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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 2-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 2, line 5, “the contacted potion” lacks antecedent basis.
In claim 4, line 2, the detector detecting “completion of storing of the first tray or the second tray” is unclear in that the storing of the trays was not described beforehand.
In claims 5 and 7, last line “storing the tray” was not described beforehand.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Masubuchi (U.S. 7,801,460).
Masubuchi teach an image forming apparatus (see Fig.5) including a first and second toner cartridges 41Y, 41C, 41M, 41K which are detachable from developing devices 51Y, 51C,51M, 51K; the toner cartridges each storing a different color developer (toner) of yellow, cyan, magenta or black (thus a first toner cartridge stores a first color toner while a second toner cartridge stores a second color toner); a developing rotary 36 which mounts the developing devices in a rotatable fashion, a first developing device (e.g. 51Y) includes a first developing chamber holding at least a developing roller 53Y which receives toner from a first toner cartridge 41Y and a second developing device (e.g. 51C) includes a second developing chamber holding at least a developing roller 53C which receives toner from a second toner cartridge 41C; the toner cartridges are attachably/detachably supported via housings 37Y, 37C, 37M, 37K (see Fig.3) via an opening 38a, the housings for supporting the toner cartridges are considers applicant’s “tray” for supporting the toner cartridges; the toner cartridges are inserted and mounted to the housing at a second position within the developing rotary and are detached from the housing (i.e. when replaced) at a first position outside the developing rotary; each toner cartridge includes a storage memory 42b having electrodes 42c (a first toner cartridge 41Y has a first storage memory with associated first electrodes which are considered applicant’s first contact portion and a second toner cartridge 41C has a second storage memory with associated second electrodes which are considered applicant’s second contact portion); the toner cartridges electrodes (first contact portion) is inserted into a contact type connector 33 having contact points (third contacts) which contact with the electrodes (a first toner cartridge 41Y has a first contact portion (electrodes 42c) which contact the contact points of contact connector 33Y and a second toner cartridge 41C has a second contact portion (electrodes 42c) which contact the contact points of contact connector 33C); a controller 34 exchanges data from the memory IC via the contact connectors which inherently means that data (signals via electrical current) are transmitted to the controller to distinguish the plurality of toner cartridges (i.e. detects the different toner cartridges). See col.4, line 26 – col.6, line 35.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 2-3 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masubuchi (U.S. 7,801,460) in view of Kiyosumi (U.S. 2018/0181025).
Masubuchi teach all that is claimed except the first and second cartridge having a circuit associated with the first contact portion and the second contact portion wherein the first circuit and second circuit have different resistor values.
Regarding claim 2, Kiyosumi teach an image forming apparatus 10 having toner cartridges 316 which are detachable/attachable to attachment portions 317 (see Fig.s 1, par.46); the toner cartridges have a contact portions 319B, 319C connected to a resistor R2 which is considered applicant’s “circuit” and contact a connection portion 318 having contacts 318A, 318C and connected to resistor R1 and power supply PS (see Fig.5-6, par. 51-52); the connection portion 318 is used to detect the connection state of the cartridges and which type cartridge is attached (par. 53-78).
Regarding claim 3, each cartridge 316 includes two electrodes 319B, 319C and a resistor R2 connected to the electrodes such that a first cartridge and a second cartridge have the same configuration wherein the resistor R2 is a different value (Fig.5-6, par.70,75,77).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Masubuchi’s detection of toner cartridges with the one from Kiyosumi because this is a known alternative way to detect whether the toner cartridges are mounted in the correct attachment position without the need for a storage memory attached to the toner cartridges.
Claims 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masubuchi (U.S. 7,801,460) in view of Okiyama et al. (U.S. 6,023,594).
Masubuchi teach all that is claimed except the first and the second contact portions include a different number of protrusions, the detector detects the type of cartridge (and whether it corresponds to the location it is mounted) by a specified number of protrusions.
Okiyama et al. teach an image forming apparatus 11 having attachable/detachable cartridges 12/22 (see Fig.1-2). As seen in Fig.s 24-31, the cartridge 12 have protrusions 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d which are arranged in different combinations to distinguish the color used in the cartridge (see col.9 line 20 – col. 10, line 56). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to use a different number of protrusions to specify the type of toner cartridge because the cartridges can be distinguished without the need for a storage memory attached to the toner cartridges.
Claims 9-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Masubuchi (U.S. 7,801,460) in view of Masubuchi (U.S. 2008/0013967).
Masubuchi ‘460 teach all that is claimed except the first and second toner containers having a valve (shutter) which opens and closes so as to supply the toner within the toner containers to the developing devices and a processor that communicates with the storage memory on the first or second toner container to open the valve/shutter when the cartridge which has been attached is the first (or second) container as appropriate.
Masubuchi ‘967 teach an image forming apparatus using a plurality of toner cartridges 14K, 14C, 14M, 14Y (including a first and second toner container) to supply toner to developing units 18K, 18C, 18M, 18Y (see Fig.1); the toner cartridges having a storage ID chip 44 to identify the type of toner cartridge; the toner cartridges having a valve/shutter 38 to open or close an opening 40 of the toner container (see Fig.3-5, par.25-27). A control processor 54 communicates with the storage ID chip 44 to determine whether it is appropriate to open or close the shutter automatically by actuating an actuator 50 (par.29-30). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify Masubuchi’s ‘460 toner cartridges such that they will be able to supply toner or not by actuating a shutter/valve covering a supply opening of the containers depending on the data received by the ID storage chip because erroneous supply of toner which is not the correct type can be prevented as taught by Masubuchi ‘967 (see par. 23-24).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4-6 would be allowable if rewritten to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action and to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Regarding claim 4, the detector detecting that the toner container is completely attached (via the attachment/storage of the tray) by detecting a separation of the first contact portion of the first cartridge or the second contact portion of the second cartridge from the third contact portion after the third contact portion has come into contact with the first or second contact portions which is not taught, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Regarding claims 5-6, the first and second contacts on the first and second toner cartridge including conductive members that are combined differently, the detector detecting the cartridge by a specified combination of conductive members in response to toner cartridge (and tray) movement is not taught, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Harumoto, Takashima, Tanaka and Takei teach a rotary developing device having removable cartridges. Marata et al., Honda, Kohtani et al., Matsumoto, and Kawai teach identification of removable cartridges. Yamauchi is a related application.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT B BEATTY whose telephone number is (571) 272-2130. The examiner can normally be reached on M-F from 7 to 3.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's supervisor, Stephanie Bloss, can be reached on (571) 272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is (571) 273-2130.
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/ROBERT B BEATTY/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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