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
Claims 3, 6, 13, and 19 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species B, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 6/16/2026.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 5/4/2026 and 4/22/2024 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim 4 is objected to because of the following informalities: please change the recitation of “second flow path is has” to “second flow path . Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 10-11 and 14-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Regarding claim 10:
This claim requires the dispensing apparatus to include the head assembly “provided in plural.” However, the claim also requires the pipe to include a first line “connected to the head assembly”; therefore it is not clear to which one of the plural head assemblies the first line is connected.
Regarding claim 11:
This claim requires the dummy head assembly to be “adjacent to the head assembly”. However, parent claim 10 requires plural head assemblies; therefore, it is not clear to which one of the plural head assemblies the dummy head assembly is adjacent.
Regarding claim 14:
This claim recites the limitation “the plurality of head assemblies” (line 5 of the claim), where only a single “head assembly” is expressly comprised in the dispensing apparatus (per line 3 of the claim). It is unclear how many head assemblies the dispensing apparatus is meant to include, especially since later limitations refer to the singular head assembly (e.g. line 7 of the claim).
Regarding claims 15-18:
These claims fail to remedy the deficiencies of claim 14, and therefore also fail to meet the requirements of this statute.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1-2, 4-5, 10, 12, and 14-18 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1/2) as being anticipated by Yoneta (US 2021/0229455 A1).
Regarding claim 1:
Yoneta discloses a chemical liquid dispensing apparatus comprising:
a head assembly (head 1) including a channel unit (frame 80) through which a chemical liquid flows (Figs. 16-20), and multiple nozzles (11) through which the chemical liquid flows from the channel unit and dispensing the chemical liquid onto a substrate (Figs. 14, 22); and
a pipe (at least of manifold 102) connected to the head assembly (Figs. 1-2) and through which the chemical liquid passes (paragraph 42 & Figs. 1-2),
wherein the channel unit includes a first flow path (common main supply channel 56 thru common supply branch channels 52) having a branched structure (paragraph 121 & Figs. 17-19), and a second flow path (common supply branch channels 52 thru individual supply channels 22) connected to the first flow path and supplying the chemical liquid to the multiple nozzles (paragraph 116 & Fig. 19).
Regarding claim 2:
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the second flow path has a branched structure (paragraph 119 & Figs. 18-19).
Regarding claim 4:
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the first flow path has a symmetrical branched structure and is branched at the same angle and the same length (Figs. 17-19), and
wherein the second flow path has a symmetrical branched structure and is branched at the same angle and the same length (Figs. 17-19).
Regarding claim 5:
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the channel unit includes:
a filling channel (at least common supply main channel part 56a) provided with a filling port (supply port 81) through which the chemical flows (Fig. 15); and
a pumping channel (channels 52-22) in communication with the filling channel (Figs. 16-17) and provided with the first flow path and the second flow path (Figs. 16-19).
Regarding claim 10:
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that head assembly is provided in plural (Fig. 1) and further includes a storage portion (supply tank 601) that supplies the chemical liquid to the plurality of head assemblies (Figs. 1, 24),
wherein the pipe includes a first line (at least 133a-b) connected to the head assembly (Fig. 1) and a second line (at least 132a-b) connecting the first line and the storage unit (Fig. 1), and
wherein the first line is joined upstream of the plurality of head assemblies and has a branched structure (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 12:
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 10, and also the second line has a branched structure (Fig. 1) and is connected to the first line by forming a unit at every two branches (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 14 (as best understood):
Yoneta discloses a chemical liquid dispensing apparatus comprising:
a storage unit (e.g. supply tank 601) storing a chemical liquid (Fig. 24);
a plurality of head assemblies (heads 1a-d) having multiple nozzles (11) for receiving a dispensing the chemical liquid, and provided in plural (Figs. 14, 22); and
a pipe (at least 633 thru 133) connecting the plurality of head assemblies and the storage unit and through which the chemical liquid passes (Figs. 1, 24),
wherein the pipe include a first line (at least 133a-b) connected to the head assemblies and having a branched structure (Fig. 1), and a second line (at least 633 thru 132a-b) connecting the first line and the storage unit (Figs. 1, 24).
Regarding claim 15 (as best understood):
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 14, and also that the head assemblies include filling ports (supply ports 81) through which the chemical liquid flows (Fig. 15).
Regarding claim 16 (as best understood):
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 15, and also that the head assembly further includes a discharge port (collection port 82) through which the chemical liquid is discharged so that the chemical liquid circulates (Fig. 15), and
wherein the pipe is connected to each of the filling port and the discharge port (Figs. 1-2, 24).
Regarding claim 17 (as best understood):
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 14, and also that the second line has a branched structure (Fig. 1).
Regarding claim 18 (as best understood):
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 17, and also that first line has a symmetrical branched structure and is branched at the same angle and the same length (Fig. 1), and the second line has a symmetrical branched structure, and is branched at the same angle and the same length (Fig. 1), and is connected to the first line by forming a unit at every two branches (Fig. 1).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
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) 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoneta (US 2021/0229455 A1) in view of Tsubaki (US 2011/0181670 A1).
Regarding claim 7:
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 5, but does not expressly disclose the particulars of the filling channel.
However, Tsubaki discloses a filling channel (storing unit 223) having a lower portion equal to a diameter of a first flow path (Fig. 8) and a cross-sectional area that increases toward an upper portion, in terms of a longitudinal direction, so as to enable discharge of bubbles (paragraphs 72-74 & Fig. 8).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Yoneta’s filling channel in the manner taught by Tsubaki, so as to enable bubble discharge.
Regarding claim 9:
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 5, and also that the pipe is connected to each of a filling port and a discharge port (Figs. 1-2, 24).
Yoneta does not expressly disclose the particulars of the filling channel.
However, Tsubaki discloses a filling channel (storing unit 223) that includes a discharge port (at least one of connection paths 231/232) through which chemical liquid is discharged so that the chemical liquid circulates (paragraphs 72-74)
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Yoneta’s filling channel in the manner taught by Tsubaki, so as to enable bubble discharge.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoneta (US 2021/0229455 A1) in view of Bandoh (US 2020/0298582 A1).
Regarding claim 8:
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 5, and also that the head assembly may further include a filter (paragraph 162).
Yoneta does not expressly disclose that the filter crosses the filling port.
However, Bandoh discloses a head assembly (at least head 1) that includes a filter (supply side filter 91) that crosses a filling port (supply port 81) and filters a chemical liquid to prevent foreign substances from entering the nozzle (paragraph 43 Figs. 1-3).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Yoneta’s apparatus to include a filter, such as that taught by Bandoh.
Claim(s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoneta (US 2021/0229455 A1) in view of Eguchi et al. (US 2004/0095422 A1).
Regarding claim 11 (as best understood):
Yoneta discloses all the limitations of claim 10, but does not expressly disclose that the dispensing apparatus includes five head assemblies or a dummy head assembly.
However, Eguchi et al. disclose a dispensing apparatus that reduces errors in print head assemblies (paragraph 24), by utilizing five head assemblies (print head chips 11: Fig. 8) and a dummy head assembly (any of dummy chips 31) adjacent to a head assembly (Fig. 8) and not dispensing chemical liquid (paragraphs 77-78), and
wherein any one of multiple outlets of the first line is connected to the dummy head assembly (paragraphs 78, 83).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Yoneta’s dispensing apparatus to include dummy head chips in the manner taught by Eguchi et al.
Communication with the USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shelby L Fidler whose telephone number is (571)272-8455. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am - 5pm EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SHELBY L. FIDLER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/SHELBY L FIDLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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