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 § 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nagashima et al. (US 20210078333 A1; herein referred to as “Nagashima”).
With respect to claim 1, Nagashima teaches a liquid container that supplies a liquid to a liquid ejecting apparatus (i.e., liquid container “100” supplies ink to “liquid ejection device 10”; Nagashima: ¶0092), the liquid container comprising:
a liquid containing bag including a bag main body for containing the liquid (i.e., “100a”, “111-113”; Nagashima: Fig. 13) and a supply member that is attached to one end portion side of the bag main body and that includes a liquid supply portion (i.e., “supply port member 116” including “piping portion 117”; Nagashima: ¶0263 & Fig. 30);
an adapter disposed on the one end portion side of the bag main body (i.e., “connection member 120a” [aka “120”], including upper part “127f” and lower part “127s”; Nagashima: ¶0144 & Fig. 30); and
a screw member that fixes the supply member and the adapter (i.e., one of “protrusions 301” which fixes the supply member “116” to the adapter “120”; Nagashima: ¶0267 & Fig. 30; Alternatively, one of the “claws 129c” which encases supply member “116” within the adapter “120”; Nagashima: ¶0261, Fig. 30 & Fig. 23). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that each protrusion “301” (which fit within the supply member’s “through ports 302f and 302s” and affix the supply member “116” to the adapter “120”; Nagashima: ¶0267 & Fig. 30) is a comparable fastener to a screw member. Additionally, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that each “claw 129” (which fit within each of the adapter’s “engagement holes 129h” and thereby affix the supply member “116” within the adapter’s “120” two pieces, “127f” and “127f”) is a comparable fastener to a screw member in view of Nagashima as applied above.
With respect to claim 2, Nagashima teaches the liquid container according to claim 1 (i.e., liquid container “100”; Nagashima: ¶0092), wherein the supply member (i.e., “supply port member 116”; Nagashima: ¶0263 & Fig. 30) includes an insertion portion that includes a screw insertion hole into which the screw member is inserted and that is connected to the liquid supply portion, and the screw member is inserted into the screw insertion hole (i.e., one of the two through ports “through ports 302f and 302s” on the rectangular insertion portion of the supply member “116” that screw member “301” is inserted into; Nagashima: ¶0267 & Fig. 30).
With respect to claim 3, Nagashima teaches the liquid container according to claim 2 (i.e., liquid container “100”; Nagashima: ¶0092), wherein
the screw member includes a first screw member and a second screw member (i.e., two protrusions “301”; Nagashima: ¶0267 & Fig. 30),
the insertion portion includes a first insertion portion corresponding to the first screw member and a second insertion portion corresponding to the second screw member (i.e., supply member “116” has two “through ports 302f and 302s” that correspond to the two protrusions “301”; Nagashima: ¶0267 & Fig. 30), and
the first insertion portion and the second insertion portion are located with the liquid supply portion interposed therebetween (i.e., “through ports 302f and 302s” have “piping portion 117” positioned between them; Nagashima: ¶0266-0267 & Fig. 30).
With respect to claim 4, Nagashima teaches the liquid container according to claim 1 (i.e., liquid container “100”; Nagashima: ¶0092), wherein
the adapter includes an adapter main body into which the screw member is inserted (i.e., adapter “connection member 120a” [aka “120”]’s main body has an engagement hole “129h” into which claw “129c” is inserted; Nagashima: ¶0261, Fig. 30 & Fig. 23). it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that each “claw 129” (which fit within each of the adapter’s “engagement holes 129h” and thereby affix the supply member “116” within the adapter’s “120” two pieces, “127f” and “127f”) is a comparable technology to a screw member.
and an arrangement portion in which a substrate is arranged (i.e., “container-side electrical connection structure 140” with a “substrate portion 141”; Nagashima: ¶0150 & Fig. 15-16),
the substrate coming into contact with an apparatus-side electrode included in the liquid ejecting apparatus (i.e., substrate “141” contacts the “terminal portions 52t of the device-side electrical connecting structure 52”; Nagashima: ¶0150), and
the arrangement portion is fixed to the adapter main body such that the arrangement portion is removable from the adapter main body (i.e., arrangement portion “140” and adapter main body includes “127s”; Nagashima: Fig. 27-30). Examiner also notes to Applicant: "A claim containing a "recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus" if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987)", see MPEP 2114.
With respect to claim 5, Nagashima teaches the liquid container according to claim 4 (i.e., liquid container “100”; Nagashima: ¶0092), wherein the arrangement portion (i.e., arrangement portion “140”; Nagashima: Fig. 15-16) includes a container-side positioning portion that performs positioning of the substrate and the apparatus-side electrode (i.e., “guide recess 147” that positions substrate “141” to the “terminal portions 52t” in the “device-side electrical connecting structure 52”; Nagashima: ¶0158, ¶0219, Fig. 16 & 25).
With respect to claim 6, Nagashima teaches the liquid container according to claim 5 (i.e., liquid container “100”; Nagashima: ¶0092), wherein
the arrangement portion (i.e., “container-side electrical connection structure 140”; Nagashima: ¶0150 & Fig. 15-16) includes a substrate arrangement wall on which the substrate is arranged and a side wall rising from the substrate arrangement wall (i.e., see substrate “141” arranged on wall and with side wall rising from it in Nagashima Fig. 16), and
the container-side positioning portion is a groove portion that is formed in the side wall and into which an apparatus-side positioning portion included in the liquid ejecting apparatus is inserted (i.e., groove portion “guide recess 147” where “guide projections 52g” on the device-side are inserted into these groove portions; Nagashima: ¶0158, ¶0219, Fig. 16 & Fig. 5).
With respect to claim 7, Nagashima teaches the liquid container according to claim 4 (i.e., liquid container “100”; Nagashima: ¶0092), wherein
the adapter includes an arrangement portion-engaging portion that fixes the arrangement portion by engaging with the arrangement portion (i.e., the adapter “120” has a structural element engaging with the arrangement portion “140”; Nagashima: Fig. 15 & Fig. 27A-B). Examiner also notes to Applicant: "A claim containing a "recitation with respect to the manner in which a claimed apparatus is intended to be employed does not differentiate the claimed apparatus from a prior art apparatus" if the prior art apparatus teaches all the structural limitations of the claim. Ex parte Masham, 2 USPQ2d 1647 (Bd. Pat. App. & Inter. 1987)", see MPEP 2114.
With respect to claim 8, Nagashima teaches the liquid container according to claim 1 (i.e., liquid container “100”; Nagashima: ¶0092), wherein the adapter includes a first adapter and a second adapter located on a side opposite to the first adapter with the supply member interposed therebetween (i.e., “first member 127f” and “a second member 127s” with “116” in between; Nagashima: ¶0261 & Fig. 30), and the first adapter and the second adapter have a snap- fitting mechanism that fixes the first adapter and the second adapter to each other by using elasticity of a member (i.e., “127f” and “127s” fit together using a claw “129c” and an engagement hole “129h”; Nagashima: ¶0261 & Fig. 30). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that a claw “129c” and engagement hole “129h” used to affix “127f” to “127s” is a type of snap-fitting mechanism which relies on the elasticity of that claw in order to affix those two adapter pieces.
With respect to claim 9, Nagashima teaches the liquid container according to claim 1 (i.e., liquid container “100”; Nagashima: ¶0092), wherein the adapter (i.e., “120a” [aka “120”], including upper part “127f” and lower part “127s”; Nagashima: ¶0144 & Fig. 30) and the supply member (i.e., “116”; Nagashima: ¶0263 & Fig. 30) have a snap-fitting mechanism that fixes the adapter and the supply member to each other by using elasticity of a member (i.e., “127f” and “127s” fit together using a claw “129c” and an engagement hole “129h”, thereby encasing supply member “116” within the adapter “120”; Nagashima: ¶0261 & Fig. 30). It would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that a claw “129c” and engagement hole “129h”, used to affix supply member “116” between adapter parts “127f” to “127s”, is a type of snap-fitting mechanism which relies on the elasticity of that claw.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHLOMIT CHELST whose telephone number is (571)272-0832. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo Magallanes, can be reached at telephone number 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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/SHLOMIT CHELST/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/GEOFFREY S MRUK/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 08/18/2026
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