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
Applicant’s election of Species A, claims 1-6 and 11-13 in the reply filed on 12 January 2026 is acknowledged. Because applicant did not distinctly and specifically point out the supposed errors in the restriction requirement, the election has been treated as an election without traverse (MPEP § 818.01(a)). Claims 7-10 and 14-16 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b) as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the information disclosure statements (IDS) submitted on 25 April 2024 and 12 January 2026, have been considered.
Drawings
The drawings received on 25 April 2024 are accepted.
Specification
The specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Examiner’s Note
The examiner has pointed out particular references contained in the prior art of record in the body of this action for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. Applicant should consider the entire prior art as applicable as to the limitations of the claims. It is respectfully requested from the applicant, in preparing the response, to consider fully the entire references 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.
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.
Claims 1-5 and 11-13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Miyashita et al. (US 2023/0120077).
With respect to claim 1, Miyashita discloses a liquid discharge head, comprising:
a first discharge port array (Fig. 20 below, i.e. 340A) configured of a plurality of discharge ports (Fig. 11B, element 13, i.e. for 340A) lined up in a first direction (Fig. 11B, Y direction) from which a liquid is discharged (paragraph 0065);
a second discharge port array (Fig. 20 below, i.e. 340B) configured of a plurality of discharge ports (Fig. 11B, element 13, i.e. for 340B) lined up in the first direction (Fig. 11B, Y direction), the second discharge port array being arranged at a position overlapping (paragraphs 0160-0161) with the first discharge port array in a second direction (Fig. 20, X direction) orthogonal to the first direction (Fig. 20, Y direction) in a case of being viewed from a discharge direction of the liquid (Fig. 20, i.e. plan view);
[AltContent: arrow][AltContent: textbox (second discharge port array
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(i.e. 340A))]
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an opening forming portion (Fig. 11A, element 330, i.e. for 340A) including a first supply opening (Fig. 11A, element 311, i.e. for 340A) for supplying the liquid to a discharge port of the first discharge port array (paragraphs 0134-0135), a first collecting opening (Fig. 11A, element 312, i.e. for 340A) for collecting the liquid that has not been discharged from the discharge port of the first discharge port array (paragraph 0137), a second supply opening (Fig. 11A, element 311, i.e. for 340B) for supplying the liquid to a discharge port of the second discharge port array (paragraphs 0134-0135), and a second collecting opening (Fig. 11A, element 312, i.e. for 340B) for collecting the liquid that has not been discharged from the discharge port of the second discharge port array (paragraph 0137); and
a circulatory portion (Fig. 1, element 54) which causes the liquid to circulate through the first supply opening, the first collecting opening, the second supply opening, and the second collecting opening (paragraphs 0136-0137),
wherein the second supply opening (Fig. 12, element 311, i.e. for 340B) is offset (paragraphs 0160-0161, i.e. reduce the effect of temperature unevenness) in the first direction (Fig. 12, Y direction) with respect to the first supply opening (Fig. 12, element 311, i.e. for 340A).
The examiner notes to applicant that the limitations concerning the offset of the supply openings in the first direction are broad in scope and would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of Miyashita as applied above.
With respect to claim 2, Miyashita discloses the second supply opening (Fig. 11A, element 311, i.e. for 340B) is arranged at a position that does not overlap (paragraphs 0160-0161, i.e. selected module positions) with the first supply opening (Fig. 11A, element 311, i.e. for 340A) in the second direction (Fig. 20, X direction).
With respect to claim 3, Miyashita discloses the second collecting opening (Fig. 11A, element 312, i.e. for 340B) is arranged so as to be displaced (paragraphs 0160-0161, i.e. selected module positions) in the first direction (Fig. 20, Y direction) with respect to the first collecting opening (Fig. 11A, element 312, i.e. for 340A).
With respect to claim 4, Miyashita discloses the second supply opening (Fig. 11A, element 311, i.e. for 340B) is arranged at a position that overlaps with the first collecting opening (Fig. 11A, element 312, i.e. for 340A) in the second direction (Fig. 20, X direction), and wherein the second collecting opening (Fig. 11A, element 312, i.e. for 340B) is arranged at a position that overlaps with the first supply opening (Fig. 11A, element 311, i.e. for 340A) in the second direction (paragraphs 0160-0161, i.e. selected module positions).
With respect to claim 5, Miyashita discloses the first supply opening (Fig. 11A, element 311, i.e. for 340A), the first collecting opening (Fig. 11A, element 312, i.e. for 340A), the second supply opening (Fig. 11A, element 311, i.e. for 340B), and the second collecting opening (Fig. 11A, element 312, i.e. for 340B) are arranged by being lined up respectively in plurality in the first direction (Fig. 20, Y direction; paragraphs 0160-0161, i.e. selected module positions).
With respect to claim 11, Miyashita discloses the second direction (Fig. 1A, element X) is a scanning direction (paragraph 0045) of the liquid discharge head (Fig. 1A, element 1).
With respect to claim 12, Miyashita discloses discharge ports (Fig. 15A, element 13) of the first discharge port array (Fig. 20 above, i.e. 340A) and the second discharge port array (Fig. 20 above, i.e. 340B) are discharge ports for discharging ink of a same color (Fig. 15B, i.e. CMY arrangement for each of element 340A, 340B).
The examiner notes to applicant that the limitations concerning the ink are not seen to further limit the structure of the liquid discharge head and are not seen to distinguish the liquid discharge head in view of Miyashita.
With respect to claim 13, Miyashita discloses a thermal resistive element (Fig. 14A, element 15) which generates heat for discharging the liquid (paragraph 0075).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 6 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. The primary reasons for allowance for claim 6 is that applicant’s claimed invention includes a liquid discharge head having a plurality of first supply openings and a plurality of second supply openings, where the plurality of first supply openings and the plurality of second supply openings are arranged at equal intervals in the first direction, and where in a case where a width in the first direction of the first supply opening is denoted by Da and an arrangement interval of the first supply openings is denoted by Ya, an amount of displacement in the first direction of the second supply opening with respect to the first supply opening is at least Da and not more than Ya/2. It is this limitation, expressed in the claimed combination not found, taught, or suggested in the prior art that makes this claim allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
In view of the foregoing, the above claims have failed to patentably distinguish over the applied art.
The remaining references listed on forms 892 and 1449 have been reviewed by the examiner and are considered to be cumulative to or less material than the prior art references relied upon in the rejection above.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Geoffrey Mruk whose telephone number is (571)272-2810. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4:30 PM.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
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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/GEOFFREY S MRUK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 02/03/2026