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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited on a Form PTO 1449 have been considered.
Specification
The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. However, the applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections
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 1-5, 7-8, 14, 16 and 16-18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Kaneko (US Pub. 2016/0059547).
Kaneko discloses in Figures 1-4 and 7 an inkjet apparatus comprising:
Regarding claim 1, an ejection module (2) that ejects a liquid (Figure 7); and
a pressure control chamber (303, 305) to adjust a pressure of the liquid supplied to the ejection module (2), wherein
the liquid is circulated by a circulation pump (316), which collects the liquid from the ejection module (2) and supplies the liquid to the pressure control chamber (303, 305), in an order from the circulation pump (316), the pressure control chamber (303, 305), the ejection module (2), and the circulation pump (316) (Figure 7),
the pressure control chamber (303, 305) includes a discharge port (349) to discharge the liquid to the ejection module (2) and a supply port (347) to which the liquid is supplied from the circulation pump (Figure 7),
an opening (348) of the circulation pump (316) connected with the supply port (347) is positioned higher than the discharge port (349) in a vertical direction in a usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (2) (Figure 7), and
the discharge port (349) is positioned at the same height as that of the supply port (347) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (2) (Figure 7).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the uppermost portion of the opening (348) of the circulation pump (316) connected with the supply port (347) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the discharge port (349) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (2) (Figure 7).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the uppermost portion of the discharge port (349) is positioned at the same height as that of the uppermost portion of the supply port (347) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (2) (Figure 7).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the lowermost portion of the discharge port (349) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the supply port (347) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (2) (Figure 7).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the discharge port (349) opens in a horizontal direction, and the supply port (347) opens in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (2) (Figure 7).
Regarding claim 7, wherein the discharge port (347) and the supply port (349) are positioned lower than a central portion of the pressure control chamber (303, in the vertical direction (Figure 7).
Regarding claim 8, a liquid ejection head (2) comprising: the circulation pump (316) (Figure 7).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the ejection module (2) is positioned lower than the pressure control chamber (303, 305) in the vertical direction (Figure 7).
Regarding claim 16, an ejection module (2) that ejects a liquid (Figure 7);
a pressure control chamber (303, 305) to adjust a pressure of the liquid supplied to the ejection module (2) (Figure 7); and
a circulation pump (316) that collects the liquid from the ejection module (2) and supplies the liquid to the pressure control chamber (303, 305), wherein
the liquid is circulated by the circulation pump (316) in an order from the circulation pump (316), the pressure control chamber (303, 305), the ejection module (2), and the circulation pump (316) (Figure 7),
the pressure control chamber (303, 305) includes a discharge port (349) to discharge the liquid to the ejection module (2) and a supply port (347) to which the liquid is supplied from the circulation pump (316) (Figure 7),
an opening (348) of the circulation pump (316) connected with the supply port (347) is positioned higher than the discharge port (349) in a vertical direction in a usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figures 1-2 and 7), and
the discharge port (349) is positioned at the same height as that of the supply port (347) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figures 1-2 and 7).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the uppermost portion of the opening (348) of the circulation pump (316) connected with the supply port (347) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the discharge port (439) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1), and the uppermost portion of the discharge port (349) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the supply port in the vertical direction or at the same height as that of the uppermost portion of the supply port in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figures 1-2 and 7).
Regarding claim 18, wherein the lowermost portion of the discharge port (349) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the supply port (80F) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figures 1-2, 4 and 7).
Claims 1-8, 10-14 and 16-20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Ohara et al. (US Pub. 2023/0191796).
Ohara et al. disclose in Figures a liquid ejection apparatus comprising:
Regarding claim 1, an ejection module (300) that ejects a liquid (Figure 5); and
a pressure control chamber (122) to adjust a pressure of the liquid supplied to the ejection module (300), wherein
the liquid is circulated by a circulation pump (500), which collects the liquid from the ejection module (300) and supplies the liquid to the pressure control chamber (122), in an order from the circulation pump (500), the pressure control chamber (122), the ejection module (300), and the circulation pump (500) (Figure 5),
the pressure control chamber (122) includes a discharge port (250) to discharge the liquid to the ejection module (300) and a supply port (260) to which the liquid is supplied from the circulation pump (500) (Figure 10A),
an opening (180) of the circulation pump (500) connected with the supply port (260) is positioned higher than the discharge port (250) in a vertical direction in a usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (1) (Figure 10A), and
the discharge port (250) is positioned at the same height as that of the supply port (260) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (1) (Figure 10A).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the uppermost portion of the opening (180) of the circulation pump (500) connected with the supply port (260) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the discharge port (250) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (1) (Figure 10A).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the uppermost portion of the discharge port (250) is positioned at the same height as that of the uppermost portion of the supply port (260) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (1) (Figure 10A).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the lowermost portion of the discharge port (250) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the supply port (260) in the
orientation of the liquid ejection head (1) (Figure 10A).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the discharge port (250) opens in a horizontal direction, and the supply port (260) opens in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection head (1) (Figure 10A).
Regarding claim 6, wherein in a state in which the circulation pump (500) is stopped, the discharge port (250) and the supply port (260) are in liquid communication (Figure 10A)
Regarding claim 7, wherein the discharge port (250) and the supply port (260) are positioned lower than a central portion of the pressure control chamber (122), in the vertical direction (Figure 10A).
Regarding claim 8, a liquid ejection head (1) comprising: the circulation pump (500) (Figures 5 and 10A).
Regarding claim 10, the liquid ejection head (1) wherein the circulation pump (500) delivers the liquid by changing a pressure in a pump chamber (122), and the pressure in the pump chamber (122) is changed by driving a pressure variation unit (120) provided in the pump chamber (122) (Figure 5 and 10A)
Regarding claim 11, wherein the pressure variation unit is a piezoelectric element (paragraph 0059).
Regarding claim 12, wherein in the pressure control chamber (122), a part of a surface is formed of a flexible member (230) that is formed to be displaceable, the pressure control chamber (122) includes a pressure plate (210) that is displaceable in conjunction with the flexible member (230) and a bias member (220) that biases the pressure plate (210) in a direction in which a volume of the pressure control chamber (122) is increased, and the pressure control chamber (122) adjusts a pressure according to the displacement of the pressure plate (210) and the flexible member (230) (Figure 7A).
Regarding claim 13, wherein the pressure control chamber (122) includes an inlet port into which the liquid can flow through a filter (110) and supplies through the filter (110) the liquid to a circulation path through which the liquid circulated by the circulation pump (500) flows (Figures 5 and 10A).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the ejection module (300) is positioned lower than the pressure control chamber (122) in the vertical direction (Figure 5).
Regarding claim 16, an ejection module (300) that ejects a liquid (Figure 5);
a pressure control chamber (122) to adjust a pressure of the liquid supplied to the ejection module (300) (Figure 5); and
a circulation pump (500) that collects the liquid from the ejection module (300) and supplies the liquid to the pressure control chamber (122), wherein
the liquid is circulated by the circulation pump (500) in an order from the circulation pump (500), the pressure control chamber (122), the ejection module (300), and the circulation pump (500) (Figure 5),
the pressure control chamber (122) includes a discharge port (250) to discharge the liquid to the ejection module (300) and a supply port (260) to which the liquid is supplied from the circulation pump (500) (Figure 10A),
an opening (180) of the circulation pump (500) connected with the supply port (260) is positioned higher than the discharge port (250) in a vertical direction in a usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figure 5), and
the discharge port (250) is positioned at the same height as that of the supply port (250) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figures 5 and 10A).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the uppermost portion of the opening (180) of the circulation pump (500) connected with the supply port (260) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the discharge port (250) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1), and the uppermost portion of the discharge port (260) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the supply port in the vertical direction or at the same height as that of the uppermost portion of the supply port in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figures 5 and 10A).
Regarding claim 18, wherein the lowermost portion of the discharge port (260) is positioned higher than the uppermost portion of the supply port (250) in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figures 5 and 10A).
Regarding claim 19, wherein the discharge port (250) opens in a horizontal direction, and the supply port (260) opens in the vertical direction in the usage orientation of the liquid ejection apparatus (1) (Figure 10A).
Regarding claim 20, wherein in a state in which the circulation pump is stopped, the discharge port (250) and the supply port (260) are in liquid communication.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9 and 15 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. These claims would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a liquid ejection head comprising a first channel that connects a discharge port and the ejection module with each other, a second channel that connects the ejection module and the circulation pump with each other, and a bypass channel that connects the first channel and the second channel with each other in the combination as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Anh Vo whose telephone number is (571) 272-2262. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:30 A.M.to 6:00 P.M..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner'ssupervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached on (571) 431-0716. The fax phonenumber for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH T VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853