DETAILED ACTION
1. This is the first action on the merits relating to U.S. Application Serial No. 18/710,440 filed on May 15, 2024.
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
2. The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Preliminary Amendment
3. Receipt is acknowledged of the preliminary amendment filed on May 15, 2024. Currently claims 1-16 remain in the examination.
Priority
4. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Claim Objections
5. Claims 1 and 16 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Regarding claims 1 and 16, please remove all occurrences of “-“ from these claims. Appropriate correction is required.
Regarding claim 1: please delete all occurrences of “optionally” which may potentially render the claim vague and indefinite.
Regarding claim 16: please delete all occurrences of “optionally” which may potentially render the claim vague and indefinite.
Regarding claim 16, line 8: please replace “claim 1” with the actual text of claim 1.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Claims 1, 3, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2012/0277904 A1 to PRITCHARD et al. (hereinafter “PRITCHARD”).
Regarding claim 1, PRITCHARD discloses a collection container 10 comprising at least one disposal module 18 in the form of a delivery door or flap (see paragraph 0058); another opening in the form of a main door for storing the products (see figure 2A); at least one section configured to receive a plurality of product in horizontal manner; a second section configured to receive a plurality of product in horizontal manner wherein the first and second products are stacked in horizontal manner (see paragraph 0006 and thereafter); and the products that are stacked varies from snack to phone cards and other consumables (see paragraph 0004). It is the Examiner’s position that the collection container 10 of PRITCHARD can store reusable cups or other reusable containers.
Regarding claim 3, the container is further comprised of an elevator tray (see abstract and paragraphs 0024, 0027 and thereafter), which is a transport system for the container.
Regarding claim 16, see the description for claim 1 above. The collection container 10 is a kit.
Allowable Subject Matter
9. Claims 2 and 4-15 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
10. The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: Claims are directed at a collection container comprising:
at least one disposal module, wherein the disposal module comprises a disposal opening in the collection container, suitable for allowing first reusable receptacles, and second reusable receptacles, to enter the collection container;
at least one first reusable receptacle receiver, configured to receive and stack first reusable receptacle into first stacks;
at least one second reusable receptacle receiver, configured to receive and stack second reusable receptacle into second stacks;
a receptacle transport system, for transporting the first reusable receptacles, and optionally the second reusable receptacles, from the disposal module to the at least one first reusable receptacle receiver and optionally to at least one second reusable receptacle receiver; wherein
the at least one first reusable receptacle receiver is orientated horizontally, stacking the first reusable receptacle into horizontal first stacks; and,
the at least one second reusable receptacle receiver is orientated horizontally, stacking the second reusable receptacle into horizontal second stacks; and wherein
for each reusable receptacle receiver, at least one collection cartridge configured to receive stacks from said reusable receptacle receiver, at least one collection cartridge is configured below the reusable receptacle receiver.
Above is a combination of claims 1 and 2, which is neither disclosed nor suggested by the cited prior arts. The combination is made as an example, and the limitations in other objected claims are also allowable.
Conclusion
The pertinent prior arts made of record but not relied are listed in the attached form PTO-892. These are considered pertinent to Applicant's disclosure. Applicant is respectfully suggested to carefully review these references.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Ahshik Kim whose telephone number is (571)272-2393. The examiner can normally be reached between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday thru Friday. Examiner’s fax phone number is (571)273-2393.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Michael G. Lee, can be reached on (571)272-2398. The fax phone number for this Group is (571)273-8300.
Communications via Internet e-mail regarding this application, other than those under 35 U.S.C. 132 or which otherwise require a signature, may be used by the applicant and should be addressed to [ahshik.kim@uspto.gov].
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/AHSHIK KIM/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2876
February 19, 2026