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 .
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 and 5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Osaki et al. (US 2015/0165767 A1).
Osaki et al. teach the following claimed limitations:
Regarding claim 1, a liquid discharge head (ink jet type recording head 1; Figs 1-4) comprising:
a plurality of nozzles to discharge liquid (nozzle openings 21; Figs 1-4);
a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the plurality of respective nozzles (pressure generation chambers 12; Figs 1-4);
a common supply channel communicating with the plurality of pressure chambers (the case member 40 defining the manifold 100 communicating with the plurality of pressure generation chambers 12 together with the head box 11 is fixed to the protection substrate 30 and the communication plate 15; [0052]; Figs 1-4), the common supply channel being shorter in a short-side direction than in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the short-side direction (third manifold section 42 is shorter in the Y direction than in the X direction; FIG. 3); and
a plurality of beams arranged in a truss shape to connect side walls on lateral sides of the common supply channel in the short-side direction of the common supply channel (ribs 110; Figs 1-4; truss shape can be any shape for supporting, for example, a roof or a wall; common but not exclusively is a triangle shape).
Regarding claim 5, a liquid discharge apparatus comprising the liquid discharge head (ink jet type recording apparatus; FIG. 12).
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) 2-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Osaki et al. (US 2015/0165767 A1) in view of Kubota (US 2014/0118440 A1).
Osaki et al. teach the following claimed limitations:
Regarding claim 2, a liquid discharge head (ink jet type recording head 1; Figs 1-4) comprising:
a plurality of nozzles to discharge liquid (nozzle openings 21; Figs 1-4);
a plurality of pressure chambers communicating with the plurality of nozzles (pressure generation chambers 12; Figs 1-4);
a common supply channel communicating with the plurality of pressure chambers (the case member 40 defining the manifold 100 communicating with the plurality of pressure generation chambers 12 together with the head box 11 is fixed to the protection substrate 30 and the communication plate 15; [0052]; Figs 1-4), the common supply channel being shorter in a short-side direction than in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to the short-side direction (third manifold section 42 is shorter in the Y direction than in the X direction; FIG. 3); and
a plurality of beams arranged in a truss shape to connect side walls on lateral sides of the common supply channel in the short-side direction (ribs 110; Figs 1-4; truss shape can be any shape for supporting, for example, a roof or a wall; common but not exclusively is a triangle shape).
Osaki et al. do not teach the following claimed limitations:
Further regarding claim 2, a common collection channel communicating with the plurality of pressure chambers; and a plurality of beams arranged in a truss shape to connect side walls on lateral sides of the common collection channel in the short-side direction.
Regarding claim 3, wherein one of the side walls on the lateral sides of the common collection channel is common to a portion of one of the side walls on the lateral sides of the common supply channel.
Regarding claim 4, wherein the plurality of beams of the common collection channel are disposed at a central portion of the side walls in a height direction of the common collection channel.
Kubota teaches the following claimed limitations:
Further regarding claim 2, a common collection channel communicating with a plurality of pressure chambers (the liquid flows from the one chamber 10 into the common chamber 9, flows from the common chamber 9 into the individual first and second ejection grooves 6a, 6b in a divided manner, and flows out to the first chamber 10a and the second chamber 10b through the slits 22a, 22b corresponding to the respective ejection grooves 6a, 6b; [0072]; Figs 1-3); and a plurality of beams arranged in a truss shape to connect side walls on lateral sides of the common collection channel in a short-side direction (similar to the reinforcing bridge 20 for the one chamber 10, the bridges between two adjacent slits 22a also reinforce the first chamber 10a; [0070]; FIG. 2) for the purpose of providing rigidity and maintaining the shape of the chamber.
Further regarding claim 3, one of the side walls on the lateral sides of the common collection channel is common to a portion of one of the side walls on the lateral sides of the common supply channel (the plate between the one chamber 10 and the first chamber 10a; FIG. 1) for the purpose of having the supply chamber the pressure chamber and the collection chamber in close proximity for efficient flow of ink.
Further regarding claim 4, the plurality of beams of the common collection channel are disposed at a central portion of the side walls in a height direction of the common collection channel (the bridge for the first chamber 10a rises at least to the central portion; FIG. 3C) for the purpose of providing more rigidity.
It would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to incorporate a common collection channel communicating with the plurality of pressure chambers; and a plurality of beams arranged in a truss shape to connect side walls on lateral sides of the common collection channel in the short-side direction; wherein one of the side walls on the lateral sides of the common collection channel is common to a portion of one of the side walls on the lateral sides of the common supply channel; wherein the plurality of beams of the common collection channel are disposed at a central portion of the side walls in a height direction of the common collection channel, as taught by Kubota, into Osaki et al. for the purpose of providing rigidity and maintaining the shape of the chamber; having the supply chamber the pressure chamber and the collection chamber in close proximity for efficient flow of ink; providing more rigidity.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KENDRICK X LIU whose telephone number is (571)270-3798. The examiner can normally be reached MWFSa 10am-8pm.
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23 July 2025
/KENDRICK X LIU/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/DOUGLAS X RODRIGUEZ/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853