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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgement is made of the receipt of Preliminary Amendment filed 04 October 2024.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited on a Form PTO 1449 have been considered.
Specification
The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. However, the applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Objection
Claim 1 is objected to that because it does not clearly recite preamble and body language.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections
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. (a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Abe (JP 58-219086).
Note: The method steps are inherently taught in the apparatus device/limitations in the rejections as follow:
Abe discloses in Figures 1-3 a heat-sensitive transfer recording medium comprising:
Regarding claim 1, a thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) formed by layering a base material layer (support 4), a first ink layer (1) including first ink, and a second ink layer (2) including second ink in this order in which at least a part of the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2) is thermally transferred to a printing medium (not shown), wherein the thermal transfer recording medium is ruptured between the first ink layer (1) and the base material layer (4) or in the first ink layer (1) when an external force is applied to the base material layer (4) and the second ink layer (2) in a direction in which the layers (1, 2, 3) are separated from each other, in a first state in which the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is heated to a first temperature (T1) or higher and a second temperature (T2) or lower and then cooled to a third temperature or lower, the thermal transfer recording medium is ruptured between the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2) or in the second ink layer (2) when the external force is applied in a second state in which the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is heated to a temperature above the second temperature (T2) and then cooled to the third temperature (T3) or lower, and a total thickness of all layers (1, 2, 3) that are ruptured in the second state and are separated from the base material layer side (4) is thicker than a thickness of any layer (1 or 2 or 3) before thermal transfer except for the base material layer (4) in a portion remaining without being separated from the base material layer (4) (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 2, wherein the second ink layer (2) is the thickest of all the layers (a, b, c) that are ruptured in the second state and are separated from the base material layer side (4) (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 3, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) has the lowest rupture strength between the first ink layer (1) and the base material layer (4) or in the first ink layer (1) when the external force is applied in the first state, and the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) has the lowest rupture strength between the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2) or in the second ink layer (2) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 4, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) includes a middle layer (b) between the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2), and the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is ruptured between the middle layer (b) and the second ink layer (2) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 5, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) has the lowest rupture strength between the middle layer (b) and the second ink layer (2) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 6, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) includes a middle layer (b) between the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2), and the thermal transfer recording medium is ruptured in the middle layer (b) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 7, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) has the lowest rupture strength in the middle layer (b) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 8, wherein the first temperature (T1) is equal to or higher than the third temperature (T3) (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 9, wherein the first state is a state in which the base material layer (4) of the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is heated to the first temperature (T1) or higher and the second temperature (T2) or lower and then cooled to the third temperature (T3) or lower, and the second state is a state in which the base material layer (4) of the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is heated to a temperature above the second temperature (T2) and then cooled to the third temperature (T3) or lower (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 10, a heating step of heating a thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) formed by layering a base material layer (4), a first ink layer (1) including first ink, and a second ink layer (2) including second ink in this order, in a state where the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is in contact with a printing medium (Figure 2, paragraph “a plurality of thermosensitive recording media according to the configuration of the preferred embodiment may be separately configured for example as yellow, magenta and cyan and may be used in combination. To freely obtain a color display image having good tone reproducibility and excellent sharpness and to extremely improve the display function of a recording device using a thermal head”); a cooling step of cooling the thermal transfer recording medium heated by the heating step; and a transferring step of transferring at least a part of the first ink and the second ink to the printing medium by applying, in a direction in which the base material layer (4) and the second ink layer (2) are separated from each other, an external force to the base material layer (4) and the second ink layer (2)of the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) cooled by the cooling step, wherein in the heating step and the cooling step, a first state is set by heating a first portion of the thermal transfer recording medium to a first temperature (T1) or higher and a second temperature (T2) or lower and then cooling the first portion to a third temperature (T3) or lower, and a second state is set by heating a second portion of the thermal transfer recording medium to a temperature above the second temperature and then cooling the second portion to the third temperature (T3) or lower, and in the transferring step, the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is ruptured between the first ink layer (1) and the base material layer (4) or in the first ink layer (1) in the first portion of the thermal transfer recording medium by applying the external force, and the first ink and the second ink are transferred to the printing medium, and the thermal transfer recording medium is ruptured between the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2) or in the second ink layer in the second portion of the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) by applying the external force, the second ink is transferred to the printing medium, and a total thickness of transferred all layers is thicker than a thickness of any layer excluding the base material layer before thermal transfer in a portion remaining without being separated from the base material layer (4) (Figure 2, paragraphs “As shown in the figure, as the melting points 1kTa, Tb, Te of the simple substances of the compositions of the intermediate layers a, b, and c When the relative T5 between the melting points of the intermediate layer and the heat-sensitive ink layer is expressed by (1) T a) T 1> T b> T 2> Tc, or preferably (if) T a> TI, T b) T 2> T e) T 3, good image reproduction is obtained. However, the intermediate layer & in the figure is a kind of a subbing layer and is not an intermediate layer "between adjacent thermal ink layers", so that it can be omitted. It is also possible to omit any ten thousand of b and C in this embodiment. FIG. 2 also shows an example of the laminated structure in the case of the preferred embodiment (1v) of the present invention, and when the melting degree of the layer 1,2.3 from the support side is taken as' l'I,'1'2.T3 ', it is T 1>72>T Alternatively, TI ≥ T2> T51TI> "T2 ≥ T5" may be satisfied, and in this case as well, the support layer may be laminated be tween at least 42 ink layers so as to have a high melting temperature. The intermediate layer used in the heat-sensitive transfer recording medium is preferably transparent and compatible with each heat-sensitive ink layer composition. The material us ed for the intermediate layer and the relationship between each intermediate layer and the heat-sensitive ink layer may be the same as those described in the embodiment [1]. In this embodiment and the other layer structure in the embodiment (1), conventionally known techniques can be applied” and “a plurality of thermosensitive recording media according to the configuration of the preferred embodiment may be separately configured for example as yellow, magenta and cyan and may be used in combination. To freely obtain a color display image having good tone reproducibility and excellent sharpness and to extremely improve the display function of a recording device using a thermal head”).
Regarding claim 11, an internally provided printing medium to which a part of the thermal transfer recording medium is thermally transferred (Figure 2, paragraph “a plurality of thermosensitive recording media according to the configuration of the preferred embodiment may be separately configured for example as yellow, magenta and cyan and may be used in combination. To freely obtain a color display image having good tone reproducibility and excellent sharpness and to extremely improve the display function of a recording device using a thermal head”).
Regarding claim 12, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) has the lowest rupture strength between the first ink layer (1) and the base material layer (4) or in the first ink layer (1) when the external force is applied in the first state, and the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) has the lowest rupture strength between the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2) or in the second ink layer (2) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 13, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) includes a middle layer (b) between the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2), and the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is ruptured between the middle layer (b) and the second ink layer (2) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 14, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) has the lowest rupture strength between the middle layer (b) and the second ink layer (2) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 15, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) includes a middle layer (b) between the first ink layer (1) and the second ink layer (2), and the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is ruptured in the middle layer (b) when the external force is applied in the second state (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 16, wherein the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) has the lowest rupture strength in the middle layer (b) when the external force is applied in the second state. (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 17, wherein the first temperature (T1) is equal to or higher than the third temperature (T3) (Figure 2)
Regarding claim 18, wherein the first state is a state in which the base material layer of the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is heated to the first temperature (T1) or higher and the second temperature (T2) or lower and then cooled to the third temperature (T3) or lower, and the second state is a state in which the base material layer (4) of the thermal transfer recording medium (thermal transfer recording medium) is heated to a temperature above the second temperature (T2) and then cooled to the third temperature (T3) or lower (Figure 2).
Regarding claim 19, a cassette (not shown) comprising: the internally provided thermal transfer recording medium (Figure 2) and an internally provided printing medium (thermal transfer recording medium) to which a part of the thermal transfer recording medium is thermally transferred (Figure 2, paragraph “a plurality of thermosensitive recording media according to the configuration of the preferred embodiment may be separately configured for example as yellow, magenta and cyan and may be used in combination. To freely obtain a color display image having good tone reproducibility and excellent sharpness and to extremely improve the display function of a recording device using a thermal head”) (Figure 2).
CONCLUSION
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Anh Vo whose telephone number is (571) 272-2262. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:30 A.M.to 6:00 P.M..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner'ssupervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached on (571) 431-0716. The fax phonenumber for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH T VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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