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 .
Election/Restrictions
Applicant’s election without traverse of Species I in the reply filed on 03/04/2026 is acknowledged.
Information Disclosure Statement
3. Acknowledgment is made of Applicant’s Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) form PTO-1449. These IDS have been considered.
Priority
4. Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Drawings
5. The examiner contends that the drawings submitted on 06/25/2024 are acceptable for examination proceedings.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. Claims 1-3, 6-10 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a) (1) as being anticipated by Yoneyama et al. (US Pub. Nº 2016/0222240).
9. Regarding independent claim 1: Yoneyama et al. disclosed a recording apparatus ([0013], line 7; also see Fig. 1, reference 100) comprising:
a first recording unit (Fig. 1, first recording portion 12A and its corresponding drying unit 14A) having a first recording portion which performs recording by applying a liquid ([0014], line 1; also see Fig. 1, reference 12A), while conveying a recording medium in a conveyance direction (Fig. 100, reference P is conveyed in the direction of the arrow), and a first drying portion which is provided on a downstream of the first recording portion in the conveyance direction and dries the liquid applied to the recording medium ([0016], line 1 and [0186], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 14A) and
a second recording unit (Fig. 1, second recording portion 12B and its corresponding drying unit 14B) having a second recording portion which performs recording by applying the liquid ([0015], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 12B), while conveying the recording medium in the conveyance direction, and a second drying portion which is provided on a downstream of the second recording portion in the conveyance direction and dries the liquid applied to the recording medium ([0017], lines 1-2 and [0186], lines 1-2; also see Fig. 1, reference 14B), wherein
recording on the recording medium with multiple types of the liquid can be performed separately for the first recording unit and the second recording unit (Fig. 1, recording on the medium P can be performed with multiple types/colors of liquid by the first and second recording units (12CA, 12MA, 12YA, 12KA) and (12CB, 12MB, 12YB, 12KB) respectively),
in the recording apparatus, at least a part of the first recording unit and at least a part of the second recording unit are provided at different positions in a vertical direction, and at least a part of a region obtained by projecting a region, on which the first recording unit is disposed, in the vertical direction and at least a part of a region obtained by projecting a region, on which the second recording unit is disposed, in the vertical direction are overlapped in a horizontal direction (see Fig. 1, the projection of the first recording unit in the vertical direction overlaps that of the second recording unit); and
the recording medium conveyed out of the first recording portion is conveyed in a horizontal attitude until the recording medium has passed a predetermined distance in the first drying portion (see Fig. 1, medium P conveyed out of the first recording portion 12A is conveyed in a horizontal line until the recording medium P has passed a predetermined distance in contact with the drying drum 14A).
10. Regarding claim 2: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a horizontal component of a conveyance direction of the recording medium in the at least a part of the first recording unit and a horizontal component of a conveyance direction of the recording medium in the at least a part of the second recording unit are opposed to each other (Fig. 1; the horizontal component of the conveyance direction of the recording medium in the first recording unit (right-to-left) is opposed to the horizontal component of the conveyance direction of the recording medium in the second recording unit (left-to-right)).
11. Regarding claim 3: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the recording medium having passed the predetermined distance in the first drying portion is in an attitude inclined from the horizontal, the liquid having been applied to the recording medium does not move along the inclination (see Fig. 1, after the medium P has passed the predetermined distance above the drying drum 14A, the recording medium is inclined around the drying drum 14A at least for a brief moment, and the liquid that has been applied to the medium does not flow because not only the printed image has started to dry through the effect of the drying drum 14A, but the image is heated by warm air blowing device 16A).
12. Regarding claim 6: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first recording unit as well as the second recording portion and the second drying portion are provided at different positions in a vertical direction (see Fig. 1, the first recording unit 12A as well as the second recording portion 12B and the second drying portion 14B are provided at different positions in a vertical direction), and at least a part of a region obtained by projecting a region, on which the first recording unit and the second recording portion are disposed, and at least a part of a region obtained by projecting a region, on which the second drying portion is disposed, in the vertical direction overlap with each other in the horizontal direction (see Fig. 1).
13. Regarding claim 7: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 6, wherein a horizontal component of a conveyance direction of the recording medium in the first recording unit and the second recording portion, and a horizontal component of a conveyance direction of the recording medium in the second drying portion are opposed to each other (see Fig. 1; also see the rejection of claim 2).
14. Regarding claim 8: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 7, wherein a horizontal component of the conveyance direction of the recording medium is reversed on a downstream of the second recording portion (Fig. 1, in the second recording portion 12 B, a horizontal component of the conveyance direction of the recording medium P is (left-to-right), but is reversed on a downstream side (right-to-left) after passing the second drying portion 14B).
15. Regarding claim 9: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a distance over which the recording medium is conveyed in the second drying portion is longer than a distance over which the recording medium is conveyed in the first drying portion (see Fig. 1, the recording medium is wrapped around the second drying drum 14B over a longer distance than around the first drying drum 14A).
16. Regarding claim 10: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a heat amount applied to the recording medium in the second drying portion is larger than a heat amount applied to the recording medium in the first drying portion (see Fig. 1, the recording medium is wrapped around the second drying drum 14B over a longer distance than around the first drying drum 14A and therefore, a heat amount applied to the recording medium in the second drying portion 14B is larger than a heat amount applied to the recording medium in the first drying portion 14A).
17. Regarding claim 15: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first recording unit is located on an upstream of the second recording unit in the conveyance direction (see Fig. 1, first recording portion 12A and its corresponding drying unit 14A are located on an upstream of the second recording portion 12B and its corresponding drying unit 14B in the conveyance direction (direction of the arrow)).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
18. 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.
19. 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 of this title, 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.
20. Claims 4 and 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoneyama et al. (US Pub. Nº 2016/0222240), in view of Kusunoki (US Pub. Nº 2009/0244159).
21. Regarding claim 4: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1.
Yoneyama et al. are silent about wherein a maximum application amount of the liquid by the first recording portion is larger than a maximum application amount of the liquid by the second recording portion.
Kusunoki disclosed a recording apparatus (see Fig. 1) for performing duplex printing ([0002], lines 2-4), wherein a maximum application amount of the liquid to a first printed surface of the recording medium is larger than a maximum application amount of the liquid to a second printed surface of the recording medium ([0008], lines 1-6; the apparatus supports the application of a larger amount of ink on the first printed surface of the recording medium than on the second printed surface of the recording medium).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Kusunoki with those of Yoneyama et al. by applying a larger maximum application amount of the liquid by the first printing portion in order to allow an appropriate drying time and prevent a contamination of the recording apparatus as disclosed by Kusunoki in paragraph [0003].
22. Regarding claim 5: The combination of Yoneyama et al. and Kusunoki disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 4, wherein when the recording medium, to which the liquid of an amount equal to or smaller than the maximum application amount of the second recording portion has been applied in the second recording portion, is inclined from the horizontal, the liquid having been applied to the recording medium does not move along the inclination (Yoneyama et al., see Fig. 1, the medium P is inclined around the drying drum 14B at least for a brief moment, and the liquid that has been applied to the medium does not flow because not only the printed image has started to dry through the effect of the drying drum 14B, but the image is heated by warm air blowing device 16B).
23. Claim 11 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoneyama et al. (US Pub. Nº 2016/0222240), in view of Saito (US Pub. Nº 2017/0182796).
24. Regarding claim 11: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1.
Yoneyama et al. are silent about wherein the recording apparatus is capable of performing recording on the recording medium without using the first recording unit; and a conveyance speed when the recording is performed on the recording medium without using the first recording unit is faster than a conveyance speed when the recording is performed on the recording medium by using the first recording unit and the second recording unit.
Saito disclosed a duplex recording apparatus (Fig. 1, reference 1), comprising a first recording unit for applying a liquid (Fig. 1, reference 26) on a first surface of a recording medium (Fig. 1, reference W), a second recording unit for applying a liquid (Fig. 1, reference 27) on a second surface of a recording medium, wherein the recording apparatus is capable of performing recording on the recording medium without using the first recording unit ([0016], lines 1-2; either the first recording unit or the second recording unit can be used in one-sided printing); and a conveyance speed when the recording is performed on the recording medium without using the first recording unit is faster than a conveyance speed when the recording is performed on the recording medium by using the first recording unit and the second recording unit ([0016], lines 1-3).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Saito with those of Yoneyama et al. by increasing the transfer speed of the medium during one-side printing in order to increase the throughput of the recording apparatus as disclosed by Saito in paragraph [0016].
25. Claims 12-14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yoneyama et al. (US Pub. Nº 2016/0222240), in view of Fujikura (US Pub. Nº 2012/0050433).
26. Regarding claims 12 and 13: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1.
Yoneyama et al. are silent about wherein the first recording unit has a first cooling portion which cools the recording medium; and the first cooling portion is provided on a downstream of the first drying portion in the conveyance direction and wherein the second recording unit has a second cooling portion which cools the recording medium; and the second cooling portion is provided on a downstream of the second drying portion in the conveyance direction.
Fujikura disclosed a recording apparatus (Fig. 1, reference 10), comprising a first recording unit (Fig. 1, reference 18), a first drying unit (Fig. 1, reference 20), a second recording unit (Fig. 1, reference 34), a second drying unit (Fig. 1, reference 36), wherein the first recording unit has a first cooling portion which cools the recording medium; and the first cooling portion is provided on a downstream of the first drying portion in the conveyance direction ([0056], lines 1-4; also see Fig. 1, reference 24) and wherein the second recording unit has a second cooling portion which cools the recording medium; and the second cooling portion is provided on a downstream of the second drying portion in the conveyance direction (Fig. 1, reference 40).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Fujikura with those of Yoneyama et al. by providing a first and second cooling/seasoning devices downstream of each printing unit in order to prevent a deformation of the recording medium as disclosed by Fujikura in paragraph [0074].
27. Regarding claim 14: Yoneyama et al. disclosed the recording apparatus according to claim 1.
Yoneyama et al. are silent about wherein the first recording portion applies white ink, a reaction liquid which increases fixability of ink, or the white ink and the reaction liquid to the recording medium; and the second recording portion applies black ink, color ink, or the black ink and the color ink to the recording medium.
Fujikura disclosed a recording apparatus (Fig. 1, reference 10), comprising a first recording unit (Fig. 1, reference 18), a first drying unit (Fig. 1, reference 20), a second recording unit (Fig. 1, reference 34), a second drying unit (Fig. 1, reference 36), wherein the first recording portion applies white ink, a reaction liquid which increases fixability of ink ([0043], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 1, reference 14), or the white ink and the reaction liquid to the recording medium; and the second recording portion applies black ink, color ink, or the black ink and the color ink to the recording medium ([0048], lines 1-3; also see Fig. 1, references 19 of the second recording portion 34).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to combine the teachings of Fujikura with those of Yoneyama et al. by providing a reaction liquid application unit in order to facilitate the precipitation of the printing ink composition as disclosed by Fujikura in paragraph [0043].
Conclusion
28. The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
29. U.S. Patent application publication number 2008/0094459 to Sakagami disclosed a similar invention in Fig. 13.
30. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to YAOVI M. AMEH whose telephone number is (571)272-4578. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM.
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32. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, RICARDO MAGALLANES can be reached at (571)272-5960. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/YAOVI M AMEH/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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