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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgement is made of the receipt of Preliminary Amendment filed 07 June 2024.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited on a Form PTO 1449 have been considered.
Specification
The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. However, the applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections
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 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 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 1-3, 5-6, and 9-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kimura et al. (US Pat. 10,259,229) in view of Hayashi et al. (US Pub. 2018/0215164) and further in View of Chan (US Pat. 4,831,389).
Kimura et al. disclose in Figures 1-5 an inkjet printer comprising:
Regarding a part of claim 1, an ejection head (25) ejecting liquid (Figure 1);
a plurality of liquid containers (18) configured to store liquid (ink) supplied to the ejection head (1) (Figures 1-3);
a casing (20) accommodating the ejection head (25) and the plurality of liquid containers (18) (Figures 1 and 3); and
a fixing portion (33) fixing the plurality of liquid containers (18) to the casing (20) (Figure 3), wherein each of the plurality of liquid containers (18) includes a liquid storage portion (19) configured to store liquid, a liquid supply portion (65) that is a part to which one end portion (65) of a supply passage (24) supplying liquid (ink) to the ejection head (25) is directly or indirectly coupled, and a liquid discharge portion (65) discharging liquid (ink) stored in the liquid storage portion (40) to the outside (Figures 1-4).
Regarding a part of claim 2, an ejection head (25) ejecting liquid (Figure 1);
a plurality of liquid containers (18) configured to store liquid (ink) supplied to the ejection head (1) (Figures 1-3);
a casing (20) accommodating the ejection head (25) and the plurality of liquid containers (18) (Figures 1 and 3); and
a fixing portion (33) fixing the plurality of liquid containers (18) to the casing (20) (Figure 3), wherein each of the plurality of liquid containers (18) includes a liquid storage portion (19) configured to store liquid, a liquid supply portion (65) that is a part to which one end portion (65) of a supply passage (24) supplying liquid (ink) to the ejection head (25) is directly or indirectly coupled, and a liquid discharge portion (65) discharging liquid (ink) stored in the liquid storage portion (40) to the outside (Figures 1-4).
However, Kimura et al. do not disclose the liquid ejecting apparatus comprises a separating mechanism configured to separate the plurality of liquid containers collectively from the casing in a first direction which is a direction of separating the liquid supply portion from the one end portion of the supply passage; wherein the separating mechanism includes a holder holding the plurality of liquid storage portions side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a guide portion guiding the plurality of liquid containers so as to be movable in the first direction with respect to the holder; and the liquid supply portion of the liquid container is coupled to the one end portion of the supply passage indirectly via the holder; wherein the liquid discharge portion is arranged in a bottom surface or a lower portion of a side surface of the liquid storage portion; wherein the liquid container includes a valve opening and closing a passage of the liquid supply portion, and the valve opens when the liquid supply portion is coupled to the one end portion of the supply passage and closes when the liquid supply portion is separated from the one end portion of the supply passage; and the liquid ejecting apparatus and a liquid collection container, wherein the liquid collection container includes a collection coupling portion configured to be coupled to the liquid discharge portion of the liquid container, a collection container portion storing liquid collected through coupling between the liquid discharge portion and the collection coupling portion from the liquid container, and an atmospheric connection portion connecting the inside of the collection container portion to the atmosphere; and the liquid discharge portion of at least one liquid container separated from the one end portion of the supply passage among the plurality of liquid containers is coupled to the collection coupling portion, whereby the liquid in the liquid container is collected into the liquid collection container by hydraulic head pressure.
Nevertheless, Hayashi et al. disclose in Figures 1-4B, 6 and 8 an image-recording apparatus comprising:
Regarding a part of claims 1-2, the liquid ejecting apparatus (11) comprises a separating mechanism (104, 110) configured to separate the plurality of liquid containers (30) collectively from the casing (14) in a first direction which is a direction of separating the liquid supply portion (34) from the one end portion (107) of the supply passage (20) (Figures 1B, 3-4B and 8).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the separating mechanism (104, 110) includes a holder (110) holding the plurality of liquid storage portions (57) side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a guide portion (109) guiding the plurality of liquid containers (30) so as to be movable in the first direction with respect to the holder (110); and the liquid supply portion (34) of the liquid container (30) is coupled to the one end portion (107) of the supply passage (20) indirectly via the holder (110) (Figures 3-4A-4B and 8).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the liquid discharge portion (71) is arranged in a bottom surface or a lower portion of a side surface of the liquid storage portion (57) (Figure 8).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the liquid container (30) includes a valve (76) opening and closing a passage of the liquid supply portion (34), and the valve (76) opens when the liquid supply portion (34) is coupled to the one end portion (107) of the supply passage (20) and closes when the liquid supply portion (34) is separated from the one end portion (107) of the supply passage (20) (Figure 6).
Furthermore, Chan discloses in Figures 1-3 a system for supplying ink to an ink jet pen comprising:
Regarding claim 9-11, the liquid ejecting apparatus (10) and a liquid collection container (64), wherein the liquid collection container (64) includes a collection coupling portion (76) configured to be coupled to the liquid discharge portion(74) of the liquid container (66) , a collection container portion (66) storing liquid (ink) collected through coupling between the liquid discharge portion (66) and the collection coupling portion (76) from the liquid container (66), and an atmospheric connection portion (78) connecting the inside of the collection container portion (64) to the atmosphere (Figures 1-2); and
the liquid discharge portion (74) of at least one liquid container (66) separated from the one end portion of the supply passage among the plurality of liquid containers (66, 68, 70, 72) is coupled to the collection coupling portion (76), whereby the liquid (ink) in the liquid container (66, 68, 70, 72) is collected into the liquid collection container (58, 60, 62, 64) by hydraulic head pressure (Figure 1).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the teaching of Hayashi et al. and Chan in the Kimura et al.’s et al. inkjet printer for the purpose of stably engaging between ink containers and a holder and supplying ink from the ink containers to a printhead of a inkjet printer.
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. These prior art references (US Pat. 5,485,187; US Pat. 6, 409,322; US Pat. 9,150,011; US Pub. 2016/0207319; Pub. 2017/0157938) cited in the PTO 892 form show an ink jet printer which is deemed to be relevant to the present invention. These references should be reviewed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4 and 12 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. These claims would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a separating mechanism that includes a holder holding a plurality of liquid storage portions of liquid containers side by side in a second direction intersecting the first direction, and a moving mechanism configured to move the holder in the first direction; and a liquid supply portion of the liquid container is coupled to the one end portion of a supply passage indirectly via the holder in the combination as claimed.
Claims 7-8 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. These claims would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a liquid ejecting apparatus comprising a casing that includes a storage portion configured to accommodate the plurality of liquid containers; the storage portion includes a door body having a window portion through which a remaining amount of liquid in the liquid container is viewed; and the door body is configured to move between a shielding position covering the first direction side of the plurality of liquid containers and an open position not covering the first direction side with respect to the casing in the combination as claimed.
CONCLUSION
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the
examiner should be directed to Examiner Anh Vo whose telephone number is (571) 272-
2262. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:30 A.M.to 6:00 P.M..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner'ssupervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached on (571) 431-0716. The fax phonenumber for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of an application may be obtained from thePatent Application Information Retrieval (PAIR) system. Status information forpublished applications may be obtained from either Private PAIR or Public PAIR.Status information for unpublished applications is available through Private PAIR only.
For more information about the PAIR system, see http://pair-direct.uspto.gov. Shouldyou have questions on access to the Private PAIR system, contact the ElectronicBusiness Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from aUSPTO Customer Service Representative or access to the automated informationsystem, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.
/ANH T VO/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853