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 .
Final Rejection
The applicant’s amendment of 09/09/2026 necessitated a new ground of rejection as follows below:
Claim Rejections
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 16 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Katon et al. (US Pat. 5,874,976).
Katon et al. disclose in Figure 2 an inkjet cartridge comprising:
16, a storage chamber (24) for storing liquid therein;
a top wall (22) defining a top of the storage chamber (24) in an up-down direction;
a bottom wall positioned below the top wall (22) and defining a bottom of the storage chamber (24) in the up-down direction;
a peripheral wall extending in the up-down direction, the peripheral wall defining an entire periphery of the storage chamber and surrounding the storage chamber (24); and
an injection opening (34) penetrating the top wall (22) to allow liquid (ink) to be introduced into the storage chamber (24), wherein the top wall and the peripheral wall are integrally molded to constitute an integrally- molded wall structure, the bottom wall being liquid-tightly connected to the integrally-molded wall structure to define the storage chamber (24).
Response to Applicant’s Arguments
The applicant’s arguments with respect to the prior art rejection have been carefully considered and have been traversed in view of the new grounds of rejection over the Katon et al. reference.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 20 is allowed because none of the prior art references of record teaches a tank comprising: a protruding part protruding downward directly from a flat part of a bottom of a storage chamber of the tank and defining an extra space extending directly from the flat part in fluid communication with the storage chamber; and an outlet for discharging the liquid in the storage chamber, the outlet being positioned in the extra space above a bottom of the extra space, wherein either one of the bottom wall and the top wall is integrally molded with the peripheral wall to constitute an integrally-molded wall structure having an aperture, and a remaining one of the bottom wall and the top wall is liquid-tightly connected to the integrally-molded wall structure while covering the aperture to define the storage chamber in the combination as claimed.
CONCLUSION
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.
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/ANH T VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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