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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
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.
Claim(s) s1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ito et al. (JP 2012-180144A).
With respect to claim 1, Ito et al. disclose an image forming apparatus, comprising: an image forming portion that forms an image (e.g., “image forming apparatus” as discussed at least in paragraph 17) on a recording medium (e.g., paper 3), and a sheet feed unit (e.g., paper feed mechanism 1) that feeds the recording medium to the image forming portion, wherein the sheet feed unit includes: a pickup roller (e.g., pickup roller 4) that makes contact with the recording medium (3) stored in a sheet feed cassette (e.g., paper feed cassette 2), the pickup roller (4) feeding out the recording medium (3); a feed roller (e.g., feed roller 5) that conveys the recording medium (3) fed out by the pickup roller (4); and a retard roller (e.g., retard roller 6) that is kept in pressed contact with the feed roller (5) to form a nip portion, the retard roller (6) conveying the recording medium (3) while separating one sheet (3) of it from the rest, the feed roller (5) is covered at least partly from above by a first charge elimination member (e.g., discharging member 7), and the first charge elimination member is grounded (as discussed at least in paragraph 26).
With respect to claim 2, Ito et al. further disclose wherein: the feed roller (5) and the first charge elimination member (7) face each other across a gap of 2 mm or more but 4 mm or less (as shown at least by figs. 1-2 and/or as discussed at least in paragraphs 25-39).
With respect to claim 3, Ito et al. further disclose wherein: the first charge elimination member (7) has a length in an axial direction greater than an axial length of the feed roller (5, as shown at least by figs. 1-2).
With respect to claim 4, Ito et al. further disclose wherein: the first charge elimination member (7) curves along the feed roller (5) to be convex outward in a radial direction (as shown at least by figs. 1-2 and/or as discussed at least in paragraphs 25-39).
Prior Art of Record
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant’s disclosure. Aiba (US 2006/0285870) discloses a charge eliminating brush peeping through a guide groove; Sakamaki et al. (US 2004/0188919) disclose a pickup roller, a feed roller, a retard roller and a grounded link lever; Kikuchi et al. (US 5201873) disclose a sheet guide member for changing over the sheet feeding path.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-8 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.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter:
With respect to claim 5, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed housing that holds the pickup roller, the feed roller, and the retard roller, wherein the sheet feed unit is attachable to an apparatus main body along a guide rail arranged in the housing, and the first charge elimination member is configured as the guide rail, in combination with the remaining claim elements as set forth in the claims.
With respect to claims 6-8, the prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed sheet feed unit further comprising a guide member that is arranged on a conveyance face of a sheet conveyance passage that connects together the pickup roller and the feed roller, the guide member supporting a bottom face of the recording medium, wherein a top face of the guide member is configured with a second charge elimination member, in combination with the remaining claim elements as set forth in the claims.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JOSEPH S WONG whose telephone number is (571)272-8457. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday (9-5).
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Walter L Lindsay Jr. can be reached at (571) 272-1674. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/JOSEPH S WONG/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
JSW
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