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 with traverse of Group I and Species D, claims 1, 3, 4, 7-17, 20, and 22-24 in the reply filed on 13 January 2026 is acknowledged. The traversal is on the ground(s) that “The species distinction is improper, because the alleged species are neither mutually exclusive nor incapable of use together”. This is not found persuasive because although there is no requirement to show separate classification in regards to an election of species, a burden does exist because a separate search would be required. In addition, the examiner makes of record that the nozzle rows and nozzle spacings are dependent upon the “process direction”, which is defined as “the direction of relative motion between the substrate 110 or the print head 100 during printing” (see page 11, paragraph 074 of the instant specification). Thus, the species could be mutually exclusive based upon the interpretation of relative motion during printing.
Claims 2, 5, 6, and 18, 19, and 21 are withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 13 January 2026. Claims 25-30 were canceled by applicant on 13 January 2026.
The requirement is still deemed proper and is therefore made FINAL.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited in the information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 10 September 2024 and 11 December 2025, have been considered.
Drawings
The drawings received on 13 August 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.
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 text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
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.
1. Claims 1, 3, 4, 7-11, 13, 20, and 24 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pan et al. (US 2002/0067390).
With respect to claim 1, Pan discloses an ink jet printing system comprising:
a print head (Fig. 1, element 7) comprising multiple fluid ejectors (paragraph 0020), each fluid ejector comprising a corresponding nozzle (Fig. 2, element 14) defined in a bottom surface (Fig. 2, element 10) of the print head, each nozzle configured to eject a liquid onto a substrate (paragraphs 0018-0019),
wherein the nozzles (Fig. 2, element 14) are arranged in an array comprising four or more parallel rows (Fig. 3A, elements 30a-30e), the rows extending along a direction (Fig. 3A, element 18) that is perpendicular to a process direction (Fig. 3A, element 20) of the ink jet printing system (Fig. 1, element 3), wherein the process direction is the direction of relative motion between the print head (Fig. 1, element 6) and the substrate (paragraph 0018, i.e. into or out of the plane of Fig. 1) during operation of the print head,
wherein a spacing (Fig. 3A, element 18) between adjacent nozzles in each row is such that a nozzle density in each row is less than 75 nozzles per inch (paragraph 0025, i.e. about 508µm), and
wherein a spacing (Fig. 3A, element 32) between adjacent rows in the process direction is less than (paragraph 0026, i.e. 8.5µm) the spacing between adjacent nozzles in each row.
The examiner notes to applicant that the limitation “process direction” is broad in scope and would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of Pan as applied above.
With respect to claim 3, Pan discloses the nozzles (Fig. 2, element 14) are arranged (Fig. 2, element 12a) in at least eight rows (Fig. 2, element 12a x Fig. 3A, elements 30a-30d).
With respect to claim 4, Pan discloses the nozzles (Fig. 2, element 14) are arranged (Fig. 2, element 12a) in at least twelve rows Fig. 2, element 12a x Fig. 3A, elements 30a-30d).
With respect to claim 7, Pan discloses a first nozzle (Fig. 2, element 14) in a given row (Fig. 3A, one nozzle of element 30b) is offset (paragraph 0028) along the direction of the row relative to a first nozzle in an adjacent row (Fig. 3A, one nozzle of element 30a).
With respect to claim 8, Pan discloses a first nozzle of each of the rows (Fig. 3A, one nozzle of elements 30a-30e) defines a serpentine path (paragraph 0028) extending along the process direction (Fig. 3A, element 20).
With respect to claim 9, Pan discloses multiple feed channels (paragraph 0020, i.e. dedicated ink chamber) defined in the print head (Fig. 1, element 7), each feed channel fluidically connected to a corresponding subset of the fluid ejectors (paragraph 0020).
With respect to claim 10, Pan discloses the fluid ejectors (paragraph 0020) are arranged in an array (Fig. 2, element 10) corresponding to the array of nozzles (Fig. 2, element 14), and wherein all of the multiple feed channels are disposed on a common side of the array of fluid ejectors (paragraph 0020).
With respect to claim 11, Pan discloses fluid connections (paragraph 0020) between each feed channel (paragraph 0020, i.e. dedicated ink chamber) and the corresponding subset of the fluid ejectors (paragraph 0020) extend between rows of fluid ejectors in the array of fluid ejectors (paragraph 0020).
With respect to claim 13, Pan discloses the print heads (Fig. 1, element 7) are rectangular print heads (Fig. 2, element 10).
With respect to claim 20, Pan discloses an offset between first nozzles (Fig. 3A, element 32) in any two given rows (Fig. 3A, elements 30a-30e) is an integer multiple of the spacing between nozzles in a given row divided by a total number of rows (paragraphs 0023-0026).
With respect to claim 24, Pan discloses the array (Fig. 2, element 14) comprises more than four parallel rows (Fig. 3A, elements 30a-30e).
2. Claim 12 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pan et al. (US 2002/0067390) as applied to claim 11 above, and further in view of Drake et al. (US 5,572,244).
With respect to claim 12, Pan discloses a print bar (Fig. 1, element 5) comprising multiple print heads (Fig. 1, array of element 7), wherein the rows of nozzles (Pan at Fig. 2, element 14) on each print head (Pan at Fig. 2, element 10) are aligned (Fig. 2, elements 12a-12c).
However, Pan fails to disclose the rows of nozzles on each print head are aligned with the rows of nozzles on each other print head.
Drake discloses a print bar wherein the rows of nozzles (Fig. 2, element 20) on each print head (Fig. 2, element 18) are aligned with the rows of nozzles on each other print head (Fig. 1, array of element 18).
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art to use the print head configuration disclosed by Drake in the ink jet printer of Pan. The motivation for doing so would have been “butted arrays of thermal ink jet printheads which have adhesive-free butting edges” (Column 1, lines 7-8).
3. Claims 14-17 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pan et al. (US 2002/0067390) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Menzel (US 2018/0201022).
With respect to claims 14-17, Pan discloses an ink jet printing system (Fig. 1, element 3) having fluid ejectors (paragraph 0020), actuators (paragraph 0020), wherein each actuator comprises a piezoelectric element (paragraph 0020).
However, Pan fails to illustrate the well-known details of the fluid ejectors.
Menzel discloses:
with respect to claim 14, wherein each fluid ejector (Fig. 1, element 101) comprises: a pumping chamber (Fig. 1, element 102) fluidically connected to the nozzle (Fig. 1, element 114) of the fluid ejector by a descender (Fig. 1, element 104); and an actuator (Fig. 1, element 118) configured to apply an actuation force to fluid in the pumping chamber to cause ejection of fluid from the nozzle of the fluid ejector (paragraph 0023),
with respect to claim 15, each actuator (Fig. 3, element 118) comprises: a piezoelectric element (paragraph 0040); and a membrane (Fig. 3, element 303) defining a wall of the pumping chamber opposite the descender, the membrane disposed between the pumping chamber and the piezoelectric element (paragraph 0027),
with respect to claim 16, wherein the descender (Fig. 1, element 104) is centered (Fig. 1, element 122) relative to the pumping chamber (Fig. 1, element 102), and
with respect to claim 17, each fluid ejector comprises a recirculation channel (Fig. 1, element 116) fluidically connected to the descender (Fig. 1, element 104) such that, during operation, fluid not ejected from the nozzle of the fluid ejector flows from the nozzle through the recirculation channel and to a reservoir (paragraphs 0053-0054).
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to use the actuator architecture disclosed by Menzel in the ink jet printer of Pan. The motivation for doing so would have been “The configurations of the flow pathways can increase the rate at which fluid can be ejected from the printhead. In particular, a configuration of the flow pathways can increase a resonance frequency of the flow pathways in the printhead, thereby increasing the frequency at which the pumping chamber can be actuated to eject fluid from the printhead. With a higher resonance frequency, the printhead can achieve a higher maximum flow rate. The configuration of the flow pathways further enables the fluid to be ejected even when lower voltages are applied to the actuator driving the pumping chamber” (paragraph 0014).
4. Claims 22-23 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Pan et al. (US 2002/0067390) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Hori (US 2005/0285896).
With respect to claim 22, Pan discloses the array of nozzles (Fig. 2, elements 12a-12c), extending along a direction (Fig. 3A, element 42) that is parallel to the process direction (Fig. 3A, element 20) of the ink jet printing system (Fig. 1, element 3).
With respect to claim 23, Pan discloses nozzles (Fig. 2, element 14) in adjacent rows (Fig. 3A, elements 30a-30e).
However, Pan fails to disclose the array of nozzles comprises columns of nozzles, the columns extending along a direction that is parallel to the process direction of the ink jet printing system, and wherein nozzles in adjacent rows are separated by at least one intervening column of claim 22 and nozzles in adjacent rows are separated by four or fewer intervening columns of claim 23.
Hori discloses an image forming apparatus (Fig. 1, element 10), wherein the array of nozzles (paragraph 0004) comprises columns of nozzles (Fig. 5, elements 51-11 to 51-16), the columns extending along a direction that is parallel to the process direction (Fig. 5, Main Scanning Direction) of the ink jet printing system, and wherein nozzles in adjacent rows (Fig. 5, elements 51-21 and 51-31) are separated by at least one intervening column (Fig. 5, elements 51-11, 51-12, 51-13; paragraph 0140) of claim 22 and wherein nozzles in adjacent rows (Fig. 5, elements 51-21 and 51-31) are separated by four or fewer intervening columns (paragraph 0144) of claim 23.
At the time of the invention, it would have been obvious to use the columns of nozzles disclosed by Hori in the ink jet printer of Pan. The motivation for doing so would have been “a structure of an ejection head and ejection control technology that reduce the visibility of unevenness caused in groups of dots formed on an ejection receiving medium (print medium)” (paragraph 0002).
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.
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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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/GEOFFREY S MRUK/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 03/17/2026