DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato (2008/0238388) in view of Kuribayashi (2016/0067983) and Honda et al. (2013/0076811).
Regarding claim 1, Sato teaches an inkjet printer comprising an inkjet head that ejects ink; and an ink warming mechanism that warms ink supplied to the inkjet head, wherein the ink warming mechanism includes:
a warming part main body (fig. 6, item 2-1) being block-shaped (see fig. 6);
an ink passing portion ([0091], not that there is necessarily an ink supply reservoir and an ink flow path upstream of the disclosed nozzle) that is formed inside the warming part main body and through which ink passes ([0091]);
a heater ([0091], heater) that is attached to the warming part main body ([0091]) and heats the warming part main body ([0106]);
a temperature sensor ([0106], [0145], temperature detection unit 44/control unit 30) that is attached to the warming part main body and detects a temperature of the warming part main body ([0106]); and
a heater controller ([0107]) that controls the heater ([0107]);
the ink passing portion is configured by at least one of an ink flow path through which ink flows and an ink reservoir in which ink is accumulated (see above);
the temperature sensor detects a change in the temperature of the warming part main body that is caused by the ink flowing through the ink passing portion ([0145], note that sensor 44/30 determines a temperature change of the warming part. Note also that there are several factors that contribute to temperature changes in the warming part main body, those factors including ink flowing through the ink passing portion and the activation of thermal heaters); and
the heater controller controls the heater based on a detection result of the temperature sensor (fig. 8, S1-S3) so that the temperature of the warming part main body becomes a predetermined reference temperature (fig. 8, To), calculates a temperature reduction amount of the warming part main body due to an influence of the ink flowing into the ink passing portion based on a detection result of the temperature sensor after the inkjet head starts ejecting the ink (fig. 8, S6b), and updates the reference temperature based on the calculated temperature reduction amount such that a temperature of the ink that is supplied from the ink passing portion to the ink jet head becomes substantially constant (fig. 8, S8, [0146], Note that the target temperature is updated for both increases and decreases in head temperature. Note further that the temperature updating occurs as part of printing, and thus it can be said to be “due to an influence of the ink flowing into the ink passing portion” That is, as stated above, ink passing through the ink passing portion is one of several factors affecting the temperature of the ink in the head. Further, note that the temperature of the ink can be said “become substantially constant” any number of times as shown in the flow of Figure 8. That is, if the intention of the claimed language is that the process is repeated indefinitely until a constant temperature is reached and then the temperature is maintained until the print job is finished, this is not reflected in the claim. This is not to say such a teaching is not disclosed by Sato but rather that the added language can be met in any number of ways).
Sato does not teach wherein the warming mechanism is disposed upstream of the inkjet head. Kuribayashi teaches this (Kuribayashi, fig. 3, Note that thermally conductive case 200 is upstream of head 2). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to add the thermally conductive casing disclosed by Kuribayashi to the device disclosed by Sato because doing so would allow for warming of ink as it was supplied to the inkjet head, thereby ensuring proper ink ejection.
Sato in view of Kuribayashi does not teach wherein the changes in temperature are calculated per unit time. Honda teaches this (Honda, see fig. 5). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to calculate the temperature changes in the device disclosed by Sato in view of Kuribayashi on a per-unit-time basis, as disclosed by Honda, because doing so would allow for more precise temperature calculation, thereby facilitating more accurate adjustment.
Claim(s) 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sato in view of Kuribayashi and Honda as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Tanaka et al. (2008/0143809).
Regarding claim 2, Sato in view of Kuribayashi and Honda teaches the inkjet printer as set forth in claim 1. Sato in view of Kuribayashi and Honda does not teach a second temperature sensor for detecting an external temperature of the inkjet printer, wherein the heater controller initially sets the reference temperature based on a detection result of the second temperature sensor before ink is ejected from the inkjet head. Tanaka teaches this (Tanaka, see fig. 4, Note that ambient temperature is used as one criterion from which to calculate a target printhead temperature). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use an ambient temperature of the printer as a criterion on which to base a printhead target temperature, as disclosed by Tanaka, in the device disclosed by Sato because doing so would allow for more precise temperature control.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot in light of the new ground(s) of rejection.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEJANDRO VALENCIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5473. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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