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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: IVB (Fig. 4A). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objections
Claims 1-10 are objected to because of the following informality:
Claim 1, line 6, “upstream facing” should be “upstream-facing”.
Claim 1, line 8, “upstream facing” should be “upstream-facing”.
Claim 10, line 10, “upstream facing” should be “upstream-facing”.
Claim 10, lines 10-11, “upstream facing” should be “upstream-facing”.
Appropriate correction is required.
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 1-10 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.
Claim 1 is considered to be indefinite because it is unclear how the upstream-facing slope of the spiral ridge (emphasis added, if it is only one spiral ridge) becomes less steep toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction.
Claim 2 is considered to be indefinite because it is unclear how the upstream-facing slope of the spiral ridge (emphasis added, if it is only one spiral ridge) becomes less steep toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction.
Claim 3 is considered to be indefinite because it is unclear how the length of the upper side decreases toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction if it is only one spiral ridge.
Claim 6 recites the limitation "the height" in line 2. There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
Claim 6 is considered to be indefinite because it is unclear how the upstream-facing slope of the spiral ridge (emphasis added, if it is only one spiral ridge) becomes less steep toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction.
Claim 7 is considered to be indefinite because it is unclear how the length of the upper side decreases toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction if it is only one spiral ridge.
Claim 10 is considered to be indefinite because it is unclear how the upstream-facing slope of the spiral ridge (emphasis added, if it is only one spiral ridge) becomes less steep toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction.
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) 1, 6, 8 and 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nakai (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2020/0310293 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Nakai discloses a toner cartridge 100 comprising: an opening part 130 located on a downstream side in a toner transport direction F; and a transport part 110 configured to transport toner toward the opening part 130 as the transport part rotates (Fig. 3), the transport part 110 having a spiral ridge 114 formed on an inner surface thereof, the spiral ridge 114 having an upstream facing slope 114d facing an upstream side in the toner transport direction F, the upstream facing slope 114d becoming less steep toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction F (Figs. 8 and 9).
Regarding claim 6, Nakai discloses wherein: the height of the spiral ridge 114 decreases toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction F, and the upstream-facing slope 114d becomes less steep toward the upstream side in the transport direction F (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 8, Nakai discloses wherein a distance between protrusions of the spiral ridge 114 increases toward the upstream side in the transport direction F (Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 10, Nakai discloses an image forming apparatus 1 comprising: an image-forming processing unit 50Y including a developing device 54Y configured to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on a photoconductive member 51Y, a transfer unit 62Y configured to transfer the developed image to a sheet P, and a heating unit 72 configured to heat the sheet P to which the developed image has been transferred (Fig. 2); and a toner cartridge 100 configured to supply toner to the developing device 54Y, the toner cartridge 100 including: an opening part 130 located on a downstream side in a toner transport direction F; and a transport part 110 configured to transport toner toward the opening part 130 as the transport part 110 rotates (Fig. 3), the transport part 110 having a spiral ridge 114 on an inner surface thereof, the spiral ridge 114 having an upstream facing slope 114d facing an upstream side in the toner transport direction F, the upstream facing slope 114d becoming less steep toward the upstream side in the toner transport direction F (Figs. 8 and 9).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 7 and 9 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Other Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yoshino et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2004/0126144 A1), Yukimoto et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2018/0113398 A1), and Tanaka et al. (WO 2022/225563 A1) disclose a toner cartridge comprising: an opening part located on a downstream side in a toner transport direction; and a transport part configured to transport toner toward the opening part as the transport part rotates, the transport part having a spiral ridge formed on an inner surface thereof, the spiral ridge having an upstream-facing slope facing the upstream side in the toner transport direction and an downstream-facing slope facing a downstream side in the toner transport direction.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOPHIA S CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2133. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm.
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, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/SOPHIA S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
Ssc
September 22, 2026
Prosecution Insights