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) 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kudoh et al. (7,731,353) in view of Uchino (2007/0252864).
Regarding claim 1, Kudoh teaches a recording apparatus, comprising:
a recording unit (fig. 3, item 121) that performs recording by ejecting a liquid onto a medium;
a pump unit (col. 13, line 7);
a wall portion (fig. 2, item 113/114 and portion below item 115 connecting 133, 114) that is provided at a position, as viewed in a width direction intersecting with a depth direction, to cover at least a part of the pump unit (fig. 3, unlabeled wall portion just behind caps and below item 115 along the depth direction);
a body (fig. 3, item 110) in which the recording unit and the wall portion are provided (see fig. 3); and
a housing (fig. 2, item 1) in which the body is housed (see fig. 2), wherein
the body is provided in the housing in such a way as to be changed in position between a closed position (see fig. 2) and an open position (compare figs. 2, 4, note that the open position is being defined as one in which the body 110 is half inside the housing and half outside the housing) in a depth direction (fig. 4, vertical on page) intersecting with a vertical direction (fig. 4, horizontal on page),
the closed position is a position where the body is housed in the housing (see fig. 2),
the open position is a position where the body protrudes from the housing and where a part of the body is exposed from the housing (see fig. 4),
at least the part of the pump unit covered by the wall portion is not exposed to outside when the body is located at the open position (see fig. 3, note that the wall portion, as defined above, covers the back portion of the pump unit, thereby shielding it from “outside.” Note that “outside” has not been defined with any specificity), and
one end of the wall portion along the width direction is not exposed to the outside when the body is located at the open position (see above, note that, as defined, half of the wall portion is inside the housing and half of the wall portion is outside of the housing in the open position), and
an opening (fig. 3, opening below caps generally indicated at 160) formed in the wall portion and exposed to the outside when the body is located at the open position (see fig. 3, Note that everything in the opening is exposed to the outside at the open position).
Kudoh does not expressly teach wherein the pump unit collects a waste liquid discharged from the recording unit in a maintenance of the recording unit via a tube or wherein the pump unit is provided in the body unit such that the tube is accessed via the opening. Nishihara teaches this (Uchino, [0013], see figs. 6 and 12-18, Note that the tube is accessible for replacement by a user). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to add the pump disclosed by Uchino to the cap disclosed by Kudoh because doing so would allow for suction of the nozzles, thereby removing clogs and improving print quality. Upon combination, a pump and tube would be positioned below the unlabeled caps of Kudoh in the opening so as to be exposed to the outside when the body was in the open position.
Regarding claim 2, Kudoh in view of Uchino teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising in the body:
a recording-unit supporting portion (Kudoh, see fig. 3, note unlabeled guide rails supporting carriage 121) that supports the recording unit.
Kudoh does not teach wherein the supporting portion includes a metal member that is grounded. Uchida teaches this (Uchida, [0059], [0089]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to ground the supporting portion, as disclosed by Uchida, in the device disclosed by Kudoh because doing so would amount to applying a known technique to a known device in need of improvement.
Upon combination of the teaching of Uchida with device of Kudoh, it would have been obvious to one of skill in the art to construct all portions in contact with the supporting portion of Kudoh’s guide rails 15 of metal and ground all of those portions along with the supporting portion. This would result in grounded wall portions and liquid-container-portion holding portions.
Regarding claim 3, Kudoh in view of Uchino teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
the body includes a liquid-container-portion holding portion that holds a liquid container portion that contains the liquid (Kudoh, see fig. 3), and
the liquid-container-portion holding portion includes a metal member that is in contact with the metal member of the wall portion (Kudoh, see fig. 3, Note that this is necessarily the case).
Regarding claim 4, Kudoh in view of Uchino teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
the pump unit includes a tube through which the waste liquid flows (note that such tubing necessarily exists),
the wall portion has an opening at a position of overlapping with at least a part of the pump unit as viewed in the width direction intersecting with the depth direction, and
the opening is located at a position of overlapping with the tube as viewed in the width direction (see fig. 3, note that the pump can be seen in the width direction in an opening in the body).
Regarding claim 5, Kudoh in view of Uchino teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
the tube includes a first tube coupled to a first waste liquid receiver that receives the waste liquid when the maintenance of the recording unit is performed and a second tube coupled to a second waste liguid receiver that receives the waste liguid when the recording is performed (Kudoh, see fig. 3, note that each cap would have its own tube),
the first tube and the second tube are coupled by a coupler (see illustration, note that the tubes are necessarily coupled, and anything could constitute “a coupler”),
the wall portion extends from the body upward (see illustration, note that the wall portion extends upward from a floor of the body), and
a top edge of the wall portion is located above the coupler (see illustration, note that the couple would be on the bottom of the caps, which would be below the top of the wall portion).
Regarding claim 6, Kudoh in view of Uchino teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
the tube includes a first tube coupled to a first waste liquid receiver that receives the waste liquid when the maintenance of the recording unit is performed and a second tube coupled to a second waste liguid receiver that receives the waste liguid when the recording is performed (see illustration above, note that each cap would have its own tube), and
of the second tube, an area portion located inside the opening as viewed in the width direction is provided next to the wall portion in the width direction (see fig. 3, note that any portion of the second tube can be said to be “provided next to the wall portion in the width direction.” Any one of the claimed components could be said to be “next to” any of the other claimed components).
Regarding claim 7, Kudoh in view of Uchino teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
the tube includes a first tube coupled to a first waste liquid receiver that receives the waste liquid when the maintenance of the recording unit is performed and a second tube coupled to a second waste liguid receiver that receives the waste liquid when the recording is performed (see illustration above, note that each cap would have its own tube), and
the opening is provided in the wall portion at a position of overlapping with the second tube as viewed in the width direction and in an orientation in which a longer- side direction of the opening intersects with a direction in which the second tube extends (see illustration).
Regarding claim 8, Kudoh in view of Uchino teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the body includes a sliding portion (Kudoh, fig. 3, items 115) configured to slide on the housing when changed in position in the depth direction (Kudoh, compare figs. 2, 4).
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
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
