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
This application contains claims directed to the following patentably distinct species:
Species A (Claim 12): non-quinacridone pigment comprises at least one pigment selected from the group consisting of an azo pigment and a diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment; and
Species B (Claim 13): non-quinacridone pigment comprises C.I. Pigment Red 150.
The species are independent or distinct because they specify different compositions of the claimed non-quinacridone pigment. In addition, these species are not obvious variants of each other based on the current record.
Applicant is required under 35 U.S.C. 121 to elect a single disclosed species, or a single grouping of patentably indistinct species, for prosecution on the merits to which the claims shall be restricted if no generic claim is finally held to be allowable. Currently, claims 1-11 & 14-16 are generic.
There is a serious search and/or examination burden for the patentably distinct species as set forth above because at least the following reason(s) apply:
A burden does exist because a separate search would be required, because the species or groupings of patentably indistinct species require a different field of search (e.g., searching different classes/subclasses or electronic resources, or employing different search strategies or search queries).
During a telephone conversation with Jacquiline DiRamio on 8/7/2026 a provisional election was made without traverse to prosecute species A, which is associated with claim 12. Affirmation of this election must be made by applicant in replying to this Office action. Claim 13 is withdrawn from further consideration by the examiner, 37 CFR 1.142(b), as being drawn to a non-elected invention.
Response to Arguments
Applicant has sufficiently amended the claim set to resolve the following issues in the Non-Final office action (dated 3/4/2026):
Objections to Specification;
Objection to Claim 6; and
112(b) Rejection to Claim 6
Therefore, these objections and the 112(b) rejection are withdrawn.
Applicant states that the Examiner’s combination of Albertin, Kawakami, and Yamakami used in the 35 US 103 rejection of Claims 1 & 10 (and therefore their dependent claims) fail to disclose all the features claimed therein, including Applicant’s amended limitation of “three of more storage parts arrayed orthogonal to a scanning direction of the recording head and in one predetermined direction”. The Examiner has incorporated additional teachings from the previously cited prior art to incorporate the newly added limitation.
Additionally, Applicant states that Albertin fails to teach “the ink storage portion comprises three or more storage parts divided independently of each other” (Applicant’s Remarks p. 11). The Examiner assumes that Applicant does not find Albertin’s “ink chambers” (Albertin: Fig. 1, elements “1”, “10”, and “11a”-“11c”) sufficiently equivalent to the storage parts described in Applicant’s disclosure. The Examiner stands with the previous assertion in the Non-final office action rejections, which is that Albertin teaches the limitations of the Applicant’s broad claim language in Claims 1 & 10 of “storage parts divided independently of each other”, given the storage parts are divided so each color is independently stored within each of the parts. In order for Applicant to invalidate Albertin’s teaching, the Applicant would be required to further specify these “storage parts divided independently of each other” so as narrow the claim language to teach away from Albertin.
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 (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) 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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
Claims 1-6, 8, 10, & 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albertin & Ferrarotti (US 20090213195 A1; herein referred to as “Albertin”) in view of Kawakami (US 20210340395 A1) further in view of Yamakami et al. (US 20070109378 A1; herein referred to as “Yamakami”).
With respect to Claim 1, Albertin teaches an ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) using an ink jet recording apparatus (i.e., “ink-jet printers”; Albertin: ¶0002), the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
an ink comprising a pigment (i.e., “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0061)
an ink storage portion which is configured to store the ink (i.e., “cartridge body” aka “body”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, and Fig. 1, element “1”), and is formed from a thermoplastic resin composition (i.e., “a thermoplastic polymeric compound” such as “polyphenylene ether (PPE)”; Albertin: ¶0110) comprising a filler material (i.e., “glass fibre reinforcement” as a filler in a “modified PPE resin”; Albertin: ¶0110); and
a recording head (i.e., “printhead”; Albertin: ¶0055-0056 and Fig. 1, element “5”) to be bonded to the ink storage portion (i.e., “adhesive laid between the printhead and the body”; Albertin: ¶0059), the recording head having formed therein an ejection orifice (i.e., “ink delivery slots”; Albertin: ¶0055 and Fig. 1, element “6”) configured to eject the ink supplied from the ink storage portion (Albertin: ¶0059),
the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) comprising recording an image by applying the aqueous ink ejected from the ejection orifice (i.e., “nozzle arrays” used to eject ink through “slots of the printhead”; Albertin: ¶0002-0004 and ¶0059) to a recording medium (i.e., “printing medium”; Albertin: ¶0002-0004),
wherein the ink storage portion comprises three or more storage parts divided independently of each other (i.e., “ink chambers”; Albertin: ¶0022 and Fig. 1, elements “11a”-“11c”)
and the three or more storage parts are arrayed…in one predetermined direction (Albertin: Fig. 1, elements “1”, “10”, and “11a”-“11c”)
Albertin is silent on the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
an aqueous ink comprising a pigment;
an ink storage portion which is configured to store the aqueous ink
the recording head having formed therein an ejection orifice configured to eject the aqueous ink supplied from the ink storage portion
and the three or more storage parts are arrayed orthogonal to a scanning direction of the recording head in one predetermined direction
wherein the aqueous ink comprises a magenta ink comprising a quinacridone pigment, and
wherein the magenta ink is stored in a corresponding one of the three or more storage parts arranged on an inner side.
Kawakami teaches the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
an aqueous ink comprising a pigment (i.e., “a water-based ink for ink-jet recording including…a quinacridone pigment”; emphasis added; Kawakami: ¶0007-0008);
an ink storage portion which is configured to store the aqueous ink (i.e., “a water-based ink for ink-jet recording”; emphasis added; Kawakami: ¶0007);
the recording head having formed therein an ejection orifice configured to eject the aqueous ink supplied from the ink storage portion (i.e., “a water-based ink for ink-jet recording including”; emphasis added; Kawakami: ¶0007);
scanning direction (i.e., the direction the carriage “5” moves within the apparatus; Kawakami: ¶0052-0053 & Fig. 2). Note that Kawakami teaches that a multi-color cartridge can be used within the carriage (¶0052-0053 & Fig. 2).
wherein the aqueous ink comprises a magenta ink comprising a quinacridone pigment (i.e., water-based magenta ink comprising a quinacridone pigment; Kawakami: ¶0006-0010), and
Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
wherein the magenta ink is stored in a corresponding one of the three or more storage parts arranged on an inner side (i.e., magenta is stored in the ink absorbing body “44M” within a space arranged on the inner side of the partitioned spaces within ink cartridge “41”; Yamakami: ¶0017 & ¶0120; Fig. 2, elements “41”, “44M”, “44C”, “44Y”).
and the three or more storage parts are arrayed orthogonal to a scanning direction of the recording head in one predetermined direction (i.e., orientation of the ink cartridge shown in Fig. 2, in which part “47” is facing the user when the cartridge is placed within Kawakami’s carriage shown in Kawakami Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to use the magenta ink taught by Kawakami, which is an aqueous ink comprising a quinacridone pigment (i.e., “a water-based ink for ink-jet recording including…a quinacridone pigment”; emphasis added; Kawakami: ¶0007-0008), as one of the “inks of different colors” taught in Albertin (Albertin: ¶0061) being stored in the multiple storage parts (i.e., “ink chambers”; Albertin: ¶0022 and Fig. 1, elements “11a”-“11c”), because, as taught by Kawakami, this ink is “capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and which has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density (optical density), as well”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus taught in Albertin (i.e., which contains an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) using the teachings of Kawakami to load the ink storage portion into a carriage that moves (i.e., has a scanning direction), given this enables the ink storage portion, and its associated nozzles, to print over a larger area of the print medium.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) using the teachings of Yamakami (i.e., ink colors and their arrangement within an ink storage portion; Yamakami: ¶0017 & ¶0120; Fig. 2, elements “41”, “44M”, “44C”, “44Y”). Incorporating Yamakami’s teaching of the storage of yellow, magenta, and cyan within the ink storage portion is beneficial because these three colors can be used in tandem to print a wide color-range of images.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) and modified by Yamakami (i.e., the storage part arrangement shown in Fig. 2) to load that storage portion into the moveable carriage taught by Kawakami in an orientation in which the storage portions are arrayed orthogonally to a scanning direction of the recording head. Doing so, as shown by Yamakami’s Fig. 2, enables part “47” on the storage part to be more accessible to the user when reaching into the apparatus to replace the storage portion.
With respect to Claim 2, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 1, wherein the magenta ink further comprises a non-quinacridone pigment (i.e., “an azo pigment” in addition to a quinacridone pigment; Kawakami: ¶0006-0010).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) to include the magenta ink taught by Kawakami as this enables the printing of images that incorporate magenta. Moreover, this pigment’s specific composition, comprising of both a quinacridone and a non-quinacridone pigment, yields an optimized ink that “is capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density, as well. The water-based ink related to the present teaching is widely applicable to a variety of kinds of the ink-jet recording, for example, as a water-based magenta ink for ink-jet recording” (Kawakami: ¶0095).
With respect to Claim 3, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 2, wherein a content (% by mass) of the quinacridone pigment in the magenta ink is 1.5 times or more to 4.0 times or less in terms of a mass ratio with respect to a content (% by mass) of the non-quinacridone pigment (i.e., “a mass ratio” of quinacridone pigment to non-quinacridone pigment in “a range of 9:1 to 2:8”; Kawakami: ¶0007-0010). Note that the mass ratio taught by Kawakami is equivalent to a content (% by mass) of the quinacridone pigment 9 times or more to 0.25 times or less in terms of a mass ratio with respect to a content (% by mass) of the non-quinacridone pigment. This range taught by Kawakami encapsulates the claimed range. Moreover, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a content of the quinacridone pigment in the magenta ink 1.5 times or more to 4.0 times or less in terms of a mass ratio with respect to a content of the non-quinacridone pigment, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (in re Aller, 105 USPQ 233).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) to include the magenta ink taught by Kawakami as this enables the printing of images that incorporate magenta. Moreover, this pigment’s specific composition, comprising of a 1.5-4.0 (inclusive) ratio of quinacridone to non-quinacridone pigment, yields an optimized ink that “is capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density, as well. The water-based ink related to the present teaching is widely applicable to a variety of kinds of the ink-jet recording, for example, as a water-based magenta ink for ink-jet recording” (Kawakami: ¶0095).
With respect to Claim 4, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 1, wherein
the magenta ink further comprises a first water-soluble organic solvent having a relative dielectric constant of 20.0 or more to 30.0 or less (i.e., a “water-soluble organic solvent…exemplified…by a humectant…for example…2-pyrrolidone”; Kawakami: ¶0042-0043). 2-pyrrolidone, a water-soluble organic solvent with a dielectric constant of 28.0 (as acknowledged by the applicant in specification ¶0064), is within the claimed range of 20.0-30.0 (inclusively).
a content (% by mass) of the first water-soluble organic solvent (i.e., the humectant 2-pyrrolidone; Kawakami: ¶0042-0043) in the magenta ink is 10.00% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the magenta ink (i.e., 0-95% by mass (inclusively); Kawakami: ¶0042-0043). This range taught by Kawakami overlaps with the claimed range.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) to include the magenta ink taught by Kawakami as this enables the printing of images that incorporate magenta. Additionally, this pigment’s specific composition, comprising 2-pyrrolidone (i.e., a water-soluble organic solvent with a dielectric constant of 20-30) at a content of ≥10.00% by mass (Kawakami: ¶0042-0043), yields an optimized ink that “is capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density, as well. The water-based ink related to the present teaching is widely applicable to a variety of kinds of the ink-jet recording, for example, as a water-based magenta ink for ink-jet recording” (Kawakami: ¶0095). Moreover, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to use a content (% by mass) of the first water-soluble organic solvent in the magenta ink that is 10.00% by mass or more with respect to a total mass of the magenta ink, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (in re Aller, 105 USPQ 233).
With respect to Claim 5, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 1, wherein the magenta ink further comprises an acetylene glycol-based surfactant (Kawakami: ¶0038).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) to include the magenta ink taught by Kawakami as this enables the printing of images that incorporate magenta. Moreover, this pigment’s specific composition, comprising an acetylene glycol-based surfactant, yields an optimized ink that “is capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density, as well. The water-based ink related to the present teaching is widely applicable to a variety of kinds of the ink-jet recording, for example, as a water-based magenta ink for ink-jet recording” (Kawakami: ¶0095).
With respect to Claim 6, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 1, wherein the aqueous ink jet recording apparatus further comprises an ink other than the magenta ink (i.e., cyan ink “compound of formula 1-1”; Yamakami: ¶0139-0141, ¶0121, & ¶0124-0131; Table 1, column associated with Example 2), and a content (% by mass) of water in the magenta ink (i.e., a magenta ink with a content of water in “a range of 10% by mass to 90% by mass”; Kawakami: ¶0037 & ¶0035) is lower than a content (% by mass) of water in the ink other than the magenta ink (i.e., water content of 76.5% by mass in cyan ink Example 2; Yamakami: ¶0139-0141, ¶0121, & ¶0124-0131; Table 1, column associated with Example 2).
Kawakami teaches a magenta ink that has a water content (% by mass) that is the “balance of all the other components” in the ink (e.g., a pigment, a surfactant, etc.) (Kawakami: ¶0037; ¶0035-0038) and that this water content can be impacted depending on the quantity of other components used in the ink. For example, one could increase the quantity of magenta pigment in the ink, thereby decreasing the water content in the ink (while staying within the taught range of 10-90% water by mass).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) to include the magenta ink taught by Kawakami as this enables the printing of images that incorporate magenta. Moreover, this pigment’s specific composition, comprising a water content of 10-90% by mass, yields an optimized ink that “is capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density, as well. The water-based ink related to the present teaching is widely applicable to a variety of kinds of the ink-jet recording, for example, as a water-based magenta ink for ink-jet recording” (Kawakami: ¶0095). Moreover, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to adjust the content (% by mass) of water in the magenta ink, since it has been held that where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, discovering the optimum or workable ranges involves only routine skill in the art (in re Aller, 105 USPQ 233). For example, decreasing the water content in order to increase the quantity of pigment in the magenta ink, thereby strengthening the color of the ink, would be a form of optimization.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) using the teachings of Yamakami. Incorporating Yamakami’s teaching of the storage of cyan along with magenta within the ink storage portion is beneficial because these colors can be used in tandem to print a wide color-range of images. Moreover, Yamakami’s teaching of the cyan ink “Example 2” (i.e., a cyan ink with a water content of 76.5% by mass; Yamakami: ¶0139-0141, ¶0121, & ¶0124-0131; Table 1, column associated with Example 2) is a beneficial addition to the ink storage portion as it is an ink “which has extremely excellent ejection property” (Yamakami: ¶0010).
With respect to Claim 8, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 1, wherein the ink storage portion (i.e., “cartridge body” aka “cartridge”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0005, and Fig. 1, element “1”) is replaced with another ink storage portion after the aqueous ink stored therein has been consumed (Albertin: ¶0005).
With respect to Claim 10, Albertin teaches an ink jet recording apparatus (i.e., “ink-jet printers”; Albertin: ¶0002) comprising:
an ink comprising a pigment (i.e., “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0061)
an ink storage portion which is configured to store the ink (i.e., “cartridge body” aka “body”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, and Fig. 1, element “1”), and is formed from a thermoplastic resin composition (i.e., “a thermoplastic polymeric compound” such as “polyphenylene ether (PPE)”; Albertin: ¶0110) comprising a filler material (i.e., “glass fibre reinforcement” as a filler in a “modified PPE resin”; Albertin: ¶0110); and
a recording head (i.e., “printhead”; Albertin: ¶0055-0056 and Fig. 1, element “5”) to be bonded to the ink storage portion (i.e., “adhesive laid between the printhead and the body”; Albertin: ¶0059), the recording head having formed therein an ejection orifice (i.e., “ink delivery slots”; Albertin: ¶0055 and Fig. 1, element “6”) configured to eject the ink supplied from the ink storage portion (Albertin: ¶0059),
wherein the ink storage portion comprises three or more storage parts divided independently of each other (i.e., “ink chambers”; Albertin: ¶0022 and Fig. 1, elements “11a”-“11c”), and the three or more storage parts are arrayed … in one predetermined direction (Albertin: Fig. 1, elements “1”, “10”, and “11a”-“11c”)
Albertin is silent on the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
an aqueous ink comprising a pigment;
an ink storage portion which is configured to store the aqueous ink
the recording head having formed therein an ejection orifice configured to eject the aqueous ink supplied from the ink storage portion
and the three or more storage parts are arrayed orthogonal to a scanning direction of the recording head and in one predetermined direction
wherein the aqueous ink comprises a magenta ink comprising a quinacridone pigment, and
wherein the magenta ink is stored in a corresponding one of the three or more storage parts arranged on an inner side.
Kawakami teaches the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
an aqueous ink comprising a pigment (i.e., “a water-based ink for ink-jet recording including…a quinacridone pigment”; emphasis added; Kawakami: ¶0007-0008);
an ink storage portion which is configured to store the aqueous ink (i.e., “a water-based ink for ink-jet recording”; emphasis added; Kawakami: ¶0007);
the recording head having formed therein an ejection orifice configured to eject the aqueous ink supplied from the ink storage portion (i.e., “a water-based ink for ink-jet recording including”; emphasis added; Kawakami: ¶0007);
scanning direction (i.e., the direction the carriage “5” moves within the apparatus; Kawakami: ¶0052-0053 & Fig. 2). Note that Kawakami teaches that a multi-color cartridge can be used within the carriage (¶0052-0053 & Fig. 2).
wherein the aqueous ink comprises a magenta ink comprising a quinacridone pigment (i.e., water-based magenta ink comprising a quinacridone pigment; Kawakami: ¶0006-0010).
Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording apparatus comprising:
wherein the magenta ink is stored in a corresponding one of the three or more storage parts arranged on an inner side (i.e., magenta is stored in the ink absorbing body “44M” within a space arranged on the inner side of the partitioned spaces within ink cartridge “41”; Yamakami: ¶0017 & ¶0120; Fig. 2, elements “41”, “44M”, “44C”, “44Y”).
and the three or more storage parts are arrayed orthogonal to a scanning direction of the recording head in one predetermined direction (i.e., orientation of the ink cartridge shown in Fig. 2, in which part “47” is facing the user when the cartridge is placed within Kawakami’s carriage shown in Kawakami Fig. 2).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to use the magenta ink taught by Kawakami, which is an aqueous ink comprising a quinacridone pigment (i.e., “a water-based ink for ink-jet recording including…a quinacridone pigment”; emphasis added; Kawakami: ¶0007-0008), as one of the “inks of different colors” taught in Albertin (Albertin: ¶0061) being stored in the multiple storage parts (i.e., “ink chambers”; Albertin: ¶0022 and Fig. 1, elements “11a”-“11c”), because, as taught by Kawakami, this ink is “capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and which has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density (optical density), as well”.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the apparatus taught in Albertin (i.e., which contains an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) using the teachings of Kawakami to load the ink storage portion into a carriage that moves (i.e., has a scanning direction), given this enables the ink storage portion, and its associated nozzles, to print over a larger area of the print medium.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) using the teachings of Yamakami (i.e., ink colors and their arrangement within an ink storage portion; Yamakami: ¶0017 & ¶0120; Fig. 2, elements “41”, “44M”, “44C”, “44Y”). Incorporating Yamakami’s teaching of the storage of yellow, magenta, and cyan within the ink storage portion is beneficial because these three colors can be used in tandem to print a wide color-range of images.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) and modified by Yamakami (i.e., the storage part arrangement shown in Fig. 2) to load that storage portion into the moveable carriage taught by Kawakami in an orientation in which the storage portions are arrayed orthogonally to a scanning direction of the recording head. Doing so, as shown by Yamakami’s Fig. 2, enables part “47” on the storage part to be more accessible to the user when reaching into the apparatus to replace the storage portion.
With respect to Claim 11, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to Claim 1.
Albertin is silent on wherein the quinacridone pigment comprises at least one pigment selected from the group consisting of (i) C.I. Pigment Red 122, (ii) C.I. Pigment Violet 19, and (iii) a solid solution of C.I. Pigment Red 122 and C.I. Pigment Violet 19.
Kawakami teaches wherein the quinacridone pigment comprises at least one pigment selected from the group consisting of (i) C.I. Pigment Red 122, (ii) C.I. Pigment Violet 19, and (iii) a solid solution of C.I. Pigment Red 122 and C.I. Pigment Violet 19 (i.e., “C.I. Pigment Violets 19”; Kawakami: ¶0035 & Abstract). Kawakami teaches at least one pigment from claimed group (ii).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink jet recording method taught by Albertin, modified by Kawakami and Yamakami, to include the quinacridone pigment C.I. Violet 19, given this quinacridone pigment exemplifies a pigment “usable for the water-based ink” taught by Kawakami (Kawakami: ¶0035).
With respect to Claim 12, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 2.
Kawakami teaches wherein the non- quinacridone pigment comprises at least one pigment selected from the group consisting of an azo pigment and a diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment (i.e., “an azo pigment” in addition to a quinacridone pigment; Kawakami: ¶0006-0010).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) to include the magenta ink, which contains an azo pigment, taught by Kawakami as this magenta’s ink composition, comprising of both a quinacridone and a non-quinacridone, azo pigment, yields an optimized ink that “is capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density, as well. The water-based ink related to the present teaching is widely applicable to a variety of kinds of the ink-jet recording, for example, as a water-based magenta ink for ink-jet recording” (Kawakami: ¶0095).
With respect to Claim 14, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to Claim 1, wherein the ink jet recording apparatus (i.e., “ink-jet printers”; Albertin: ¶0002) employs a plurality of aqueous inks including the magenta ink, and the plurality of the aqueous inks further comprises a cyan ink and a yellow ink (i.e., “inks of different colors” stored within the three chambers, such as “yellow, magenta, cyan”).
Moreover, Yamakami teaches the plurality of the aqueous inks further comprises a cyan ink and yellow ink (i.e., yellow and cyan are used in addition to magenta within an ink cartridge “41” that holds aqueous inks; Yamakami: ¶0017 & ¶0120 & ¶0098; Fig. 2, elements “41”, “44M”, “44C”, “44Y”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the plurality of inks taught by Albertin to include a yellow ink and cyan ink (as taught by Yamakami), given this three-combination of ink colors enables an ink jet recording apparatus to print a wide variety of colors.
With respect to Claim 15, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to Claim 1, wherein the filler material comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of mica and a glass fiber (i.e., “glass fibre reinforcement” as a filler in a “modified PPE resin”; Albertin: ¶0110).
With respect to Claim 16, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to Claim 1.
Albertin is silent on wherein the quinacridone pigment is dispersed in the aqueous ink by a resin dispersant.
Kawakami teaches wherein the quinacridone pigment is dispersed in the aqueous ink by a resin dispersant (i.e., “resin for dispersing pigment”, wherein “the pigment usable for water-based ink” includes a quinacridone pigment; Kawakami: ¶0035-0036).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the ink storage portion taught in Albertin (i.e., an ink storage portion with three or more storage parts arrayed in one predetermined direction and contains “inks of different colors”; Albertin: ¶0102, ¶0055, ¶0022, & ¶0061; and Fig. 1, elements “1”, “11a”-“11c”) to include the magenta ink taught by Kawakami as an aqueous ink composition (which comprises a quinacridone with a resin for dispersing the pigment), given this ink composition yields an optimized ink that “is capable of achieving the wide color reproduction range from magenta to red, and has satisfactory chromaticness of magenta and satisfactory recording density, as well. The water-based ink related to the present teaching is widely applicable to a variety of kinds of the ink-jet recording, for example, as a water-based magenta ink for ink-jet recording” (Kawakami: ¶0095). Moreover, a resin dispersant ensures the pigment is properly dispersed within the ink, ensuring the magenta ink to have a homogenous color throughout the ink mixture.
Claim 7 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albertin in view of Kawakami, further in view of Yamakami, and further in view of O'Reilly et al. (US 20160332454 A1; herein referred to as “O'Reilly”).
With respect to Claim 7, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 1, wherein the recording head (i.e., “printhead”; Albertin: ¶0056 and Fig. 1, element “5”) has formed therein an ejection orifice array (i.e., “arrays of ejecting nozzles”; nozzles are also referred to as “slots of printhead 5”; Albertin: ¶0055, ¶0058, and Fig. 1) in which a plurality of the ejection orifices is arrayed in parallel to a longitudinal direction of the ink storage portion (Albertin: ¶0058 and Fig. 1). Note that the array of nozzles (i.e., the “slots of printhead 5”) are arranged to be above the “ink delivery slots 6”, which are shown to be arrayed in parallel to a longitudinal direction of the ink storage portions as shown in Albertin Fig. 1 (Albertin: ¶0058 and Fig. 1)
Albertin is silent on the ink storage portion has a ratio (A/B) of a length A in the longitudinal direction to a length B in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction, the ratio (A/B) being 2.0 times or more to 4.0 times or less.
O'Reilly teaches the ink storage portion (i.e., “housing”; O'Reilly: ¶0016 and Fig. 4-5, element “107”) has a ratio (A/B) of a length A in the longitudinal direction (i.e., “length Lh of the housing”, such as 66 mm; O'Reilly: ¶0016 and Fig. 5, element “Lh”) to a length B in a transverse direction orthogonal to the longitudinal direction (i.e., “total width of the housing”, such as 32 mm; O'Reilly: ¶0018 and Fig. 4, element “Wh”), the ratio (A/B) being 2.0 times or more to 4.0 times or less (i.e., 66 mm ÷ 32 mm = 2.1, which is within the claimed range; O'Reilly: ¶0016 and ¶0018).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to design the dimensions of the outer structure of the ink storage portion (i.e., the body taught in Albertin) using the housing dimension ratio taught in O’Reilly. O’Reilly teaches the dimensions specified above cause the housing of their ink storage portion to have “a relatively long body” which enables the overall structure is intended to “hold relatively large volumes of ink” (¶0016 and Fig. 4-5, element “107”). This decreases the frequency required by a user to replenish the ink within the printer.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Albertin in view of Kawakami, further in view of Yamakami,, and further in view of William et al. (US 20020027580 A1; herein referred to as “William”).
With respect to Claim 9, Albertin in view of Kawakami further in view of Yamakami teaches the ink jet recording method (Albertin: ¶0002-0004) according to claim 1.
Albertin is silent on wherein the ink jet recording apparatus further comprises:
a second ink storage portion having a capacity larger than a capacity of the ink storage portion; and
a tube through which the aqueous ink flows between the second ink storage portion and the ink storage portion.
William teaches an inkjet recording apparatus further comprising:
a second ink storage portion (William: ¶0016; Fig. 1a and 1b, element “10”) having a capacity larger than a capacity of the ink storage portion (Williams: ¶0025; Fig. 3, element “120”); and
a tube (William: ¶0025; Fig. 1, element “115”) through which the aqueous ink flows between the second ink storage portion and the ink storage portion (William: ¶0025, Fig. 3, elements “120”, “137”, and “132”).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to modify the inkjet recording apparatus taught in Albertin with an “ink supply system” taught in William, given the second ink storage portion (i.e., the “reservoirs” of ink) provide a continuous supply of ink to the ink storage portion (i.e., the “ink cartridges”) in a printer (Williams: ¶0015). This decreases the frequency of replacing the ink being used by the printer.
Conclusion
Examiner notes to Applicant that Studer (US 20080024570 A1) teaches an ink storage portion (i.e., “cartridge body”; Studer: Abstract; Fig. 3 & Fig. 4) with a plurality of compartments, noting that these compartments can be arrayed orthogonal to a scanning direction of the recording head in one predetermined direction (Studer: ¶0020, ¶0018, & Fig. 4, “250” is the scanning direction), and they can also be in an alternative embodiment in which they are parallel to the scanning direction (¶0020, ¶0018, & Fig. 3). Therefore, Studer teaches that the arrangement of the plurality of compartments (i.e., arrayed orthogonally or parallel to the scanning direction) are both applicable to the operation of an ink jet recording apparatus.
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
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/SHLOMIT CHELST/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/RICARDO I MAGALLANES/ Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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