DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tanii et al (JP Pub No 2024-042293).
Regarding claims 1 and 8, Tanii discloses a sheet conveying device, comprising:
a lift portion (31) which lifts a stack of sheets;
a sheet supply portion which includes a conveying member (22) which rotates while being in contact with an upper surface of the stack of sheets lifted by the lift portion, and supplies a sheet that comes into contact with the conveying member to a conveying path;
a detection portion (25) which detects the sheet supplied by the sheet supply portion on the conveying path;
an acquisition processing portion (42) which acquires, when the stack of sheets is lifted by the lift portion, speed information related to a conveying speed of the sheet by the sheet supply portion using the detection portion; and
a determination processing portion (44) which determines whether or not the stack of sheets is in a setting failure state based on the speed information acquired by the acquisition processing portion (see provided translation relating the the determination of speed of the sheet by “first measuring processing unit 42” and determination by “detection processing unit 44”).
Note: The applicant’s use of the phrase “in a setting failure state” is exceptionally broad and can encompass any number of abnormalities caused by sheets, environment or even conditions of the device itself.
Regarding claim 2, Tanii discloses a sheet storing portion (21) which is detachably provided in a housing (2) of the sheet conveying device (in the direction D4 shown in fig. 1) and stores the stack of sheets, wherein the lift portion is provided in the sheet storing portion, and the acquisition processing portion acquires the speed information when the lift of the stack of sheets by the lift portion is a first lift after the sheet storing portion is attached to the housing (shown in figures 2 and 4).
Regarding claims 3 and 4, Tanii discloses the acquisition processing portion acquires the speed information at a time when the sheet is supplied for a first time after the stack of sheets is lifted by the lift portion (see flowchart of figure 2). Further, the acquisition processing portion acquires the speed information every time the stack of sheets is lifted by the lift portion, and the determination processing portion determines whether or not the stack of sheets is in the setting failure state based on a plurality of pieces of the speed information that have been acquired consecutively and include the speed information that has been acquired last (as noted in S27, and repeating the determination for abnormal processing in the process of the flowchart of fig 7).
Regarding claim 5, Tanii discloses the determination processing portion determines whether or not the stack of sheets is in the setting failure state based on a plurality of pieces of the speed information having a common type of the sheet conveyed at a time of the acquisition of the speed information out of a plurality of pieces of the speed information acquired by the acquisition processing portion (see figure 7, S42 and S52).
Regarding claim 6, Tanii discloses a notification processing portion which, when it is determined by the determination processing portion that the stack of sheets is in the setting failure state, notifies to that effect (via screen 5).
Regarding claim 7, Tanii discloses an image forming apparatus (3).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Cited art generally discloses features believed to be relevant to the applicant’s claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Patrick Cicchino whose telephone number is (571)270-1954. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30AM to 5PM.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Anita Coupe can be reached at (571)270-3614. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Patrick Cicchino/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3619
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