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 .
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “an air supply portion that supplies the air from the air receiving port of the developer container to the air chamber via the air supply passage” of claim 1 must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
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.
Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it consists merely of a single run-on sentence without regard to proper grammatical form. A corrected abstract of the disclosure is required and must be presented on a separate sheet, apart from any other text. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
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 1-13 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.
Claims 1-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being incomplete for omitting essential elements, such omission amounting to a gap between the elements. See MPEP § 2172.01. The omitted elements are: a means, method or structure for delivering air to the “air receiving port” of line 14. While air is disclosed as being allowed to pass the filter, a ‘port for receiving’ indicates that a supply of air is more than just a passive environmental trait. While lines 24-29 appear related, these features are downstream of the receiving port toward the air chamber and do not appear to rectify the issue at hand.
Claims 1-13 are additionally 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.
Line 28 recites “an air supply portion that supplies the air from the air receiving port of the developer container to the air chamber via the air supply passage”. The air chamber and the air receiving port are both recited as a part of the developer container. The air supply passage is recited as being a component of the apparatus main body. It is unclear how the configuration of line 28 can exist as recited given the constraints of the rest of the claim language.
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.
Claims 1-2, 5, and 7-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) in view of Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) and in view of Mimbu et al. (US Pub.2014/0270875).
Regarding claim 1, Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) teach an image forming apparatus (fig.1) forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body (fig.1, #1-3) that includes a body accommodating portion that accommodates developer (fig.2, #9), and a mounting portion (fig.1&2, #20); and a developer container (fig.2, #31) that is mounted by being moved in a mounting direction relative to the mounting portion of the apparatus main body (fig.3, #31 moved in right-ward direction to inside #21), and is detached by being moved in a detachment direction opposite to the mounting direction (fig.3, #31 moved from #21 leftward to outside), wherein the developer container includes: a developer accommodating chamber that accommodates the developer and is provided with a discharge port (fig.6, chamber containing #T with port #37/#40/#50); a filter that allows passage of air and suppresses passage of the developer (fig.6, #33B; para.0090&0092); an air chamber that is partitioned from the developer accommodating chamber by the filter and is provided with an air receiving port for receiving the air (fig.6, #33C1-#33C4 with port #53a-c); and the apparatus main body includes: a developer conveyance passage that is configured to communicate with an inside of the body accommodating portion (fig.2-4, #41/#22) and is provided with a developer receiving port (fig.2-4, #51), the developer conveyance passage allowing communication between the developer accommodating chamber of the developer container and the inside of the body accommodating portion by connecting the developer receiving port to the discharge port of the developer container mounted at a predetermined position in the mounting portion (see fig.2-4); an air supply passage (fig.2&6, #44/#44a-c) that is provided with an air feeding port (fig.4&6, #54a-c), the air supply passage being configured to communicate with the air chamber of the developer container by connecting the air feeding port to the air receiving port of the developer container mounted at the predetermined position in the mounting portion (see fig.2&6); an air supply portion that supplies the air from the air receiving port of the developer container to the air chamber via the air supply passage (fig.2, 4&6, #24); a drive transmission mechanism that includes a motor and a drive transmission portion (para.0159), and a control portion that controls the drive transmission mechanism (not disclosed, but must be present for the motor and pump to function according to the description).
Regarding claim 7, Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) teach an image forming apparatus wherein the air supply portion includes a pump driven by the driving force of the motor (para.0159).
Regarding claim 8, Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) teach an image forming apparatus wherein the air supply portion includes a pump and a valve that is opened and closed by the driving force of the motor (para.0159-0160).
Regarding claim 13, Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) teach an image forming apparatus wherein the air chamber is positioned below the developer accommodating chamber (fig.6, #33C1-4 below portion containing #T).
However, Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) fail to teach the developer container having an engaged portion or the main body having a restricting member movable between a restricting position and an allowing position or a movement mechanism related thereto. In fact Sano is silent as to how the container is held in place in the apparatus.
Regarding claim 1, Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) teaches an image forming apparatus (fig.1) forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body that includes a body accommodating portion that accommodates developer (fig.1, #104Y-K), and a mounting portion (fig.1, portion mounting #1Y-K); and a developer container (fig.1-2B, #1) that is mounted by being moved in a mounting direction relative to the mounting portion of the apparatus main body (fig.2A, in direction #M), and is detached by being moved in a detachment direction opposite to the mounting direction (fig.2B, in direction #D), wherein the developer container includes: a developer accommodating chamber that accommodates the developer and is provided with a discharge port (fig.2A&B, #1 with #5); and an engaged portion (fig.6A-C, #28), and the apparatus main body includes: a developer conveyance passage that is configured to communicate with an inside of the body accommodating portion and is provided with a developer receiving port, the developer conveyance passage allowing communication between the developer accommodating chamber of the developer container and the inside of the body accommodating portion by connecting the developer receiving port to the discharge port of the developer container mounted at a predetermined position in the mounting portion (fig.2A&B, 6A-C, #8); a restricting member having an engagement portion (fig.2A&B, 6A-7B, #18), the restricting member being movable between a restricting position (fig.2A) and an allowing position (fig.2B,6B&7B), the restricting position being a position where the engagement portion is engaged with the engaged portion of the developer container so as to restrict the developer container from moving in the detachment direction from the predetermined position in the mounting portion (see fig.2A&6A), and the allowing position being a position where the engagement portion is not engaged with the engaged portion so as to allow the developer container to move in the detachment direction from the predetermined position (fig.6B); a movement mechanism that moves the restricting member between the restricting position and the allowing position (fig.7A&B, #119/#116/#71); a drive transmission mechanism that includes a motor and a drive transmission portion (fig.7A&B, #71); and a control portion that controls the drive transmission mechanism (fig.9, #211).
Regarding claim 5, Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) teaches an image forming apparatus wherein the engaged portion is disposed downstream of a center of the developer container and upstream of the developer receiving port and the air feeding port in the mounting direction (fig.2A, #18 downstream in direction #M of center and upstream of attachment of pump drive #6).
Regarding claim 9, Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) teaches an image forming apparatus wherein the apparatus main body includes a pressing portion (fig.6A-6C, #19/#17) that presses, in the detachment direction, the developer container mounted at the predetermined position in the mounting portion (para.0044-0046).
Regarding claim 10, Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) teaches an image forming apparatus wherein the pressing portion includes an elastic member that is configured to apply an urging force acting in the detachment direction on the developer container mounted at the predetermined position in the mounting portion (para.0044).
Regarding claim 11, Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) teaches an image forming apparatus wherein the developer container includes: an engaged surface that faces the engagement portion of the restricting member at the restricting position in the detachment direction (fig.6A, face of #28 facing #18 in direction #D); and a pressed surface that faces the pressing portion in the mounting direction (fig.6A-C, face of #1 pressed by #17a), wherein the restricting member is provided inside the mounting portion so as to be rotatable around a rotation axis intersecting the mounting direction (fig.7A&B, at least #119 of #18 rotatable), wherein the pressing portion is provided integrally with the restricting member (fig.5A&B, #17/#19 and #18 on #2), and wherein the pressing portion faces the pressed surface after the restricting member rotates to a rotation phase to reach the allowable position (fig.7B&6B), and is configured to press the pressed surface in the detachment direction by the rotation of the restricting member (see fig.6A-C).
Regarding claim 12, Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) teaches an image forming apparatus wherein the restricting member is provided so as to be movable in a direction intersecting the mounting direction inside the mounting portion (see fig.6A-C).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the cartridge mounting/connection of Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) by using the restriction features of Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) in order to ensure that the developer container is locked at the supply position (para.0049) and allow for it to be ejected if needed for indication that the container needs to be replaced (para.0039).
However, Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) also fail to teach the drive transmission portion being configured to switch between a first state and a second state.
Regarding claim 1, Mimbu et al. (US Pub.2014/0270875) teach an image forming apparatus (fig.1) forming an image on a recording material, the image forming apparatus comprising: an apparatus main body (fig.1, #1) that includes a body accommodating portion that accommodates developer (fig.1, #4Y-K), and a mounting portion (fig.1, #2); and a developer container that is mounted (fig.1, #2Y-K), the apparatus main body includes: a movement mechanism (fig.9, #60) that moves a member between a first position and a second position (fig.9, #61 has at least two setting positions; fig.8, #X and #Y); a drive transmission mechanism (fig.9) that includes a motor (fig.9, #76) and a drive transmission portion (fig.9, #76a-85), the drive transmission portion being configured to switch between a first state and a second state (para.0111-0114), the first state being a state in which a driving force of the motor is transmitted to the other component and is not transmitted to the movement mechanism (para.0112), and the second state being a state in which the driving force of the motor is transmitted to the movement mechanism and is not transmitted to the other component (para.0113); and a control portion that controls the drive transmission mechanism (not explicitly spelled out, but must be present to switch forward & backward drive according to para.0111-0114).
Regarding claim 2, Mimbu et al. (US Pub.2014/0270875) teach an image forming apparatus wherein the motor is rotatable in a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction opposite to the first rotation direction, wherein the drive transmission portion is configured to cause the driving force of the motor to enter the first state in a case where the motor rotates in the first rotation direction and to enter the second state in a case where the motor rotates in the second rotation direction, and wherein the control portion controls a rotation direction of the motor (para.0111-0114).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the apparatus of Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) in view of Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) by incorporating a single motor for related items such as a pump and latch release cam that necessitate being driven at different times as in Mimbu et al. (US Pub.2014/0270875) because having a drive train that controls two adjacent and independent movements based on forward or backward rotation is known in the art as evidenced by Mimbu [also evidenced by cited art Ahn et al., cited below] and it is a configuration that can simplify the apparatus and can reduce both the size and cost (para.0111&0114). As such, this modification would be obvious to try for one of ordinary skill in the art and could be easily arrived at without undue experimentation since the pump and retraction mechanism can be located in a similar area and only one needs to be driven at a time.
Upon combination, the full configuration of claim 5 may be easily arrived at by one of ordinary skill in the art without undue experimentation.
Claims 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) in view of Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) and in view of Mimbu et al. (US Pub.2014/0270875) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Onodera (US Pub.2007/0297840).
Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) in view of Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) and in view of Mimbu et al. (US Pub.2014/0270875) teach all of the limitations of claim 1, upon which claims 3 and 4 depend.
However, Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) in view of Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) and in view of Mimbu et al. (US Pub.2014/0270875) fail to teach developer receiving port and the air feeding port are disposed downstream of the mounting portion and at positions overlapping the developer container.
Regarding claim 3, Onodera (US Pub.2007/0297840) teach an image forming apparatus with a developer container (fig.2 with #22) mountable in a mounting direction (fig.1&4, direction #C) wherein an apparatus-side connection port (fig.1&4, #23e) is disposed downstream of a mounting portion in the mounting direction (fig.4, #23e downstream in #C of #25c), and is at a position overlapping the developer container mounted at the predetermined position in the mounting portion in a case of being viewed in the mounting direction (fig.1, #23e overlaps with #22 when viewed in #C direction).
Regarding claim 4, Onodera (US Pub.2007/0297840) teach an image forming apparatus wherein the communication port is provided on an end surface of the developer container in the mounting direction (fig.1&4, #22a).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to modify the apparatus connections of Sano et al. (US Pub.2007/0201905) in view of Iwase (US Pub.2022/0276585) and in view of Mimbu et al. (US Pub.2014/0270875) by placing them on the downstream end portion of the container as in Onodera (US Pub.2007/0297840) because the reference teaches that it is one of several know configurations in the art of attaching a developer container (para.0022) thus would be easy to arrive at to one of ordinary skill in the art and provides the benefit of being aligned and attached/detached during the mounting/dismounting operation (para.0048&0049).
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.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
Prior art does not disclose or suggest the claimed “developer receiving port is inserted into the discharge … first sealing member that is in close contact … on an inner periphery of the discharge … air feeding port is inserted into the air receiving port in the detachment direction, … a second sealing member that is in close contact …on an inner periphery of the air receiving port, and wherein a first timing at which the first sealing member no longer remains in close contact with the outer periphery of the developer conveyance passage in a case of moving the developer container from the mounting portion in the detachment direction is later than a second timing at which the second sealing member no longer remains in close contact with the outer periphery of the air supply passage” in combination with the remaining claim elements as set forth in claim 6.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Iwase et al. (US Pub.2026/0003318) does not constitute prior art, but is being cited as closely related art.
Yamaguchi et al. (US Pub.2026/0079419) does not constitute prior art, but is being cited as closely related art.
Ishikake (US Pub.2011/0110694) discloses means for retaining and ejecting a waste toner container.
Ahn et al. (US Pub.2006/0051134) disclose driving two adjacent rotary devices independently by incorporating a gear train that has one motor such that one is driven when the motor rotates a first direction and the other is driven when rotated in the opposite direction; this configuration is used to simplify configuration and reduce size and cost.
Shima (US Pub.2014/0334860) discloses a waste toner container with a catch located on the end downstream in the mounting direction.
Schoch et al. (US Pub.2006/0024101) disclose a developer container with an air chamber below it, separated by a filter.
Ogino (US Pub.2026/0072377) does not constitute prior art, but is being cited as closely related art.
Contact Information
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to LAURA K ROTH whose telephone number is (571)272-2154. The examiner can normally be reached Monday - Friday, 7:30AM-3:30 PM.
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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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/LKR/
9/23/2026 /STEPHANIE E BLOSS/ Supervisory Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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