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 statements (IDSs) submitted on 7/24/24 and 3/6/25 are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statements have been considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claim14 is objected to under 37 CFR 1.75 as being a substantial duplicate of claim 5. When two claims in an application are duplicates or else are so close in content that they both cover the same thing, despite a slight difference in wording, it is proper after allowing one claim to object to the other as being a substantial duplicate of the allowed claim. See MPEP § 608.01(m).
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.
Claim(s) 1, 12 and 15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102a)(1) as being anticipated by US 2021/0122157 to Ichikawa.
With regard to Claim 1 Ichikawa teaches a liquid ejection drive device (100), comprising:
a drive circuit (100) configured to apply a drive signal (fig. 7) to an actuator (18a, 18b) for driving an ejection of a liquid from a pressure chamber (50) connected to a nozzle (25),
wherein the drive signal includes a multidrop waveform [0064 and 0070] with a plurality of drop waveforms for causing one droplet to be ejected, each drop waveform having an expansion phase (expansion pulse), a normal phase (pause period), and a contraction phase (second contraction pulse), and
at least one drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms is an adjustment drop waveform having an auxiliary contraction phase (first contraction pulse) in which contraction of the pressure chamber is less than in the contraction phase, the auxiliary contraction phase after the expansion phase and before the contraction phase (fig. 7).
With regard to Claim 12, Ichikawa teaches a liquid ejection drive device, comprising:
a drive circuit (100) configured to apply a drive signal to an actuator (18) for driving an ejection of a liquid from a pressure chamber (50) connected to a nozzle (25),
wherein the drive signal is a multidrop waveform with a plurality of drop waveforms for causing one droplet to be ejected [0064], each drop waveform having an expansion phase (expansion pulse), a normal phase (pause period), and a contraction phase (second contraction pulse),
at least a first drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms is an adjustment drop waveform having an auxiliary contraction phase (first contraction pulse) in which contraction of the pressure chamber is less than in the contraction phase, the auxiliary contraction phase after the expansion phase and before the contraction phase (fig. 7), and at least a last drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms is a standard drop waveform without the auxiliary contraction phase.
With regard to Claim 15 Ichikawa teaches a liquid ejection device, comprising:
an actuator (18a, 18b);
a pressure chamber (50) adjacent to the actuator (18a, 18b);
a nozzle (25) connected to the pressure chamber (18a, 18b); and a
drive circuit (100) configured to apply a drive signal to the actuator (18a, 18b) for driving an ejection of a liquid from the pressure chamber (50), wherein the drive signal includes a multidrop waveform with a plurality of drop waveforms for causing one droplet to be ejected [0064], each drop waveform having an expansion phase (expansion pulse), a normal phase (pause pulse), and a contraction phase (second contraction pulse), and
at least one drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms is an adjustment drop waveform having an auxiliary contraction phase (first contraction pulse) in which contraction of the pressure chamber is less than in the contraction phase, the auxiliary contraction phase after the expansion phase and before the contraction phase (fig. 7).
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) 2, and 16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ichikawa as modified by US 2023/0202172 to Wong et al. “Wong.”
With regard to Claim 2, Ichikawa teaches the claimed invention except for wherein the adjustment drop waveform is the first drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms of the multidrop waveform.
However, Wong teaches wherein the adjustment drop waveform is the first drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms of the multidrop waveform (fig. 17) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ichikawa with the teachings of Wong for the purpose of speeding up the first drop of ink [0107].
With regard to Claim 16, Ichikawa teaches the claimed invention except for wherein the adjustment drop waveform is the first drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms of the multidrop waveform.
However, Wong teaches wherein the adjustment drop waveform is the first drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms of the multidrop waveform (fig. 17) It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the claimed invention to modify Ichikawa with the teachings of Wong for the purpose of speeding up the first drop of ink [0107].
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3-11, 13 and 17-20 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 Claims 3 and 17 is the inclusion of the limitations the plurality of adjustment drop waveforms is before at least one reference drop waveform in the plurality of drop waveforms in the multidrop waveform. 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 these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of Claims 4 and 18 is the inclusion of the limitations a contraction amount in the auxiliary contraction phase of an adjustment drop waveform later in the multidrop waveform is less than a contraction amount in the auxiliary contraction phase of an adjustment drop waveform earlier in the multidrop waveform. 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 these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of Claims 5-6, and 19 is the inclusion of the limitations wherein a voltage level in the auxiliary contraction phase is higher than a voltage level in the normal phase but lower than or equal to a voltage level in the contraction phase. 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 these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of Claims 7-8, and 20 is the inclusion of the limitations a total pulse width of the auxiliary contraction phase and the normal phase in the plurality of adjustment drop waveforms is fixed. 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 these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for the allowance of Claim 9 is the inclusion of the limitations the second and third drop waveforms in the sequence are standard drop waveforms without the auxiliary contraction phase. 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 10 is the inclusion of the limitations a pulse width of the auxiliary contraction phase of an adjustment drop waveform later in the multidrop waveform is less than a pulse width of the auxiliary contraction phase of an adjustment drop waveform earlier in the multidrop waveform. 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 11 is the inclusion of the limitations an amplitude of the auxiliary contraction phase of an adjustment drop waveform later in the multidrop waveform is less than an amplitude of the auxiliary contraction phase of an adjustment drop waveform earlier in the multidrop waveform. 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 13 is the inclusion of the limitations a contraction amount in the auxiliary contraction phase of an adjustment drop waveform later in the multidrop waveform is less than a contraction amount in the auxiliary contraction phase of an adjustment drop waveform earlier in the multidrop waveform. 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. EP 3115211 A1 discloses the head has a drive circuit for applying an auxiliary pulse signal (SP1, SP2), which contains expansion pulse (EP) and contraction pulse (CP), where continuous multiple ink drops are ejected from a nozzle communicating with a pressure chamber by applying a drive waveform, which contains the expansion pulse and the contraction pulse as a drive pulse signal or ejection speed for ejecting the first ink drop is equal to the second drop in a case of continuously ejecting the two ink drops for multiple times to an actuator.
US 20180272707 A1 discloses an inkjet head includes a pressure chamber connected to a nozzle, an actuator corresponding to the pressure chamber and configured to change a volume of the pressure chamber, and a drive circuit configured to drive the actuator causing two or more ink droplets to be consecutively discharged from the nozzle. The drive circuit applies in sequence a first drive waveform for expanding the pressure chamber, a second drive waveform having a first pulse width, a third drive waveform for releasing the pressure chamber from an expanded state, a fourth drive waveform having a second pulse width, and a fifth drive waveform for contracting the pressure chamber.
US 20180272698 A1 discloses an inkjet head (100) has a pressure chamber connected to a nozzle. The actuator is configured to change a pressure in the pressure chamber. The controller is configured to apply an expansion signal to the actuator for expanding the pressure chamber and applying subsequent to one expansion signal. The intermediate signal is applied for contracting the pressure chamber by less than the contraction signal contracts the pressure chamber while the pressure chamber is contracted.
WO 2021130899 A1 discloses an inkjet head driving method and an inkjet recording apparatus capable of effectively suppressing a reduction in image quality. The inkjet head driving method comprises: applying a voltage signal having a composite driving waveform including a plurality of unit driving waveforms to a pressure generation unit of an inkjet head; and causing a plurality of ink droplets ejected from nozzles according to the voltage signal having the composite driving waveform to land onto a recording medium in a united state, wherein each unit driving waveform includes a first pulse waveform for ejecting ink droplets and a second pulse waveform for drawing back the ink droplets, the first pulse waveform and the second pulse waveform include an expansion portion for expanding a pressure chamber and a contraction portion for contracting the pressure chamber, the composite driving waveform includes a first unit driving waveform and a second unit driving waveform to be applied after the first unit driving waveform, and the voltage amplitude of the contraction portion of the second pulse waveform in the second unit driving waveform is greater than the voltage amplitude of the contraction portion of the second pulse waveform in the first unit driving waveform.
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.
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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
Prosecution Insights