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 1-3 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 9,511,970 (Morimoto) (hereinafter “Morimoto’970”).
Regarding claim 1, Figs. 1-7b show a medium conveying apparatus (Fig. 1) comprising:
a conveyance roller (67) to convey a medium;
a facing roller (including 68) facing the conveyance roller (67); and
a support (including 82 and 83) to support and allow the facing roller (including 68) to swing,
wherein the support (including 82 and 83) has a swing center (at 82) located upstream from a rotation center (unnumbered center) of the facing roller (68) in a medium conveying direction (right in Fig. 2), and
the swing center (at 82) is on the same side as the facing roller with respect to a nip between the conveyance roller (67) and the facing roller (including 68).
Regarding claim 2, Figs. 1-7b show that the support (including 82 and 83) is located inward of a side wall (53r) of a medium conveying path (53) in a direction intersecting the medium conveying direction (right in Fig. 2).
Regarding claim 3, Figs. 1-7b show a separator (including 61 and 62) to separate the medium, wherein the separator (including 61 and 62) is located upstream from the conveyance roller (67) and the facing roller (including 68) in the medium conveying direction (right in Fig. 2), and the conveyance roller (67) conveys the medium separated by the separator (including 61 and 62).
Regarding claim 9, Figs. 1-7b show that the support (including 82 and 83) includes a pressing portion (including 71 and 81), and the pressing portion (including 71 and 81) presses a central portion of a rotation shaft of the facing roller (including 68) in a direction intersecting the medium conveying direction (right in Fig. 2).
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.
3. Claims 4, 6-7 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morimoto’970 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of U.S. Patent No. 9,969,582 (Morimoto et al.) (hereinafter “Morimoto’582”). With regard to claim 4, Morimoto’970 teaches that the facing roller (including 68) includes a first facing roller (one roller 68) and a second facing roller (another roller 68) located at an interval in a direction intersecting the medium conveying direction (right in Fig. 2), and the support (including 82 and 83), but Morimoto’970 does not show that the support (including 82 and 83) allows the first facing roller and the second facing roller to be positioned at positions different from each other in a swing direction of the support, as claimed.
Morimoto’582 shows that it is well-known in the art to provide a medium conveying apparatus (Fig. 1) with a facing roller (including 341b and 341b) that includes a first facing roller (one roller 341b) and a second facing roller (other roller 341b) located at an interval in a direction intersecting the medium conveying direction, and a support (including 362, 362 and 361) allows the first facing roller (one roller 341b) and the second facing roller (other roller 341b) to be positioned at positions different from each other in a swing direction of the support (including 362, 362 and 361), e.g., for the purpose of allowing arms (362) of the support to individually move and hold different portions of variable thickness sheets by the pairs of rollers 341b and 341a. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the Morimoto’970 apparatus with a support that allows first and second facing rollers to be positioned at positions different from each other in the swing direction of the support, for the purpose of allowing variable thickness sheets to be conveyed by pairs of rollers while holding different thickness portions of the variable thickness sheets by the pairs of rollers. See, e.g., column 17, lines 19-39 of Morimoto’582.
Regarding claim 6, column 17, lines 19-39 and Fig.5 of Morimoto’582 teach that the support (including 362, 362 and 361) includes an arm portion (362 and 362) that supports, at multiple positions, a rotation shaft (361) of the first facing roller (341b) and a rotation shaft (361) of the second facing roller (341b), and the arm portion (362 and 362) torsionally deforms. This same arrangement would be provided on the Morimoto’970 apparatus according to the teachings of Morimoto’582.
Regarding claim 7, column 17, lines 19-39 and Fig.5 of Morimoto’582 teach that the support (including 362, 362 and 361) includes a first arm portion (362) and a second arm portion (362) that independently support the first facing roller (341b) and the second facing roller (341b), respectively. This same arrangement would be provided on the Morimoto’970 apparatus according to the teachings of Morimoto’582.
Regarding claim 10, Minimoto’970 teaches a first rotation shaft (unnumbered shaft of one roller 68) and a second rotation shaft (other unnumbered shaft of other roller 68), wherein the facing roller (including 68) includes:
a first facing roller (one roller 68) located on the first rotation shaft (unnumbered shaft of one roller 68); and
a second facing roller (another roller 68) located on the second rotation shaft (other unnumbered shaft of other roller 68) and at an interval from the first facing roller (one roller 68) in an intersecting direction intersecting the medium conveying direction (right in Fig. 2), and
the support (including 82 and 83) supports the first rotation shaft (unnumbered shaft of one roller 68) and the second rotation shaft (other unnumbered shaft of other roller 68), but Morimoto’970 does not show that the support (including 82 and 83) supports the first and second rotations shafts, such that a center-side end of the first rotation shaft and a center-side end of the second rotation shaft in the intersecting direction are located downstream in the medium conveying direction from the other end of the first rotation shaft and the other end of the second rotation shaft.
Morimoto’582 shows that it is well-known in the art to provide a medium conveying apparatus (Fig. 1) with a support (including 362, 362 and 361) supports that supports a first rotation shaft (unnumbered shaft of one roller 341b) and a second rotation shaft (other unnumbered shaft of other roller 341b) such that a center-side end of the first rotation shaft (unnumbered shaft of one roller 341b) and a center-side end of the second rotation shaft (other unnumbered shaft of other roller 341b) in an intersecting direction are located downstream in a medium conveying direction from the other end of the first rotation shaft (unnumbered shaft of one roller 341b) and the other end of the second rotation shaft (other unnumbered shaft of other roller 341b) , e.g., for the purpose of allowing arms (362) of the support to individually move and hold different portions of variable thickness sheets by the pairs of rollers 341b and 341a. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the Morimoto’970 apparatus with a support that operates such that the center-side end of the first rotation shaft and the center-side end of the second rotation shaft in the intersecting direction are located downstream in the medium conveying direction from the other end of the first rotation shaft and the other end of the second rotation shaft, for the purpose of allowing variable thickness sheets to be conveyed by pairs of rollers while holding different thickness portions of the variable thickness sheets by the pairs of rollers. See, e.g., column 17, lines 19-39 of Morimoto’582.
4. Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morimoto’970 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of European Publication No. 1004529 (hereinafter “EP’529”). With regard to claim 4, Morimoto’970 teaches that the facing roller (including 68) includes a first facing roller (one roller 68) and a second facing roller (another roller 68) located at an interval in a direction intersecting the medium conveying direction (right in Fig. 2), and the support (including 82 and 83), but Morimoto’970 does not show that the support (including 82 and 83) allows the first facing roller and the second facing roller to be positioned at positions different from each other in a swing direction of the support, as claimed.
EP’529 shows that it is well-known in the art to provide a medium conveying apparatus (Fig. 1) with a facing roller (220a and 220b) that includes a first facing roller (220a) and a second facing roller (220b) located at an interval in a direction intersecting a medium conveying direction, and a support (including 240a, 240b, 250a, 250b, and 205) that allows the first facing roller (220a) and the second facing roller (220b) to be positioned at positions different from each other in a swing direction of the support (including 240a, 240b, 250a, 250b, and 205), e.g., for the purpose of allowing arms (240a and 240b) of the support to individually move and hold different portions of variable thickness sheets by pairs of rollers (220a and 238a or 220b and 238b). It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the Morimoto’970 apparatus with a support that allows first and second facing rollers to be positioned at positions different from each other in the swing direction of the support, for the purpose of allowing variable thickness sheets to be conveyed by pairs of rollers while holding different thickness portions of the variable thickness sheets by the pairs of rollers. See Fig. 2b of EP’529.
Regarding claim 5, Fig. 2b of EP’529 teaches that the support (including 240a, 240b, 250a, 250b, and 205) includes an arm portion (including 240a, 250a and 250b) that supports, at multiple positions, a rotation shaft (205) common to a first facing roller (220a) and a second facing roller (220b), and the arm portion (including 240a, 250a and 250b) torsionally deforms. This same arrangement would be provided on the Morimoto’970 apparatus according to the teachings of EP’529.
5. Claim 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Morimoto’970 in view of Morimoto’582 as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Japanese Publication No. 64-28159 (hereinafter “JP’159”). Morimoto’970 in view of Morimoto’582 teaches all of the limitations of this claim, except for a universal joint, as claimed.
JP’159 shows that it is well-known in the art to provide a medium conveying apparatus (Fig. 2) with a universal joint (46) that couples a rotation shaft (unnumbered left upper shaft in Fig. 2) of a first facing roller (44) and a rotation shaft (unnumbered right upper shaft in Fig. 2) of a second facing roller (44). The abstract of JP’159 explains that this arrangement allows the first and second facing rollers to move vertically to vary bending degree of sheets and avoid creases in sheets. It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to provide the apparatus of Morimoto’970 in view of Morimoto’582 with a universal joint to couple the shafts of the first and second facing rollers together, for the purpose of allowing the first and second facing rollers to move vertically to vary bending degree of sheets and avoid creases in sheets, as taught by JP’159.
Conclusion
6. 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.
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, 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.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/THOMAS A MORRISON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
Prosecution Insights