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 with respect to claim(s) 10,20,22 and 25-26 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.
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) 10, 20 and 22 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kovacs (US 2011/0102491) and further in view of Kakimura (JP 2009094281).
With regard to claim 1, Kovacs discloses an apparatus for printing an image on a substrate (114) [Para. 0018], comprising:
a chilling device (116) [Para. 0019] arranged to chill substrates moving proximate thereto,
at least one marking material device (112) [Para. 0018], the marking material device arranged to form images on the substrates; and,
a media transport system (104) configured to move the substrates past the chilling device and further configured to subsequently move the substrates past the at least one marking material device to form images on the substrates [Fig 1].
Kovacs does not disclose comprising at least one vortex nozzle and an air knife, the air knife configured to direct a cold air stream produced by the at least one vortex nozzle to the substrate, the air knife comprising: a plenum chamber having an inlet, the inlet in fluid communication with the at least one vortex nozzle; and a knife edge having a plurality of outflow apertures therein, each of the plurality outflow apertures in fluid communication within the plenum chamber.
However, Kakimura teaches a chilling device comprising at least one vortex nozzle (32) and an air knife (18), the air knife configured to direct a cold air stream produced by the at least one vortex nozzle to the substrate (S), the air knife comprising: a plenum chamber (40) having an inlet (36), the inlet in fluid communication with the at least one vortex nozzle Fig. 6]; and a knife edge having a plurality of outflow apertures (42) therein, each of the plurality outflow apertures in fluid communication within the plenum chamber [Fig. 4].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to substitute the chilling device of Kovac with the chilling device of Kakimura to efficiently perform uniform cooling process in a substrate surface while conveying the substrate by rollers.
With regard to claim 20, Kovac's modified apparatus for printing an image on a substrate discloses all the limitations of claim 10, and Kakimura also discloses that at least one air compressor is in fluid communication with the at least one vortex nozzle [Para. 0034].
With regard to claim 22, Kovac’s modified apparatus discloses all the limitations of claim 10 and Kovac also discloses a method for printing an image on a substrate, the method using the apparatus recited in claim 10, the method comprising the steps of:
1) Moving a substrate proximate the chilling device [Fig.1];
2) Chilling the substrate with the chilling device [Fig.1], thereby creating a chilled substrate;
3) Moving the chilled substrate proximate the marking material device; and
4) Printing marking material to form at least one image on the chilled substrate via the marking material device, thereby forming a substrate with marking material.
Claim(s) 25-26 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kovacs (US 2011/0102491) in view of Kakimura (JP 2009094281) as applied to claim 10 above and further in view of Xing (CN 102748897).
With regard to claim 25, Kovac's modified apparatus for printing an image on a substrate discloses all the limitations of claim 10, and Kakimura also discloses wherein the at least one vortex nozzle comprises:
a main tube (44) [Para. 0034];
an inlet (46a) [Para. 0034] in fluid communication with the main tube and in fluid communication with a source of compressed air [Para. 0034; Fig. 5];
a first outlet (46c) [warm air outlet; Para. 0034] in fluid communication with main tube and disposed distally from the airflow inlet;
a second outlet (46b) [cold air outlet; Para. 0034] in fluid communication with the main tube and disposed proximate the airflow inlet [Fig. 5] but does not disclose a vortex spin chamber in fluid communication with the main tube and disposed between the cold airflow outlet and the hot airflow outlet.
However, Xing teaches a vortex spin chamber (92) in fluid communication with a main tube [Fig.1] and disposed between the cold airflow outlet (96) and the hot airflow outlet (95).
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention in order to form airflow with high speed rotating in the cavity and reduce the gas temperature of the and generate two strands airflow.
With regard to claim 26, Kakimura also discloses wherein the at least one vortex nozzle further comprises:
a control valve (48) [Para. 0034] disposed within the main tube and proximate the hot airflow outlet, wherein the control valve is arranged to control a flow rate of hot air from the hot airflow outlet [Fig. 5].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 29 and 31-36 are allowed.
Claims 29 and 21-36 are allowed because the prior art does not teach or make obvious "an air baffle arranged proximate the first air outlet of the at least one vortex nozzle, wherein the first air outlet of the at least one vortex nozzle expels a cold air stream onto the air baffle to homogenize the cold air stream, the baffle air redirects the cold air stream onto the at least one substrate as the at least one substrate moves on the media transport system." It is this combination of limitations, in combination with the other features and limitations of claim 29 that makes these limitations allowable over the prior art of record.
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.
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/RICARDO I MAGALLANES/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/TRACEY M MCMILLION/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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