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 .
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.
Claims 1, 2, 4, 6-8, 10 and 14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Dunn et al. (US PG Pub 2018/0056608).
For claim 1: Dunn et al. teaches a printing apparatus (see Fig. 1) comprising: a platen 30 having a printing zone (see Fig. 1, the section above which the media 24 sits), the platen 30 being to hold a media 24 moveable along a media path direction (see paragraph 48, platen movable in one plane, carriage movable in another plane); and a carriage 34 above the platen 30 reciprocatively moveable along a scanning direction (see paragraph 47), the carriage including: a cleaning accessory interface 21 couplable to a cleaning accessory (see paragraph 6, Fig. 1, the element 21 connects to additional equipment and thus is a cleaning accessory interface, connectable to the vacuum being the cleaning accessory), the cleaning accessory to remove contaminants from the platen upon the carriage’s movement (see paragraph 6, paragraph 68, vacuum 260); and a conduit 17 connectable to a vacuum source 15 to extract the removed contaminants from the printing zone (see paragraph 41, the source 15 is a vacuum source where the accessory is a vacuum 260).
For claim 2: Dunn et al. teaches the printing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising the cleaning accessory 260.
For claim 4: Dunn et al. teaches the printing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller 38 to: receive a servicing operation request input; controlling a conduit element 17 such that the conduit extracts airborne particles from the printing zone (see paragraph 51, performing the functions of the equipment 19 where the equipment 19 is a vacuum 260, see paragraph 68); control the carriage to reciprocatively move along the scanning direction (see paragraph 51, moving the carriage); and control the transfer belt to move along the media path direction (see paragraph 47, moving the carriage with belts).
For claim 6: Dunn et al. teaches the printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the accessory comprises bristles (see Fig. 2F, an accessory comprising bristles can be an accessory of the apparatus).
For claim 7: Dunn et al. teaches the printing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conduit 17 is an aerosol extractor (see paragraph 68, the vacuum part pulls loose material which is mixed in air through the line 17).
For claim 8: Dunn et al. teaches the printing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an additional conduit 16, each conduit 16, 17 located at an opposite side of the carriage 34 with respect to the scanning direction (see Fig. 1).
For claims 10 and 14: Dunn et al. teaches a method to remove contaminants from a platen of a printing apparatus, the method comprising: installing a cleaning accessory 260 on a carriage 34 of the printing apparatus 10 (see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2M) to clean the platen 30; reciprocatively moving the carriage 34 along a scanning direction (see Fig. 1, direction X, along shaft 36); and vacuuming airborne particles on the platen through a conduit 17 coupled to a vacuum source 15, wherein the conduit 17 is part of the carriage 34 (see paragraph 41, the source 15 is a vacuum source where the accessory is a vacuum 260). Regarding claim 14, Dunn et al. teaches a non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions executable by a processor, the non-transitory machine-readable medium to perform the same (see Fig. 1, computer 42, controller 40, paragraph 49, software and firmware or a combination thereof).
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.
Claims 3 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dunn et al. (US PG Pub 2018/0056608) in view of Singh et al. (US PG Pub 2024/0091906).
For claim 3: Dunn et al. teaches all of the limitations of claims 3 and 11 except that the platen comprises a conveyor belt or a transfer belt. However, Singh et al. teaches providing a substrate on a conveyer belt for additive manufacturing (see paragraph 108). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention to provide the platen as a conveyor belt as taught by Singh et al. for the purpose of permitting the positional adjustment of the substrate by the platen.
Claims 5, 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dunn et al. (US PG Pub 2018/0056608) in view of Baumgartner et al. (US PG Pub 2016/0216712).
For claims 5, 12 and 15: Dunn et al. teaches all of the limitations of claim 5 except a sensor mounted at the carriage to detect airborne particles on a part of the platen; and the controller to: control the sensor to detect the density of airborne particles on a part of the platen; and determine that a servicing operation is to be executed based on the density of airborne particles. However, Baumgartner et al. teaches a sensor mounted at the carriage to detect airborne particles on a part of the platen (see paragraph 610, detector); and the controller to: control the sensor to detect the density of airborne particles on a part of the platen; and determine that a servicing operation is to be executed based on the density of airborne particles (see paragraph 610, activating vent devices). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to provide the system of Dunn et al. with a sensor and the controller to detect and activate the vacuum as taught by Baumgartner et al. for the purpose of automating elimination of particles in the system.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dunn et al. (US PG Pub 2018/0056608).
For claim 9: Dunn et al. teaches all of the limitations of claim 9 except a nozzle of the conduit is located at a distance of 5mm or less from the platen. The platen of the system is configured to move in the normal direction of the plate (see paragraph 5). Changing the distance from the platen to the nozzle is a result effective variable that can be arrived at through routine experimentation. In the instant case, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention by changing the distance of the platen to the nozzle to less than 5 mm for the purpose of reducing splatter at the initial printing of the media.
Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Dunn et al. (US PG Pub 2018/0056608) in view of Plummer et al. (US PG Pub 2021/0197569).
For claim 13: Dunn et al. teaches all of the limitations of claim 13 except wetting a cleaning portion of the cleaning accessory with a solvent. However, Plummer et al. vacuuming cleaning solvent and ink in a cleaning head near an outlet port and nozzle orifice (see paragraph 24). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the effective filing date of the invention to modify the invention of Dunn et al. to provide a cleaning solvent and vacuuming the cleaning solve as taught by Plummer for the purpose of facilitating cleaning of the region. Provision of the cleaning solvent wets the vacuum port when the cleaning solvent is drawn in from the orifice surface.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to DAVID H BANH whose telephone number is (571)270-3851. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 12-8PM.
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/DAVID H BANH/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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