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 .
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.
(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(s) 1, 4-13 & 16-20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masahiro et al. (# JP 2020-189454A).
Masahiro et al. discloses:
1. A liquid storage bottle (element: 130, figure: 4) that supplies a liquid to a recording device (element: 10, figure: 1) including a recording head (element: 39, figure: 2) that discharges the liquid, and a liquid tank that includes a storage unit that stores the liquid supplied to the recording head and an opening portion through which the liquid is suppled (see Abstract; figure: 1-4), the liquid storage bottle comprising:
a bottle main body that stores the liquid (element: 131, figure: 4); and
a liquid supply unit including a second flow path (second passage, element: 182, figure: 7-8) through which the liquid flows from the bottle main body to the liquid tank, the second flow path being connected to the opening portion of the liquid tank, and a first flow path through which a gas flows from the liquid tank to the bottle main body ([0027]; [0163]-[0175]),
wherein a flow path resistance of the first flow path is greater than a flow path resistance of the second flow path ([0027]; [0163]).
4. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein a length of the first flow path is substantially identical to a length of the second flow path, and a cross-sectional area of the second flow path is larger than a cross-sectional area of the first flow path.([0094]).
5. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein a connection posture is defined such that a projecting portion or a recessed portion of the liquid supply unit engages the opening portion and the first flow path is located vertically above the second flow path ([0140]-[0156]).
6. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 5, wherein the projecting portion or the recessed portion of the liquid supply unit varies depending on a type of the liquid (figure: 1-16).
7. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 5, wherein the liquid supply unit has a positioning indication that defines the connection posture (see figure: 1-16).
8. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the first flow path and the second flow path includes a plurality of flow paths ([0150]-[0172]; the nozzle 161 has two flow paths (first flow path 181 and second flow path 182), but the nozzle 161 may have three or more flow paths; [0172]).
9. A recording device comprising: the liquid storage bottle according to claim 1; a recording head that performs recording by discharging a liquid; and a liquid tank, connected through the liquid supply unit, that stores the liquid injected from the liquid storage bottle (see figure: 1-4).
10. The recording device according to claim 9, wherein the liquid tank has an inclined surface inclined in both a horizontal direction and a vertical direction, and an opening portion into which the liquid supply unit of the liquid storage bottle is inserted is formed in the inclined surface (see figure: 3-4).
11. The recording device according to claim 9, wherein the liquid tank has an atmospheric communication port through which an inside of the liquid tank communicates with an atmosphere ([0065]).
12. An ink refill system with an ink storage bottle (element: 130, figure: 4) in which, when ink is supplied from an ink storage bottle to a storage chamber (element: 154, figure: 6; [0096]) of a liquid tank, the flow path resistance of a second flow path portion through which the ink flows is less than the flow path resistance of a first flow path portion through which air flows of the two flow path portions provided in a nozzle of the ink storage bottle (see figure: 1-16).
13. The ink refill system according to claim 12, wherein the ink storage bottle (element: 131, figure: 1-6) comprises a liquid storage bottle (element: 131, figure: 1-6) that supplies a liquid to a recording device including a recording head (element: 39, figure: 1-6; [0052]-[0054]) that discharges the liquid, and a liquid tank that includes a storage unit that stores the liquid supplied to the recording head and an opening portion through which the liquid is suppled, the liquid storage bottle comprising: a bottle main body that stores the liquid; and a liquid supply unit including a second flow path through which the liquid flows from the bottle main body to the liquid tank, the second flow path being connected to the opening portion of the liquid tank, and a first flow path through which a gas flows from the liquid tank to the bottle main body, wherein a flow path resistance of the first flow path is greater than a flow path resistance of the second flow path ([0027]; [0163]-[0175]).
16. The ink refill system according to claim 13, wherein a length of the first flow path is substantially identical to a length of the second flow path, and a cross-sectional area of the second flow path is larger than a cross-sectional area of the first flow path ([0094]).
17. The ink refill system according to claim 13, wherein a connection posture is defined such that a projecting portion or a recessed portion of the liquid supply unit engages the opening portion and the first flow path is located vertically above the second flow path ([0140]-[0156]).
18. The ink refill system according to claim 17, wherein the projecting portion or the recessed portion of the liquid supply unit varies depending on a type of the liquid (figure: 1-16).
19. The ink refill system according to claim 17, wherein the liquid supply unit has a positioning indication that defines the connection posture (figure: 1-16).
20. The ink refill system according to claim 13, wherein at least one of the first flow path and the second flow path includes a plurality of flow paths ([0150]-[0172]; the nozzle 161 has two flow paths (first flow path 181 and second flow path 182), but the nozzle 161 may have three or more flow paths; [0172]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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.
Claim(s) 2-3 & 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masahiro et al. (# JP 2020-189454A).
Masahiro et al. explicitly did not discloses:
2. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 1, wherein a flow path resistance of the first flow path is 1.2 to 10 times a flow path resistance of the second flow path.
3. The liquid storage bottle according to claim 2, wherein the flow path resistance of the first flow path is 2 to 5 times a flow path resistance of the second flow path.
14. The ink refill system according to claim 13, wherein a flow path resistance of the first flow path is 1.2 to 10 times a flow path resistance of the second flow path.
15. The ink refill system according to claim 14, wherein the flow path resistance of the first flow path is 2 to 5 times a flow path resistance of the second flow path.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention was made to incorporate a flow path resistance of the first flow path is 1.2 to 10 times a flow path resistance of the second flow path, the flow path resistance of the first flow path is 2 to 5 times a flow path resistance of the second flow path, since it has been held that it is not inventive to discovering and optimum value or workable ranges by routine experimentation. In re Aller, 105 USPQ 233 (CCPA1955).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
(1) Kimura et al. (# US 2015/0124028) discloses a recording apparatus includes a housing body, an opening/closing member, attached to the housing body via a pivot shaft so as to be capable of rotating freely, that covers the surface of the housing body on one side thereof, and an ink tank having an injection port for filling an ink holding chamber with ink used in recording. Here, the ink tank is disposed so that one end thereof is positioned within the housing body on the opposite side of the housing body as the side in which the pivot shaft is provided, and has a stepped shape including a step portion, the step portion being provided on a side of the ink tank that is further from the pivot shaft. The injection port is provided in the step portion, and when the opening/closing member is opened and the ink is to be filled (see Abstract).
(2) Yanagida et al. (# US 2017/0043586) discloses a printing apparatus, comprising: a printing unit that performs printing onto a medium using liquid; a liquid housing body that includes a liquid pouring inlet that is capable of pouring the liquid into the liquid housing chamber; and a casing in which the printing unit and the liquid housing body are housed, wherein the casing includes a support member that is capable of supporting a liquid pouring member in which the liquid is stored in a state where the liquid is capable of being poured from the inside of the liquid pouring member to the liquid pouring inlet of the liquid housing body (see Claim 1).
(3) Kudo et al. (# US 2014/0043408) discloses the container i.e. ink tank (43), has a liquid injection port through which liquid i.e. ink, can be injected into a liquid containing chamber. An air intake port takes air into the liquid containing chamber from a vertically upper position than a liquid level when the liquid is contained in the liquid containing chamber. The container has an area in which a fluctuation range of the liquid level of the liquid inside the chamber is 5% or less of cubic root of containing capacity if the liquid equal to 5% of the containing capacity containable in the chamber flows from a liquid outlet port (see Abstract).
(4) Kimura et al. (# US 2014/0104349) discloses the apparatus (10) has a step-shaped ink tank (70) placed within a housing body and including an ink-holding chamber that holds ink used in recording and an injection port (73) for filling the ink-holding chamber with the ink. The ink tank includes a step portion in a position that is distanced from an end surface on a front side (Y1) of the ink tank located toward an opening/closing unit (40) e.g. scanner unit. The injection port is provided in the step portion. The injection port is exposed by pivoting the opening/closing unit along direction to open the opening/closing unit (see Abstract).
(5) Liu (# US 6158848) discloses a refilling device for an ink cartridge having at least one refilling opening in an upper portion and a lower portion having a cylindrical hole in which is located a regulating bead, an air vent opening and a maze passage in fluid connection with the air vent opening and the cylindrical hole, the refilling device comprising:
a) a rubber member having an outer surface and an inner surface;
b) at least one refilling hole extending through the rubber member between the inner and outer surfaces, the at least one refilling hole comprising a cylindrical portion extending inwardly from the outer surface and a frusto-conical portion extending from the cylindrical portion to the inner surface, a cross-sectional dimension of the frusto-conical portion increasing in a direction toward the inner surface, a largest diameter of the frusto-conical portion being greater than a diameter of one of the air vent opening and refilling opening; and,
c) a layer of adhesive material on at least a portion of the inner surface adhesively bonding the rubber member to the ink cartridge such that the refilling hole is aligned with one of the air vent opening and the at least one refilling opening in the ink cartridge (see claim 1).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANISH S SHAH whose telephone number is (571)272-2152. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-4:00pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo 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.
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MANISH S. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/Manish S Shah/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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