DETAILED ACTION
Election/Restrictions
Claim 5 is withdrawn from further consideration pursuant to 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a nonelected invention and species, there being no allowable generic or linking claim. Applicant timely traversed the restriction (election) requirement in the reply filed on 12/23/2025. Applicant traverses on the basis that there would be no serious burden in examining all claims. Regarding the Requirement for Restriction, this argument is persuasive, and that requirement is withdrawn. Regarding the Requirement for Election of Species, it is believed there would be a serious search burden, and this requirement is maintained.
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) 1-4, 6 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Chiwata et al. (2013/0194367) in view of Mima (2022/0161574).
Regarding claims 1 and 7, Chiwata teaches a medium heating apparatus configured to heat a medium on which liquid was ejected, the heat medium heating apparatus comprising:
a recording unit (see fig. 1) configured to record an image on a medium by ejecting liquid on the medium;
a heating unit (fig. 4, item 90) configured to heat the medium (fig. 4, item D);
a control unit ([0046]) configured to control the heating unit;
a main frame (fig. 5, item 100) configured to house the control unit;
a sub frame (fig. 5, item 94) attached to the main frame; and
an air blower (fig. 5, item 94A), wherein
the heating unit includes:
a heat source (fig. 5, item 106) configured to generate heat, and
a jetting unit (fig. 5, item 104) configured to jet air to the medium such that the air flows to a lower side along the medium (see fig. 5),
the heating unit and the main frame are arranged in a first direction (fig. 6, direction W2, note that top of item 100 is directly above heating unit 106/96), the main frame and the sub frame are arranged in a second direction (fig. 5, L direction) different from the first direction,
an intake port (fig. 5, opening in item 100 closest to item 94) is open at the main frame,
a ventilation port (fig. 5, opening in item 94 closet to intake port) in communication with the intake port and an air drawing port (fig. 5, opening in item 94 farthest from intake port) in communication with outside of the sub frame are open at the sub frame (see fig. 5),
the blower is attached to at least one of the main frame and the sub frame (see fig. 5),
the blower blows air into the main frame through the intake port, the ventilation port, and the air drawing port (see fig. 5), and
the air drawing port is located at a position not overlapping the heating unit in the second direction (see fig. 5).
Chiwata does expressly disclose where its control unit is disposed. Mima teaches wherein a control unit is located in an air flow path of an irradiation unit (Mima, see fig. 1, Note fan 4 cools control unit 10/11 of the irradiation device). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to add the controller of Chiwata in its air flow path, as disclosed by Mima, because doing so would allow for cooling of the drive circuit while operating the dryer. That is, because driver IC’s were used for almost all printer components at the time of invention and were subject to overheating, it would have been obvious to position the driver IC’s of a dryer unit so as to receive residual cooling airflow in the manner disclosed by Mima.
Examiner acknowledges Mima is not directed to a dryer but an irradiating element. Nonetheless, Examiner maintains it would have been obvious to position such control elements in a blowing/suction path of any fan so as to cool the control unit.
Regarding claim 2, Chiwata in view of Mima teaches the medium heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sub frame does not overlap the heating unit in the second direction (Chiwata, see fig. 5).
Regarding claim 3, Chiwata in view of Mima teaches the medium heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the blower is located at the intake port (Chiwata, see fig. 5).
Regarding claim 4, Chiwata in view of Mima teaches the medium heating apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the heating unit is located on a front side of the main frame, and the air drawing port is open at a front surface of the sub frame (Chiwata, see fig. 5, Note that the claimed “front side” and “front surface” have not been defined in any way).
Regarding claim 6, Chiwata in view of Mima teaches the medium heating apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a partition member (Chiwata, fig. 6, item 110) configured to partition a region into a region located on a lower side of the main frame and a region located on a lower side of the sub frame as viewed from the first direction (Chiwata, see fig. 5, Note that the claimed “lower side” and “regions” have not been defined with any specificity).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEJANDRO VALENCIA whose telephone number is (571)270-5473. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853