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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a) because they fail to show in Figs. 3-10, reference numerals 11 “lower support member” and 12 “lower valve mechanism” as described in the specification (in paragraph 0094). Any structural detail that is essential for a proper understanding of the disclosed invention should be shown in the drawing. MPEP § 608.02(d). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) 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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
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) 1-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ono et al. (EP 3 603 980 A1) (hereinafter Ono et al.).
Regarding Claim 1, Ono et al. teaches a liquid cartridge (30, Fig. 1) [Section: Overview of Printer 10] comprising: a housing (130, Fig. 4) that includes a first tubular portion (34, Figs. 2-3) extending in a first direction [Section: Housing 130 and Ink Supply Portion 34]; a first support member (75, Fig. 3) having a tubular shape and accommodated in the first tubular portion (34) [Ink Supply Portion 34]; and a first valve mechanism (see Fig. 3) at least partially accommodated in the first support member (75), wherein the first valve mechanism (see Fig. 3) includes: a seal member (76, Fig. 3) having a first through hole (73, Fig. 3), a valve (77, Fig. 3) located in an internal space of the first support member (75) and configured to open and close the first through hole (73), and a bias member (78, Fig. 3) located in the internal space of the first support member (75) and configured to bias the valve (77) toward the seal member (76) [Section: Ink Supply Portion], and the first support member (75) has a portion that defines a second through hole (99, Fig. 3) at one end in the first direction [Section Internal Structure of Ink Cartridge 30].
Regarding Claim 2, Ono et al. teaches the liquid cartridge (30), wherein the portion that defines the second through hole (99) annularly protrudes inward from an inner circumferential surface of the first support member (75) [see Figs. 3 and 5].
Regarding Claim 3, Ono et al. teaches the liquid cartridge (30), wherein the seal member (76) includes a first seal portion (123, Figs. 3 and 7-9) that is in close contact with an inner surface of the first tubular portion (34) and a second seal portion (120C, Figs. 3 and 7-8] that is in close contact with the valve (77) [Section: Sealing Member 76].
Regarding Claim 4, Ono et al. teaches the liquid cartridge (30), wherein the first support member (75) has a protrusion (see Fig. 8) that protrudes inward from the inner circumferential surface of the first support member (75), one end of the bias member (78) in the first direction is supported by the protrusion (see Fig. 8), and an other end of the bias member (78) in the first direction is in contact with the valve (77) [see Fig. 8].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-11 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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The primary reason for the allowance of claims 5-7 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid cartridge that includes a first support member having a third seal portion in close contact with a seal member at an other end in a first direction. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 8 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid cartridge that includes a first support member having an outer circumferential surface that includes a fourth seal portion in close contact with an inner circumferential surface of a first tubular portion. It is this limitation found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claims 9-11 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid cartridge that includes wherein a housing further includes a second tubular portion that extends in the first direction, an other end of a first tubular portion in the first direction is rearward of an other end of the second tubular portion in the first direction, and the liquid cartridge further includes: a second support member having a tubular shape that fits in the second tubular portion; and a second valve mechanism that a least partially fits in the second support member, wherein a length of the second support member in the first direction is greater than a length of the first support member in the first direction. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA SOLOMON whose telephone number is (571)272-1701. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:30am -6pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LISA SOLOMON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853