DETAILED ACTION
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.
Claim(s) 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sauer et al. (11,267,254).
Regarding claim 1, Sauer teaches an apparatus for manufacturing a display device, the apparatus comprising:
a stage (fig. 1, note that print engine 118 necessarily prints on a substrate on a stage) on which a display substrate (fig. 1, note that any substrate can be called a “display substrate”) is arranged;
an ink discharge module (fig. 1, item 118) which discharges ink onto the display substrate (see fig. 1); and
an ink supply module (fig. 1, all components other than engine 118) which supplies ink to the ink discharge module (see fig. 1), wherein the ink supply module comprises:
a storage portion (fig. 1, item 110/102) in which ink is stored;
a first flow path (fig. 1, item 114/126/128) connecting the storage portion to the ink discharge module in a way such that ink stored in the storage portion flows into the ink discharge module (see fig. 1); and
a second flow path (fig. 1, item 130/132) connecting the storage portion to the ink discharge module in a way such that ink supplied to the ink discharge module flows into the storage portion (see fig. 1), and wherein the first flow path comprises:
a supply flow path (fig. 1, item 114/126) having a first end connected to the storage portion and a second end connected to the ink discharge module in a way such that ink introduced from the storage portion is supplied to the ink discharge module (see fig. 1); and
a recovery flow path (fig. 1, item 128) having a first end connected to the supply flow path and a second end connected to the storage portion in a way such that ink introduced into the supply flow path is recovered into the storage portion (see fig. 1).
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) 2-4, 7-12 and 15-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sauer in view of Hayashi (2008/0238957).
Regarding claim 2, Sauer teaches the apparatus of claim 1. Sauer does not teach wherein the ink discharge module comprises a plurality of head portions configured to spray ink, wherein the number of the plurality of head portions is 2n+1, wherein n is a natural number, and the supply flow path comprises: a first supply flow path through which ink is introduced from the storage portion; a second supply flow path branched into 2 parts from the first supply flow path; and a third supply flow path connecting the second supply flow path to the plurality of head portions. Hayashi teaches this general arrangement (Hayashi, see figs. 6, 8, Note number of heads and number of branched flow paths meeting the limitation). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to equip the printing device of Sauer with multiple print heads and the fluid distribution system, as disclosed by Hayashi, because doing so would allow for printing with multiple materials, thereby allowing for greater versatility in printing.
Note that, for purposes of all rejections, the branching arrangement of Hayashi’s tubes is being applied to all of Sauer’s second flow path, supply flow path and recovery flow path as would be required upon adapting Sauer’s single print engine arrangement to an arrangement with multiple print engines and a single storage portion. Upon combination, an arrangement identical to that shown in Figure 2 of the present application would be obtained.
Regarding claim 3, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein shapes of cross-sections of the second supply flow path branched into 2 parts are identical to each other (Hayashi, see fig. 8A).
Regarding claim 4, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 3, wherein a sum of areas of cross-sections of the second supply flow path branched into 2 parts is identical to an area of a cross-section of the first supply flow path (Hayashi, see fig. 8A, Note that the cross-sectional diameter of each of the branched flow paths is approximately half of its parent flow path).
Regarding claim 7, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein each part of the second supply flow path branched into 2 parts comprises: a first second supply flow path portion connected to the first supply flow path and having a curved shape; and a second second supply flow path portion connecting the first second supply flow path portion to the third supply flow path and having a straight line shape (Hayashi, fig. 8A, Note curved portion of tubes and vertical straight portions of joints).
Regarding claim 8, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the ink supply module further comprises a first pump arranged on the first supply flow path in a way such that ink introduced into the supply flow path flows into the ink discharge module (Sauer, fig. 1, Note pump 120).
Regarding claim 9, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the recovery flow path connects the storage portion to the third supply flow path (Note that, upon combination of Hayashi with Sauer, the limitation would be met. In other words, the recovery flow path of Sauer would connect to the most downstream tube shown in Hayashi’s Figure 8A).
Regarding claim 10, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 9, wherein the recovery flow path comprises: a first recovery flow path connected to the storage portion; a second recovery flow path branched into 2 parts from the first recovery flow path; and a third recovery flow path connecting the second recovery flow path to the third supply flow path (Note that, upon combination of Hayashi with Sauer, the limitation would be met. In other words, the recovery flow path of Sauer would connect to the most downstream tube shown in Hayashi’s Figure 8A).
Regarding claim 11, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 10, wherein shapes of cross-sections of the second recovery flow path branched into 2 parts are identical to each other (Hayashi, see fig. 8).
Regarding claim 12, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 11, wherein a sum of areas of cross-sections of the second recovery flow path branched into 2 parts is identical to an area of a cross-section of the first recovery flow path (Hayashi, see fig. 8A, Note that the cross-sectional diameter of each of the branched flow paths is approximately half of its parent flow path).
Regarding claim 15, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 10, wherein each part of the second recovery flow path branched into 2 parts comprises: a first second recovery flow path portion connected to the first recovery flow path and having a curved shape; and a second second recovery flow path portion connecting the first second recovery flow path portion to the third recovery flow path and having a straight line shape (Hayashi, fig. 8A, Note curved portion of tubes and vertical straight portions of joints).
Regarding claim 16, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the ink supply module further comprises a second pump arranged on the first recovery flow path in a way such that ink introduced into the recovery flow path flows into the storage portion (Sauer, fig. 1, Note second pump 106).
Regarding claim 17, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the second flow path comprises: a first second flow path connected to the storage portion; a second second flow path branched into 2 parts from the first second flow path; and a third second flow path connecting the second second flow path to the plurality of head portions (Hayashi, see figs. 6, 8, Note number of heads and number of branched flow paths meeting the limitation)..
Regarding claim 18, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 17, wherein shapes of cross-sections of the second second flow path branched into 2 parts are identical to each other (Hayashi, see fig. 8).
Regarding claim 19, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 18, wherein a sum of area of cross-sections of the second second flow path branched into 2 parts is identical to an area of a cross-section of the first second flow path (Hayashi, see fig. 8A, Note that the cross-sectional diameter of each of the branched flow paths is approximately half of its parent flow path).
Claim(s) 5, 6, 13, 14 and 20 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Sauer in view of Hayashi as applied to claims 2, 10 and 19 above, and further in view of official notice.
Regarding claim 5, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 2, wherein the first supply flow path comprises: a first supply flow path portion including a flexible material and connected to the storage portion; and a second first supply flow path portion including a solid material and connecting the first first supply flow path portion to the second supply flow path (Hayashi, see fig. 8A, Note that Hayashi’s tubes correspond to the first first flow path portions and Hayashi’s joints correspond to second first supply flow path portions). Examiner takes official notice that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the date of invention to construct Hayashi’s tubes and joints from flexible and rigid materials because doing so would amount to applying known materials to known components to obtain predictable results.
Regarding claim 6, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second first supply flow path portion has a straight line shape (Hayashi, see fig. 8A, Note that vertical portions of joints 161 have straight line shapes).
Regarding claim 13, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 10, wherein the first recovery flow path comprises: a first first recovery flow path portion including a flexible material and connected to the storage portion; and a second first recovery flow path portion including a solid material and connecting the first first recovery flow path portion to the second supply flow path (Hayashi, see fig. 8A, Note that Hayashi’s tubes correspond to the first first flow path portions and Hayashi’s joints correspond to second first supply flow path portions). Examiner takes official notice that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the date of invention to construct Hayashi’s tubes and joints from flexible and rigid materials because doing so would amount to applying known materials to known components to obtain predictable results.
Regarding claim 14, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 13, wherein the second first supply flow path portion has a straight line shape (Hayashi, see fig. 8A, Note that vertical portions of joints 161 have straight line shapes).
Regarding claim 20, Sauer in view of Hayashi teaches the apparatus of claim 19, wherein the first second flow path comprises: a first sub supply flow path portion including a flexible material and connected to the storage portion; and a second sub supply flow path portion including a solid material and connecting the first sub flow path portion to the second second flow path (Hayashi, see fig. 8A, Note that Hayashi’s tubes correspond to the first first flow path portions and Hayashi’s joints correspond to second first supply flow path portions). Examiner takes official notice that it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the date of invention to construct Hayashi’s tubes and joints from flexible and rigid materials because doing so would amount to applying known materials to known components to obtain predictable results.
Conclusion
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853