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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copies have been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) submitted on 05 September 2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statement has been considered by the Examiner.
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.
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.
Claims 1-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over SAKAGUCHI et al. (US 2022/0024217 A1) in view of MIZUTANI et al. (US 2021/0276334 A1).
As related to independent claim 1, SAKAGUCHI et al. teaches an image forming apparatus comprising: a nozzle plate comprising two or more nozzle holes and a piezoelectric element [i.e. droplet generator]; and an ink comprising a solvent comprising an organic solvent comprising an alcohol- based organic solvent with a boiling point not higher than 250 degrees Celsius (SAKAGUCHI et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 3-4; Page 3, Paragraphs 48-52; and Figures 1 & 2, Shown below), wherein an average number of the two or more nozzle holes on a surface of the nozzle plate is 10 holes/mm², and the two or more nozzle holes adjacent to each other along a direction substantially perpendicular to a conveyance direction of a recording medium is spaced 150 to 500 µm apart [i.e. pitch between nozzles is 1/150” or 169µm] (SAKAGUCHI et al – Page 8, Paragraph 166 and Figure 2, shown below). SAKAGUCHI et al. does not specifically teach the droplet generator is a piezoelectric element. However, one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention would have recognized the typical droplet generator or driven element in the inkjet printer of SAKAGUCHI et al. would have included a piezoelectric element. Meanwhile, MIZUTANI et al. teaches an image forming apparatus comprising a nozzle plate comprising two or more nozzle holes (MIZUTANI et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 3-7; Page 5, Paragraph 80; and Figure 3, shown below) and specifically teaches a piezoelectric element as the driven element (MIZUTANI et al. – Page 5, Paragraph 80). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the present invention to specify the driven element of SAKAGUCHI et al. to be the piezoelectric element of MIZUTANI et al. in an effort to provide a method of recording a high resolution image with a relatively simple apparatus (MIZUTANI et al. – Page 1, Paragraph 4).
As related to dependent claim 2, the combination of SAKAGUCHI et al. and MIZUTANI et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the alcohol-based organic solvent has a boiling point not higher than 180 degrees Celsius [i.e. glycolether compounds] (SAKAGUCHI et al. – Page 3, Paragraphs 48-52 and MIZUTANI et al. – Page 13, Paragraphs 240-246 and Page 14, Paragraph 252).
As related to dependent claim 3, the combination of SAKAGUCHI et al. and MIZUTANI et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the alcohol-based organic solvent comprises a glycol ether (SAKAGUCHI et al. – Page 3, Paragraphs 48-52 and MIZUTANI et al. – Page 13, Paragraphs 240-246 and Page 14, Paragraph 252).
As related to dependent claim 4, the combination of SAKAGUCHI et al. and MIZUTANI et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the alcohol-based organic solvent accounts for not lower than 50 percent by mass of an entire of the solvent in the ink (SAKAGUCHI et al. – Page 3, Paragraphs 48-52 & Table 2, Examples, Specifically Example 5 and MIZUTANI et al. – Page 13, Paragraphs 240-246 and Page 14, Paragraphs 252 & 256).
As related to dependent claim 5, the combination of SAKAGUCHI et al. and MIZUTANI et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the ink comprises a resin with a content of 5 to 10 percent by mass to an entire of the ink (SAKAGUCHI et al. – Page 3, Paragraphs 48-52 & Table 2, Examples, Specifically Example 5 and MIZUTANI et al. – Page 13, Paragraphs 240-250).
As related to dependent claim 6, the combination of SAKAGUCHI et al. and MIZUTANI et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the ink comprises a urethane resin (SAKAGUCHI et al. – Page 3, Paragraphs 48-52 & Table 2, Examples, Specifically Example 5 and MIZUTANI et al. – Page 13, Paragraphs 240-250).
As related to dependent claim 7, the combination of SAKAGUCHI et al. and MIZUTANI et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the alcohol-based organic solvent has a surface tension of not greater than 30 mN/m at 25 degrees Celsius (SAKAGUCHI et al. – Page 3, Paragraphs 48-52 & Table 2, Examples, Specifically Example 5 and MIZUTANI et al. – Page 13, Paragraphs 240-246; Page 14, Paragraphs 252 & 256; & Table 2).
As related to dependent claim 8, the combination of SAKAGUCHI et al. and MIZUTANI et al. remains as applied above and continues to teach the ink comprises a surfactant comprising a silicone-based surfactant with an HLB value of 4 or less [i.e. FZ2110: HLB 0; KF-945: HLB 4] (SAKAGUCHI et al. – Page 10, Paragraph 206 and MIZUTANI et al. – Page 4, Paragraph 62 & Page 15, Paragraph 270).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Maeda et al. (US 7,047,643 B2) teaches an image forming apparatus with a nozzle plate having a nozzle pitch of 141 µm. Tatsuta et al. (US 7,419,230 B2) teaches an image forming apparatus with a nozzle plate having a nozzle pitch of 169 µm. Otokita (z 7,575,299 B2) teaches an image forming apparatus with a nozzle plate having a nozzle pitch of 141 µm and dot spacing of the same pitch. JUNG et al. (US 2011/0096126 A1) teaches an image forming apparatus having a nozzle with a nozzle pitch substantially equal to the drop pitch of 150 to 500 µm. MITZUTANI (US 2015/0290941 A1) teaches an image forming apparatus comprising a nozzle plate and an ink comprising an organic solvent comprising glycol ethers. ASAKAWA et al. (US 2021/0170779 A1) teaches an image forming apparatus comprising a nozzle plate and an ink comprising an organic solvent and silicone-based surfactant with an HLB value of 4 or less. SAKUMA (US 2024/0059924 A1) teaches an image forming apparatus comprising a nozzle plate having a nozzle pitch of 1/600” and an ink comprising an organic solvent and silicone-based surfactant with an HLB value of 4 or less.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular Figures & Reference Numbers, Columns, Paragraphs and Line Numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of 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 from the applicant in preparing responses, to 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.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to JOHN P ZIMMERMANN whose telephone number is (571)270-3049. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 0700-1730 EST.
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, 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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/John P Zimmermann/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853