieve the predictable result of feeding a sheet toward the discharge tray.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 1, and 3-8 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: None of the prior art discloses or suggests the applicant’s claimed details relating to the lifting the pressing member.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 7/7/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
In response to the applicant’s argument that Namiki is only available as a rejection under 102(a)(2); the applicant’s foreign filing date is not provided as the effective filing date until the foreign priority is perfected and support for each of the claimed elements can be established from the foreign filing (see MPEP 216 and 2152.01). As such the effective filing date of the instant application is the earliest English language filing date and as such Namiki is provided under the appropriate 102(a)(1) section as the publication of Namiki predates the applicant’s earliest English language filing date.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Patrick Cicchino whose telephone number is (571)270-1954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30AM to 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Coupe can be reached at (571)270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Patrick Cicchino/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
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