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 Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 and 7-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamiyoshi (JP2005289464) in view of Shanghai Hongyan Returnable Transit Packaging Co. (CN106113587, herein Shanghai ‘587).
Regarding Claim 1, Kamiyoshi discloses a liner bag, the liner bag comprising a liner bag body 11(figure 2); a filling port 4 (Figure 1) and a discharging port 2 (Figure 2), wherein the liner bag body is formed by sealing and welding a front panel and a rear panel along the periphery 13 (figure 2), and the filling port and the discharging port are located at the front panel and the rear panel respectively (Figure 3) and sealedly connected to the liner bag body (Figure 2), the liner bag body is substantially rectangular (figure 2), and the liner bag body has two pairs of opposite side edges (figure 2), and corresponding adjacent side edges of the two pairs of opposite side edges are connected by one or more transition edges (Figure 2). Kamiyoshi does not disclose the discharging port is closer to the edge of the liner bag body than the filling port and the liner bag has an unfolded state and a folded state, wherein in the folded state: a first pair of opposite side portions of the liner bag body are folded upwardly, so that a portion of the liner bag body containing the discharging port faces upwardly, the discharging port and the filling port are in the same plane, and a second pair of opposite side portions of the liner bag body are folded upwardly towards the discharging port, so that edges of the second pair of opposite side portions are adjacent to the discharge port. However, Shanghai ‘587 teaches the discharging port is closer to the edge of the liner bag body than the filling port (figure 1) and the liner bag has an unfolded state (Figure 3) and a folded state (Figure 9), wherein in the folded state: a first pair of opposite side portions of the liner bag body are folded upwardly, so that a portion of the liner bag body containing the discharging port faces upwardly (paragraph 60, figure 9), the discharging port and the filling port are in the same plane (Figure 6), and a second pair of opposite side portions of the liner bag body are folded upwardly towards the discharging port (paragraph 60; figure 9), so that edges of the second pair of opposite side portions are adjacent to the discharge port (Figure 6). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kamiyoshi to include the above, as taught by Shanghai ‘587, in order to allow for easier access to the filling port.
Regarding Claim 2, Kamiyoshi discloses the front panel and the rear panel are substantially rectangular flexible panels (figure 2 and 3).
Regarding Claim 3, Kamiyoshi discloses a vertical distance between a vertex of each side edge of the two pairs of opposite side edges and the adjacent side edge is equal to 1/20-1/10 of a total length of the side edge (figure 2).
Regarding Claim 4, Kamiyoshi discloses angles formed between adjacent edges of all corners of the liner bag body are obtuse angles (figure 2).
Regarding Claim 5, Kamiyoshi discloses edges forming each corner of the liner bag body are straight or arc edges (Figure 2).
Regarding Claim 7, Kamiyoshi discloses the filling port is located in the middle of the front panel, the discharging port is located in the rear panel (Figure 3). Kamiyoshi does not disclose a distance between an edge of the discharging port and a nearest edge of the liner bag body is smaller than one quarter of the length of the liner bag. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the above since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP2144.05(III)(C).
Regarding Claim 8, Kamiyoshi teaches all the limitations substantially as claimed except for the second pair of opposite side portions of the liner bag body are folded upwardly toward the filling port, so that the edges of the second pair of opposite side portions are adjacent to the filling port and the discharging port. However, Shanghai ‘587 teaches the second pair of opposite side portions of the liner bag body are folded upwardly toward the filling port (paragraph 60, figure 6), so that edges of the second pair of side portions are adjacent to the filling port and the discharging port (Figure 9). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kamiyoshi to include the above, as taught by Shanghai ‘587, in order to easily empty the liner.
Regarding Claims 9 and 10, Kamiyoshi teaches all the limitations substantially as claimed except for the volume of the liner bag is between 200L and 1250L or a volume of 250L, 1000L or 1200L. However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention was made to have the above since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. MPEP2144.05(III)(C).
Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kamiyoshi (JP2005289464) in view of Shanghai Hongyan Returnable Transit Packaging Co. (CN106113587, herein Shanghai ‘587) and Shanghai Hongyan Returnable Transit Packaging Co. (CN107697486, herein Shanghai ‘486).
Regarding Claim 12, Kamiyoshi discloses the liner bag body formed by sealing and welding a front panel and a rear panel along the periphery 13 (Figure 2), and the filling port and the discharging port are located at the front panel and the rear panel respectively and sealedly connected with the liner bag body (figure 3), the liner bag body is substantially rectangular (Figure 2), and four formers of the liner bag body are chamfered (Figure 2); the discharging port of the liner bag is mounted in the discharging channel (Figure 1). Kamiyoshi and Shanghai ‘587 do not disclose a liquid conveying system comprising an IBC, and a squeezer, wherein the IBC comprises a base and side walls mounted on the base, the base is provided with a discharging channel, the liner bag is placed in the IBC and the squeezer has a pair of rollers and the squeezer is arranged to be placed over the liner bag with the pair of rollers clamping a top end of the liner bag when the liquid within the liner bag is discharging. However, Shanghai ‘486 teaches a liquid conveying system 100 (Figure 16) comprising an IBC 1 (Figure 1), and a squeezer 3 (Figure 16), wherein the IBC comprises a base and side walls mounted on the base (Figure 16), the base is provided with a discharging channel 21 (Figure 23), the liner bag is placed in the IBC and the squeezer has a pair of rollers and the squeezer is arranged to be placed over the liner bag with the pair of rollers clamping a top end of the liner bag when the liquid within the liner bag is discharging (Figure 16). Therefore, it would have been obvious for one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Kamiyoshi and Shanghai ‘587 to include the above, as taught by Shanghai ‘486, in order to allow for easier access to the filling port and allow for assisting in dispensing the entire contents of the liner bag.
Applicant is duly reminded that a complete response must satisfy the requirements of 37 C.F. R. 1.111, including: “The reply must present arguments pointing out the specific distinctions believed to render the claims, including any newly presented claims, patentable over any applied references. A general allegation that the claims “define a patentable invention” without specifically pointing out how the language of the claims patentably distinguishes them from the references does not comply with the requirements of this section. Moreover, “The prompt development of a clear Issue requires that the replies of the applicant meet the objections to and rejections of the claims.” Applicant should also specifically point out the support for any amendments made to the disclosure. See MPEP 2163.06 II(A), MPEP 2163.06 and MPEP 714.02. The ''disclosure'' includes the claims, the specification and the drawings.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 10/8/25 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Applicant argues that Kamiyoshi and Shanghai ‘587 do not disclose the discharging port is closer to the edge of the liner bag body than the filling port. However, Shanghai ‘587 teaches in figure 6 that discharging port 102 is closer to the edge than filling port 101 (figure 6). Applicant also argues that Shanghai ‘587 does not fold wherein a first pair of opposite side portions of the liner bag body are folded upwardly, so that a portion of the liner bag body containing the discharging port faces upwardly, the discharging port and the filling port are in the same plane, and a second pair of opposite side portions of the liner bag body are folded upwardly towards the discharging port, so that edges of the second pair of opposite side portions are adjacent to the discharge port. However, as disclosed in paragraph 60 the liner bag is folded as above and the filling port and discharging port are in the same plane (figure 6).
Conclusion
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.
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/E.J.V/Examiner, Art Unit 3733
/DON M ANDERSON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3733