DETAILED ACTION
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 1 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. The claim recites “a mobile body including a recording head…and a maintenance device,” but a single mobile body cannot be constituted by two distinct and independently movable units. Further, even assuming that both of a recording head and a maintenance device could be said to be a single mobile body, both cannot meet all of the limitations of the claims. That is, the recording head and the maintenance device cannot both travel along the first and second claimed rails.
Correction is required.
Because all other claims depend from claim 1, they are also rejected on this basis.
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) 1-6, 8, 11-14, 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Aoki et al. (2021/0237449).
Regarding claim 1, Aoki teaches a recording device with a mobile body configured to move and be attachable and detachable, the mobile body including a recording head configured to perform recording on a medium and a maintenance unit configured to perform maintenance of the recording head, the recording device comprising:
the mobile body (fig. 15, item 40);
a first guide rail (fig. 15, vertical portion of rail arrangement through which roller 45A can pass) configured to guide the mobile body along a movement direction (fig. fig. 15, upward on page);
a second guide rail (fig. 15, rail opposite rail 93) bifurcating from the first guide rail (see fig. 15) and configured to guide the mobile body along an attachment and detachment direction (fig. 15, -B direction), which is opposite to a ground direction
a restricting body (fig. 15, item 94) configured to restrict movement of the mobile body along the attachment and detachment direction (see fig. 15, note that roller 45A is blocked by 94 from travelling in the attachment and detachment direction -B), when the mobile body is disposed at a replacement position (fig. 15, position shown) where the second guide rail bifurcates from the first guide rail and the mobile body is attachable and detachable (see fig. 15, As an aside, note that the claimed movement direction and attachment direction have not been defined with much specificity at all),
wherein the recording head is configured to move, along the movement direction. between a recording position where recording is performed on the medium, and the replacement position where the mobile body is attachable and detachable (see fig. 15, note that mobile body with recording head 40 slides to both positions in the B direction),
wherein the restricting body is positioned below the first guide rail and the second guide rail with respect to the ground direction
wherein the first guide rail separates from the restricting body, and the restricting body and the first guide rail are vertically spaced apart from each other during both recording and maintenance operations of the recording head (see Illustration, note that spatial limitations are met. Note that “separates from” could mean any number of things. Here, the two elements are separate. Further, the first rail has a dimension that travels away from the restricting body. Note that the restricting body is vertically below the first guide rail, as defined, at all times).
(See illustration below).
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Regarding claim 2, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 1, wherein the mobile body is the recording head (see fig. 15) configured to perform recording on the medium
Regarding claim 3, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 2, wherein the restricting body includes a restriction surface (fig. 15, portion of item 94 restricting roller 45A) configured to be brought into contact with a restricted body (see fig. 15) of the recording head, and the restriction surface intersects the attachment and detachment direction (see fig. 15).
Regarding claim 4, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 2 further comprising: a rack and pinion mechanism (fig. 5, item 46/54) including a rack (fig. 5, item 46) and a driving toothed gear (fig. 5, item 54) and configured to move the recording head in the movement direction (see fig. 5), wherein the rack includes a restricted body attached to the recording head and configured to be brought into contact with the restricting portion, and the restricting body includes a restriction surface configured to be brought into contact with the restricted body(see figs. 5, 12).
Regarding claim 5, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 4, wherein the restriction surface intersects a direction of force acting on the rack from the driving toothed gear (see fig. 5).
Regarding claim 6, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 4, wherein the first guide rail and the second guide rail are not perpendicular to each other (see fig. 15), and the restriction surface intersects a direction in which the rack extends (see figs. 5, 12).
Regarding claim 8, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 4, wherein the restricting body includes a guiding surface configured to be brought into contact with the restricted body when the recording head is mounted, to guide the restricted body(see fig. 15, Note that, as defined above, the components meet the limitation).
Regarding claim 11, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 4, wherein the movement direction is a direction intersecting a vertical direction, and the rack is disposed above the driving toothed gear (see fig. 5).
Regarding claim 12, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 2, wherein the recording head includes a guided portion (fig. 15, item 45A) guided by the first guide rail and the second guide rail, and when the recording head is disposed at the replacement position, the guided portion is disposed at a branch point of the first guide rail and the second guide rail (see figs. 5, 12, Note that this is the case. Further, note that any position could be said to be a “replacement position” because the recording head can be replaced at any time).
Regarding claim 13, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 2, wherein the recording head is configured to discharge a liquid over an entire region, in a width direction, of the medium (see fig. 5, Note that the head is a line head).
Regarding claim 14, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 2, wherein the movement direction is a direction intersecting a vertical direction and a horizontal direction (see figs. 5, 12).
Regarding claim 17, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 1, wherein the first guide rail does not overlap with the second guide rail when viewed along the attachment and detachment direction (see fig. 15).
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) 9 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Aoki in view of Lin (2008/0038036).
Regarding claim 9, Aoki teaches the recording device according to claim 4. Aoki does not teach a bias portion provided between the rack and the recording head, and configured to bias the rack and the recording head in a direction in which the rack and the recording head are spaced apart from each other, wherein, when the recording head is disposed at the replacement position, the restricted body is pressed against the restriction surface by the bias portion. Lin teaches this (Lin, see fig. 2, Note bias portion 18). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to add the bias portion disclosed by Lin to the device disclosed by Aoki because doing so would ensure soft movement of the recording head during attachment and detachment, thereby preventing damage to the recording head.
Regarding claim 10, Aoki in view of Lin teaches the recording device according to claim 9, further comprising: a cam member (Aoki, [0081]) configured to be brought into contact with the recording head to define a position of the recording head, wherein the recording head is pressed against the cam member by the bias portion (Aoki, [0081], Note that upon combination of the bias portion with the rest of the structure disclosed by Aoki, the limitation would be met).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 1/26/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The claims have been to further specify the structure of the device, but the amended claims are still anticipated by the prior art. The rejections above have been amended to reflect the changes to the claims. The standing prior art rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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