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 .
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 5/24/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 6-9 and 11 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claims 7 and 11 are missing the article “a” before “small number of inkjet heads are provided in the last line of the respective claims. Claim 11 is missing its “wherein clause”. Also, when introducing a new element, not recited in the base claim (here, Claim 1), the phase “further comprising” should be used. See claims 6, 8 and 9. Appropriate correction is required.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claim(s) 1, 5, 8 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2014 213472 A to Nagase.
With regard to Claim 1, Nagase teaches an inkjet recording apparatus (30) comprising:
an inkjet head (1a) which ejects ink [0014];
a flat plate-shaped head frame (2a) whose thickness direction is along a first direction perpendicular to an ejection direction of the inkjet head (1a) and holding the inkjet head (figs. 1, 2a and 3);
a first positioning part (12a) facing in the thickness direction to a first area of the head frame (2a) on one end side in a second direction perpendicular to the ejection direction and the first direction [0024];
a second positioning part (12b) facing in the thickness direction to a second area of the head frame (2a) on the other end side in the second direction [0024];
a first protruding part (11a) protruding from the first area toward a side of the first positioning part (12a);
a second protruding part (11b) protruding from the second area toward a side of the second positioning part (12b);
a first groove part provided in the first positioning part (12a) along the ejection direction (fig. 3) [0023];
a first pressing part (8) pressing the first protruding part (11a) to the first groove part; and
a regulation part (23b) restricting a movement of the head frame in the ejection direction [0037].
Nagase teaches the claimed invention except for a second pressing part pressing the second protruding part to the second positioning part.
However, the second pressing part performs the same function as the first pressing part. MPEP 2144.04 states that mere duplication of parts has no patentable significance unless it produces a new and unexpected result. Here, having two pressing parts instead of one can provide a more secure fit for the recording head. Thus, one would have been motivated at the time of the invention to include a second pressing part to reduce the pressure on the one pressing part.
With regard to Claim 5, Nagase teaches wherein the first protruding part is provided on a downstream side of a center of the head frame in the ejection direction (figs. 2 and 3).
With regard to Claim 8, Nagase teaches comprising: a second groove part provided in the second positioning part (12b) along the second direction, wherein the second pressing part (obvious as discussed in claim 1) presses the second protruding part (11b) to the second groove part (fig. 3).
With regard to Claim 10, Nagase teaches wherein the first positioning part (12a), the second positioning part (12b), the first pressing part (8), the second pressing part (obvious as discussed in claim 1) and the regulation part (23b) are provided in an image forming frame by (7) which the head frame (2a) holding the inkjet head (8) is supported.
Claim(s) 7 and 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over JP 2014 213472 A to Nagase as modified by JP 6860078 B2 to Kenya.
With regard to Claim 7, Nagase teaches the first protruding part and the second protruding part are provided on the surface of the head frame where small number of the inkjet heads are provided (figs. 1-3). Nagase does not teach an odd number of the inkjet heads are arranged on both side surfaces of the head frame in a staggered manner.
However, Kenya teaches an odd number of the inkjet heads are arranged on both side surfaces of the head frame in a staggered manner (fig. 1) [0024]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify Nagase to include the teachings of Kenya to eject ink from the inkjet head at an appropriate timing according to image data while the head unit is fixed [0024].
With regard to Claim 11, Nagase teaches the first area and the second area are provided on the surface of the head frame where small number of the inkjet heads are provided (figs. 1-3). Nagase does not teach an odd number of the inkjet heads are arranged on both side surfaces of the head frame in a staggered manner.
However, Kenya teaches an odd number of the inkjet heads are arranged on both side surfaces of the head frame in a staggered manner (fig. 1) [0024]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify Nagase to include the teachings of Kenya to eject ink from the inkjet head at an appropriate timing according to image data while the head unit is fixed [0024].
Examiner Note
The examiner cites particular columns and lines numbers (or paragraphs or figures) in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. The specified citations are representative of the teachings in the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim. Other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested that, in preparing responses, applicant fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the examiner.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2- 4, 6 and 9 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter: The primary reason for the allowance of Claim 2 is the inclusion of the limitations wherein the first protruding part is hemispherical. It is these features found in the claim(s) which have not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes this claim allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of Claim 3 is the inclusion of the limitations wherein second protruding part is hemispherical. It is these features found in the claim(s) which have not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes this claim allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of Claim 4 is the inclusion of the limitations wherein the first protrusion and the second protrusion each has a male screw portion, and the head frame has female screw portions into which the male screw portions are screwed. It is these features found in the claim(s) which have not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes this claim allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of Claim 6 is the inclusion of the limitations a third protruding part protruding from the first area toward a side of the first positioning part. It is these features found in the claim(s) which have not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes this claim allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of Claim 9 is the inclusion of the limitations a fourth protruding part protruding from the second area toward a side of the second positioning part. It is these features found in the claim(s) which have not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes this claim allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. US 11,760,092 discloses an inkjet head subassembly comprising: a plurality of inkjet heads, a fixing member which fixes the plurality of inkjet heads; and wherein the each of the plurality of the inkjet head includes: a plurality of pressure chamber groups each including a plurality of pressure chambers, wherein each of the pressure chambers which communicate with respective ink ejection ports and are arranged in a matrix pattern in a first direction and a second direction within the pressure chamber group, wherein each of the pressure chamber groups has a non-rectangle parallelogram region defined by a first set of opposing sides, which extends along the first direction, and a second set of opposing sides, which extends along the first direction, the first sets of opposing sides being parallel to one another, the second sets of opposing sides being parallel to one another, and wherein each of the plurality of inkjet heads has a first set of opposing contours and a second set of opposing contours, wherein the plurality of inkjet heads are arranged along a third direction, which intersects with each of the first direction, the second directions, the first set of opposing contours and the second set of opposing contours, by the fixing member.
US 20200247155 A1 discloses a head assembly includes a base member, a recording head, a first coupling member, a second coupling member, a first rotating shaft member, and a first angle adjustment mechanism. The first coupling member couples a first end of the recording heads to the base member. The second coupling member couples a second end of the recording head to the base member. The first rotating shaft member functions as a rotating shaft of the recording head. The first angle adjustment rotates the recording head about the first rotating shaft member as a rotation center. The first rotating shaft member is provided for the first coupling member. The first angle adjustment mechanism is provided for the second coupling member.
Communication with the PTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SHARON A POLK whose telephone number is (571)270-7910. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 7-3.
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached at 571-431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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SHARON A. POLK
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/Sharon Polk/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853