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 Interpretation
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(f):
(f) Element in Claim for a Combination. – An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph:
An element in a claim for a combination may be expressed as a means or step for performing a specified function without the recital of structure, material, or acts in support thereof, and such claim shall be construed to cover the corresponding structure, material, or acts described in the specification and equivalents thereof.
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: a switching mechanism identified as element 405 within the disclosure and first appearing in claims 1 and 12, and a sheet return part identified as element 406 within the disclosure and first appearing in claims 8 and 13.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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) 1-3 and 8-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tsukuda et al. US 2019/0193427 (“Tsukuda”).
Regarding claim 1, Tsukuda disclosed a printing apparatus comprising:
a housing (Figure 1);
a feed roller (132), disposed in the housing, that feeds a sheet;
a cam (188) that rotates in synchronization with the feed roller;
a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet fed by the feed roller (Figures 1 and 3);
a printing unit configured to print onto the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit (Figures 1 and 3); and
a storage cassette (129) capable of being attached to and removed from the housing, the storage cassette storing the sheet,
wherein the storage cassette includes:
a sheet separation unit (182) capable of contacting the feed roller in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing;
a follower (including 189, 183) driven by the cam when the cam rotates; and
a switching mechanism configured to switch a position of the sheet separation unit between a contact position, in which the sheet separation unit is in contact with the feed roller, and a separated position, in which the sheet separation unit is separated from the feed roller, in conjunction with movement of the follower (paragraph 0094).
Regarding claim 2, Tsukuda disclosed the storage cassette includes a first spring (186) configured to bias the sheet separation unit, and in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing, the first spring biases the sheet separation unit in a direction that brings the sheet separation unit into contact with the feed roller (paragraph 0092).
Regarding claim 3, Tsukuda disclosed the follower includes a tip part (189) capable of contacting the cam in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing,
a direction of removing the storage cassette from the housing is a first direction (X), and
the follower is driven by the cam when the cam rotates, and rotates to move the tip part downstream in the first direction (see Figure 15).
Regarding claim 8, Tsukuda disclosed the storage cassette includes a sheet return part (173) configured to return the sheet separated by the sheet separation unit to the storage cassette.
Regarding claim 9, Tsukuda disclosed the sheet return part is capable of switching between a projecting position (Figure 10), in which the sheet return part projects into a conveyance path of the sheet, and a retracted position (Figure 11), in which the sheet return part is retracted from the conveyance path, and returns the sheet separated by the sheet separation unit to the storage cassette when the sheet return part is in the projecting position.
Regarding claim 10, the sheet return part may be in the retracted position when the storage cassette is removed from the housing. See also MPEP 2114.
Regarding claim 11, Tsukuda disclosed a feed unit (7, see Figure 9) configured to feed the sheet to the conveyance unit (see at least Figure 8), the feed unit being disposed further downstream than the feed roller in a feed direction of the sheet.
Regarding claim 12, Tsukuda disclosed a storage cassette capable of being attached to and removed from a housing of a printing apparatus, the storage cassette storing a sheet, the printing apparatus comprising:
the housing (Figure 1);
a feed roller (132), disposed in the housing, that feeds a sheet;
a cam (188) that rotates in synchronization with the feed roller;
a conveyance unit configured to convey the sheet fed by the feed roller (Figure 1); and
a printing unit configured to print onto the sheet conveyed by the conveyance unit (Figure 1), and
the storage cassette comprising:
a sheet separation unit (182) capable of contacting the feed roller in a state where the storage cassette is attached to the housing;
a follower (including 189, 183) driven by the cam when the cam rotates; and
a switching mechanism configured to switch a position of the sheet separation unit between a contact position, in which the sheet separation unit is in contact with the feed roller, and a separated position, in which the sheet separation unit is separated from the feed roller, in conjunction with movement of the follower (paragraph 0094).
Regarding claim 13, Tsukuda disclosed a sheet return part (173) configured to return the sheet separated by the sheet separation unit to the storage cassette,
wherein the sheet return part is capable of switching between a projecting position (Figure 10), in which the sheet return part projects into a conveyance path of the sheet, and a retracted position (Figure 11), in which the sheet return part is retracted from the conveyance path, and returns the sheet separated by the sheet separation unit to the storage cassette when the sheet return part is in the projecting position.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 and 14-15 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
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Morinaga et al. US 8,251,364 and Masubuchi US 9,212,014 both teach similar cam arrangements, each missing features absent from the claimed invention.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HOWARD J SANDERS whose telephone number is (571)270-3096. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8:00-5:00.
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, Michael 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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/HOWARD J SANDERS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3653
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