CTNF 18/794,960 CTNF 82745 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 08-25 AIA Applicant's election with traverse of Invention I in the reply filed on 4/15/26 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that some of the inventions share a classification and that there is no serious burden to examine all inventions . This is not found persuasive because a shared classification does not mean that all references classified in the same classification are the same invention. A different search for different limitations would still be needed between different inventions within a classification. Also, there is a serious burden because a search for one invention will not necessarily encompass a search for another invention . The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL. 08-05 AIA Claim s 3-15 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Invention , there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 4/15/26 . Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112 07-30-02 AIA 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 and 19 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 metes and bounds of “long” in “long side” is indefinite. Dependent claims 2, 16-18, and 20 are considered rejected for incorporating defects from rejected parent claim. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1-2 and 16-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Tajima et al. (US 2007/0008379 A1) . Regarding claim 1 , Tajima discloses A cartridge (see fig. 3A-B) comprising: a case including a storage portion for storing liquid and a flow path that communicates with the storage portion (inherent in fig. 3A-B); an element substrate (H1101, fig. 3A, para 41) including an ejection port that communicates with the storage portion via the flow path (inherent in fig. 3A-B) and is configured to eject liquid contained in the storage portion (inherent in fig. 3A-B); and an electric wiring substrate (H1301, fig. 3A, para 40) that is electrically connected to the element substrate (inherent in fig. 3A), wherein the case has a surface to which the element substrate and the electric wiring substrate are fixed (the entire outside of the case in fig. 3A is a “surface”), and wherein, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface, a slit (see at least H1309, fig. 5A-6A, para 58; or H1312, fig. 8A,B, para 75; or H1310, fig. 9A-10A) is provided in at least one long side of an outer periphery of the surface (see fig. 5A-6A or 8A-B or 9A-10A). Regarding claim 2 , Tajima further discloses The cartridge according to Claim 1, wherein the surface includes a first surface that supports the element substrate and a second surface that supports the electric wiring substrate, and the slit is provided in the second surface (see fig. 5A-6A or 8A-B or 9A-10A). Regarding claim 16 , Tajima further discloses The cartridge according to Claim 1, wherein the storage portion is configured to contain ink (inherent in Tajima). Regarding claim 17 , Tajima further discloses The cartridge according to Claim 1, wherein the cartridge is attachable to and removable from a liquid ejection apparatus (inherent in Tajima). Regarding claim 18 , Tajima further discloses The cartridge according to Claim 1, wherein the surface is substantially rectangular in shape, and wherein the element substrate further includes an energy generating element for ejecting liquid (see fig. 3A-4, para 44). Regarding claim 19 , Tajima discloses A liquid ejection apparatus comprising: a cartridge (see fig. 3A-B) including: a case including a storage portion for storing liquid and a flow path that communicates with the storage portion (inherent in fig. 3A-B), an element substrate (H1101, fig. 3A, para 41) including an ejection port that communicates with the storage portion via the flow path (inherent in fig. 3A-B) and is configured to eject liquid contained in the storage portion (inherent in fig. 3A-B), and an electric wiring substrate (H1301, fig. 3A, para 40) that is electrically connected to the element substrate (inherent in fig. 3A), wherein the case has a surface to which the element substrate and the electric wiring substrate are fixed (the entire outside of the case in fig. 3A is a “surface”), and wherein, viewed from a direction perpendicular to the surface, a slit (see at least H1309, fig. 5A-6A, para 58; or H1312, fig. 8A,B, para 75; or H1310, fig. 9A-10A) is provided in at least one long side of an outer periphery of the surface (see fig. 5A-6A or 8A-B or 9A-10A), wherein, when a first direction is a direction in which a plurality of the ejection ports are arranged and a second direction is a direction parallel to the surface and perpendicular to the first direction, the cartridge moves in the second direction while causing liquid to be ejected from the element substrate (inherent in fig. 3A and 1) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action: A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made. 07-20-02-aia AIA This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tajima et al. (US 2007/0008379 A1) in view of Lee (US 2017/0165972 A1) . Regarding claim 20 , Tajima discloses all the limitations introduced in parent claim 19. Tajima does not appear to disclose The liquid ejection apparatus according to Claim 19, further comprising a tank that has a replenishing port configured to at least one of (i) allow the tank to be replenished with liquid and (ii) to supply liquid to the cartridge. However, Tajima, as modified by Lee, discloses The liquid ejection apparatus according to Claim 19, further comprising a tank (102, fig. 2, para 33) that has a replenishing port (200, fig. 1-2, para 33) configured to at least one of (i) allow the tank to be replenished with liquid (see para 33) and (ii) to supply liquid to the cartridge (see para 33). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Tajima with the teachings of Lee, for the purpose of reducing waste by enabling re-use of the cartridge. Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN SEO whose telephone number is (571)270-1327. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm. 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, Ricardo I Magallanes can be reached at 571-272-5960. 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. /JUSTIN SEO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 June 11, 2026 Application/Control Number: 18/794,960 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/794,960 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/794,960 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/794,960 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/794,960 Page 6 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/794,960 Page 7 Art Unit: 2853
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