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 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.
2. Claims 1and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0266683 (Inoue) (hereinafter “Inoue”).
Regarding claim 1, Figs. 1-6 show a sheet conveying mechanism (Fig. 1), comprising:
a sheet feeder (21) that conveys a sheet to a sheet conveying path (path from 11 to 200);
a conveying track (track between 211 and 221) that defines the sheet conveying path of the sheet;
a conveying roller pair (215 and 233) that conveys the sheet along the sheet conveying path (path from 11 to 200);
a conveying track separator (hinge in Fig. 3) that adjusts a height of the sheet conveying path (path from 11 to 200), the sheet conveying path (path from 11 to 200) being adjustable between at least a first height (closed height) and a second height (open height), and the second height (open height) being greater than the first height (closed height); and
a conveying roller separator (roller movement arrangement in Figs. 5A to 6) that adjusts a clamping force (force in Fig. 6) of the conveying roller pair (215 and 233), the clamping force being adjustable between at least a first clamping force (pressing force in Fig. 6 at delta f1) and a second clamping force (pressing force in Fig. 6 at delta f2), the second clamping force (pressing force in Fig. 6 at delta f2) being smaller than the first clamping force (pressing force in Fig. 6 at delta f1), and the conveying roller pair (215 and 233) conveying the sheet at the second clamping force (pressing force in Fig. 6 at delta f2) without separating.
Regarding claim 10, Figs. 1-6 show an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a sheet conveying mechanism according to claim 1, that conveys a sheet; and
an image former (including 111-113 and 118) that forms an image on the sheet.
3. Claims 1-3, 5 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2011/0140357 (Komsatsu) (hereinafter “Komatsu”).
Regarding claim 1, Figs. 1-5 show a sheet conveying mechanism (Fig. 1), comprising:
a sheet feeder (740) that conveys a sheet to a sheet conveying path (path from 740 to 1);
a conveying track (track between 2 and 41) that defines the sheet conveying path of the sheet;
a conveying roller pair (31 and 32) that conveys the sheet along the sheet conveying path (path from 740 to 1);
a conveying track separator (including 43, 46, 44) that adjusts a height of the sheet conveying path (path from 740 to 1), the sheet conveying path (path from 740 to 1) being adjustable between at least a first height (roller 42 down in Fig. 5) and a second height (up in Fig. 5), and the second height (roller 42 up in Fig. 5) being greater than the first height (roller 42 down in Fig. 5); and
a conveying roller separator (including 36-34 and 33) that adjusts a clamping force (force in Fig. 5) of the conveying roller pair (31 and 32), the clamping force being adjustable between at least a first clamping force (solid-line position of 32 in Fig. 5) and a second clamping force (dotted-line position of 32 in Fig. 5), the second clamping force (dotted-line position of 32 in Fig. 5) being smaller than the first clamping force (solid-line position of 32 in Fig. 5), and the conveying roller pair (31 and 32) conveying the sheet at the second clamping force (dotted-line position of 32 in Fig. 5) without separating.
Regarding claim 2, Figs. 1-5 show that the sheet conveying mechanism (Fig. 1) further comprises a hardware processor (101) that controls operation under a sheet conveying mode (roller 42 down in Fig. 5) and a sheet discharging mode (roller 42 up in Fig. 5), and wherein in the sheet conveying mode (roller 42 down in Fig. 5), the sheet conveying path (path from 740 to 1) has the first height (short height), and in the sheet discharging mode (roller 42 up in Fig. 5), the hardware processor (101) switches the sheet conveying path from the first height (short height) to the second height (larger height).
Regarding claim 3, Figs. 1-5 show that in the sheet discharging mode (roller 42 up in Fig. 5), the hardware processor (101) further determines whether to switch the sheet conveying path (path from 740 to 1) from the first height (short height) to the second height (larger height) based on a conveying abnormality (curvature) of the sheet.
Regarding claim 5, Figs. 1-5 show that in the sheet conveying mode (roller 42 down in Fig. 5), before a front end of the sheet enters the conveying roller pair (31 and 32), the conveying roller pair (31 and 32) has the first clamping force, when the front end of the sheet enters the conveying roller pair (31 and 32), the conveying roller pair (31 and 32) has the second clamping force, and after the front end of the sheet enters the conveying roller pair (31 and 32), the conveying roller pair (31 and 32) has the first clamping force, and wherein in the sheet discharging mode (roller 42 up in Fig. 5), the conveying roller pair (31 and 32) has the first clamping force.
Regarding claim 10, Figs. 1-6 show an image forming apparatus, comprising:
a sheet conveying mechanism according to claim 1, that conveys a sheet; and
an image former (including 200-400) that forms an image on the sheet.
Response to Arguments
4. Applicant’s arguments with respect to claims 1-5 and 9-10 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Allowable Subject Matter
5. Claims 4 and 6-9 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
6. Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Mike 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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/THOMAS A MORRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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