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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
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 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Hirozawa et al., (JP H068463 A) (hereinafter Hirozawa et al.).
Regarding Claim 1, Hirozawa et al. teaches a liquid storage container (5, Fig. 1) for storing a liquid to be supplied to a liquid discharge apparatus (not shown in Figures) including a cylindrical flow path-forming member (see Fig. 1) in which a flow path is formed [Paragraph 0011; Embodiments of the present invention], the liquid storage container (5) comprising: a liquid storage portion (3, Fig. 1) which stores a liquid inside and in which is formed an opening (see Fig. 3(a)-3(c)) through which the liquid to be supplied to the liquid discharge apparatus (not shown in Figures) passes [Paragraph 0011; Embodiments of the present invention]; and an elastic portion (2, Figs. 3(a)-3(c)) which blocks the opening so that a liquid does not leak, the elastic portion (2) including a communication hole (2a, Fig. 4) configured to allow communication between inside and outside of the liquid storage portion (3) and being configured to be elastically deformable so as to enlarge a cross-sectional area of the communication hole (2a),
wherein the communication hole (2a) is closed in a state before the flow path-forming member (see Fig. 1) is inserted into the elastic portion (2) [Paragraph 0011; Embodiments of the present invention].
Regarding Claim 6, Hirozawa et al. teaches the liquid storage container (5), wherein a part of an outer circumferential surface of the liquid storage portion (3) is a flat surface (see Figs. 2a-2(b)), and a liquid is supplied from the liquid storage portion (3) to the flow path- forming member (see Fig. 1) in a state where the flat surface (see Fig. 2) is placed on a horizontal surface [see Figs. 2(a)-2(b)].
Regarding Claim 8, Hirozawa et al. teaches the liquid storage container (5), wherein the elastic portion (2) contains at least one of fluoro rubber, nitrite rubber, butyl rubber, and chloroprene rubber [Paragraph 0011; Embodiments of the present invention].
Regarding Claim 9, Hirozawa et al. teaches the liquid storage container (5), wherein the liquid storage portion (3) is formed by a film with flexibility [Paragraph 0011; Embodiments of the present invention].
Regarding Claim 11, Hirozawa et al. teaches a liquid storage container (5, Fig. 1) for storing a liquid [Paragraph 0011; Embodiments of the present invention], the liquid storage container (5) comprising: a liquid storage portion (3, Fig. 1) which stores a liquid inside and in which is formed an opening (see Fig. 3(a)-3(c)) through which the liquid passes [Paragraph 0011; Embodiments of the present invention]; and an elastic portion (2, Figs. 3(a)-3(c)) which blocks the opening so that a liquid does not leak, the elastic portion (2) including a communication hole (2a, Fig. 4) configured to allow communication between inside and outside of the liquid storage portion (3) and being configured to be elastically deformable so as to enlarge a cross-sectional area of the communication hole (2a), wherein the communication hole (2a) is closed in a state before the flow path-forming member (see Fig. 1) is inserted into the elastic portion (2) [Paragraph 0011; Embodiments of the present invention].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-5, 7, 10, and 12 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: The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 2 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid storage container that includes a communication hole communicating an inside and outside of the liquid storage portion in a state before inserting of a flow path-forming member into an elastic portion. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 3 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid storage container that includes a sealing portion outside of a liquid storage portion covering an opening. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 4 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid storage container that includes a sealing portion inside of a liquid storage portion covering an opening. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 5 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid storage container that includes wherein a diameter of a communication when there is no insertion of a flow path-forming member is equal to or less than 1/3 of a diameter of an opening. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 7 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid storage container that includes wherein when a flat surface is on a horizontal surface, a distance from the flat surface to a circular center of a cross-sectional shape of an opening is equal to or less than ½ of a distance from the flat surface to a surface facing an opposite side to the flat surface of an outer circumferential surface. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 10 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid storage container that includes a communication hole with a tapered portion at an end portion that opens to an outside of a liquid storage portion in which a cross-section area of the tapered portion gradually increases from an inside toward the outside of the liquid storage portion. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Claim 12 is allowed.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The primary reason for the allowance of claim(s) 12 is the inclusion of the limitation of a liquid storage unit for storing liquid to be supplied to a liquid discharge apparatus that includes a storage case including a cylindrical flow path-forming member forming a flow path and a connecting portion connecting to the liquid discharge apparatus and stores the liquid container inside. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught, or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LISA SOLOMON whose telephone number is (571)272-1701. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 9:30am -6pm, EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/LISA SOLOMON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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