Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
1. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Claim Objections
2. Claims 2 and 5 are objected to because of the following informalities: 1) “to lifting and lowering” in claim 2 should be changed to -- to lift and lower --; and 2) “lease” in claim 5 should be changed to – least --. Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
3. Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 1 recites the limitation "the uppermost sheet". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim. Claims 2-14 depend from claim 1, and therefore have the same indefiniteness issues as outlined above with regard to claim 1.
Claim 4 recites “wherein the urging portion has an inflow shape”. It is unclear what is meant by “an inflow shape”.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the maximum size". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 7 recites the limitation "the maximum size". There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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.
4. Claims 1-2, 5-9, and 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0052152 (Gruntjes et al.) (hereinafter “Gruntjes”).
Regarding claim 1, Figs. 1-4 show a sheet feeding device (Fig. 1) comprising:
a sheet tray (403) including a sheet supporting surface (upper surface of 403) configured to support a sheet bundle;
a feeding portion (409) configured to feed the uppermost sheet (416) of the sheet bundle supported by the sheet supporting surface (upper surface of 403);
a blowing portion (413) provided on one side in a sheet widthwise direction perpendicular to a sheet feeding direction (PAPER FEED DIRECTION) and configured to blow air through a blowing opening (414) toward a side edge of the sheet bundle supported by the sheet supporting surface (upper surface of 403); and
a rotatable portion (420) rotatably provided in a position opposing the blowing opening (414) in the sheet widthwise direction and to the sheet tray (403), the rotatable portion (420) being rotatable between a first position (position in Fig. 4A) along the sheet supporting surface (upper surface of 403) and a second position (position in Fig. 4B) rotated upward from the sheet supporting surface (upper surface of 403) by the air being blown by the blowing portion (413),
wherein when the rotatable portion (420) is positioned in the second position (position in Fig. 4B), the rotatable portion (420) includes a restricting portion (left end of 420 in Fig. 4B) configured to restrict the air from being blown to the sheet supporting surface (upper surface of 403).
Regarding claim 2, Figs. 1-4 show that the sheet tray (403) is capable of lifting and lowering, further comprising a lifting/lowering portion (numbered paragraph [0024]) configured to lifting and lowering the sheet tray (403), and
wherein the lifting/lowering portion (numbered paragraph [0024]) configured to lift the sheet tray (403) based on a position of the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle supported by the sheet supporting surface (upper surface of 403) of the sheet tray (403).
Regarding claim 5, Figs. 1-4 show that as viewed in the sheet widthwise direction, the rotatable portion (420) is positioned in the second position (position in Fig. 4B) in a case in which at lease a part thereof is overlapped with the blowing opening (414), and is in the first position (position in Fig. 4A) in a chase in which is not overlapped with the blowing opening (414).
Regarding claim 6, as best understood, Fig. 4 shows that as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction (PAPER FEED DIRECTION) and the sheet widthwise direction, the blowing opening (414) is disposed opposite to a downstream side end in the sheet feeding direction (PAPER FEED DIRECTION) in a supporting area where a sheet with the maximum size, which can be placed on the sheet tray (403), is supported.
Regarding claim 7, Figs. 1-4 show that as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction (PAPER FEED DIRECTION) and the sheet widthwise direction, the rotatable portion (420) is disposed opposite to a downstream side end in the sheet feeding direction (SHEET FEED DIRECTION) in a supporting area where a sheet with the maximum size, which can be placed on the sheet tray (403), is supported.
Regarding claim 8, Figs. 1-4 show that the restricting portion (left end of 420 in Fig. 4B) is formed in an upstream end side in the sheet feeding direction (PAPER FEED DIRECTION) in the rotatable portion (420), and wherein the air is sent to downstream from the restricting portion (left end of 420 in Fig. 4B).
Regarding claim 9, Figs. 1-4 show that as viewed in a direction perpendicular to the sheet feeding direction (PAPER FEED DIRECTION) and the sheet widthwise direction, the restricting portion is disposed upstream of the blowing opening (414) in the sheet feeding direction (PAPER FEED DIRECTION).
Regarding claim 12, Figs. 1-4 show that the feeding portion (409) is a suction feeding portion which sucks and feeds the uppermost sheet of the sheet bundle, and further comprising a separating portion (415) including a second blowing portion which separates the sheet sucked by the suction feeding portion (409) one by one by blowing the air to the sheet sucked by the suction feeding portion (409) from downstream of the sheet feeding direction to upstream.
Regarding claim 13, Figs. 1-4 show an image forming apparatus (printer) comprising:
a sheet feeding device according to Claim 1; and
an image forming portion (including 110, 111, and 116) configured to form an image on a sheet fed by the sheet feeding device (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14, Figs. 1-4 show that the sheet feeding device (Fig. 1) includes a sheet cassette (406) accommodated in a main assembly (401) of the image forming apparatus (printer) and configured to feed the sheet to the image forming portion (including 110, 111, and 116).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
5. Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Gruntjes as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0288893 (Ikeda) (hereinafter “Ikeda”). With regard to claim 3, Gruntjes teaches all of the limitations of this claim, except for an urging portion, as claimed.
Ikeda shows that it is well-known in the art to provide a sheet feeding device (Fig. 6) with an urging portion (numbered paragraph [0064]) configured to apply an urging force, which urges a rotatable portion (15) so as to rotate from a first position (dotted-line position in Fig. 9) to a second position (solid-line position in Fig. 9), to the rotatable portion (15), wherein the urging portion (numbered paragraph [0064]) rotates the rotatable portion (15) from the first position (dotted-line position in Fig. 9) to the second position (solid-line position in Fig. 9) by urging in a case in which the urging force is larger than a weight of the rotatable portion (15) and a sheet bundle supported by the rotatable portion (15). See, e.g., Fig. 9 of Ikeda. Numbered paragraph [0064] explains that the opening and closing of the rotatable portion (15) with the urging portion (numbered paragraph [0064] allows for selective control of air flow. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the Gruntjes apparatus with an urging portion for the purpose of selectively controlling the amount of air flow, as shown in Ikeda.
Regarding claim 4, as best understood, Fig. 9 of Ikeda shows that the urging portion (numbered paragraph [0064]) has an inflow shape which is formed in the rotatable portion (15) and which flows the air blown from a blowing portion (26). Providing the Gruntjes apparatus with an urging portion, in a manner as taught by Ikeda, results in the urging portion flowing air blown into a gap between a under surface and the sheet tray (403) or Gruntjes, as claimed.
Allowable Subject Matter
6. Claims 10 and 11 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Conclusion
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS A MORRISON whose telephone number is (571)272-7221. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am - 5pm.
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/THOMAS A MORRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653