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 .
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.
Claims 1, 5, 12 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirano et al. (US PG Pub 2020/0033772).
For claims 1 and 14: Hirano et al. teaches an image forming apparatus 100 and information processing device (see Fig. 4) comprising: an operation unit 200 configured to allow selection between a first mode for forming an image on a first recording material in which at least one side is closed (see Fig. 14, selection of Monarch in the lateral placement side is a first mode, Monarch having a closed side, as seen in Fig. 16) and a second mode for forming an image on a second recording material without a closed side (see Fig. 13B, selection of Long N3 in the longitudinal placement, this being without a closed side), and to allow input of information relating to a size of a recording material (see Fig. 13B and 14, pressing of buttons of select type of envelope which is associated with its size); an image former 3 configured to form an image on the recording material (see Fig. 2, printing element); and a controller 300 configured to set, in a case where the first mode is selected through the operation unit and a first size is input as information relating to a size of the first recording material, a length of the first recording material in a conveyance direction as a first length (see Fig. 14 and 16, the length being 190.5mm), and in a case where the second mode is selected through the operation unit and the first size is input as information relating to a size of the second recording material, a length of the second recording material in the conveyance direction as a second length (see Fig. 13B and 16, the length being 120mm),wherein the first length is longer than the second length (see above 190.5mm being longer than 120mm).
For claim 5: Hirano et al. teaches the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the controller 300 is configured to: display (see Fig. 2, screen of the element 200), in a case where the first mode is selected through the operation unit, a setting screen (see Fig. 14) for setting a standard size of the recording material on a display, and set the first length based on the standard size set from the setting screen through the operation unit; and display, in a case where the second mode is selected through the operation unit (see Fig. 13B, after pressing element 102 to move to longitudinal placement and pressing 101 arriving at Fig. 13B), the setting screen on the display, and set the second length based on the standard size set from the setting screen through the operation unit (see Fig. 13B, standard size set shown).
For claim 12: Hirano et al. teaches the image forming apparatus of claim 1. The recited material worked upon does not distinguish the claim from the prior art. See MPEP 2115.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7-11, 13 and 15 are allowed.
Claims 2-4 and 6 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: None of the prior art of record or any obvious combination thereof teaches an image forming apparatus for printing a first mode for forming an image on a first recording material in which at least one side is closed and a second mode for forming an image on a second recording material without a closed side, and to allow input of information relating to a size of a recording material wherein the controller is configured to set a first inter-sheet distance during conveyance of the first recording material in a case where the first mode is selected through the operation unit to be larger than a second inter-sheet distance during conveyance of the second recording material in a case where the second mode is selected through the operation unit.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: None of the prior art of record or any obvious combination thereof teaches an image forming apparatus for printing a first mode for forming an image on a first recording material in which at least one side is closed and a second mode for forming an image on a second recording material without a closed side, and to allow input of information relating to a size of a recording material wherein the controller is configured to set a first inter-sheet distance during conveyance of the first recording material in a case where the first mode is selected through the operation unit to be larger than a second inter-sheet distance during conveyance of the second recording material in a case where the second mode is selected through the operation unit.
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
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID H BANH whose telephone number is (571)270-3851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12-8PM.
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/DAVID H BANH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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