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 .
Priority
1. Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
2. 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.
3. 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 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Watanabe et al. USP 9,334,140.
Watanabe discloses A sheet folder comprising:
a conveyance roller pair (R1) to convey a sheet in a conveyance direction at a first speed;
a first folding roller (R3) downstream from the conveyance roller pair in the conveyance direction;
a second folding roller (R2) in contact with the first folding roller to form a first nip (N2) with the first folding roller, the second folding roller to rotate along with the first folding roller;
a third folding roller (R4) in contact with the first folding roller (R3) to form a second nip (N3) with the first folding roller, the third folding roller to rotate along with the first folding roller;
a guide (B), downstream from the conveyance roller pair in the conveyance direction and having a first guide face (B1) facing a first face of the sheet and a second guide face (B2) facing a second face of the sheet, the guide being changeable between:
a first posture that guides the sheet from the conveyance roller pair to the first nip (fig.6A,11A,11B); and
a second posture that guides the sheet from the conveyance roller pair to the second nip (fig.8A,11C,11D),
wherein the guide is configured to:
guide the sheet at the first posture from the conveyance roller pair to the first nip (fig.6A,11A,11B), and
change the posture from the first posture to the second posture to fold the sheet into the second nip while the first nip nips the sheet (fig.8A,11C,11D); or
guide the sheet at the first posture from the conveyance roller pair to the second nip, and
change the posture from the second posture to the first posture to fold the sheet into the first nip while the second nip nips the sheet (the Examiner notes the “or” condition and requires the prior art to perform either the first control or the second control, not both).
Regarding claim 15, wherein the first guide face (B1) and the second guide face (B2) have an interval having an upstream side greater than a downstream side in the conveyance direction (see at least fig.8B).
Regarding claim 16, An image forming apparatus (fig.1,2) comprising:
an image forming device to form an image on a sheet; and
the sheet folder according to claim 14 to provide a fold line on the sheet on which the image is formed by the image forming device.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 1-13 are allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Watanabe et al. USP 9,334,140 discloses substantially all the limitations of the claim (see ¶4 above), and further discloses the circuitry configured to:
control the guide at the first posture to guide the sheet from the conveyance roller pair to the first nip (fig.6A,11A,11B); and
control the guide to change the posture from the first posture to the second posture to fold the sheet into the second nip while the first nip nips the sheet (fig.8A,11C,11D).
However, the prior art of record does not expressly disclose or suggest the circuitry configured to “control the first folding roller to rotate at a second speed faster than the first speed of the conveyance roller pair while the second nip nips and folds the sheet”.
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.”
Conclusion
6. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Hama et al. (USP 10,087,035) discloses A sheet folder wherein a sheet nipped by the conveyance roller pair (51) and a second folding roller pair (53) is folded by a first folding roller pair (52) (see at least fig.7).
7. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LESLIE A. NICHOLSON III whose telephone number is (571)272-5487. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Michael C McCullough can be reached at 571-272-7805. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LESLIE A NICHOLSON III/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653 9/9/2026
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