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 .
2. This office action is responsive to the application Nº 19/194,865 filed on April 30th, 2025 in which claims 1-16 are pending and ready for examination.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. These IDS have been considered.
Priority
4. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Drawings
5. The examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 04/30/2025 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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 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.
7. 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.
8. Claims 1-5 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Hamaba (US Pub. Nº 2018/0275600).
9. Regarding independent claim 1: Hamaba disclosed an image forming apparatus configured to form an image on a recording material ([0024], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 10), the image forming apparatus comprising:
a first casing ([0035], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 22) including a first conveyance path through which a recording material is conveyed ([0026], lines 2-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 24);
a second casing connected to the first casing such that the first casing and the second casing are arranged along a first direction orthogonal to a vertical direction ([0027], line 2; also see Fig. 1, reference 32), and including a second conveyance path which is connected to the first conveyance path, and through which the recording material from the first conveyance path is conveyed ([0027], lines 2-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 34);
a fixing member configured to connect the first casing and the second casing at a first height position in the vertical direction such that a first distance between the first casing and the second casing in the first direction at the first height position is fixed ([0055], lines 1-5; also see Fig. 1, reference 90; the bottom connectors 90 in the Z direction are fastened at a fixed distance); and
an adjusting member configured to connect the first casing and the second casing at a second height position in the vertical direction different from the first height position such that a second distance between the first casing and the second casing in the first direction at the second height position is adjustable ([0010], lines 1-2; [0045], lines 1-4 and [0055], lines 1-5. See Fig. 5, reference 92 and Fig. 8, reference 94. First casing 32 and second casing 22 are fixed in the front in the Y direction at an adjustable distance/angle in the X direction, using the bolt 108, the nut 112, the eccentric cam plate 102 and the screw 114; and are fixed in the back in the Y direction at an adjustable distance/angle in the X direction, using the rotating-shaft mechanism 94),
wherein, by at least the fixing member and the adjusting member, the first casing and the second casing are fixed to each other with the second distance adjusted to a predetermined distance ([0055], lines 4-5; when the desired distance and angles are achieved, the connectors can be fastened in place).
10. Regarding claim 2: Hamaba disclosed the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second height position is positioned above the first height position in the vertical direction (Fig. 1, connectors pair (92, 94) is positioned above the bottom inter housing connectors 90 in the vertical direction Z).
11. Regarding claim 3: Hamaba disclosed the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first casing includes a third conveyance path which is disposed below the first conveyance path in the vertical direction ([0026], line 2; also see Fig. 1, reference 28), wherein the second casing includes a fourth conveyance path which is disposed below the second conveyance path in the vertical direction and is connected to the third conveyance path, and wherein a recording material is conveyed through the third conveyance path and the fourth conveyance path (Fig. 1, reference 48).
12. Regarding claim 4: Hamaba disclosed the image forming apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second height position is positioned between the first conveyance path and the third conveyance path in the vertical direction (See Fig. 1, connectors pair (92, 94) is positioned between the first conveyance path 24 and the third conveyance path 28 in the vertical direction Z).
13. Regarding claim 5: Hamaba disclosed the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the adjusting member includes a connecting member configured to connect the first casing and the second casing ([0037], line 1; also see Fig. 3, reference 92; note that references 22 and 32 can be used interchangeably to refer to the first casing and the second casing), and a fastening portion configured to fasten the connecting member to the second casing (Fig. 3, screw 114), and wherein the connecting member includes a fixing portion configured to be fixed to the first casing (Fig. 3, the eccentric cam plate 102 is fixed to the first casing 22 by bolt 108), and a changing portion that is formed integrally with the fixing portion and whose relative position with respect to the second casing in the first direction is adjustable in a state where the changing portion is not fastened by the fastening portion (Fig. 3, the position of screw 114 in the C-shaped hole in the eccentric cam plate 102 adjusts the position of the second casing 32 with respect to the first casing 22 in the X direction).
14. Regarding claim 11: Hamaba disclosed the image forming apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first casing includes a first fitting portion, wherein the second casing includes a second fitting portion configured to fit to the first fitting portion, and wherein a relative position of the second casing with respect to the first casing in a second direction orthogonal to the vertical direction and the first direction is fixed by the first fitting portion and the second fitting portion fitting to each other (Fig. 1, the sliding of first casing 22 with respect to second casing 32 about connectors 90 in the Y direction).
15. Claims 12-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Hamaba (US Pub. Nº 2018/0275600).
16. Regarding independent claim 12: Hamaba disclosed an adjustment method for an image forming apparatus ([0002], line 1; also see Fig. 14),
wherein the image forming apparatus is configured to form an image on a recording material ([0024], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 10) and includes
a first casing ([0035], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 22) including a first conveyance path through which a recording material is conveyed ([0026], lines 2-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 24), and
a second casing connected to the first casing such that the first casing and the second casing are arranged along a first direction orthogonal to a vertical direction ([0027], line 2; also see Fig. 1, reference 32), and including a second conveyance path which is connected to the first conveyance path, and through which the recording material from the first conveyance path is conveyed ([0027], lines 2-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 34),
the adjustment method comprising:
fixing a first distance between the first casing and the second casing in the first direction at a first height position in a vertical direction ([0055], lines 1-5; also see Fig. 1, reference 90; the bottom connectors 90 in the Z direction are fastened at a fixed distance);
adjusting a second distance between the first casing and the second casing in the first direction at a second height position in the vertical direction different from the first height position after the first distance is fixed at the first height position ([0010], lines 1-2; [0045], lines 1-4 and [0055], lines 1-5. See Fig. 5, reference 92 and Fig. 8, reference 94. First casing 32 and second casing 22 are fixed in the front in the Y direction at an adjustable distance/angle in the X direction, using the bolt 108, the nut 112, the eccentric cam plate 102 and the screw 114; and are fixed in the back in the Y direction at an adjustable distance/angle in the X direction, using the rotating-shaft mechanism 94); and
fixing the first casing and the second casing each other at the second height position after the second distance is adjusted ([0055], lines 4-5; when the desired distance and angles are achieved, the connectors can be fastened in place).
17 Regarding claim 13: Hamaba disclosed the adjustment method for the image forming apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the second height position is positioned above the first height position in the vertical direction (Fig. 1, connectors pair (92, 94) is positioned above the bottom inter housing connectors 90 in the vertical direction Z).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
18. 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 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.
19. 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 of this title, 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.
20. Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hamaba (US Pub. Nº 2018/0275600), in view of Kouchi (JP 2005-141258).
21. Regarding claim 9: Hamaba disclosed the image forming apparatus according to claim 1.
Hamaba is silent about wherein the second casing includes a plurality of vertical direction adjustment portions configured to adjust a position of the second casing with respect to an installation surface in the vertical direction, the installation surface being a surface on which the second casing is installed.
Kouchi disclosed an image forming apparatus (Fig. 6, reference 100), comprising a first casing (Fig. 6, reference 101) and a second casing (Fig. 6, reference 201), wherein each of the casings includes a plurality of vertical direction adjustment portions (Fig. 4, references 30a) configured to adjust a position of the second casing with respect to an installation surface in the vertical direction, the installation surface being a surface on which the second casing is installed ([0066], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 14, reference 30a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kouchi with those of Hamaba by providing height adjusting casters under the casings in order to properly adjust the heights of the casing to each other as disclosed by Kouchi in paragraph [0066].
22. Regarding claim 10: The combination of Hamaba and Kouchi disclosed the image forming apparatus according to claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of vertical direction adjustment portions includes a wheel configured to contact the installation surface (Kouchi Fig. 14, reference 31), and a vertical position changing portion that is fixed to the second casing and whose position with respect to the wheel in the vertical direction is able to be changed (Kouchi [0066], lines 3-8; also see Fig. 14, references 33, 34).
23. Claims 14-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hamaba (US Pub. Nº 2018/0275600), in view of Kouchi (JP 2005-141258).
24. Regarding claim 14: Hamaba disclosed the adjustment method for the image forming apparatus according to claim 12.
Hamaba is silent about wherein the second casing includes a plurality of vertical direction adjustment portions that adjusts a position of the second casing with respect to an installation surface in the vertical direction, the installation surface being a surface on which the second casing is installed, and wherein the distance between the first casing and the second casing in the first direction at the second height position is adjusted by adjusting a position of the second casing in the vertical direction by using the plurality of vertical direction adjustment portions in a state where the distance between the first casing and the second casing in the first direction at the first height position is fixed.
Kouchi disclosed an image forming apparatus (Fig. 6, reference 100), comprising a first casing (Fig. 6, reference 101) and a second casing (Fig. 6, reference 201), wherein the second casing includes a plurality of vertical direction adjustment portions that adjusts a position of the second casing with respect to an installation surface in the vertical direction, the installation surface being a surface on which the second casing is installed (Fig. 4, references 30a), and wherein the distance between the first casing and the second casing in the first direction at the second height position is adjusted by adjusting a position of the second casing in the vertical direction by using the plurality of vertical direction adjustment portions in a state where the distance between the first casing and the second casing in the first direction at the first height position is fixed ([0066], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 14, reference 30a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kouchi with those of Hamaba by providing height adjusting casters under the casings in order to properly adjust the heights of the casing to each other as disclosed by Kouchi in paragraph [0066].
25. Regarding claim 15: The combination of Hamaba and Kouchi disclosed the adjustment method for the image forming apparatus according to claim 14, further comprising: adjusting a position of the second casing with respect to the first casing in the vertical direction by adjusting the position of the second casing in the vertical direction by using the plurality of vertical direction adjustment portions (Kouchi [0066], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 14, reference 30a).
26. Regarding claim 16: The combination of Hamaba and Kouchi disclosed the adjustment method for the image forming apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the position of the second casing with respect to the first casing in the vertical direction is adjusted before fixing the first casing and the second casing each other at the first height position (Hamaba, Fig. 1, casing 22 and 32 are positioned at the same height before being fixed together with connectors 90).
Allowable Subject Matter
27. Claims 6-8 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.
Conclusion
28. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YAOVI M. AMEH whose telephone number is (571)272-4578. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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30. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, RICARDO MAGALLANES can be reached at (571)272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YAOVI M AMEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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