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
The restriction requirement, as set forth in the Office action mailed on 03/11/2026, has been reconsidered in view of applicant’s arguments filed on 04/14/2026. The restriction requirement is hereby withdrawn.
In view of the above noted withdrawal of the restriction requirement, applicant is advised that if any claim presented in a divisional application is anticipated by, or includes all the limitations of, a claim that is allowable in the present application, such claim may be subject to provisional statutory and/or nonstatutory double patenting rejections over the claims of the instant application.
Once a restriction requirement is withdrawn, the provisions of 35 U.S.C. 121 are no longer applicable. See In re Ziegler, 443 F.2d 1211, 1215, 170 USPQ 129, 131-32 (CCPA 1971). See also MPEP § 804.01.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 01/15/2020 are being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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 1, 3 ,4, 8, 9, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kakimoto et al. (JP 2006-198608).
Regarding claim 1, Kakimoto et al teaches an actuator (fig.1) comprising:
a piezoelectric element (3 fig.1) to expand and contract in an expansion-contraction direction;
a valve body (4 fig.1) movable in the expansion-contraction direction;
a support (support of 3 from above side fig.1) fitted around the piezoelectric element (3) to expand and contract in the expansion-contraction direction with an expansion and a contraction of the piezoelectric element (3);
a movement mechanism (2a,13b,16 fig.1) coupled to:
the valve body (4); and
the piezoelectric element (3) via the support,
to move the valve body (4) in accordance with the expansion and the contraction of the piezoelectric element (3), and
the movement mechanism (2a,13b,16 fig.1) including a fixing portion (2a) fixing a relative position of the movement mechanism to the support; and
a restrictor (2 fig.1) fixed to each of the support and the fixing portion (2a) to regulate a relative position of the fixing portion to the support (fig.1).
Regarding claim 3, Kakimoto et al further teaches wherein the restrictor (2 fig.1) extends in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric element (3).
Regarding claim 4, Kakimoto et al further teaches wherein the restrictor (2 fig.1) is formed of a single component.
Regarding claim 8, Kakimoto et al further teaches wherein the valve body (4 fig.1) is movable by a distance longer than a length of the expansion of the piezoelectric element (3) to which a predetermined voltage is applied (fig.1).
Regarding claim 9, Kakimoto et al further teaches further comprising at least two restrictors (2 on both sides of 3 fig.1) including the restrictor, wherein the fixing portion is sandwiched and fixed between the at least two restrictors (fig.1).
Regarding claim 12, Kakimoto et al further teaches wherein the restrictor (2 fig.1) has an opening in which the piezoelectric element (3) is arranged.
Claims 1-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakai (WO 2023/007285).
Regarding claim 1, Sakai teaches an actuator (figs.7A,7B) comprising:
a piezoelectric element (332 figs.7A,7B) to expand and contract in an expansion-contraction direction (up-down);
a valve body (331 figs.7A,7B) movable in the expansion-contraction direction (up-down);
a support (333c,334 figs.7A,7B) fitted around the piezoelectric element (332) to expand and contract in the expansion-contraction direction with an expansion and a contraction of the piezoelectric element (332);
a movement mechanism (335 figs.7A,7B) coupled to:
the valve body (331); and
the piezoelectric element (332) via the support,
to move the valve body (331) in accordance with the expansion and the contraction of the piezoelectric element (332), and
the movement mechanism (335) including a fixing portion (335c,335b figs.7A,7B) fixing a relative position of the movement mechanism to the support (333c,334); and
a restrictor (33b figs.7A,7B) fixed to each of the support (33c,334) and the fixing portion (335c,335b) to regulate a relative position of the fixing portion to the support (figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 2, Sakai further teaches wherein the movement mechanism (335 figs.7A,7B) includes:
a bent portion (335d figs.7A,7B) movable toward the valve body relative to the fixing portion in accordance with the expansion of the piezoelectric element (figs.7A,7B); and
a deformable portion (335a figs.7A,7B) to move the valve body toward the piezoelectric element relative to the fixing portion in accordance with a movement of the bent portion toward the valve body (figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 3, Sakai further teaches wherein the restrictor (333b figs.7A,7B) extends in a direction parallel to a longitudinal direction of the piezoelectric element (332).
Regarding claim 4, Sakai further teaches wherein the restrictor (333b figs.7A,7B) is formed of a single component.
Regarding claim 5, Sakai further teaches further comprising a fixing member (333a figs.7A,7B) fixing the fixing portion (335c,335b) to the restrictor (333b), wherein the fixing member restricts a rotation of a coupling point between the fixing portion and the bent portion about a central axis of the fixing member (figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 6, Sakai further teaches wherein the movement mechanism (335 figs.7A,7B) and the fixing member are fixed to each other to form a single body ( figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 7, Sakai further teaches wherein the restrictor (333b figs.7A,7B) is formed of a metal having a coefficient of thermal expansion smaller than a coefficient of thermal expansion of the support (figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 8, Sakai further teaches wherein the valve body (331 figs.7A,7B) is movable by a distance longer than a length of the expansion of the piezoelectric element (332) to which a predetermined voltage is applied (figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 9, Sakai further teaches further comprising at least two restrictors (33b on both sides of 332 figs.7A,7B) including the restrictor, wherein the fixing portion is sandwiched and fixed between the at least two restrictors (figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 10, Sakai further teaches wherein the support (333c,334 figs.7A,7B) includes an elastic portion (333d) deformable in accordance with the expansion of the piezoelectric element (332) to bias the bent portion toward the piezoelectric element (figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 11, Sakai further teaches wherein the support, the elastic portion (333d figs.7A,7B), and the movement mechanism form a single unit (figs.7A,7B).
Regarding claim 12, Sakai further teaches wherein the restrictor (333b figs.7A,7B) has an opening (333e) in which the piezoelectric element (332) is arranged.
Regarding claim 13, Sakai further teaches a liquid discharge head (figs.1,2) comprising:
the actuator (figs.7A,7B) according to claim 1; and
a housing (310 figs.1,2) having:
a nozzle hole (302) from which a liquid is dischargeable;
a liquid chamber (312) communicating with the nozzle hole; and
an accommodation space (fig.2) accommodating the actuator, wherein the valve body opens the nozzle hole (302) in accordance with the expansion of the piezoelectric element (332) (figs.1,2,7A,7B).
Regarding claim 14, Sakai further teaches a liquid discharge apparatus (figs.8,9) comprising: the liquid discharge head (figs.1,2) according to claim 13; and a carriage (1 figs.8,9) mounting the liquid discharge head to move the liquid discharge head (figs.8,9).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to HENOK D LEGESSE whose telephone number is (571)270-1615. The examiner can normally be reached General Schedule 9:00 am- 5:00 pm, IFP.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas 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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/HENOK D LEGESSE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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