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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to because of the following informality: Fig. 29, “2b” should be labeled as “3b”. 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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: 153a (page 18, line 3), 310 (page 22, line 4, etc.), 102a (page 36, paragraph [00129], line 3, etc.), and 102b (page 36, paragraph [00129], line 3, etc.). 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. 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.
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they include the following reference character(s) not mentioned in the description: 153a1 (Fig. 6), 621a, 632, 633 (Fig. 36), 712a (Figs. 38, 39, 41, 42 and 44), 713a (Figs. 39, 41, 42 and 44), 714 (Figs. 38, 40, 42, 43 and 44), 711a (Figs. 40 and 43), 516 (Fig. 47), 816 (Figs. 46 and 49), and 814 (Fig. 50). Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d), or amendment to the specification to add the reference character(s) in the description in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(b) 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. 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.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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) 1-6, 8-9, and 16-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Itabashi (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2017/0269544 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Itabashi discloses a storage assembly (IC chip assembly) 60, wherein the storage assembly 60 is configured to be mounted in an imaging device (a drawer unit) 90 having an electrical contact point (a terminal portion) 913, separately from a developing cartridge 1; wherein the storage assembly 60 comprises: a chip 61 configured to store information of the developing cartridge 1 (paragraph [0071]), the chip 61 having an electrical contact surface 611 (paragraph [0071] and Fig. 5); a holder 62 configured to support the electrical contact surface 611 (Fig. 5); and an elastic component (a coil spring) 73 on the holder 62 and configured to urge the electrical contact surface 611 (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 2, Itabashi discloses wherein the elastic component 73 is configured to move in a direction intersecting the electrical contact surface 611, causing the electrical contact surface 611 to move toward the electrical contact point 913 (Figs. 5, 6 and 13).
Regarding claim 3, Itabashi discloses wherein the elastic component 73 is between the holder 62 and the electrical contact surface 611, and the electrical contact surface 611 is configured to move relative to the holder 62 as a result of movement of the elastic component 73 (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 4, Itabashi discloses wherein the holder 62 comprises a first holder 71 and a second holder 72, the first holder 71 is configured to support the electrical contact surface 611, and the first holder 71 is movable relative to the second holder 72 (paragraphs [0079]-[0081] and Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 5, Itabashi discloses wherein the first holder 71 comprises an elastic buckle (a hook) 715a or 715b thereon and the second holder 72 comprises a slide groove (an opening) 721a or 721b thereon or wherein the second holder comprises the elastic buckle thereon and the first holder comprises the slide groove thereon; and wherein the elastic buckle is configured to connect with the slide groove (paragraphs [0079]-[0081] and Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 6, Itabashi discloses wherein in another direction intersecting the electrical contact surface 611, the holder 62 comprises, on one side thereof, a chip accommodating portion 620 for accommodating the chip 61, and on another side thereof, the elastic component 73 (Fig. 5).
Regarding claim 8, Itabashi discloses a storage assembly 60, wherein the storage assembly 60 is configured to be mounted in an imaging device 90 having an electrical contact point 913, separately from a developing cartridge 1 comprising a rotatable developing roller 30 extending in a first direction (Fig. 3); wherein the storage assembly 60 comprises: a chip 61 configured to store information of the developing cartridge 1 (paragraph [0071]), the chip 61 having an electrical contact surface 611 configured to electrically connect to the electrical contact point 913 (paragraph [0095] and Figs. 13); and a holder 62 configured to support the chip 61; wherein the electrical contact surface 611 is spaced apart from the developing roller 30 in the first direction when the storage assembly 60 and the developing cartridge 1 are mounted in the imaging device 90 (Figs. 4, 7 and 13).
Regarding claim 9, Itabashi discloses wherein the developing cartridge 1 has a first side surface 11 and a second side surface 12 separately disposed in the first direction (Figs. 3 and 4), and wherein when the storage assembly 60 and the developing cartridge 1 are mounted in the imaging device 90, at least a part of the electrical contact surface 611 is farther away from the second side surface 12 of the developing cartridge 1 in the first direction than the first side surface 11 of the developing cartridge 1 is from the second side surface 12 of the developing cartridge 1 in the first direction (Figs. 3 and 4).
Regarding claim 16, Itabashi discloses a mountable unit, comprising a storage assembly 60 and a developing cartridge 1, wherein the developing cartridge 1 is configured to be mounted in an imaging device 90 having an electrical contact point 913, separately from the storage assembly 60 (Fig. 13); wherein the imaging device 90 comprise a first accommodating area 91 and a second accommodating area (guide plate area) 910 (Fig. 7); wherein the developing cartridge 1 is accommodate in the first accommodating area 91, and the storage assembly 60 is accommodated in the second accommodating area 910; wherein the first accommodating area 91 and the second accommodating area 910 are adjacent to each other in a first direction (Fig. 7); `wherein the first accommodating area 91 comprises a photosensitive drum 92 (Fig. 9), and the second accommodating area 910 comprises an electrical contact point 913; wherein the storage assembly 60 comprises a chip 61 with an electrical contact surface 611, and the chip 61 is configured to store information of the developing cartridge 1 (paragraph [0071]); wherein the developing cartridge 1 comprises: a casing 10 configured to accommodate developer; and a developing roller 30 rotatable about a developing roller axis extending in the first direction (Fig. 3), and wherein the electrical contact surface 611 is spaced apart from the developing roller 30 in the first direction when the developing cartridge 1 and the storage assembly 60 are mounted in the imaging device 90 (Figs. 4 and 13).
Regarding claim 17, Itabashi discloses wherein the storage assembly 60 when the storage assembly 60 and the developing cartridge 1 are mounted in the imaging device 90, at least a part of the electrical contact surface 611 is further away from an end of the casing 10 closer to the electrical contact surface 611 in the first direction than an end of the developing roller 30 is from an end of the casing 10 closer to the electrical contact surface 611 in the first direction (Fig. 4).
Regarding claim 18, Itabashi discloses wherein the developing cartridge 1 further comprises an input gear (a coupling gear) 412 configured to receive an external driving force (paragraph [0046]), and the electrical contact surface 611 is further away from the developing roller 1 in the first direction than the input gear 412 is from the developing roller 30 in a second direction intersecting the first direction (Fig. 3).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 7, 10-15 and 19-20 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: dependent claim 10 is allowable over the prior art of record because the prior art of record does not teach or suggest “in a direction intersecting the electrical contact surface, the supported surface is on a side of the holder away from the electrical contact surface” as set forth in the claimed combination.
Other Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Yokoi (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2019/0265641 A1) discloses a storage assembly, wherein the storage assembly is configured to be mounted in an imaging device having an electrical contact point, separately from a developing cartridge; wherein the storage assembly comprises: a chip having an electrical contact surface; a holder (a first holder and a second holder) configured to support the electrical contact surface; and an elastic component.
Kusuda et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2024/0393717 A1) also discloses a storage assembly, wherein the storage assembly is configured to be mounted in an imaging device having an electrical contact point, separately from a developing cartridge; wherein the storage assembly comprises: a chip having an electrical contact surface; a holder (a first holder and a second holder) configured to support the electrical contact surface; and an elastic component.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SOPHIA S CHEN whose telephone number is (571)272-2133. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8 am - 5 pm.
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, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at 571-272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/SOPHIA S CHEN/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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January 2, 2026