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 .
Prosecution on the merits of this application is reopened on claims 21-37 and 39-41 are considered unpatentable for the reasons indicated below:
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 27 and 31 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 27 and 31 limit the detection portion being position further rearward relative to the electrode group and further frontward relate to the plate. Claim 31 also limits the plate being position rearward of the electrode group. It is unclear to examiner how the detection portion can be further rearward of the electrode and also frontward relative to the plate. Clarification is needed on whether the detection portion is rearward of the plate or frontward of the plate. Claim 31 will be examine with the detection portion positioned rearward of the plate.
Dependent claims 32-37 and 39-41 inherit the profile of independent claim 31 and therefore are also rejected.
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) 21-37 and 39-41 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okazaki (JP 2017177732).
With regard to claims 21 and 31, Okazaki discloses a liquid cartridge (30) [Para. 0040] attachable
to a case (101) [Para.0041] in an attached posture [Figs. 1, 2],
the liquid cartridge comprising:
a cartridge body (31, 32) [Para. 0055; Fig. 4] comprising a liquid storage chamber (36) [ink chamber; Para. 0055; Fig. 4] and a cover (32) [front cover; Para. 0055; Fig. 4] covering the liquid storage chamber, the cartridge body having a front surface (140) and a top surface (141) [Upper Surfaces; Para. 0056; Fig. 4];
a liquid supply port (34) [Para. 0045; Figs. 3, 4] provided at the front surface of the cartridge body and configured to supply liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber to an outside of the cartridge body [Para. 0051];
an electronic board (66) [IC Substrate Para. 0054; Fig. 2] provided at the top surface of the cartridge body [Fig. 2] and comprising an electrode group (not illustrated) [plurality of electrodes; Para. 0054] comprising at least three electrodes (not illustrated) [HOT, GND, signal; Para. 0070], the at least three electrodes facing upward [Para. 0070];
a plate (80) [Para. 0069] provided at the top surface of the cartridge body [Figs. 3-4], the plate and the cover being integrally provided [plate of the wall (80) is formed on the upper surface (141) of the front cover; Para. 0069; Fig. 4], the plate being positioned rearward of the electrode group and protruding upward relative to the electrode group [Fig. 4], the plate having an attenuating surface (82) [light shielding portion; Para. 0071; Fig. 4, 6] configured to attenuate incident light traveling leftward or rightward (55, 56) [rightward and leftward direction; Para. 0070]; and
a protrusion (43) [locking portion; Para. 0061; Fig. 4] provided at the top surface of the cartridge body [Fig. 4], the protrusion being positioned rearward of the plate and protruding upward from the top surface of the cartridge body [Fig. 4], the protrusion having a positioning surface (171) facing frontward and positioning the liquid cartridge in the attached posture [Para. 0061] as recited in claim 21, the protrusion having a positioning surface (171) for positioning the liquid cartridge in the attached posture [Para. 0061] as recited in claim 31;
wherein when the liquid cartridge is attached to the case, the plate is configured to be detected by an optical sensor (121, 123) [Para. 0016; Fig. 7] configured to emit light traveling leftward or rightward (55, 56) [Para. 0112] [The through hole (83) may not be formed in the plate 81 depending on the type of the ink cartridge. When the through hole 83 is not formed, a light blocking portion 82 is formed along the entire dimension of the plate in an insertion direction (i.e. forward direction 51) is attached to the cartridge attachment section 110, and blocks or attenuates infrared light emitted from the light emitting part of the optical sensor 123; Para. 0071], and
wherein the attenuating surface has a detection area (83) immovable relative to the cartridge body [Figs. 7-9], the light emitted from the optical sensor being configured to be incident on the detection area when the liquid cartridge is attached to the case [Fig. 9], the detection area being positioned rearward and upward of the electrode group and positioned frontward and downward of the positioning surface. [Figs. 1, 9]
the liquid cartridge further comprising:
a detection portion (93) provided at the top surface of the cartridge body [Fig. 6] and configured to attenuate the light emitted from the optical sensor [Para. 0112], the detection portion being positioned further rearward relative to the electrode group and further frontward relative to the plate [Fig. 6] as recited in claim 31.
With regard to claims 22 and 33, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31, respectively and Okazaki also discloses wherein, when viewed leftward or rightward, the detection area is positioned in an area defined by:
a first imaginary line passing through both a center of the electrode group and a center of the positioning surface;
a second imaginary line passing through both a center of the liquid supply port and the center of the electrode group; and
a third imaginary line passing through both the center of the liquid supply port and the center of the positioning surface.
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With regard to claims 23 and 34, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively and Okazaki also discloses wherein the plate has a left end and a right end positioned inward relative to a left end and a right end of the electrode group, respectively [Fig. 5].
With regard to claims 24 and 35, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively and Okazaki also discloses wherein the plate does not contact the liquid stored in the liquid storage chamber [Fig. 4].
With regard to claims 27, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively and Okazaki also discloses further comprising a detection portion (93) provided at the top surface of the cartridge body [Fig. 6] and configured to attenuate the light emitted from the optical sensor [Para. 0090], the detection portion being positioned further rearward relative to the electrode group and further frontward relative to the plate [Fig. 6].
With regard to claims 28 and 39, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively and Okazaki also discloses wherein an upper end of the plate is positioned further downward relative to the positioning surface. [Fig. 4]
With regard to claims 29 and 40, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively and Okazaki also discloses wherein the electrode group comprises a first electrode, a second electrode, and a third electrode arranged in a left-right direction such that the third electrode is positioned between the first electrode and the second electrode [electrodes include a HOT, GND a signal and the like electrodes are spaced apart in the leftward direction (56) and the rightward direction (55) and electrode arrangement involves only routine skill in the art; Para. 00; Fig. 4],
wherein the first electrode, the second electrode, and the third electrode are configured to be electrically connected to the case [Fig. 1], and
wherein in the attached posture, an upper end of the plate and one of the first electrode and the second electrode are arranged to intersect an imaginary plane extending both in a front rear direction and in an up-down direction. [Figs. 1, 9]
With regard to claims 30 and 41, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively and Okazaki also discloses wherein the cartridge body comprises: a first cover (141) [upper surface; Para. 0070] supporting the electronic board and covering a portion of the liquid storage chamber; and a second cover (129) comprising the plate and the positioning surface. [Fig. 4]
With regard to claim 32, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively and Okazaki also discloses wherein the positioning surface faces rearward [Fig. 3].
Claim(s) 25 and 36 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okazaki (JP 2017177732A).
With regard to claims 25 and 36, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively but does not explicitly disclose wherein the plate is made of resin.
However, Okazaki discloses the inner frame (35) is made of resin and the plate protrudes in the upward direction from the upper surface with a through hole (83) [Para. 0087-0088],
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to configure the plate to be made of resin for the purpose of maintain a through hole in a position between the light emitting part and the light receiving part of the optical sensor.
With regard to claims 26 and 37, Okazaki's modified liquid cartridge discloses all the limitations of claims 21 and 31 respectively but does not disclose further comprising a light-transmissive member covering at least the attenuating surface, a front portion, and an upper portion of the plate.
However, Okazaki does disclose the detection portion (93) that attenuates the light emitted from the optical sensor may be covered by a cover that allows light from the outside to pass through [Para. 0090].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize light transmissive member covering at least the attenuating surface, a front portion and an upper portion of the plate for the purpose allowing light from the outside to pass through.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACEY M MCMILLION whose telephone number is (571)270-5193. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6AM-2:30PM EST.
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/TRACEY M MCMILLION/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/RICARDO I MAGALLANES/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853