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. 1, item 40) 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,
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, slot 325 is defined as the first supporting portion, pin 324 is defined as the protrusion, the deep end of slot 327 just before 327a is defined as the rotation restricting portion, and 327a is defined as the engaging portion, the limitations are met. 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 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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