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 .
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 11/13/2025 have been fully considered.
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 and 17 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument. Please see newly applied rejection(s) based on Shimomura (US 2018/0050534 A1).
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.
Claim 16 is 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 16:
This claim recites the limitation "the front side" (line 4 of the claim). There is insufficient antecedent basis for this limitation in the claim.
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) 1-5, 9-10, 13-15, and 17 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1/2) as being anticipated by Shimomura (US 2018/0050534 A1).
Regarding claim 1:
Shimomura discloses a recording device comprising:
a recording unit (at least recording head 32) configured to perform recording on a medium (paragraph 60); and
a housing (housing 14) configured to accommodate the recording unit (Fig. 1),
wherein the housing includes a frame (assembly body 12) and a bottom portion (bottom frame 54 + tray 26) attached to the frame (Fig. 3),
wherein the bottom portion includes a first bottom portion (54) fixed to the frame (Fig. 3) and a second bottom portion (26) detachably fixed to the frame (paragraph 76 & Fig. 8),
wherein the recording unit performs recording on the medium by discharging a liquid (“ink”: paragraph 60), and
wherein at least one of the first bottom portion or the second bottom portion includes a liquid accommodating portion (ink absorbers 46) configured to accommodate the liquid leaking from the recording unit (paragraphs 3, 71).
Regarding claim 2:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the second bottom portion is attachable and detachable along a first direction intersecting a vertical direction (the vertical direction is not defined, and the ink-receiving tray 26 may be attached/detached at an angle sufficient to allow protrusions 48 to be fitted within protrusions 58: paragraphs 76-77 & Figs. 1, 8).
Regarding claim 3:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 2, and also that the second bottom portion includes a grip portion (e.g. protrusions 48, 50 enable user gripping: Fig. 6), and the second bottom portion is attachable and detachable along the first direction by gripping the grip portion (paragraphs 76-77).
Regarding claim 4:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 2, and also that the first direction is a direction intersecting a second direction facing a front side (neither the second direction nor the front side are defined, and the ink-receiving tray 26 may be attached/detached at an angle sufficient to allow protrusions 48 to be fitted within protrusions 58: paragraphs 76-77 & Figs. 1, 8).
Regarding claim 5:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the frame includes a communication path (any of openings portions 54a) configured to communicate with the outside in a downward direction of a vertical direction (Figs. 4, 8), and
the second bottom portion closes the communication path when attached to the frame and opens the communication path when detached from the frame (Figs. 8-9).
Regarding claim 9:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that a liquid absorber (46) is configured to absorb the liquid (paragraph 71), wherein the liquid absorber is provided at the liquid accommodating portion (paragraph 71 & Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 10:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the recording unit includes a nozzle surface in which each of a plurality of nozzles are configured to discharge the liquid opens (paragraph 60 & Fig. 3), and
the liquid accommodating portion is provided partially or entirely overlapping the nozzle surface in a first direction (any direction extending from opening portion 54a/absorber 46 to printhead 32) intersecting a vertical direction (Z-axis: Fig. 4) and a second direction (any other direction extending from opening portion 54a/absorber 46 to printhead 32) intersecting the vertical direction and the first direction in a plan view in the vertical direction (paragraph 76 & Figs. 3-4, 8).
Regarding claim 13:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also an installation portion (optional ink tanks 36) configured to be installed at an installation surface (side surface: Figs. 4-5), wherein the installation portion is provided outside a movement region of the second bottom portion at a bottom surface of the housing (Figs. 4, 8).
Regarding claim 14:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the second bottom portion includes a positioning portion (protrusions 48) configured to perform positioning with respect to the frame (paragraph 77 & Fig. 8).
Regarding claim 15:
Shimomura discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and also a fixing portion (fastening members 60) configured to fix the second bottom portion when the second bottom portion is attached to the frame (paragraph 78 & Fig. 10).
Regarding claim 17:
Shimomura discloses a recording device comprising:
a recording unit (at least recording head 32) configured to perform recording on a medium (paragraph 60); and
a housing (housing 14) configured to accommodate the recording unit (Fig. 1),
wherein the housing includes a frame (assembly body 12) and a bottom portion (bottom frame 54 + tray 26) attached to the frame (Fig. 3), the bottom portion includes a first bottom portion (54) fixed to the frame (Fig. 3) and a second bottom portion (26) detachably fixed to the frame (paragraph 76 & Fig. 8), and
wherein the first bottom portion is a flat plate shaped member that forms part of a bottom surface of the housing (Figs. 3, 8).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 6-7 and 11-12 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
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.
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, 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