Prosecution Insights
Last updated: August 30, 2026
Application No. 18/911,062

LIQUID STORAGE CONTAINER

Non-Final OA §102§103
Filed
Oct 09, 2024
Priority
Sep 30, 2021 — JP 2021-161185 +1 more
Examiner
VO, ANH T N
Art Unit
2853
Tech Center
2800 — Semiconductors & Electrical Systems
Assignee
Canon Inc.
OA Round
1 (Non-Final)
90%
Grant Probability
Favorable
1-2
OA Rounds
1m
Est. Remaining
95%
With Interview

Examiner Intelligence

Grants 90% — above average
90%
Career Allowance Rate
1366 granted / 1518 resolved
+22.0% vs TC avg
Minimal +5% lift
Without
With
+4.6%
Interview Lift
resolved cases with interview
Fast prosecutor
2y 0m
Avg Prosecution
20 currently pending
Career history
1525
Total Applications
across all art units

Statute-Specific Performance

§103
43.2%
+3.2% vs TC avg
§102
44.6%
+4.6% vs TC avg
§112
5.7%
-34.3% vs TC avg
Black line = Tech Center average estimate • Based on career data from 1518 resolved cases

Office Action

§102 §103
CTNF 18/911,062 CTNF 74351 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. DETAILED ACTION Acknowledgement is made of the receipt of Preliminary Amendment filed 08 December 2009. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file. Information Disclosure Statement The references cited on a Form PTO 1449 have been considered. Specification 06-31 AIA The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. However, the applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification. Double Patenting 15-24-06 AIA The nonstatutory double patenting rejection is based on a judicially created doctrine grounded in public policy (a policy reflected in the statute) so as to prevent the unjustified or improper timewise extension of the "right to exclude" granted by a patent and to prevent possible harassment by multiple assignees. See In re Goodman , 11 F.3d 1046, 29 USPQ2d 2010 (Fed. Cir. 1993); In re Longi , 759 F.2d 887, 225 USPQ 645 (Fed. Cir. 1985); In re Van Ornum , 686 F.2d 937, 214 USPQ 761 (CCPA 1982); In re Vogel , 422 F.2d 438, 164 USPQ 619 (CCPA 1970); and, In re Thorington, 418 F.2d 528, 163 USPQ 644 (CCPA 1969). A timely filed terminal disclaimer in compliance with 37 CFR 1.321(c) may be used to overcome an actual or provisional rejection based on a nonstatutory double patenting ground provided the conflicting application or patent is shown to be commonly owned with this application. See 37 CFR 1.130(b). Effective January 1, 1994, a registered attorney or agent of record may sign a terminal disclaimer. A terminal disclaimer signed by the assignee must fully comply with 37 CFR 3.73(b). * Claims 1-12 are rejected under the judicially created doctrine of obviousness-type double patenting as being unpatentable over claims 1-8 and 11-12 of U.S. Patent No. 12,138,936. Although the conflicting claims are not identical, they are not patentably distinct from each other because the patent claims fully encompass applicant's instantly claimed invention. Claim Rejections 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 – (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. 07-15 AIA Claim s 1-8 and 10-12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102( a)(1 ) as being anticipated by Nanjo et al. (US Pub. 2022/0097388) . Nanjo et al. disclose in Figures 1-6B a liquid ejection apparatus comprising: Regarding claim 1, a liquid storage container (100) comprising: a liquid reservoir part (110) configured to hold a liquid (ink) (Figure 4); an air communication part (130) including an air communication port (132) communicating with an atmosphere; an inner communication port (131) configured to communicate the liquid reservoir part (110) with the air communication part (130) (Figure 4); a seal member (142) configured to close the inner communication port (unmarked inner communication port that contains a number 131) from an inside of the air communication part (130) (Figure 4); a first biasing member (200) configured to bias the seal member (142) in a first direction from a first position away from the inner communication port (131) toward a second position of closing the inner communication port (unmarked inner communication port that contains a number 131) (Figure 4); and a pressure receiving part (201, 320) including a protruding portion (201) protruding from the air communication port (131) to an outside of the air communication part (130), and joined to the seal member (142) or the first biasing member (200), wherein the seal member (142) is separated from the inner communication port (unmarked inner communication port that contains a number1 when the protruding portion (201) of the pressure receiving part (201, 320) is pushed in a second direction opposite to the first direction (Figure 4). Regarding claim 2, wherein the protruding portion (201) of the pressure receiving part (201, 320) has an extending portion extending in a direction parallel to an opening surface of the air communication port (132) (Figure 4). Regarding claim 3, wherein the extending portion is longer than the opening surface of the air communication port (132) (Figure 4). Regarding claim 4, wherein the extending portion extends in at least one of the second direction and a third direction (inclined direction) orthogonal to the second direction and parallel to the opening surface (Figures 1, 3A-3B and 4). Regarding claim 5, wherein the air communication port (132) has an opening shape elongated in the second direction (Figure 4). Regarding claim 6, wherein the air communication part (130) includes a side wall (112) orthogonal to the first direction, and the inner communication port (unmarked inner communication port that contains a number 131) is provided on the side wall (Figures 3B). Regarding claim 7, wherein the first biasing member (141) is fixed to a bottom surface of the air communication part (300) and comprises a leaf spring (144) for biasing the seal member (142) toward the inner communication port (unmarked inner communication port that contains a number 131), and the pressure receiving part (143) is formed integrally with the leaf spring (144) (Figures 3A-3B) Regarding claim 8, wherein the first biasing member comprises a coil spring (200) for biasing the seal member (142) toward the inner communication port (unmarked inner communication port that contains a number 131) (Figure 4) Regarding claim 10, a plurality of ribs (133) provided on a bottom surface of the air communication part (130), wherein each of the plurality of ribs (133) is configured to hold liquid by a capillary force (Figure 4). Regarding claim 11, a liquid supply port (120) configured to supply the liquid (ink) held in the liquid reservoir part (110) to an outside (Figure 4). Regarding claim 12, wherein the liquid storage container (100) is detachably attached to a printing apparatus (liquid ejection apparatus) for discharging the liquid, and when the liquid storage container (100) is attached to the printing apparatus, the protruding portion (201 or 141) of the pressure receiving part (201, 320 or 141, 320) is pushed in the second direction (Figures 1, 2 and 4) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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 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. 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nanjo et al . (US Pub. 2022/0097388) in view of Inoue (US 2007/0046742). Nanjo et al. disclose the basic features of the claimed invention as stated above but do not disclose a gas-liquid separation membrane configured to separate gas and liquid that is provided at the inner communication port. Regarding claim 9, Inoue discloses in Figure 5 an ink container comprising a gas-liquid separation membrane (42) configured to separate gas and liquid is provided at the inner communication port (41). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Inoue in the Nanjo et al.'s liquid storage container for the purpose of preventing ink in an ink chamber (35) from leaking outside through an air inlet (41) . CONCLUSION 07-101 Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Anh Vo whose telephone number is (571) 272-2262 . The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:30 A.M .to 6:00 P.M .. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner'ssupervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached on (571) 431-0716 . The fax phonenumber for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from thePatent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information forpublished applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only. For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Shouldyou have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the ElectronicBusiness Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from aUSPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated informationsystem, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000 . /ANH T VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/911,062 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/911,062 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/911,062 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/911,062 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/911,062 Page 6 Art Unit: 2853
Read full office action

Prosecution Timeline

Oct 09, 2024
Application Filed
Apr 23, 2026
Non-Final Rejection mailed — §102, §103 (current)

Precedent Cases

Applications granted by this same examiner with similar technology

Patent 12715220
CARTRIDGE AND RE-MANUFACTURING METHOD OF CARTRIDGE
2y 4m to grant Granted Aug 25, 2026
Patent 12715223
INKJET RECORDING APPARATUS
2y 4m to grant Granted Aug 25, 2026
Patent 12718967
CONDUCTIVE COMPOSITION AND METHOD OF PRODUCING SAME, METHOD OF RECORDING CONDUCTIVE IMAGE, AND CONDUCTIVE IMAGE
1y 11m to grant Granted Aug 25, 2026
Patent 12709101
DROPLET EJECTING APPARATUS, REMOVER DETERIORATION DETERMINING METHOD FOR DROPLET EJECTING APPARATUS, AND STORAGE MEDIUM
2y 3m to grant Granted Aug 18, 2026
Patent 12691695
Printing Method on Cardboard in an Inkjet Printing Device
2y 2m to grant Granted Jul 28, 2026
Study what changed to get past this examiner. Based on 5 most recent grants.

Strategy Recommendation AI-generated — please review before filing

Get a prosecution strategy drawn from examiner precedents, rejection analysis, and claim mapping.
Typically takes 5-10 seconds — AI-generated, attorney review required before filing

Prosecution Projections

1-2
Expected OA Rounds
90%
Grant Probability
95%
With Interview (+4.6%)
2y 0m (~1m remaining)
Median Time to Grant
Low
PTA Risk
Based on 1518 resolved cases by this examiner. Grant probability derived from career allowance rate.

Sign in with your work email

Enter your email to receive a magic link. No password needed.

Personal email addresses (Gmail, Yahoo, etc.) are not accepted.

Free tier: 3 strategy analyses per month