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
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I in the reply filed on 12/22/2025 is acknowledged.
Claims 6-10 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected Species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Election was made without traverse in the reply filed on 12/22/2025.
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) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over De Meutter et al (U.S. Pub. 2017/0282555) in view of Akatsuka et al (U.S. Pub. 2010/0103233)
Regarding claim 1, an ink jet printing apparatus comprising: a stage (Paragraphs 0057-0058)
An ink jet head (100) over the stage and comprising a plurality of nozzles through which ink comprising a plurality of particles is discharged (Figures 1-4; Paragraphs 0023-0024, 0026)
Wherein the ink jet head comprises: a base portion (body/frame of the ink jet head 100) constituting a main body of the ink jet head (Figure 1)
A discharge portion (150) adjacent to the base portion and comprising the plurality of nozzles (Figures 1-4; Paragraphs 0023-0024, 0026)
An inner flow path (102) between the base portion and the discharge portion and configured to accommodate the ink (Figure 1; the base portion surrounds the inner flow path [102], therefore the inner flow path will be between the base portion [in particular and upper portion of the base portion] and the discharge portion [150]; Paragraphs 0023-0026)
De Meutter discloses the mixing means may comprise a stirring device in a liquid container, such as the manifold (102; inner flow path). De Meutter does not expressly disclose the stirring device rotates, however Akatsuka discloses a rotation member (56) to rotate in an inner flow path to mix ink (Figures 1-2; Paragraphs 0027, 0048-0050)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Akatsuka into the device of De Meutter, for the purpose of concurrently stirring and deaerating a liquid in a continuous manner
Regarding claim 2, Akatsuka discloses wherein the rotation member comprises a rotation shaft coupled to the base portion, and a blade coupled to the rotation shaft and configured to rotate in one direction (Figures 1-2; Paragraphs 0027, 0048-0050)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Akatsuka into the device of De Meutter, for the purpose of concurrently stirring and deaerating a liquid in a continuous manner
Regarding claim 3, Akatsuka discloses wherein a length of the blade is shorter than a distance from the rotation shaft to one side surface of the base portion (Figures 1-2; Paragraphs 0027, 0048-0050)
It would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Akatsuka into the device of De Meutter, for the purpose of concurrently stirring and deaerating a liquid in a continuous manner
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-5 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.
The primary reason for the allowance of claims 4-5 is the inclusion of the limitation of wherein a plurality of rotation members are provided, and the plurality of rotation members comprise a first rotation member and a second rotation member smaller than the first rotation member. It is this limitation found in each of the claims, as it is claimed in the combination, that has not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JASON S UHLENHAKE whose telephone number is (571)272-5916. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 am - 5:00 pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas X. 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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/JASON S UHLENHAKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 January 9, 2026