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, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 20-22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akuzawa et al. (6,419,334) in view of Sato et al. (2006/0153589).
Regarding claim 1, Akuzawa teaches a recording apparatus, comprising:
a conveying roller (fig. 1, item 5) configured to convey a recording medium (fig. 5, item P) in a conveyance direction (fig. 1);
a recording head (fig. 5, item 10) configured to perform recording by discharging a liquid to the recording medium and including a protruding portion that protrudes in an intersecting direction intersecting the conveyance direction (see illustration, note that protruding portion 11P protrudes in the Z direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction);
a first holder (fig. 4, item 50/10U shown in figure) arranged at one end side of the recording head in the intersecting direction and configured to move a recording head (fig. 1, item 10) in a moving direction between (1) a positioning position (fig. 4) where the recording head performs recording and (2) a non-positioning position (fig. 5) where the recording head is retracted from the positioning position,
a second holder (fig. 4, item 50/10U not shown in figure but on opposite side of recording head in longitudinal direction) arranged at another end side of the recording head in the longitudinal direction and configured to move the recording head in the moving direction between the positioning position and the non-positioning position (see figs. 4, 5),
wherein the second holder comprises a second supporting portion provided in a third opening portion and configured to support a second supported portion of the recording head when the recording head is at the non-positioning position, the third opening portion not having a notch portion (see figs. 4, 5, note that the first and second holders on both sides of the recording head are the same. Note supported portion 11P and supporting portion 51H. Note that “notch portion” has not been defined in any way, and that one looking to figures 13A, 31A of the present application could reasonably say that the third opening of the second holder indeed has a notch portion where the second supported portion is inserted),
wherein the first holder comprises:
a single supporting portion and a single supported portion (see illustration, note that the V-shaped first supporting portion supports the protruding portion 11P),
wherein the supporting portion does not support the recording head at the positioning position (see fig. 4, Note that, when cylindrical members 23 bear the weight of the recording head 10, the first supporting portion does not bear the weight of the recording head and thereby does not support the recording head).
While Akuzawa teaches a single pin on the recording head and a single slot on the holder for supporting the pin, Akuzawa does not teach two pins supported in two slots on a holder for supporting the pins. Sato teaches a holder for supporting a body, where the holder has two slots for supporting two pins, the slots being vertically displaced from each other, the pins being located on the longitudinal ends of the body (Sato fig. 14, Note that if pin 323 is defined as the first supported portion, entirety of slot 325 is defined as the first opening, portion of slot 325 past notch 326 is defined as the supporting portion, the first opening portion has a first notch portion defined as the area past bump 326 into which the first supported portion is inserted), the limitation is met.
Further, if pin 324 is defined as the protrusion, the deep end of slot 327 just before 327a is defined as the rotation restricting portion, and a portion midway through the slot 327 is defined as the engaging portion, the limitations are met. The second opening portion has a second notch portion defined by the circular portion 327a into which the protruding member is inserted. When the protruding portion 324 is in circular portion 327a, rotation by an amount of clearance between the pin 324 and the circular portion 327a is allowed).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to substitute the arrangement of protruding portions and supporting/rotation-restricting/engaging portions disclose by Sato for the arrangement of a single protruding portion and hole disclosed by Akuzawa because doing so would allow for the recording head unit to be inserted into and pulled out of the holder easily, thereby allowing for replacement or maintenance by a user.
Upon combination of the claimed references the slots of Sato would have clearances so that the pins 323, 324 would not rest on the slots at the non-positioning position. That is, the functionality of Akuzawa’s positioning and non-positioning positions would remain, and the general concept of the two-slotted, two-pin insertion arrangement would be substituted for Akuzawa’s single hole and pin arrangement.
Regarding claim 3, Akuzawa in view of Sato teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a second holder arranged at another end side of the recording head in the intersecting direction and configured to move the recording head in the moving direction between the positioning position and the non-positioning position, wherein the second holder comprises a second supporting portion configured to support a second supported portion of the recording head when the recording head is at the non-positioning position (Akuzawa, Note that there are holders on both sides of the head).
Regarding claim 5, Akuzawa in view of Sato teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first supporting portion includes
a first supporting face that comes into contact with a first supported portion of the recording head in a state of being at the non-positioning position (see claim 1 rejection, Sato, fig. 14, see bottom face of pin 323), and
that does not come into contact with the first supported portion in a state of the recording head being at the positioning position (Note that, upon combination, the limitation would be met), and
a first restricting face that is capable of abutting the first supported portion that is in contact with the first supporting face, in a second intersecting direction that intersects each of a moving direction of the moving portion and the intersecting direction (Sato, fig. 14, Note that any number of faces of the first supporting portion could be said to restrict the first supporting face).
Regarding claim 7, Akuzawa in view of Sato teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the second supporting portion includes
a second supporting face that comes into contact with a second supported portion of the recording head when the recording head is in a state of being at the non-positioning position, and that does not come into contact with the second supported portion when the recording head is in a state of being at the positioning position, and
a second restricting face that is capable of abutting the second supported portion that is in contact with the second supporting face, in a second intersecting direction that intersects each of a moving direction and the intersecting direction (Note that, upon combination, the resultant device would have all of the same components on both sides of the recording head functioning in the same manner).
Regarding claim 8, Akuzawa in view of Sato teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the rotation restricting portion includes an abutting face that is capable of abutting protruding portion, in a state in which the recording head is at the non-positioning position (Sato, fig. 14, Note the rightmost, end portion of the guide rail makes contact with the protruding member).
Regarding claim 10, Akuzawa in view of Sato teaches the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recording head is moved by the first holder to a maintenance position at which maintenance of the recording head is performed (Akuzawa, see fig. 1, Note that, when maintenance unit 90 is engaged with the printhead, the positioning position is a maintenance position).
Regarding claims 20 and 21, see rejections of claims 1, 5, 7. Note that all components are repeated on both sides of the prior art assembly.
Regarding claim 22, Akuzawa teaches what can be considered a rail system 40 at figs. 4, 5 that can be said to be located on either side in the longitudinal direction and moves the recording head in the moving direction.
Claim(s) 23 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Akuzawa in view of Sato as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Wells Jr. et al. (2013/0229473).
Regarding claim 23, Akuzawa in view of Sato does not teach an electrical connection portion provided on an upper face of the recording head. 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 at the time of invention to add an electrical connector to the top of a printhead, as disclosed by Wells, Jr., in the device disclosed by Akuzawa in view of Sato because doing so would amount to combining prior art elements according to known methods to obtain predictable results.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 6/26/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The claims have been amended to further specify the structure of the device, but the amendment fails to distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. The rejections above have been updated to reflect the changes to the claims. The standing prior art rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
