DETAILED ACTION
Claim Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “section” and “unit” in all claims.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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) 1-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujihara (10,029,382) in view of Nishikawa (2023/0388429).
Regarding claim 1, Fujihara teaches a recording device comprising:
a conveyance section (Fujihara, fig. 1, item 12) configured to convey a medium in a conveyance direction (Fujihara, fig. 1, direction Y) along a conveyance path (see fig. 1);
a cutter unit (Fujihara, fig. 1, item 40) including a cutter blade (Fujihara, fig. 8, item 4a) for cutting the medium in the conveyance path (Fujihara, see fig. 1);
a cutter carriage (Fujihara, fig. 1, item 19) to which the cutter unit is detachably attachable (Fujihara, see figs. 5, 8, 9), the cutter carriage moving in a width direction (Fujihara, fig. 1, direction X) intersecting the conveyance direction; and
a restriction section (Fujihara, figs. 5, 10, items 85a, 85b) configured to restrict detachment of the cutter unit from the cutter carriage (Fujihara, Fujihara, cols. 11-12, lines 49-3, Note that, when the cartridge is fixed, the engagement portions 85 contact the cap 92 of the cartridge so as to fix the cartridge from moving. Note, as an aside, that almost any component on the carriage could be said to “restrict detachment” of the cutter in the horizontal direction).
Fujihara does not teach a recording section configured to record an image on the medium conveyed by the conveyance section. Nishikawa teaches this (Nishikawa, fig. 2, Note recording section 31 upstream of cutting unit 70). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to include combine the cutter of Fujihara and the recording section of Nishikawa because doing so would allow for both printing and cutting of the printed web.
Regarding claim 2, Fujihara in view of Nishikawa teaches the recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the housing (Fujihara, fig. 5, item 32) includes an opening section (Fujihara, fig. 5, item 51) and an opening and closing cover (Fujihara, figs. 5, 10, portion of 80 pressing cartridge 40) capable of opening and closing the opening section (Fujihara, see figs. 5, 10), the housing houses at least the cutter unit (Fujihara, see fig. 10) and
the cutter carriage and enables operation of removing the cutter unit from the cutter carriage via the opening section (Fujihara, see fig. 1, 5, 8, 9), and
the restriction section includes a cover lock section (Fujihara, item 85a, 85b) configured to lock the opening and closing cover in a state in which the opening section is closed (Fujihara, fig. 10, Note that the friction of the engagement portions 85 with the cap 92 at least against small force locks the cover 80 in the closed position until a force large enough moves the cover 80).
Regarding claim 3, Fujihara in view of Nishikawa teaches the recording device according to claim 2, wherein the cover lock section unlocks the opening and closing cover according to an instruction from a user (Fujihara, see figs. 5, 10, Note that the user manually operates the cover 80).
Regarding claim 4, Fujihara in view of Nishikawa teaches the recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a housing, wherein the housing includes an opening section (Fujihara, fig. 5, item 51) and an opening and closing cover (Fujihara, fig. 5, 10, item 80) capable of opening and closing the opening section, the housing houses at least the cutter unit and the cutter carriage and enables the operation of removing the cutter unit from the cutter carriage via the opening section (Fujihara, see fig. 1, note that the user can operate cover 80 to loosen the carriage’s hold on the cartridge, thereby allowing for removal of the cartridge) ,
the cutter carriage is movable between a standby position (Fujihara, fig. 1, any position other than that shown) and an attachment and detachment position (Fujihara, fig. 1, position shown), and the restriction section includes a restriction wall (Fujihara, , inner wall of item 81 from which engagement portions 85 extend) that restricts the operation of removing the cutter unit from the cutter carriage via the opening section when the cutter carriage is disposed at the standby position in a state in which the opening section is opened (Fujihara, see figs. 1, 10).
Regarding claim 5, Fujihara in view of Nishikawa teaches the recording device according to claim 4, wherein the cutter carriage moves from the standby position to the attachment and detachment position according to an instruction from a user (Fujihara, note that all movements of the carriage result from instructions input by a user).
Regarding claim 6, Fujihara in view of Nishikawa teaches the recording device according to claim 4, wherein the cutter carriage includes a unit fixing section configured to fix the cutter unit when the cutter unit is attached, the unit fixing section is movable between a fixing position for fixing the cutter unit and a release position for not fixing the cutter unit, and when the cutter carriage moves from the attachment and detachment position toward the standby position in a state in which the unit fixing section is disposed at the release position, the restriction wall restricts the movement of the cutter carriage to the standby position by coming into contact with the unit fixing section (Fujuhara, see figs. 5, 10, Note that of the main opening of the carriage into which the cartridge is inserted is taken to be the unit fixing section, all limitations are met. That is, the carriage can move to positions where the cartridge is fixed and positions where no cartridge is inserted, i.e., not fixed. Further, when the carriage is at the release position, i.e., no cartridge is inserted, and the carriage moves from any position to any other position, the restriction wall is necessarily in contact with the unit fixing section).
Regarding claim 7, Fujihara in view of Nishikawa teaches the recording device according to claim 1, further comprising a first contact section (Fujihara, fig. 10, item 85a), wherein the cutter carriage includes: a unit fixing section (Fujihara, figs. 5, 10, item 80) that is movable between a fixing position (Fujihara, fig. 10) for fixing the cutter unit in a state in which the cutter unit is attached and a release position (Fujihara, fig. 5, hashed position of item 80) for not fixing the cutter unit; and a unit lock section (Fujihara, figs. 5, 10, item 85) that can lock the unit fixing section in a state in which the unit fixing section is disposed at the fixing position (Fujihara, fig. 10), the restriction section includes the unit lock section, and the first contact section causes the unit lock section to lock the unit fixing section by coming into contact with the unit lock section (Fujihara, fig. 10, Note that the friction of the engagement portions 85 with the cap 92 at least against small force locks the cover 80 in the closed position until a force large enough moves the cover 80).
Regarding claim 8, see claim 7 rejection, and note that first and second contact sections 85a and 85b are both disclosed.
Regarding claim 10, Fujihara in view of Nishikawa teaches the recording device according to claim 1, wherein the cutter carriage includes: a unit fixing section that is movable between a fixing position for fixing the cutter unit in a state in which the cutter unit is attached and a release position for not fixing the cutter unit; and a unit lock section that can lock the unit fixing section in a state in which the unit fixing section is disposed at the fixing position,
the unit fixing section is movable to the release position by moving from the fixing position in a release direction, the unit lock section includes a displacement section that is displaced in a displacement direction intersecting the release direction, and the displacement section allows the unit fixing section to move from the fixing position in the release direction according to displacement in the displacement direction (Fujihara, see see rejections of claims 7, 8, figs. 5, 10).
Claim(s) 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fujihara in view of Nishikawa as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Miyasaka et al. (2023/0191812).
Regarding claim 9, Fujihara in view of Nishikawa teaches the recording device according to claim 1, see claim 8 rejection. Fujihara in view of Nishikawa does not teach wherein when the cutter carriage moves from the attachment and detachment position to the standby position, the first contact section causes the unit lock section to lock the unit fixing section by coming into contact with the unit lock section, and when the cutter carriage moves from the standby position to the attachment and detachment position, the second contact section causes the unit lock section to unlock the unit fixing section by coming into contact with the unit lock section. Miyasaka teaches a mechanism for unlocking a cover to be openable by action of a carriage only when the carriage moves from a standby position to an attachment and detachment position and a locking of the cover by movement of the carriage from the attachment and detachment position (Miyasaka, [0020], [0044]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the locking/unlocking functionality disclosed by Miyasaka to the device disclosed by Fujihara in view of Nishikawa because doing so would prevent the cartridge from coming loose during operation and ensure the only time a user could remove or install a cartridge would be at the attachment and detachment position.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEJANDRO VALENCIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5473. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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