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 .
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 10,12,14 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claim 10 recites “the liquid flow rate”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for “the liquid flow rate in previous claim limitations.
Claim 12 recites “the degree of use of the deaeration device”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for “the degree of use of the deaeration device” in previous claim limitations.
Claim 14 recites “the conversion formula”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for “the conversion formula” in previous claim limitations.
Claim 14 recites “each deaeration device”. There is a lack of antecedent basis for “each deaeration device” in previous claim limitations.
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.
Claims 1-3 and 5-16 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Japanese reference(JP2015-168257A).
Japanese reference in figures 3-5 teaches a deaeration device comprising: an external reflux-type deaeration module(degassing module 242) including a gas permeable membrane(hollow fiber membranes 242) capable of removing dissolved gas in liquid; and a hardware processor(control unit 40), wherein the deaeration module includes a first vacuum chamber(first vacuum chamber 242h) that communicates with a first end of the gas permeable membrane, a second vacuum chamber(second vacuum chamber 242i) that communicates with a second end of the gas permeable membrane, and an atmospheric vent valve(atmospheric release valve 252) that opens or closes an inside of the deaeration module to atmosphere, wherein the hardware processor determines a deterioration in deaeration performance of the deaeration module based on a pressure difference between the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber when the atmospheric vent valve is closed(para 0084 stating “the control unit 40 performs degassing control , which involves closing the atmospheric release valve 252 and driving the vacuum pump 249, and based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 251, maintaining the air pressure inside the hollow fiber membrane 242b at a predetermined degassing operation pressure, thereby removing dissolved gas from the ink by the degassing module 242).
With regards to claim 2, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the hardware processor(40) determines the deterioration in the deaeration performance of the deaeration module based on the pressure difference and an influential factor that affects the pressure difference(Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step).
With regards to claim 3, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the influential factor is any one or more of a liquid flow rate, a degree of use of the deaeration device, an individual difference of the deaeration device, and an individual difference of an apparatus on which the deaeration device is mounted (Examiner noting para 0085 stating “when the air pressure inside the hollow fiber membrane 242b reaches a predetermined discharge operation pressure ,the control unit 40 stops driving the vacuum pump 249 and then opens the atmospheric release valve 252. This prevents ink discharged from the gas permeable membrane tube from flowing into the vacuum pump and causing malfunctions”).
With regards to claim 5, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the hardware processor acquires the liquid flow rate based on a consumption amount of the liquid. (Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step).
With regards to claim 6, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the hardware processor corrects the pressure difference according to the influential factor, and compares the corrected pressure difference with a determination value to determine the deterioration in the deaeration performance of the deaeration module(Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step; Examiner noting para 0085 stating “when the air pressure inside the hollow fiber membrane 242b reaches a predetermined discharge operation pressure, the control unit 40 stops driving the vacuum pump 249 and then opens the atmospheric release valve 252. This prevents ink discharged from the gas permeable membrane tube from flowing into the vacuum pump and causing malfunctions”).
With regards to claim 7, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the hardware processor corrects a determination value in accordance with the influential factor, and compares the pressure difference with the corrected determination value to determine the deterioration in the deaeration performance of the deaeration module(Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step; Examiner noting para 0085 stating “when the air pressure inside the hollow fiber membrane 242b reaches a predetermined discharge operation pressure, the control unit 40 stops driving the vacuum pump 249 and then opens the atmospheric release valve 252. This prevents ink discharged from the gas permeable membrane tube from flowing into the vacuum pump and causing malfunctions”).
With regards to claim 8, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the determination value is based on the pressure difference in an initial state of the deaeration device (Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step).
With regards to claim 9, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the hardware processor has a plurality of levels of the determination value(Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step) .
With regards to claim 10, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the hardware processor performs correction by a conversion formula created on a basis of a relationship between the liquid flow rate and the pressure difference(Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step).
With regards to claim 11, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the conversion formula is a linear function(Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step).
With regards to claim 12, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the conversion formula used by the hardware processor is different according to the degree of use of the deaeration device(Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step).
With regards to claim 13, Japanese reference further teaches a notifying section that outputs a message corresponding to a determination result of the hardware processor(para 0057 stating “the operation display unit 44 is made up of an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and displays various operation buttons, device status, and the operating status of each function on the display screen according to the instructions of the display signal input from the control unit 40”).
With regards to claim 14, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the conversion formula used by the hardware processor is unique for each deaeration device(Examiner notes that for anticipation, the hardware processor only needs to be capable of performing the claimed process step).
With regards to claim 15, Japanese reference further teaches wherein the deaeration module removes dissolved gas in UV ink.
With regards to claim 16, Japanese reference further teaches a droplet discharge section (recording head 24a) that discharges droplets; and the deaeration device according to claim 1.
Claims 17 and 18 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Japanese reference(JP2015-168257A).
Japanese reference in figures 3-5 teaches a deaeration performance deterioration determination method of a deaeration device, wherein the deaeration device comprises: an external reflux-type deaeration module(degassing module 242) including a gas permeable membrane(hollow fiber membranes 242b) capable of removing dissolved gas in liquid, wherein the deaeration module includes a first vacuum chamber(first vacuum chamber 242h) that communicates with a first end of the gas permeable membrane, a second vacuum chamber(second vacuum chamber 242i) that communicates with a second end of the gas permeable membrane, and an atmospheric vent valve(atmospheric release valve 252) that opens or closes an inside of the deaeration module to atmosphere, wherein the deaeration performance deterioration determination method comprises: measuring a pressure deference between the first vacuum chamber and the second vacuum chamber when the deaeration module is atmospherically closed; and determining a deterioration in deaeration performance of the deaeration module based on the pressure difference(para 0084 stating “the control unit 40 performs degassing control , which involves closing the atmospheric release valve 252 and driving the vacuum pump 249, and based on the detection result of the pressure sensor 251, maintaining the air pressure inside the hollow fiber membrane 242b at a predetermined degassing operation pressure, thereby removing dissolved gas from the ink by the degassing module 242); para 0085 stating “when the air pressure inside the hollow fiber membrane 242b reaches a predetermined discharge operation pressure, the control unit 40 stops driving the vacuum pump 249 and then opens the atmospheric release valve 252. This prevents ink discharged from the gas permeable membrane tube from flowing into the vacuum pump and causing malfunctions).
With regards to claim 18, Japanese reference further teaches further comprising: determining the deterioration in the deaeration performance of the deaeration module based on the pressure difference and an influential factor that affects the pressure difference(para 0078 stating “the pressure sensor 251 accurately monitors the air pressure inside the hollow fiber membrane 242b, and by making the pressure difference between the air pressure A inside the hollow fiber membrane 242b and atmospheric pressure sufficient, air can be introduced into the hollow fiber membrane 242b. As a result, even If highly viscous ink adheres to the inner surface of the hollow fiber membrane, it can be reliably discharged”, wherein examiner notes an influential factor that affects the pressure difference is highly viscous ink adhered to the hollow fiber membrane).
Claim 19 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being clearly anticipated by Japanese reference(JP2015-168257A).
Japanese reference in figures 3-5 teaches a computer-readable storage medium(para 0053 stating “in the control unit 40, various processing programs, such as the system program stored in the ROM 402, are read and loaded into the RAM 403”) storing a program for a computer of a deaeration device, wherein the deaeration device comprises: an external reflux-type deaeration module(degassing module 242) including a gas permeable membrane(hollow fiber membranes 242b) capable of removing dissolved gas in liquid, wherein the deaeration module includes a first vacuum chamber(first vacuum chamber 242h) that communicates with a first end of the gas permeable membrane, a second vacuum chamber(second vacuum chamber 242i) that communicates with a second end of the gas permeable membrane, and an atmospheric vent valve(atmosphere release valve 252) that opens or closes an inside of the deaeration module to atmosphere, wherein the program causes the computer(CPU 401) of the deaeration device to function as: a controller(control unit 40) that determines a deterioration in deaeration performance of the deaeration module based on the pressure difference(pressure difference measured by pressure sensor 251) when the atmospheric vent valve is closed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 4 is 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.
Claim 4 recites “wherein the hardware processor acquires the liquid flow rate from a liquid flow rate sensor provided in a vicinity of the deaeration module.”. Japanese reference teaches a hardware processor and a deaeration module, however Japanese reference does not teach or suggest wherein the hardware processor acquires the liquid flow rate from a liquid flow rate sensor provided in a vicinity of the deaeration module.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ROBERT A HOPKINS whose telephone number is (571)272-1159. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thurs 6am-4pm.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jennifer Dieterle can be reached at 5712707872. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ROBERT A HOPKINS/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1776
July 16, 2026
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