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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) submitted on 28 March 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statement has been considered by the Examiner.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the Examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the Examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kim (US 2007/0046757 A1 in view of Kataniwa (US 2012/0176445 A1).
As related to independent claim 1, Kim teaches a recording device comprising: a liquid discharging head configured to discharge a liquid to a medium to perform recording (Kim – Figure 1, Reference #110 & #P, shown below); an opposing section disposed opposed to the liquid discharging head and including an opening portion formed at a position opposed to the liquid discharging head (Kim – Page 3, Paragraph 41 and Figure 3, Reference #121a, shown below); a cap section disposed at an inside of the opening portion and configured to cover a liquid discharging surface of the liquid discharging head (Kim – Page 3, Paragraph 39); and a shutter configured to be displaced into a shielding position at which the opening portion is shielded and an open position at which the opening portion is opened, the shutter being configured to support a medium passing through a position opposed to the liquid discharging head when the shutter is disposed at the shielding position (Kim – Page 3, Paragraph 44-48 and Figures 4 & 6A, Reference #122, shown below), wherein the liquid discharging head includes a plurality of head chips including a nozzle configured to discharge a liquid, the head chips are arranged alternately at an upstream position and a downstream position along a medium width direction, the medium width direction being a direction intersecting a medium transport direction, the opening portion is formed opened alternately at an upstream position and a downstream position along the medium width direction and corresponding to the arrangement of the plurality of head chips (Kim - Page 3, Paragraphs 39-41 and Figures 2, 3, & 5, Reference #112 & #121a, shown below) and the opposing section includes a support portion disposed between two of the plurality of head chips adjacent in the medium width direction and configured to support the shutter disposed at the shielding position (Kim – Figures 3, 5, & 6A, Reference #121, shown below).
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Continuing with claim 1, Kim teaches the cap section, but does not specifically depict the location of the cap. However, Kataniwa teaches a recording device with a liquid discharge head and a shutter configured to “shield” an opening portion (Kataniwa – Figure 9, Reference #51 and #55, shown below) and specifically teaches an opposing section having a cap section disposed inside an opening portion of the opposing section (Kataniwa – Figures 8 & 9, Reference #52, shown below).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to specify the location of the cap section of Kim with that of Kataniwa in an effort to provide a recording device wherein the cap is prevented from having the surface moisture evaporate while also preventing media jams caused by an opening in the media guide (Kataniwa – Page 1, Paragraphs 5 & 11-12).
As related to dependent claim 2, the combination of Kim and Kataniwa remains as applied above and continues to teach the support portion includes: a first support portion extending from upstream toward downstream in the medium transport direction; and a second support portion extending from downstream toward upstream in the medium transport direction (Kim – Figures 5 & 6B, Reference #121, #121b, and 122a, shown above).
As related to further dependent claim 3, the combination of Kim and Kataniwa remains as applied above and continues to teach the opposing section includes the support portion between every two of the head chips adjacent in the medium width direction (Kim – Figure 5 & 6B, Reference #121, shown above).
As related to further dependent claim 4, the combination of Kim and Kataniwa remains as applied above and continues to teach the open position of the shutter is disposed downstream of the shielding position in the medium transport direction and a corner portion of the first support portion at a downstream end in the medium transport direction has a chamfered shape or a rounded shape (Kim – Figures 5, 6A & 6B, Reference # 121b & #122a and Kataniwa – Figures 8 & 9, Reference #55 & Arrows, each shown above).
As related to dependent claim 5, the combination of Kim and Kataniwa remains as applied above and continues to teach the shutter includes a plurality of first ribs extending in the medium transport direction and provided spaced apart from each other along a width direction intersecting the medium transport direction (Kim – Figures 5, 6A, & 6B, Reference #121b & #122a, shown above).
As related to further dependent claim 6, the combination of Kim and Kataniwa remains as applied above and continues to teach the opposing section includes a plurality of second ribs extending in the medium transport direction, provided upstream of the shutter in the medium transport direction, and spaced apart from each other along the width direction and when the shutter is disposed at the shielding position, the plurality of first ribs and the plurality of second ribs are continuous with each other along the medium transport direction (Kim – Figure 6A, Reference #121b & #122a, shown above).
As related to further dependent claim 7, the combination of Kim and Kataniwa remains as applied above and continues to teach corner portions of the first ribs at an upstream end in the medium transport direction have a chamfered shape or a rounded shape (Kim – Figure 5, Reference #121b & 122a and Kataniwa – Figures 8 & 9, Reference #55, each shown above).
As related to dependent claim 8, the combination of Kim and Kataniwa remains as applied above and continues to teach the open position of the shutter is disposed downstream of the shielding position in the medium transport direction, a transport roller pair configured to transport the medium is provided downstream, in the medium transport direction, of a position opposed to the liquid discharging head, and the shutter disposed at the open position is disposed under the transport roller pair (Kim – Figures 1 & 4, Reference # 113 & #115 & #122a, shown above and Kataniwa – Page 3, Paragraph 51; Figures 8 & 9, Reference #55 & Arrows, shown above and Figure 3, Reference #22, #23, & #24, shown below). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of filing to recognize that based on the orientation of the recording device, specifically of Kataniwa, the position of any one of the transport roller pairs relative to the shutter, would include next to, above, or under.
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As related to further dependent claim 9, the combination of Kim and Kataniwa remains as applied above and continues to teach the transport roller pair includes: a driven roller configured to come into contact with a first surface of the medium opposed to the liquid discharging head and a driving roller configured to come into contact with a second surface on an opposite side of the first surface (Kim – Figure 1, Reference #115a, #115b, #113a, #113b, shown above and Kataniwa – Page 3, Paragraph 51 & Figure 3, Reference #22, #23, & #24, shown above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yokoi (US 5,040,000 A) teaches an ink jet recording apparatus having a shutter displaced to cover an opening opposed to the liquid discharging head. Fisher et al. (US 5,051,761 A) teaches an ink jet printer having a maintenance unit including a cap that is accessible through an opening opposed to the liquid discharging head. Hashi et al. (US 6,578,945 B2) teaches an ink jet printer having a maintenance section that moves up and into a position opposing the inkjet head. Kuki et al. (US 6,866,361 B2) teaches an ink-jet recording apparatus which moves a wiper and cap unit horizontally and vertically into position opposed to the head. Watanabe (US 7,654,664 B2) teaches an image recording apparatus having an opening portion opposing the liquid discharging head to collect liquid, having a platen cover over a part of the opening portion. TANDA (US 2015/0116422 A1) teaches an inkjet recording apparatus which moves the conveyance means, wipers and caps into and out of position of opposing the recording heads. Besson et al. (US 9,764,566 B2) teaches a printing machine having opening portions located opposing the liquid discharging heads in the conveyance path.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular Figures & Reference Numbers, Columns, Paragraphs and Line Numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to JOHN P ZIMMERMANN whose telephone number is (571)270-3049. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 0700-1730 EST.
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If attempts to reach the Examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the Examiner’s supervisor, Stephen Meier can be reached at (571) 272-2149. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/John P Zimmermann/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853