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 § 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and (a)(2) as being anticipated by Hosokawa et al. (US 2015/0338775).
With respect to claim 1, Hosokawa et al. disclose a toner container (e.g., “toner container 32”), comprising: a cylindrical portion (e.g., item 330) formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in an insertion direction with respect to an image forming apparatus; an opening portion (e.g., item 338 and/or 335b) provided at an outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical portion (as shown at least by figs. 33, 37, 39 and/or 40); a shutter portion (e.g., shutter 322) provided to be movable between a cover position at which the shutter portion covers the opening portion on an outer side of the cylindrical portion (as shown at least by fig. 39) and an evacuation position evacuated from the cover position toward an upstream side of the insertion direction (as shown at least by fig. 40); a bias portion (e.g., spring 336) which biases the shutter portion (332) in the insertion direction (as shown at least by figs. 39-40); and a lock portion (e.g., item(s) 610, 611, and/or 609) which locks the shutter portion (322) at the evacuation position (as shown at least by fig. 40).
With respect to claim 2, Hosokawa et al. further disclose further comprising: a sealing portion (e.g., item(s) 333 and/or 370) which is provided along an edge portion of the opening portion and fills a gap between the shutter portion (332) arranged at the cover position and the opening portion (as shown at least by figs. 33, 37, 39 and/or 40).
With respect to claim 3, Hosokawa et al. further disclose wherein at the evacuation position, the shutter portion (332) is provided to be movable between an unlock position at which a movement along the insertion direction is allowed (as shown at least by figs. 33, 37, 39 and/or 40) and a lock position set apart from the unlock position along an outer circumference of the cylindrical portion (as shown at least by figs. 33, 37, 39 and/or 40), and the lock portion (610, 611, and/or 609) comes into contact with the shutter portion (332) arranged at the lock position to latch the movement of the shutter portion (332) in the insertion direction (as shown at least by figs. 33, 37, 39 and/or 40).
With respect to claim 4, Hosokawa et al. further disclose an image forming apparatus (e.g., fig. 2), comprising: the toner container (32) according to claim 1 (as discussed above).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for indicating allowable subject matter: The prior art of record does not disclose or suggest the claimed manufacturing method of a toner container including a compression coil spring which encloses an outer circumference of the cylindrical portion at a position more on the upstream side of the insertion direction than the shutter portion and biases the shutter portion in the insertion direction, a lock portion which locks the shutter portion at the evacuation position, and a sealing portion which is provided along an edge portion of the opening portion and fills a gap between the shutter portion arranged at the cover position and the opening portion, the manufacturing method comprising: a first step of attaching the compression coil spring to the cylindrical portion; a second step of attaching the shutter portion after the first step; a third step of locking the shutter portion at the evacuation position using the lock portion; and a fourth step of attaching the sealing portion after the third step; the toner container further comprising a cylindrical portion formed in a cylindrical shape elongated in an insertion direction with respect to an image forming apparatus, an opening portion provided at an outer circumferential portion of the cylindrical portion, a shutter portion provided to be movable between a cover position at which the shutter portion covers the opening portion on an outer side of the cylindrical portion and an evacuation position evacuated from the cover position toward an upstream side of the insertion direction, 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