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 .
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 03/27/2024. The submission is
in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure
statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “pressing member” and “end portion” must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claim 4 rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends. Applicant may cancel the claim, amend the claim to place the claim in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim complies with the statutory requirements.
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 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) and 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Yanagisawa et al (U.S. Pub. 2007/0046727).
Regarding claim 1, a recording apparatus (liquid-jet apparatus body 4; Fig. 9; Paragraph 0094), comprising:
a liquid ejection head including a plurality of nozzles configured to eject a liquid onto a medium (ink-jet record head 1 includes a plurality of nozzles 207; Fig. 2, that ejects ink droplets through the nozzles 207 onto a medium S; Fig. 9; Paragraph 0003); and
a facing portion disposed to face the liquid ejection head (a facing portion plate 208 facing the liquid ejection head body 200; Figs 8A – 8B), wherein
the liquid ejection head includes, in a plate member facing the facing portion (the liquid ejection head body 200 includes, in a plate member 300 facing the facing portion 208; Figs. 8A – 8B),
a head chip including the nozzles (the combination of substrate 201, piezoelectric 212, elastic film 202, ink supply path 206, and communication portion 205 demonstrates a head chip with nozzles 207; Paragraph 0063 – 0065; Fig. 4); and
a protrusion member protruding from the plate member to the facing portion, the protrusion member being a rib-shaped member disposed to avoid the nozzles provided in the head chip (protrusion 311 protrudes from the plate member 300 to the facing portion plate 208, protrusions 311 having two rib-shaped members that is used to space from the nozzles 207; Figs. 7A – 8B; Paragraph 0071 and 0072), and
the protrusion member extends in a direction intersecting the medium transport direction (Protrusion 311 moves in the intersecting direction of the axial direction which is the medium S transport direction; Paragraph 0095; Fig 8 – 9).
Regarding claim 5, a plurality of the protrusion members (two protrusions 311; Fig. 7B), wherein
the plurality of protrusion members (two protrusions 311; Fig. 7B) include
a first protrusion member extending from a center position of the medium to a side end of the medium in the medium width direction from upstream to downstream in the medium transport
direction (protrusion 311 on the left side noted as L in Fig. 7A is extended from the center position of the plate member 300 that is shown using a dotted line in the figure below and of the recording medium S in width and transport direction shown in below figure; Figs. 2, 7A, 7B, and 9); and
a second protrusion member extending from the side end of the medium in the medium width direction to the center position from upstream to downstream in the medium transport direction (the second protrusion 311 on the right side noted as R in Fig. 7A is extended from the center position of the plate member 300 that is shown using a dotted line in the figure below and of the recording medium S in width and transport direction shown in below figure; Figs. 2, 7A, 7B, and 9), and
the side end of the medium having a predetermined standard size in the medium width direction passes through a position deviating from the second protrusion member (side of recording medium S having an illustrated predetermined size in the medium width direction goes through a position deviating from the second protrusion 311 R and already pressed onto the record head 1A and 1B that is shown below; Figs. 9).
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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 2 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanagisawa (US 20070046727 A1) in view of Dowell (US 20170096004 A1).
Regarding claim 2, Yanagisawa teaches the recording apparatus (liquid-jet apparatus body 4; Fig. 9; Paragraph 0094) according to claim 1, wherein
the head chip extends in a medium width direction that is a direction orthogonal to a medium transport direction (the head chip consists of the substrate 201, ink supply path 206, communicating portion 205, elastic film 202 and the nozzles 207 which extends in the width direction and longitudinal direction that is orthogonal; Fig. 4; Paragraph 0063),
a plurality of the head chips are alternately disposed at an upstream position and a downstream position along the medium width direction (shows a plurality of four head chips in a head along the medium width direction; Fig. 2). However, Yanagisawa does not teach that the plurality of the head chips are alternately disposed at an upstream position and a downstream position along the medium width direction and the protrusion member is provided to couple an end portion in the first direction of the head chip disposed at the upstream position to an end portion in the second direction of the head chip located downstream in the medium transport direction.
Dowell teaches a plurality of the head chips are alternately disposed at an upstream position and a downstream position along the medium width direction (6 printheads 14A – 14F are in a stagger configuration in the x-direction with upstream 36 extending with downstream 24 in the same direction; Paragraph 0017 and 0018; Fig. 1).
one direction in the medium width direction is set as a first direction, the other direction is set as a second direction, and the protrusion member is provided to couple an end portion in the first direction of the head chip disposed at the upstream position to an end portion in the second direction of the head chip located downstream in the medium transport direction with respect to the end portion in the first direction (the medium width direction is set on the X-axis and goes two directions, the protrusion parts 30 and 32 and ends 26 and 28 and notch 34 of chassis 18 are used to couple printheads 14A-14C in the upstream row direction 36 and the printheads 14D-14F in the downstream row direction 38 aligned in a staggered configuration; Figs. 2-4; Paragraph 0017 and 0018).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device describe in Dowell to further include the staggered configuration of the head chips in order to narrow printheads for the use of wider mediums reliably to create something more modern. This would have been done in order to greatly improve efficiency for wider medium size uses (paragraphs 0010 and 0011).
Claim 3 and 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanagisawa (US 20070046727 A1) in view of Sasa (US 7673985 B2).
Regarding claim 3 and 4, Yanagisawa teaches the recording apparatus (liquid-jet apparatus body 4; Fig. 9; Paragraph 0094) according to claim 1, however Yanagisawa does not explicitly teach the corner portion being a chamfered shape.
Sasa teaches the recording apparatus (multifunction machine 1; Fig. 1; Paragraph 50) according to claim 1, wherein
the protrusion member includes a corner portion at an upstream end in the medium transport direction, the corner portion being formed in a chamfered shape or an R shape (Protrusion ribs 121 include a corner portions 122 and 123 that is disposed on the upstream side in the transport direction, the corner portions 122 and 123 having the chamfering processing applied to them; Figs. 10 and 12; Paragraph 117).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device describe in Yanagisawa to further include the chamfered shape to the corner portions of the protrusion member in order to curb the leading end of the medium being caught and smooth operation. This would have been done for smooth operation, as taught in Sasa (column 41 line 57).
Claims 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yanagisawa (US 20070046727 A1) in view of Kajihara (US 20230311512 A1).
Regarding claim 6, Yanagisawa teaches the recording apparatus (liquid-jet apparatus body 4; Fig. 9; Paragraph 0094) according to claim 1, however Yanagisawa does not explicitly teach the cap portion covering the nozzles of the liquid ejection head.
Kajihara teaches the recording apparatus (printing apparatus 1; Fig. 1) according to claim 1, comprising:
a cap portion configured to cover the nozzles of the liquid ejection head (cap 6 covers and seals the nozzles N and head 31; Figs. 4 and 7; Paragraph 0055), wherein
an opening portion is formed in the facing portion (opening holding member 32L is formed in the facing head holding member 32; Fig. 7; Paragraph 0063),
the cap portion is disposed at a position that is on the inner side of the opening portion and faces the nozzles, the liquid ejection head is movable in a direction in which the liquid ejection head is moved forward and backward with respect to the facing portion by power of a motor (cap 6 is located in the inner side of the opening holding member 32L and the cap 6 faces the head 31 housing the nozzles N; Fig. 7, each of the head units 3 move in the x direction allowing it to move forward and backward using a motor with the head holding member 32; Paragraph 0034), and
a movement region of the liquid ejection head includes a recording position at which recording is performed on the medium (head 31 includes a movement region between the upper surface 61U and the bottom surface 32L and further includes an taking off the cap 6 movement execution mode to use during printing operation on a medium; Fig. 10), and a cap position at which a head surface of the liquid
ejection head is covered by the cap portion (cap 6 positioned where there it covers the head 31 during a movement mode; Fig. 7).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device describe in Yanagisawa to further include the cap portion located within the inner side of the opening portion and covers the nozzles in order to protect the nozzles and keep the nozzle from drying taught by Kajihara. This would have been done to keep the nozzles from drying (paragraph 0071 lines 4-7).
Regarding claim 7, Yanagisawa teaches the recording apparatus (liquid-jet apparatus body 4; Fig. 9; Paragraph 0094) according to claim 1, however Yanagisawa does not explicitly teach the movement towards the liquid ejection head by a pressing member.
Kajihara teaches the recording apparatus (printing apparatus 1; Fig. 1) according to claim 6, wherein
the liquid ejection head includes an abutting portion configured to abut on the facing portion (head unit 3 includes an adjacent support column 72 configured to abut on the facing head holding member 32; Fig. 6),
the facing portion is displaceable along a movement direction of the liquid ejection head and is pressed toward the liquid ejection head by a pressing member (the facing head holding member 32 displaces along the z-direction of the head unit 3 and facing head holding member 32 and head unit 3 are pressed by the pressing member in the z-direction consisted of the compression spring 66, upper surface 61U, insertion holes 631, and the support column that all act as the pressing member together; Figs. 6, 7, and 10), and
the liquid ejection head is caused to abut on the facing portion by the abutting portion in a process in which the liquid ejection head moves from the recording position to the cap position (the head unit 3 abuts on the facing head holding member 32 by the adjacent support column 72 during the execution of the head unit 3 going into the cap portion 6 and out of the cap portion 6 free to go to the recording medium shown in the figures; Fig. 6, 7, 10), and moves the facing portion against a pressing force of the pressing member (the facing head holding member 32 is compressed and pressed onto the pressing member in the z-direction consisted of the compression spring 66, upper surface 61U, insertion holes 631, and the support column that all act as the pressing member together; Figs. 6, 7, and 10).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the claimed invention to modify the device describe in Yanagisawa to further include the abutting portion and the pressing member in order for the cap to have a proper seal and maintenance cycle taught by Kajihara. This would have been down to keep the nozzle clean, preventing the drying of the nozzles, and for the cap to seal the nozzles (Paragraph 0008).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SADMAN SAKIB BAKHT whose telephone number is (571)272-0789. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 9:30am-5pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at (571) 272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/RICARDO I MAGALLANES/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/SADMAN SAKIB BAKHT/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853