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.
2. The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it should be directed to the invention as is now claimed. 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).
3. The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: the applicant uses the terms “discriminating portion”, “engaged portion”, “portion-to-be-discriminated” and “portion-to-be-engaged” which are not found in the specification. The applicant should amend the specification to give clear antecedent basis to all terms used it the claims.
For reference, referring to Fig.s 18A and 18B, the rib 214a is believed to be the “portion-to-be-discriminated” and the positioning groove/recess is believed to be the “portion-to-be-engaged” while in Fig.21A,21B, the release lick 229 is believed to be the “discriminating portion” while the drive transfer rib 206a is believed to be the “engaging portion”.
Claim Objections
Claims 8-13 are objected to because of the following informalities:
The applicant uses “discriminating portion” and “portion-to-be-discriminated” which are unclear in that nothing seems to be discriminated. A more appropriate term should be used. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
5. Claims 8 and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okada (U.S. 5,848,338).
Regarding claim 8, Okada teach an image forming apparatus including a developing device to which a toner (developer) cartridge is attached (col.1, line 12 – col.2, line 17); the developing cartridge 2 having a container 4 and a bottom shutter portion 6 which includes a main member 8 (applicant’s nozzle) having a pair of discharge ports 20 and a shutter member 10 having a bottom wall 40 with openings 48 for opening and closing the discharge ports 20 (see Fig.2,14; col.8, lines 7-44; col.10, lines 46-65; col.12, lines 26-28). The shutter 10 is prevented from rotating to open the discharge ports 20 by a locking member 30 (col.12, lines 55-65).
The developing device includes a mounting portion 70 (applicant’s attaching portion) to which the toner cartridge 2 is mounted; the mounting portion 70 having toner replenishing openings 72 (applicant’s receiving port) which are opened and closed by a shutter member 76 (Fig.19, col.13, lines 25-33). The shutter member has a bottom wall 114 with passage openings 114 to open and close the replenishing openings 72 (col.14, lines 26-37; col.15, lines 10-63). A locking pin 100 biased by a spring 102 (applicant’s engaging portion) restricts the movement of the shutter member 76 (col.14, lines 8-18). Upon mounting of the toner cartridge 2 to the mounting portion 70, locking release pins 50 (applicant’s portion to be engaged) of the container shutter 10, will depress locking pins 100 on the mounting portion 70 so as to release the locking of the replenishment shutter member 76. Thus. the locking pins 100 have a restricting position in which the shutter member 76 is prevented from rotating when the toner container is not attached to the mounting portion 70 and an allowable position in which the locking pins 100 are depressed by the toner cartridge pins 50 so as to allow the shutter member to rotate when the toner cartridge is mounted (Fig.s 21,36; col. 18, line 60 – col.19, lines 1-17).
As seen in Fig. 31 and 32, the mounting portion has a positioning pin 159 (applicant’s discriminating portion) which engages with positioning hole 56 (applicant’s portion to be discriminated) seen in Fig.s 1,14. See col.19, lines 18-21.
The portion to be discriminated 56 is located on an overhang portion 54 of a flange 52 which is upstream of a downstream end of the portion to be engaged 50 as seen in Fig.15 (attaching direction is downward).
Regarding claim 12, while the rotation of the toner cartridge 2 after mounting is performed by hand in Fig.s 1-40; the second embodiment calls for an operating lever 232 (Fig.41) which will cause the replenishment shutter member to rotate so as to open and close the replenishment passage openings. The mounting portion 200 (similar to 70 above) having toner replenishing openings 72 and a replenishment opening shutter member 206 (similar to shutter member 76 above) has openings 114 and locking pins 100 (see Fig.41, col.20, lines 54-60). The operating lever 232 is part of an operating member 207 (Fig.s 47-48) which is integrally turned with the shutter member 206 so as to open and close the toner replenishment openings 72 (col.21, lines 21-23; col.24, lines 24-54). Thus, the movement of the operation lever 232 will cause the operating member 207 and replenishing shutter member 206 to rotate to align mounting base openings 72 and shutter 206 openings 114. Additionally, since the toner cartridge is engaged with the mounting portion 200, the rotation of the operation lever 232 will also cause the toner cartridge shutter openings 48 to align with the toner container discharge openings 72 (138). It is noted, that the operation lever 232 can be provided integrally with the shutter member 206 (col.25, lines 60-61).
As seen in Fig.41, the operation member includes the lever 232, the locking pins 100 (engaging portion) and positioning pin 159 (discriminating portion).
Claim Objections
6. Claims 9-11,13-14 are 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.
Regarding claims 9-11, the portion to be discriminated and the portion to be engaged being located on a side surface of the shutter extending in the rotational axis direction is not taught, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Regarding claims 13-14, the operation member having a hole centered on the rotational axis and the engaging portion being a protrusion protruding toward the rotational axis from a circumferential surface constituting the hole of the operating member is not taught, suggested or rendered obvious by the prior art of record.
Conclusion
7. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Nogami et al.’961 and Nogami et al. ‘950 are related patent applications that are relevent to the claimed invention.
8. 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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