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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Group I (claims 1-9 and 11-16) in the reply filed on August 18, 2026 is acknowledged.
Specification
A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the ELECTED invention to which the claims are directed.
The following title is suggested: --REPLACEMENT UNIT OF A PRINTING DEVICE--.
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 1-9 and 11-16 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.
“the first detection region”, “the movement region” (claim 1, last two line), and “the warning region” (claim 11, lines 2-3) lack of antecedent basis. It appears that they should be amended to be --the predetermined first detection region--, --the predetermined movement region-- (claim 1, last two line), and --the predetermined warning region--, respectively and these problems exist throughout the claims. Please clarify these errors.
“a member” (claim 2, line 3) is vague and indefinite because it is uncertain as to a member of what is been referred to? Please clarify.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 1 would be allowable if rewritten or amended 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.
Claims 2-9 and 11-16 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: U.S. Patent 11,297,751 to Kuroda is the closest prior art which disclose a replacement unit comprising a moving section (71) that moves along the front of the printing device (10) to receive and replace an accommodate rack (14) at the standby position and replacement position; and a regions detection section (84) for detecting an objection in a predetermined region (see Figs. 4-7) except for “the a region detection section configured to detect an object existing in a predetermined first detection region lying around a circumference of the replacement unit when the accommodation rack exists outside a predetermined movement region which lies between the standby position and the replacement position, while being configured to detect an object existing in a second detection region which is different from the first detection region when the accommodation rack exists inside the movement region”. All other prior art as cited herein fails to teach this feature of the claimed invention.
Conclusion
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/DN/ /DONGHAI D NGUYEN/September 30, 2026 Primary Examiner, Art Unit 3729
