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 statement (IDS) submitted on September 9, 2026 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 1, 8 are objected to because of the following informalities:
Claim 1, lines 10-11 recite, “the cleaning liquid dispensing unit includes a receptacle in which the cleaning liquid that has been supplied is stored (Emphasis added).” The phrase “has been” implies a sequence of operations or steps, despite the claim being directed to an apparatus. The Examiner provides the following language as an example amendment to the claim that would address the objection: “the cleaning liquid dispensing unit includes a receptacle configured to store the cleaning liquid supplied by the cleaning liquid supply source.”
Claim 8, lines 5-10 recite, “when the wipe unit moves to the wiping position, the cleaning liquid dispensing unit moves to a dispensing position between the travel start position of the blade and the nozzle surface, and when the wipe unit moves to the standby position, the cleaning liquid dispensing unit moves to a supply position where the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source to the receptacle.” This passage of the claim recites a sequence of operations, despite the claim being directed to an apparatus. The Examiner provides the following language as an example amendment to the claim that would address the objection: “when the wipe unit moves to the wiping position, the cleaning liquid dispensing unit is configured to move to a dispensing position between the travel start position of the blade and the nozzle surface, and when the wipe unit moves to the standby position, the cleaning liquid dispensing unit is configured to move to a supply position where the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source to the receptacle.”
Appropriate correction is required.
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.
Claim 1 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Furukawa et al. (US 20180154640 A1), hereinafter Furukawa, in view of Nakai et al. (US 20190009553 A1), hereinafter Nakai.
Regarding claim 1, Furukawa teaches an ink jet recording apparatus comprising: a recording head including a nozzle surface including a plurality of nozzles, each having an ink outlet oriented downward (figs. 1, 3; recording portion 3, line heads 31-34, recording heads 36, ink nozzles 37; ¶[0036], [0038]-[0039]); a blade that wipes the nozzle surface, by moving in a predetermined moving direction in contact with the nozzle surface (figs. 11-16; wiper members 821; ¶[0080]-[0087]); and a cleaning liquid dispensing unit that stores therein cleaning liquid supplied from a cleaning liquid supply source, and supplies the cleaning liquid between a travel start position of the blade and the nozzle surface, wherein the cleaning liquid dispensing unit includes a receptacle in which the cleaning liquid that has been supplied is stored, the receptacle having a top face open upward (figs. 4, 12-16, 22; cleaning liquid supply portions 83, upper opening 881A (fig. 22), tubes 871, liquid holding portion 872; ¶[0066], [0080]-[0087], [0098]).
However, Furukawa fails to teach or fairly suggest the recording head being supported so as to move in an up-down direction.
Nakai teaches an ink jet printing apparatus wherein the recording head is supported so as to move in an up-down direction (figs. 1-2, 12A-C, 13A-B; print head 8, cap unit 10, head carriage control unit 208; ¶[0030]-[0031], [0090]-[0091]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the recording head support system of Nakai into the ink jet recording apparatus of Furukawa in order to provide for the repeatable and secure attachment of a printhead cap.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-8 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:
Regarding dependent claim 2, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the ink jet recording apparatus of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, the receptacle includes an elevated portion, formed on a bottom face, at a central portion in a width direction of the blade intersecting the moving direction.
The closest art of record relating to claim 2, Ohashi et al. (US 20100053280 A1), teaches an ink cartridge comprising ink ports embedded in triangular ridge portions, but fails to teach the ridge portions being arranged relative to a central portion in a width direction of a blade.
Regarding dependent claim 8, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the ink jet recording apparatus of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, a wipe unit including the blade, and movable between a wiping position where the blade makes contact with the nozzle surface, and a standby position spaced from the nozzle surface, wherein the cleaning liquid dispensing unit is unified with the wipe unit, when the wipe unit moves to the wiping position, the cleaning liquid dispensing unit moves to a dispensing position between the travel start position of the blade and the nozzle surface, and when the wipe unit moves to the standby position, the cleaning liquid dispensing unit moves to a supply position where the cleaning liquid is supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source to the receptacle.
The closest art of record relating to claim 8, Akuta (US 20150273836 A1), teaches a wiping unit wherein the cleaning liquid dispensing unit is unified with the wipe unit, but Akuta fails to teach the wiping unit moving between a wiping position and standby position.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Midorikawa (US 20170297339 A1) teaches an inkjet printer comprising a blade and cleaning liquid tank.
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/TRK/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/STEPHEN D MEIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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