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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-5, 8, 10, and 13-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Lopez Abancens et al. US 20220169029 A1.
Regarding claim 1,
An ink container (Paragraph 0022, “FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a rigid container 30 according to an example”) for supplying an ink to an ink ejection apparatus that ejects ink (Figure 8, Items 30 and 122),
the ink container comprising:
an ink storage container configured with a containing space formed for internally containing the ink (Figure 4, Item 37),
an ink supply port attached to the ink storage container and configured to supply the ink contained in the containing space to the ink ejection apparatus (Paragraph 0070, “As shown in FIG. 8, the printing device 100 may further comprise a second printing fluid valve 42 to control a flow of printing fluid from the interior of the bag 20 to the printhead 122 through a second printing fluid opening 49”; Figure 8, Item 42),
wherein the ink storage container includes a base layer configured to surround the containing space (Figure 4, Items 31 and 32) and a surface layer formed from a plastic material on the outside of the base layer (Figure 4, Items 36 and 38),
wherein a first region in which the base layer is exposed and a second region in which the surface layer is exposed are repeatedly formed in a predetermined direction on a surface of the ink storage container (Figures 3a and 3b, Items 31, 32, 36, and 38).
Regarding claim 4,
wherein the area of the second region is smaller than the area of the first region (Figures 3a and 3b, Items 31, 32, 36, and 38).
Regarding claim 5,
wherein the ratio of the area of the second region to the sum of the area of the first region and the area of the second region is 0.1 to 0.4 (Figures 3a and 3b, Items 31, 32, 36, and 38. It is apparent that the ratio of the area of the second region to the sum of the area of the first region and the area of the second region as shown in Figures 3a and 3b are approximately between 0.1 and 0.4).
Regarding claim 8,
wherein the base layer includes an inner layer formed from a plastic material to surround the containing space (Paragraph 0044, “FIG. 6b schematically illustrates a situation in which the bag 20 arranged within the rigid container 30 is partially or totally filled with fluid”; Figure 6b, Items 20, 30, and 37),
and a barrier layer formed from a metal material on the outside of the inner layer (Paragraph 0022, “The rigid container 30 may be of a rigid molded plastic or metal material”),
wherein the surface layer is formed on the outside of the barrier layer (Figures 3a and 3b, Items 31, 32, 36, and 38).
Regarding claim 10,
wherein the plastic material for the inner layer is polyethylene (Paragraph 0014, “The sealing layer 28 may comprise or consist of one or more of polyethylene”).
Regarding claim 13,
wherein the first region is formed in a quadrangular shape in a plan view, and wherein the second region is formed in a frame shape surrounding the first region in a plan view (Paragraph 0029, “Reinforcement ribs extending in other directions and having different shapes, such as a reticular shape (e.g. extending both in the first direction x and in the second direction y) and a honey-comb lattice shape are also possible”).
Regarding claim 14,
wherein the first region is formed so as to extend linearly in a plan view, and wherein the second region is formed adjacent to the first region so as to extend linearly in a plan view (Paragraph 0029, “One or more reinforcement ribs 36 may be formed on the first container element 31 and may extend in the first direction x. One or more reinforcement ribs 38 may be formed on the second container element 32 and may extend in the first direction x or in the second direction y”; Figures 3a and 3b, Items 31, 32, 36, and 38).
Regarding claim 15,
An ink ejection apparatus (Paragraph 0009, “FIG. 8 is a schematic illustration of a printing device according to an example”) comprising:
an ink ejection head configured to eject ink (Figure 8, Item 122),
an ink container configured to supply an ink to the ink ejection head (Paragraph 0022, “FIG. 3 schematically illustrates a rigid container 30 according to an example”),
wherein the ink container includes an ink storage container configured with a containing space formed for internally containing the ink (Figure 4, Item 37) and an ink supply port attached to the ink storage container and configured to supply the ink contained in the containing space to the ink ejection head (Paragraph 0070, “As shown in FIG. 8, the printing device 100 may further comprise a second printing fluid valve 42 to control a flow of printing fluid from the interior of the bag 20 to the printhead 122 through a second printing fluid opening 49”; Figure 8, Item 42),
wherein the ink storage container includes a base layer configured to surround the containing space (Figure 4, Items 31 and 32) and a surface layer formed from a plastic material on the outside of the base layer (Figure 4, Items 36 and 38),
wherein a first region in which the base layer is exposed and a second region in which the surface layer is exposed are repeatedly formed in a predetermined direction on a surface of the ink storage container (Figures 3a and 3b, Items 31, 32, 36, and 38).
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.
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) 6-7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lopez Abancens et al. US 20220169029 A1 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Matsumoto US 20130187992 A1.
Regarding claim 6,
Lopez Abancens et al. does not disclose that the plastic material for the surface layer is polyethylene or polyamide.
However, Matsumoto teaches a protective surface layer of an ink containing bag made of polyethylene (Paragraph 0045, “The ink containing bag 300 of the present working example… is formed by further laminating a hollow shock buffering material 328 which is formed of polyethylene or the like on the outermost layer of the outer surface of the flexible sheet 320”). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lopez Abancens et al. so that the plastic material is made of a polyethylene material, as taught by Matsumoto, since polyethylene is known in the art to have various benefits over other plastics, such as being lightweight, durable, chemically resistant, and cost-effective.
Regarding claim 7,
Lopez Abancens et al. does not disclose that the surface layer is an impact reducing layer for reducing an impact that the ink storage container receives.
However, Matsumoto teaches a protective surface layer of an ink containing bag, made of a shock buffering material, which functions as an impact reducing layer (Paragraph 0045, “The ink containing bag 300 of the present working example… is formed by further laminating a hollow shock buffering material 328 which is formed of polyethylene or the like on the outermost layer of the outer surface of the flexible sheet 320”). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Lopez Abancens et al. so that the surface layer is an impact reducing layer for reducing an impact that the storage container receives, as taught by Matsumoto.
Claim(s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lopez Abancens et al. US 20220169029 A1 as applied to claim 8 above, and further in view of Ishizawa et al. US 20190039381 A1.
Regarding claim 9,
Lopez Abancens et al. does not disclose that the metal material for the barrier layer is aluminum.
However, Ishizawa et al. teaches a metal container main body which is made of aluminum (Paragraph 0117, “For example… metal materials such as iron materials and aluminum, or the like can be used as the material of the container main body portion 67”). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Lopez Abancens et al. so that the metal material for the barrier layer is aluminum, as taught by Ishizawa et al., since aluminum is known in the art to have various benefits over other metals, among them a relatively lighter weight, lower cost, and recyclability.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Lopez Abancens et al. US 20220169029 A1 as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Usui et al. US 20010020971 A1.
Regarding claim 11,
Lopez Abancens et al. does not disclose that the ink container is removably mounted on the ink ejection apparatus, and that the ink supply port includes a valve seat attached to the inside of the ink supply port and configured to be movable between an open position, where the ink contained in the containing space can be supplied to the ink ejection apparatus via the ink supply port, and a closed position, where the ink contained in the containing space is blocked from leaking to the outside, and a spring configured to apply a biasing force to move the valve seat to the closed position, wherein, in a state where the ink container is mounted on the ink ejection apparatus, the valve seat moves to the open position against the biasing force of the spring, and wherein, in a state where the ink container is removed from the ink ejection apparatus, the valve seat moves to the closed position due to the biasing force of the spring.
However, Usui et al. teaches:
the ink container is removably mounted on the ink ejection apparatus (Paragraph 0075, “FIGS. 41A, 41B and 41C are a perspective view illustrating one example of a cartridge replacement mechanism of the ink jet recording apparatus, and views illustrating an attached state and a pulled-out state, respectively”),
the ink supply port includes:
a valve seat attached to the inside of the ink supply port and configured to be movable between an open position, where the ink contained in the containing space can be supplied to the ink ejection apparatus via the ink supply port, and a closed position, where the ink contained in the containing space is blocked from leaking to the outside, and a spring configured to apply a biasing force to move the valve seat to the closed position (Paragraph 0092, “The connection port 34, 35 has a communication window 34a, 35a on its peripheral face, and accommodates therein an axially movable valve member 40, 50 (see FIG. 6). The valve member 40, 50 includes a slide shaft 41, 51 having one end 41a, 51a projecting from the connection port 34, 35 in a closed valve condition, and the other end to which a packing 43, 53 made of a resilient material is fitted. The packing 43, 53 is used to seal an opening 42, 52 communicated with the connection port 34, 35. The slide shaft 41, 51 is inserted into the connection port 34, 35 so that the packing 43, 53 is elastically contacted with the opening 42, 53 by the action of a spring 44, 54”),
in a state where the ink container is mounted on the ink ejection apparatus, the valve seat moves to the open position against the biasing force of the spring, and wherein, in a state where the ink container is removed from the ink ejection apparatus, the valve seat moves to the closed position due to the biasing force of the spring (Claim 6, “…each of the atmosphere communicating connection port and the ink supplying connection port has a valve member which closes corresponding one of the ports using a biasing spring when the ink cartridge is detached from the recording apparatus, and opens the corresponding one of the ports when the ink cartridge is attached to the recording apparatus”).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to modify Lopez Abancens et al. so that the ink container is removably mounted on the ink ejection apparatus, and have a valve seat included in the ink supply configured to be movable between an open position when mounted on the ink ejection apparatus, against the biasing force of the spring, in which ink can be supplied to the ink ejection apparatus, and to a closed position when removed from the ink ejection apparatus, due to the biasing force of the spring, in which ink is blocked from leaking outside, in order to prevent ink from leaking or the ink solvent from evaporating while the cartridge is disconnected from the printer, as taught by Usui et al. (Paragraph 0102, “Therefore, even in the state where the ink cartridge 31 is removed from the recording apparatus during the use, it is possible to prevent the ink from leaking or the ink solvent from evaporating, thereby enabling the storage of the ink cartridge for the long time”).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-3 and 12 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:
Regarding claim 2, the prior art of record fails to disclose “the ink container according to claim 1 wherein the area of the second region is larger than the area of the first region”, in combination with other limitations and features of the claim.
Claim 3 is indicated as having allowable subject matter due to being dependent on claim 2.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of record fails to disclose “the ink container according to claim 1, wherein the second region is formed in a quadrangular shape in a plan view, and wherein the first region is formed in a frame shape surrounding the second region in a plan view”, in combination with other limitations and features of the claim.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rami Alshoroogi whose telephone number is (571)272-8946. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am-6pm.
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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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/RAMI A ALSHOROOGI/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/DOUGLAS X RODRIGUEZ/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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