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.
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 5-6 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 5 is rejected as being incomplete for omitting how the aeration unit functions as a sound absorber.
Claim 6 is rejected as being incomplete for omitting how the aeration unit functions to damp flow noises from air in the aeration line.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claim(s) 1-3 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kage (US 2020/0009869 A1) and further in view of Itokawa (JP 2013028109 A).
With regard to claim 1, Kage discloses a print group for an inkjet printing device (100) [Para. 0016, Fig. 1a], the print group comprising:
at least one print bar (102) having at least one print head (103);
a cover unit (200) for the print bar, wherein
the cover unit is configured to, in a park position of the print bar, cover a nozzle plate (160) of the print head of the print bar with a container (202);
the cover unit is further configured to receive conditioning liquid (203) into the container; and
a fill opening (322) [Para. 0036] of the container of the cover unit.
Kage does not disclose an aeration unit that is connected in an air- conducting manner, via an aeration line, with a fill opening of the container of the cover unit, wherein the aeration unit is arranged with a height difference above the fill opening so that conditioning liquid that is pressed through the fill opening into the aeration line upon transferring the print bar into the park position does not reach the aeration unit.
However, Itokawa teaches an aeration unit (70) [Para. 0056] that is connected in an air- conducting manner [Fig. 3], via an aeration line (75, 76), with a fill opening (71) [Fig. 8] of the container of a cover unit (50) [See Fig. 3 below], wherein the aeration unit is arranged with a height difference above the fill opening [aeration unit is disposed above the printhead; Fig. 3] so that conditioning liquid that is pressed through the fill opening into the aeration line upon transferring the print bar into the park position does not reach the aeration unit [Fig. 3].
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It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize an aeration unit with a fill opening of the container of the cover unit of Kage for the purpose of reducing a possibility that the moisturizing liquid stored in the cartridge runs out before the liquid in the cartridge runs out.
With regard to claim 2, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and Kage also discloses wherein the container of the cover unit has a print bar opening (204) [Para. 0026];
upon transferring the print bar into the park position, the print bar is placed with a lowering velocity into the print bar opening of the container of the cover unit [lowered along the fall direction (213); Para. 0026].
Kage modified does not disclose a height difference is dependent on the lowering velocity, and increases with increasing lowering velocity. a defined lowering velocity.
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a height difference dependent on the lowering velocity and increasing with the increasing lowering velocity for the purpose of preventing conditioning liquid from entering the aeration unit. In addition, discovering an optimal value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980).
With regard to claim 3, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and Itokawa also discloses wherein the print group comprises: a fluid line (75, 76) that is connected to the fill opening [Fig. 3] and that is configured to conduct conditioning liquid from outside the container of the cover unit through the fill opening into the container [supplied from the liquid storage chamber (32); Para. 0032;Fig. 3]; and a control unit (100) that is configured to actuate a pump (95) such that the container is filled with conditioning liquid via the fluid line up to a height of the fill opening.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a pump controlled by control unit to fill the container with conditioning liquid for the purpose of supplying moisturizing liquid to reduce a possibility that the moisturizing liquid stored in the cartridge runs out before the liquid in the cartridge runs out.
With regard to claim 8, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and Kage also discloses wherein the print group comprises a plurality of print bars [Fig. 1a] and a plurality of cover units for the corresponding plurality of print bars [Para. 0025]. Itokawa also discloses a plurality of aeration lines (75, 76) for the corresponding plurality of cover units (50); wherein the individual aeration lines of the plurality of aeration lines respectively connect, in an air-conducting manner, the aeration unit with the fill opening of the container of the respective cover unit of the plurality of cover units [Fig. 3].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize an aeration unit with a fill opening of the container of the cover unit of Kage for the purpose of reducing a possibility that the moisturizing liquid stored in the cartridge runs out before the liquid in the cartridge runs out.
With regard to claim 9, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 8, and Itokawa also discloses wherein the print group has only a single aeration unit (74) for the plurality of cover units [Fig. 3].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize a single aeration unit for the plurality of cover units of Kage for the purpose of reducing or minimizing the footprint/size of the printer.
With regard to claim 10, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 8, and Kage also discloses wherein the plurality of print bars and the corresponding plurality of cover units are respectively arranged one after another along a transport direction of a recording medium to be printed to by the print group [Fig. 1] and Itokawa also discloses the print group has a respective connection line (75a) between two cover units arranged in direct succession [Fig. 3], which connection line connects the fill openings of the containers of the two cover units with one another in a fluid-conducting manner [Fig. 3].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to arrange in direct succession, two cover units, with a connection line which connection line connects the fill openings of the containers of the two cover units with one another in a fluid-conducting manner for the purpose of reducing a possibility that the moisturizing liquid stored in the cartridge runs out before the liquid in the cartridge runs out.
With regard to claim 11, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 10, and Itokawa also discloses wherein the respective connection line connects the fill openings of the containers of the two cover units with one another in a fluid-conducting manner such that a cascade of cover units is formed that can be filled gradually with conditioning liquid, starting from a first cover unit (50) of the cascade of cover units [Fig. 3].
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to connect the respective connection line to the fill openings of the containers of the two cover units with one another in a fluid-conducting manner such that a cascade of cover units is formed that can be filled gradually with conditioning liquid, starting from a first cover unit of the cascade of cover units for the purpose of reducing a possibility that the moisturizing liquid stored in the cartridge runs out before the liquid in the cartridge runs out.
With regard to claim 12, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and Kage also discloses wherein the container of the cover unit is configured to be rotated about a rotation axle (201) [Para. 0029] so that the container is arranged in an upright state or in a cover state via rotation about the rotation axle [Fig. 2c]; in the cover state, to receive the nozzle plate of the print head of the print bar in a print bar opening of the container and to thereby cover it [Fig. 2a]; and in the upright state, to be placed after or before the print bar along a transport direction of a recording medium to be printed to by the print group [Fig. 2d], such that the print bar is lowered past the container toward the recording medium in order to transfer the print bar from the park position into a printing position [Fig. 2d].
With regard to claim 13, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 1, and Kage also discloses wherein the conditioning liquid comprises demineralized water [Para. 0063].
With regard to claim 14, Kage discloses a print group (140) for an inkjet printing device (100) [Para. 0016], the print group comprising
a plurality of print bars (102) [Fig. 1a]; wherein individual print bars of the plurality of print bars respectively comprise at least one print head;
a plurality of cover units (200) for the corresponding plurality of print bars [Para. 0025], wherein
individual cover units of the plurality of cover units are respectively configured to, in a park position of the respective print bar of the plurality of print bars, cover a nozzle plate (160) of the print head of the respective print bar with a container (202) [Fig. 2a];
the individual cover units are respectively configured to receive conditioning liquid (203) [Para. 0027] into the container of the respective cover unit [each cover has an inflow (322); Para. 0036];
Kage does not disclose an aeration unit; and a plurality of aeration lines for the corresponding plurality of cover units; wherein individual aeration lines of the plurality of aeration lines respectively connect, in an air- conducting manner, the aeration unit with a fill opening of the container of the respective cover unit of the plurality of cover units.
However, Itokawa discloses an aeration unit (70) [Para. 0056] and a plurality of aeration lines (75) [Para. 0071] for the corresponding plurality of cover units (50) [Para. 0055]; wherein individual aeration lines of the plurality of aeration lines respectively connect, in an air-conducting manner, the aeration unit with a fill opening (71) [Fig. 8] of the container of the respective cover unit of the plurality of cover units.
It would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize an aeration unit with a plurality of lines for the corresponding plurality of cover units for the purpose of reducing a possibility that the moisturizing liquid stored in the cartridge runs out before the liquid in the cartridge runs out.
Claim(s) 4 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kage (US 2020/0009869 A1) and further in view of Itokawa (JP 2013028109 A) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Kato (JP 2019064034)
With regard to claim 4, Kage’s modified print group discloses all the limitations of claim 1, but does not disclose wherein the aeration unit is configured to filter air that is conducted from outside into the container of the cover unit via the aeration unit and via the aeration line.
However, Kato teaches the aeration unit (231) [humidifying unit; Para. 0168] configured to filter air via the aeration unit via the aeration line. [passing air through the filter (not shown); Para. 0175]
It would have been obvious s to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to utilize an aeration unit configured to filter air from outside the container for the purpose of removing dust particles and foreign objects from the gas.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 7 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.
The primary reason for indicating allowable subject matter of claim 7 is the inclusion of the limitations of wherein the aeration unit is configured to more limit a volumetric flow of air from outside into the aeration line via the aeration unit by a factor of 2 or more than a volumetric flow of air from the aeration line to the outside via the aeration unit. It is this limitation(s) found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination of that has not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to TRACEY M MCMILLION whose telephone number is (571)270-5193. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 6AM-2:30PM EST.
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/TRACEY M MCMILLION/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/RICARDO I MAGALLANES/ Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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