DETAILED ACTION
Claim Interpretation
This application includes one or more claim limitations that do not use the word “means,” but are nonetheless being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, because the claim limitation(s) uses a generic placeholder that is coupled with functional language without reciting sufficient structure to perform the recited function and the generic placeholder is not preceded by a structural modifier. Such claim limitation(s) is/are: “part” in all claims.
Because this/these claim limitation(s) is/are being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, it/they is/are being interpreted to cover the corresponding structure described in the specification as performing the claimed function, and equivalents thereof.
If applicant does not intend to have this/these limitation(s) interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph, applicant may: (1) amend the claim limitation(s) to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph (e.g., by reciting sufficient structure to perform the claimed function); or (2) present a sufficient showing that the claim limitation(s) recite(s) sufficient structure to perform the claimed function so as to avoid it/them being interpreted under 35 U.S.C. 112(f) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, sixth paragraph.
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, 2, 4, 6-8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komatsu (2022/0250385) in view of Ueno (2022/0314612) and Nagashima (2007/0229611).
Regarding claim 1, Komatsu teaches a maintenance assembly for an inkjet head, which comprises:
a housing (fig. 4, item 51) having an upper face (fig. 4, face of portion generally denoted by 107 facing nozzles 105) facing a nozzle face (fig. 11, inside face of cap 51 facing nozzles 22) on which nozzles for discharging a chemical liquid on a substrate are arranged (note that ink contains chemicals); and
a fluid supplying part (fig. 4, item 55a) for providing a humidity control fluid onto the nozzles and the nozzle face such that a humidity of the nozzles and a humidity of the nozzle face are adjusted to a set humidity if the humidity of the nozzles and the humidity of the nozzle face are different from the set humidity ([0065], [0088]-[0090], [0141]), wherein the humidity control fluid is selected from an oxygen gas, a nitrogen gas, a clean dried air and combinations thereof ([0101], note that clean air carries vapor),
a fluid distributing part (fig. 4, item 52) between the fluid supplying part and the nozzle face (see fig. 4), configured to uniformly distribute the humidity control fluid over the nozzles and the nozzle face (see fig. 4), wherein the fluid distributing part has a mesh structure ([0058]),
a chemical liquid collecting part (fig. 4, item 56b) configured to collect a remaining chemical liquid or a falling chemical liquid from the nozzles and the nozzle face in a vacuum suction manner (see figs. 4, 5, note that liquid or liquid entrained in air is suctioned through port 56b), the chemical liquid collecting part including a chemical liquid receiving part (fig. 4, opening of channel 56b in cap), the chemical liquid receiving part configured to receive the remaining chemical liquid or the falling chemical liquid ([0104]), the chemical liquid collecting part, the fluid supplying part, and the fluid distributing part being within the housing (see fig. 4).
Komatsu does not teach wherein the chemical liquid receiving part is above the fluid distributing part relative to the fluid supplying part in a direction facing the nozzle face. Ueno teaches a two-way closed loop providing humidity control fluid into a housing to humidify nozzles on a nozzle face, wherein a fluid/liquid receiving part is above a fluid/liquid supplying part (Ueno, see fig. 4B, Note receiving part 61 and supplying part 63. Note that there is necessarily liquid vapor entrained in the gas that is collected by receiving part 61). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange the housing of Komatsu in the manner disclosed by Ueno because doing so would amount to the simple substitution of one known housing arrangement for another to obtain predictable results. Upon combination, the resultant device would have a supply port on the bottom of the cap, a distributing mesh resting within the cap and a receiving port on the side of the cap and vertically above the mesh.
Komatsu in view of Ueno does not teach wherein the fluid supply part includes a heater. Nagashima teaches this ([0150], fig. 11, item 113). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add a heater of the type disclosed by Nagashima to the fluid supply part of Komatsu in view of Ueno because doing so would allow for further control of the exact humidity in the fluid, thereby allowing for more precise control over the evaporative condition of the nozzles.
Regarding claim 2, Komatsu in view of Ueno and Nagashima teaches the maintenance assembly for an inkjet head of claim 1, wherein the fluid supplying part includes an inflow line (Komatsu, fig. 5, item 66e) through which the humidity control fluid is provided from an external source (Komatsu, fig. 5, item 61), a humidity controlling part (Komatsu, fig. 16, item 91/60) for enabling the humidity control fluid to have the set humidity, and a supply line for providing the humidity control fluid having the set humidity onto the nozzles and the nozzle face (Komatsu, [0091]-[0092]).
Regarding claim 4, Komatsu in view of Ueno and Nagashima teaches the maintenance assembly for an inkjet head of claim 2, further comprising a humidity sensing part for measuring the humidity of the nozzles and the humidity of the nozzle face, wherein the humidity controlling part adjusts the humidity of the humidity control fluid in accordance with results measured by the humidity sensing part (Nagashima, [0136]-[0138]).
Regarding claim 6, Komatsu in view of Ueno and Nagashima teaches the maintenance assembly for an inkjet head of claim 1, further comprising a guide part (Komatsu, fig. 4, item 56C) for maintaining a constant distance between the upper face of the housing and the nozzle face (Komatsu, fig. 4).
Regarding claim 7, Komatsu in view of Ueno and Nagashima teaches the maintenance assembly for an inkjet head of claim 1, further comprising a pressure controlling part for adjusting a pressure of the humidity control fluid, and a fluid discharging part for discharging the humidity control fluid to an outside (Komatsu, see fig. 4, Note that the pressure of the fluid is necessarily “controlled,” and note that “an outside” has not been defined. The fluid is supplied from fluid accommodating portion 61 to an outside of the fluid accommodating portion).
Regarding claim 10, Komatsu in view of Nagashima teaches the maintenance assembly for an inkjet head of claim 9, wherein the chemical liquid collecting part includes a chemical liquid receiving part for receiving the remaining chemical liquid or the falling chemical liquid, a chemical liquid discharging part for temporally storing and discharging the remaining chemical liquid or the falling chemical liquid, and a connection line coupled to the chemical liquid receiving part and the chemical liquid discharging part (Komatsu, fig. 5, Note evacuation path 56b, 81a, 83-84).
Claim(s) 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Komatsu in view of Ueno and Nagashima as applied to claim 1, and further in view of Vronsky (2019/0280204)
Regarding claim 8, Komatsu in view of Ueno and Nagashima teaches the maintenance assembly for an inkjet head of claim 1. Komatsu in view of Ueno and Nagashima does not teach wherein the maintenance assembly further comprises an oxygen sensing part for measuring an amount of oxygen in the humidity control fluid over the nozzles and the nozzle face, and an amount of the humidity control fluid provided onto the nozzles and the nozzle face is adjusted in accordance with results measured by the oxygen sensing part. Vronsky teaches a printing apparatus with an oxygen sensor to monitor and adjust oxygen and humidity levels according to readings (Vronsky, [0060]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to apply the oxygen-concentration metering and supply system disclosed by Vronsky to the device disclosed by Komatsu in view of Nagashima would allow for precise control of the levels of oxygen present in the environment and more specifically proximate to the nozzle surface.
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
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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