DETAILED ACTION
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(s) 1-6, 8 and 9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sherman et al. (11,254,130) in view of Hung et al. (2010/0248554).
Regarding claim 1, Sherman teaches liquid discharge head comprising:
a supply connector (fig. 4, item 28) connectable to a supply path to be supplied with a liquid from the supply path;
a signal connector (fig. 4, item 31) connectable to a signal wire through which an electrical signal is transmitted.
Sherman does not teach a cover movable between: an exposing position where the signal connector is exposed to be connectable with the signal wire; and a covering position where the cover covers the signal connector from which the signal wire is disconnected, wherein the cover includes a rib on a part of an upper face of the cover
Hung teaches this (Hung, figs. 2-6, Note cover 210 covering and exposing electrical connector 2130. Note unlabeled rib part on top of cover 210 in figure. Note that the claimed “upper face” could refer to any face of the cover in any orientation. That is, the claim does not require that the upper face “faces upward,” and thus the upper face can face any direction). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to add a cover of the type disclosed by Hung to the electrical connector disclosed by Sherman because doing so would help prevent contact of debris and foreign materials with the electrical connector when the connector was not connected to an electrical source.
Upon combination of Hung with Sherman, the resultant device would mean the limitation: wherein the cover covers the signal connector from above in a direction of gravity. That is, Shermans electrical connector can be oriented in any direction, and thus, when it is pointed upward, the cover would cover the electrical connection from above in a direction of gravity.
Regarding claim 2, Sherman in view of Hung teaches the liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the cover at the covering position covers an entire of a connection face of the signal connector above the connection face (Hung, see fig. 3).
Regarding claim 3, Sherman in view of Hung teaches the liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the cover moves from the covering position to the exposing position in response to a connection of the signal wire to the signal connector (Hung, see figs. 2-6, Note that the cover must be moved to connect the connector to a signal connector).
Regarding claim 4, Sherman in view of Hung teaches the liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the cover is biased toward the covering position (Hung, fig. 2, Note spring 212).
Regarding claim 5 Sherman in view of Hung teaches the liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the cover is swingable between the exposing position and the covering position in a swing direction (Hung, compare figs. 3, 6).
Regarding claim 6 Sherman in view of Hung teaches a liquid discharge apparatus comprising: the liquid discharge head according to claim 5, wherein the signal wire includes a signal wire support at a leading end of the signal wire to support the signal wire, the cover includes a projection contactable with the signal wire support of the signal wire, the signal wire support of the signal wire being connected to the signal connector contacts the projection of the cover to cause the cover to swing from the covering position to the exposing position; and the signal wire support of the signal wire being disconnected from the signal connector causes the projection of the cover contacting the signal wire support to swing from the exposing position to the covering position (Hung, see fig. 6, Note signal wire 3, signal wire support 30 and projection 2101, and note that the positional limitations are met).
Regarding claim 8, Sherman in view of Hung teaches the liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the rib projects above from the upper face of the cover at a leading end side of the cover in the swing direction from the exposing position to the covering position (Hung, see fig. 6, Note that this language can be interpreted broadly. Note that the rib, as defined in the claim 7 rejection meets the limitation).
Regarding claim 9, Sherman in view of Hung teaches a liquid discharge apparatus comprising: the liquid discharge head according to claim 1; a carriage on which the liquid discharge head is mountable; the supply path to supply the liquid to the liquid discharge head; and the signal wire to transmit the electrical signal to the liquid discharge head (Sherman, figs. 4-8 and 12, Note carriage 76 and connections as defined above).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 12/31/2025 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The claims have been amended to further specify the structure of the device, but the amendment fails to distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. The rejections above have been updated to reflect the changes to the claims. The standing prior art rejection is maintained.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853