DETAILED ACTION
Claim Interpretation
In Claim 21, the gap pertaining to the pivot member is interpreted as being formed in the pivot member and by virtue of which the pivot member and document stopper do not contact each other.
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) 27-30 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Machida et al. (US Patent No. 9,181,050 B2).
Regarding Claim 27, Machida et al. discloses
a receiving port (i.e. the input opening from 4 to 3) configured to receive a document into an apparatus main body (i.e. comprising 2a, 2b, Fig. 1);
a document stopper (7) configured to be pivotable between a first posture (Fig. 1) in which reception of the document is suppressed and a second posture (Fig. 3) in which the reception is permitted; and
an arm portion (34) supporting the document stopper (i.e. 34a supports the stopper from above, against the biasing force of 35) and configured to be switched between a first position (i.e. 34a lowered as in Fig. 12A/12B) and a second position (i.e. 34a raised as in Fig. 12C), the document stopper being in the first posture when the arm portion is at the first position (Fig. 12A/12B) and in the second posture when the arm portion is at the second position (Fig. 12C).
Regarding Claim 28, Machida et al. discloses
a biasing portion (35) configured to bias the document stopper to be set in the second posture (lines 44-47 of Column 5).
Regarding Claim 29, Machida et al. discloses
an arm support portion (33) configured to move the arm portion between the first position and the second position (lines 31-34 of Column 5).
Regarding Claim 30, Machida et al. discloses
the arm support portion is biased by a second biasing portion (36, at least indirectly via contact between 9 and 34b).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 19, 21 and 22 are allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: None of the prior art of record shows controlling a power source to move a document stopper and feeding roller after movement of a document by a guide member as claimed (Claims 19 and 22) or a pivot member forming a gap with a distal end of a stopper as claimed (Claim 21).
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Response to Arguments
In response to Applicant’s argument that “The Office Action takes the position that pick arm 13 and document stopper 14 in Machida and pickup arm 9 and stopper 7 in Machida et al. can read on the claimed arm portion and document stopper. However, neither pick arm 13 nor pickup arm 9 can be said to support its corresponding stopper.”, it is noted that as per the current rejection, the arm portion is taken to be 34, rather than 9.
Applicant's arguments filed 6/24/26 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
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 PRASAD GOKHALE whose telephone number is (571)270-3543. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 9am - 5:30pm.
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/PRASAD V GOKHALE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653 June 30, 2026
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