DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1, 8, 21-23, 25 and 26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Urakami (10,471,748).
Regarding claim 1, Urakami teaches a recording apparatus comprising:
a plurality of heads (fig. 5, items 24) separated in the conveyance direction (fig. 4, see arrow), a plurality of holders (fig. 5, items 61) with first and second holder members (fig. 5, members 61) each with rails (fig. 5, note that edges of holders 61 can be said to constitute “rails”) and a plurality of frames (fig. 5, items 91/60) connecting the first and second holder members and above corresponding heads (fig. 5), the arrangement being movable between a recording position and a non-recording position (col. 7, lines 50-67), a plurality of positioning mechanisms (figs. 5, 8 items 70/80) configured to fix the recording heads at the recording position (see fig. 4).
wherein the holders can be in states where the heads and the positioning mechanisms do contact each other or states where they do and contact portions on the holders for contacting positioning members in the recording position (see fig. 8, note positions.
Regarding claim 8, Urakami teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a movement direction of the supporting portion is a linear direction (see fig. 5, Note movement along bars of 62).
Regarding claim 21, note positioning members for each head in the conveyance direction (fig. 5).
Regarding claim 22, Urakami teaches heads at different angles in first and second states (see all figs.).
Regarding claim 23, Urakami teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a biasing member configured to bias the recording head at the recording position toward the corresponding positioning mechanism (see fig. 8, note biasing members 75).
Regarding claim 25, note that there is necessarily a housing for the printer, and all of the positioning mechanisms are contained within that housing.
Regarding claim 26, note that there are positioning mechanisms 70/80 including contact portions and positioning members on both sides in the width direction of each head.
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) 24, 3-7 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Urakami in view of Akuzawa et al. (6,419,334).
Regarding claim 24, Urakami teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 23. Urakami does not teach a hemispherical shape. Akuzawa teaches wherein either one of the first contact portion and the first positioning member has a hemispherical shape (Akuzawa, see fig. 4, note that first positioning member 23 has a hemispherical shape on its upper half), and
wherein either of one of the second contact portion and the second positioning member has a hemispherical shape (Akuzawa, see fig. 4, note that second positioning member 31 has a hemispherical shape on its upper half). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute rounded positioning portions, as disclosed by Akuzawa, for the flat portions disclosed by Urakami because doing so would amount to the simple substitution of one known positioning shape for another to obtain predictable results.
Regarding claim 3, Urakami teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 3. Urakami does not teach supporting and supported portions. Akuzawa teaches first and second supported portions on the head and first and second supporting surfaces on the holder (Akuzawa, see figs. 4, 5, Note supported pins 11P on both sides of the head and first and second V-shaped supporting surfaces on each holder on which pins 11P are supported). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the time of invention to add the supporting surfaces and supported portions of Akuzawa to the frames 515 disclosed by Urakami because doing so would work in tandem with the positioning mechanism to relieve the weight of the heads from the hanging arrangement. Applying these portions to first and second holding portions of all heads would meet all lmitations.
Regarding claim 4, Urakami in view of Akuzawa teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 3 including regulating surfaces and regulated portions. (Akuzawa, figs. 4, 5, Note unlabeled pin and elongated slot just below item 51 H. Note that the contact/non-contact follows the same operation as the above supported and supporting surfaces).
Regarding claim 5, Urakami in view of Akuzawa teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 4,
wherein the supported portion is each of projecting portions projecting from both ends of the recording head in a cross direction crossing a movement direction of the recording head in the cross direction (see figs. 1-5, note projections 11P and holes into which projections 11P are inserted),
wherein the supporting portion has hole portions having surfaces facing the projecting portions in directions perpendicular to the cross direction, and
wherein each of the surfaces of the hole portions includes the supporting surface and the regulating surface (see figs. 1-5).
Regarding claim 6, Urakami in view of Akuzawa teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the supporting portion further has a biasing member that biases the recording head such that the supported portion comes into contact with the supporting surface, and
wherein the positioning mechanism comes into contact with the recording head so as to generate a force against a biasing force of the biasing member (Urakami, see figs. 7, 8).
Regarding claim 7, Urakami in view of Akuzawa teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the supporting surface faces the supported portion in a second direction opposite to a first direction which is included in a movement direction of the recording head and in which the recording head moves from the non-recording position to the recording position (Urakami, see figs. 5, 8), wherein the biasing member biases the recording head in the first direction, and wherein the positioning mechanism comes into contact with the recording head in the second direction (Urakami, see figs. 5, 8).
Regarding claim 9, Urakami teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 26. Urakami does not teach a third positioning member. Akuzawa teaches wherein the recording head includes:
wherein the positioning mechanism further includes a third positioning member that positions another side of the recording head in the sheet width direction, wherein the recording head includes a third contact portion contacting to the third positioning member in a case where the recording head is at the recording position (Akuzawa, note that there are two positioning members on one side of each head in the width direction and one on the other side of each head in the width direction).
Claim(s) 27 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Urakami in view of Wells, Jr. et al. (2013/0229473).
Urakami does not teach wherein a connector is provided on a top portion of a printhead. Wells, Jr. teaches this (Wells, Jr., see fig. 1C, Note electrical connector 157 at top of head). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add an electrical connector to the top of a printhead, as disclosed by Wells, Jr., in the device disclosed by Urakami because doing so would amount to combining prior art elements according to known methods to obtain predictable results. Upon combination, the frame disclosed by Urakami would face and cover the electrical connector.
Claim(s) 28 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Urakami in view of Fredrickson et al. (6,565,182).
Urakami does not teach a biasing member on the holder to bias the head toward the positioning mechanism. Fredrickson teaches this (Fredrickson, fig. 3, Note biasing mechanism 54 on “holder” 44/48 to bias the head 26 toward the positioning mechanism 56). 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 biasing member of the type disclosed by Fredrickson to the holder of Urakami because doing so would facilitate close contact between the two positioning portions, thereby ensuring a higher quality print.
Examiner is aware that Fredrickson is directed to a maintenance device positioning mechanism and not one used for printing. Regardless, Examiner maintains it would have been obvious to add the positioning mechanism biasing member disclosed by Fredrickson to any device where a printhead required fixing tightly against an opposing body.
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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