DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant's election with traverse of Invention IV in the reply filed on 12/12/25 is acknowledged. The traversal essentially rests on the ground(s) that there would be no search burden if all inventions were examined. This is not found persuasive because each of Inventions I through IV has a two-way distinctiveness with the other inventions. Therefore, each of the Inventions requires a different search.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Note: a mistake has been found in the restriction requirement in that claim 2 is a linking claim for Inventions I-III. Thus, claim 2 will be examined along with claims 1 and 14-15, and Invention I is amended to consist of claims 3-6.
Claims 3-13 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected Invention, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/12/25.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Claim Objections
Claim 1 is objected to because of the following informalities: “each of which includes a plurality of pressure generator” should read “each of which includes a plurality of pressure generators”. Appropriate correction is required.
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) 1-2 and 14-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Mori et al. (US 2019/0100005 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Mori discloses A head assembly comprising:
a head group (plurality of 100, fig. 2, para 30) including a plurality of heads (100, fig. 2, para 30) each of which includes a plurality of pressure generator (710, fig. 6, para 48), each of the plurality of pressure generators including one of a plurality of electrodes (inherent in para 48);
a substrate group (plurality of 83, fig. 10, para 67) including a plurality of substrates (83, fig. 10, para 67) each of which corresponds to and is electrically connected to one of the plurality of heads of the head group (see fig. 10, para 67); and
a cooler (11c and/or 11d, fig. 4, para 43,58) of a water-cooling system (inherent in para 43,58), wherein
each of the plurality of substrates included in the substrate group has a power source mounted thereon (This is inherent in para 67 because 83 is a power supply circuit.), the power source being configured to be electrically connected to the plurality of electrodes of a head which is included in the plurality of heads and which corresponds to each of the plurality of substrates (see para 67), and
the cooler is configured to cool the power source which is mounted on each of the plurality of substrates (inherent in the structure in fig. 4).
Regarding claim 2, Mori further discloses The head assembly according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of substrates included in the substrate group are aligned in a row along a first direction (downwards, fig. 10), and the cooler includes a water cooling part extending along the first direction (see 11c and/or 11d fig. 4, para 43,58).
Regarding claim 14, Mori further discloses The head assembly according to claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of heads includes an IC (see fig. 6, para 48: "A COF (Chip On Film) 753 connecting the actuator 710 and the driver IC 752 to each other is disposed in a spaced formed in the frame 730.") and an IC cooling part (see fig. 6, para 47: "cooling liquid passage 745") configured to water-cool the IC (see para 47), and the cooler and the IC cooling parts are fluidly connected (see para 47).
Regarding claim 15, Mori further discloses A printing apparatus comprising: the head assembly as defined in claim 1; and a conveyor configured to convey a recording medium (see fig. 1 and para 25-26).
The following reference(s) is/are considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and is/are cited for disclosing related limitations to the applicant’s claimed and disclosed invention.
JP 2021020451 A
To efficiently cool a plurality of heat generation parts.SOLUTION: In a circulation passage 500 for temperature-regulation liquid 510, the liquid is pumped up from a temperature-regulation liquid tank 501 by a liquid feeding pump 502, distributed through a cooler 511 from a temperature-regulation liquid supply manifold 505 to heads 100, passed through temperature-regulation liquid passages 130 of the heads 100 to cool the heads 100, passed through the heads 100 to cool head driving parts (a head driving substrate 160 and a head driving IC 161), thereafter collected in a temperature-regulation liquid collection manifold 506, and returned to the temperature-regulation liquid tank 501. A frame member 120 of a head member 110, the head driving parts (the head driving substrate 160 and the head driving IC 161) in this order, i.e. in an ascending order of heat generation amount, when the cooler 511 is set as a starting point, are heat-connected to the circulation passage 500.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JUSTIN SEO whose telephone number is (571)270-1327. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9am-5pm.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo I Magallanes can be reached at 571-272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/JUSTIN SEO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
February 14, 2026
Prosecution Insights