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 .
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 § 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 12-13 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.
Claim 12 is considered to be indefinite because it is unclear whether “the member” is the first member, the second member, or the connection member.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1-5, 7 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takai (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2021/0011396 A1) in view of Ishiura (JP 2010-072419A; cited in IDS filed 4/7/2025).
Takai discloses (as in claim 1) a container 31 for storing a developer, comprising: a first member (a lower housing) 41; a second member (an upper housing) 51; and a connection member (an adhesive agent) A configured to connect the first member 41 and the second member 51 (paragraph [0042] and Figs. 8-9); (as in claim 2) wherein at least part of the connection member A is exposed to an outside of the container 31 (Fig. 9); (as in claim 3) wherein the first member 41 and the second member 51 are joined to each other to form a storage section for storing a developer (paragraphs [0028] and [0031]); (as in claim 4) wherein a first joining section 43 of the first member 41 and a second joining section 53 of the second member 51 are joined by the connection member A (Figs. 5 and 8); (as in claim 5) wherein one of the first joining section 43 and the second joining section 53 is a groove portion 43M and the other is s protrusion portion 53T, and the groove portion 43M and the protrusion portion 53T are engaged in a state where the connection member A is placed in the groove portion 43M, thereby joining the first member 41 and the second member 51 (paragraph [0043] and Fig. 5); (as in claim 7) wherein the first joining section 43 and the second joining section 53 are each flat surfaces 43F, 53F where the connection member A is interposed therebetween and butted against the flat surfaces 43F, 53F (Fig. 9); and (as in claim 9) wherein the connection member A is a hot melt (paragraph [0043]).
Takai differs from the instant claimed invention in not disclosing (as in claim 1) fluorescent agent is added to the connection member, and (as in claim 10) wherein the fluorescent agent is added to the connection member at a ratio of 0.01 to 6.0 (wt%).
Ishiura discloses an image forming apparatus comprising an inspecting method, the image forming apparatus comprising an adhesive containing a fluorescent agent (problem to be solved); and the fluorescent agent is added to the adhesive at a ratio of 0.01to 6.0 (wt%) (paragraph [0019], 1 to 10 wt%).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to apply the fluorescent agent as taught by Ishiura to the adhesive (connection member) of Takai to be able to inspect the condition/amount of the adhesive.
Claim(s) 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takai in view of Ishiura.
Takai discloses (as in claims 11 and 12) a container 31 for storing a developer, comprising: a first member (a lower housing) 41; a second member (an upper housing) 51; and a connection member (an adhesive agent) A configured to connect the first member 41 and the second member 51 (paragraph [0042] and Figs. 8-9).
Takai differs from the instant claimed invention in not disclosing (as in claims 11 and 12) fluorescent agent being added to the connection member; (as in claim 11) an inspection method comprising irradiating the container with light using a black light to detect the connection member exposed to an outside of the container; (as in claim 12) before the first member and the second member being connected, irradiating the connection member on which the connection member is arranged among the first member and the second member with light from a black light to detect the connection member; and (as in claim 13) wherein in the detecting step, an insufficient amount of application or overflow of the connection member is detected.
Ishiura discloses an image forming apparatus comprising an inspecting method, the image forming apparatus comprising an adhesive containing a fluorescent agent (problem to be solved); and the method comprising irradiating the container with light using a black light (ultraviolet light) to detect the connection member exposed to an outside of the container (paragraph [0011]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to apply the fluorescent agent as taught by Ishiura to the adhesive (connection member) of Takai to be able to inspect the condition/amount of the adhesive.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Takai in view of Ishiura as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Hijikata et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2023/0065299 A1)
Takai in view of Ishiura, as discussed above, differs from the instant claimed invention in not disclosing the connection member being limonene.
Hijikata et al. discloses an adhesive (as a connection member) being a limonene (paragraph [0003].
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to apply the limonene as taught by Hijikata in place of the hot melt adhesive of Takai in view of Ishiura because of the same functionality for bonding two parts.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is 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.
Other Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Ueno et al. (US Pat. Pub. No. US 2024/0310756 A1) discloses a container for storing a developer, comprising: a first member; a second member; and a connection member configured to connect the first member and the second member, wherein one of a first joining section and a second joining section is a groove portion and the other is a protrusion portion.
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
Ssc
June 19, 2026
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