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 .
Final Rejections
The applicant’s amendment of 12/18/2025 necessitated a new ground of rejection as follows below:
Claim Rejections
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.
(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.
Claims 1-4, 6 and 15-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by
Baker et al. (US Pat. 4,771,295).
Baker et al. disclose in Figures 1-2 a thermal ink jet printer comprising:
Regarding claim 1, a storage portion (12, 14, 16) storing liquid (ink) (Figure 1);
an ejection portion (28) provided with a nozzle (30, 32, 34) to eject liquid and an element (TFR) to generate energy to eject liquid from the nozzle (Figure 2, column 1, lines 13-23); and
a flow path portion (108, 110, 112) having a flow path (108, 110, 112) capable of supplying liquid from the storage portion (12, 14, 16) to the ejection portion (28), wherein the flow path portion (108, 110, 112) includes a narrow width portion (102) having a dimension shorter than that of the storage portion (12, 14, 16) and the ejection portion (28) in the main scan directions (inherent main scan directions, not shown) (Figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 2, a liquid ejection head (28) configured to eject liquid (ink), wherein the liquid ejection head (28) is con figure to eject liquid while moving in the main scan directions (inherent main scan directions, not shown) (Figures 1-2).
Regarding claim 3, wherein in the main scan direction, a minimum width of the narrow
width portion (102) is equal to or less than 16% of a maximum width of the flow path portion
(108, 110, 112) (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 4, wherein a ratio between the maximum width and the minimum
width is 6.25:1.00 to 7.50:1.00 (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the narrow width portion (102) is provided with a rib
(106) (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 15, the liquid ejection head (28), wherein the element is a heater
(TFR) (column 1, lines 13-17).
Regarding claim 16, the liquid ejection head (28), wherein the storage portion
(12, 14, 16) separately stores different types of liquids, the flow path portion (108, 110, 112) has the flow paths (108, 110, 112) capable of supplying the different types of liquids, respectively, from the storage portion (12, 14, 16) to the ejection portion (28), and the ejection portion (28) is configured to eject each of the different types of liquids (Figures 1-2, see abstract, column 1, line 68 and column 2, lines 1-3).
Regarding claim 17, a liquid ejection apparatus (thermal ink jet printer) comprising:
a carriage (inherent carriage, but not shown) on which a liquid ejection head (28) is mountable, the liquid ejection head (28) comprising a storage portion (12, 14, 16), an ejection portion (28), and a flow path portion (108,110, 112), the storage portion (12, 14, 16) storing liquid (ink), the ejection portion (28) being provided with a nozzle (30, 32, 34) to eject liquid and an element (thin film resistor) to generate energy to eject liquid from the nozzle (30, 32, 34), the flow path portion (108,110, 112) having a flow path (108,110, 112) capable of supplying liquid from the storage portion (12, 14, 16) to the ejection portion (28), the carriage being movable in main scan directions (Figures 1 and 5-6, paragraphs 0001 and 0029) (Figure 2, column 1, lines 13-23); and
a control unit (inherent control unit, not shown) configured to cause the liquid ejection head (28) to eject liquid (ink), wherein the flow path portion (108, 110, 112) includes a narrow width portion (102) having a dimension shorter than that of the storage portion (12, 14, 16) and the ejection portion (28) in the main scan directions, and the control unit moves the carriage in the main scan directions (Figures 1-2).
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 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.
Claims 5 and 7-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Baker et al. (US Pat. 4,771,295) in view of Kawamura et al. (US Pub. 2023/0001703).
Baker et al. disclose the basic features of claimed invention as stated above but do
not disclose wherein a thickness of a thin portion at which a thickness between an outer wall of the narrow width portion and an inner wall of the flow path is smallest is equal to or less than 45% of a thickness of a thick portion at which the thickness between the outer wall of the narrow width portion and the inner wall of the flow path is largest, wherein a ratio between the thickness of the thin portion and the thickness of the thick portion is 1.00:2.25 to 1.00:2.90; wherein a first distance between an endmost portion of the flow path portion in a width direction and an end of a narrowest portion of the narrow width portion is equal to or greater than 135% of a second distance between the endmost portion and an end of a widest portion of the narrow width portion; wherein a ratio between the second distance and the first distance is 1.00:1.35 to 1.00:1.50; wherein the first distance is from 7.5 mm to 9.5 mm inclusive, and the second distance is from 5.0 mm to 7.0 mm inclusive; and wherein the maximum width is from 15 mm to 25 mm inclusive, and the minimum width is from 2 mm to 4 mm inclusive, wherein the rib has a polygonal shape, wherein the thickness of the thin portion is from 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm inclusive; and wherein the thickness of the thick portion is from 2.3 mm to 2.7 mm inclusive.
Kawamura et al. disclose in Figures 1-14 a liquid ejection head comprising:
Regarding claim 8, a storage portion (81) storing liquid (Figure 6);
an ejection portion (200) provided with a nozzle to eject liquid and an element to generate energy to eject liquid from the nozzle (Figure 6); and a flow path portion (50, 60) having a flow path (51) capable of supplying liquid from the storage portion (81) to the ejection portion (200),
wherein a thickness of a thin portion (t2) at which a thickness
between an outer wall of the narrow width portion (unmarked narrow width portion that contains a number 50) and an inner wall of the flow path (51) is smallest is equal to or less than 45% of a thickness of a thick portion (t2) at which the thickness between the outer wall of the narrow width portion and the inner wall of the flow path is largest (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 9, wherein a ratio between the thickness of the thin portion (t2) and the thickness of the thick portion (t1) is 1.00:2.25 to 1.00:2.90 (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 12, wherein a first distance between an endmost portion of the flow path portion (50, 60) in a width direction and an end of a narrowest portion of the narrow width portion (210) is equal to or greater than 135% of a second distance between the endmost portion and an end of a widest portion (bottom of flow path 50) of the narrow width portion (210) (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 13, wherein a ratio between the second distance and the first distance is 1.00:1.35 to 1.00:1.50 (Figure 6).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the first distance is from 7.5 mm to 9.5 mm inclusive, and the second distance is from 5.0 mm to 7.0 mm inclusive (Figure 6).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Kawamura et al. in the Baker et al.’s thermal ink jet printer for the purpose of creating a high quality ink and image.
Regarding claims 5 and 10-11, Baker et al. disclose the invention as set forth
above but do not teach ""wherein the maximum width is from 15 mm to 25 mm inclusive, and
the minimum width is from 2 mm to 4 mm inclusive; wherein the thickness of the thin portion is
from 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm inclusive; and wherein the thickness of the thick portion is from 2.3 mm
to 2.7 mm inclusive". It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before
the effective filing date of the claimed invention to ""wherein the maximum width is from 15
mm to 25 mm inclusive, and the minimum width is from 2 mm to 4 mm inclusive; wherein the
thickness of the thin portion is from 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm inclusive; and wherein the thickness of
the thick portion is from 2.3 mm to 2.7 mm inclusive", since it has been held that where the
general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable
ranges involves only routine skill in the art. In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233,
235. One would have been motivated to optimize "wherein the maximum width is from 15 mm
to 25 mm inclusive, and the minimum width is from 2 mm to 4 mm inclusive; wherein the
thickness of the thin portion is from 0.8 mm to 1.2 mm inclusive; and wherein the thickness of
the thick portion is from 2.3 mm to 2.7 mm inclusive" for the purpose of providing a liquid
ejection head with which print of good print quality can be obtained.
Regarding claim 7, Baker et al. disclose the claimed invention except for "wherein
the rib has a polygonal shape". It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art
before the effective filing date of the claimed invention was made to change shape of "the rib has
a polygonal shape" in Baker et al., since it has been held that a mere change in shape of an
element is generally recognized as being within the level of ordinary skill in the art when the
change in shape is not significant to the function of the combination. In re Dailey, 357 F.2d669,
149 USPQ 47 (CCPA 1966). Further, one would have been motivated to select the shape of the
rib has a polygonal shape" for the purpose of stably supporting an ink storage.
Response to Applicant’s Arguments
The applicant’s arguments with respect to the prior art rejection have been carefully considered and have been traversed in view of the new grounds of rejection over Baker et al. reference.
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).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Anh Vo whose telephone number is (571) 272-2262. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:30 A.M.to 6:00 P.M..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner's
supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached on (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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/ANH T VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853