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 November 14, 2024 was filed in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to as failing to comply with 37 CFR 1.84(p)(5) because they do not include the following reference sign(s) mentioned in the description: wiring substrate 308 recited in ¶[0135] of the Specification.
Corrected drawing sheets in compliance with 37 CFR 1.121(d) are required in reply to the Office action to avoid abandonment of the application. Any amended replacement drawing sheet should include all of the figures appearing on the immediate prior version of the sheet, even if only one figure is being amended. Each drawing sheet submitted after the filing date of an application must be labeled in the top margin as either “Replacement Sheet” or “New Sheet” pursuant to 37 CFR 1.121(d). If the changes are not accepted by the examiner, the applicant will be notified and informed of any required corrective action in the next Office action. The objection to the drawings will not be held in abeyance.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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 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, 5, 7, 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Okui (US 20230136678 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Okui teaches a liquid ejection apparatus comprising: a drive circuit configured to output a drive signal (fig. 2; liquid ejecting apparatus 100, drive module 42; ¶[0036]-[0045]);
a first switching circuit to which the drive signal is input, and which is configured to switch whether to output a first drive voltage according to the drive signal (fig. 9; driving circuit 410, switching elements 410sw; ¶[0121]-[0126]);
a first piezoelectric element which is displaced in accordance with the first drive voltage (figs. 7, 9; piezoelectric body 402_A1; ¶[0098], [0101]-[0102]); a first pressure chamber a volume of which varies with a displacement of the first piezoelectric element (figs. 5, 7; pressure chamber Ca_1; ¶[0097], [0099], [0101]-[0102]);
a second piezoelectric element which is displaced in accordance with the first drive voltage (figs. 7, 9; piezoelectric body 402_B1; ¶[0098], [0101]-[0102]);
a second pressure chamber a volume of which varies with a displacement of the second piezoelectric element (figs. 5, 7; pressure chamber Cb_1; ¶[0097], [0099], [0101]-[0102]); and
a first nozzle configured to eject a liquid in accordance with a change in volume of the first pressure chamber and a change in volume of the second pressure chamber (figs. 5, 7; nozzle N_1; ¶[0075], [0097]), wherein
the first switching circuit includes a single first switch element configured to switch whether to set the drive signal to the first drive voltage and supply the drive signal commonly to the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element in accordance with a first ejection control signal (fig. 9; 410swa_1, wiring substrate 435_1; ¶[0121]-[0126]).
Regarding claim 5, Okui teaches the liquid ejection apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a supply port and a discharge port (figs. 1, 5; supply port H1, discharge port H2; ¶[0079]), wherein the liquid supplied from the supply port is discharged from the discharge port via the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber (¶[0079]), and at least a part of the liquid discharged from the discharge port is returned to the supply port (fig. 1; circulation mechanism 50, subtank 51, supply flow path 53, collecting flow path 54; ¶[0035], [0079]).
Regarding claim 7, Okui teaches a print head comprising: a first switching circuit to which the drive signal is input, and which is configured to switch whether to output a first drive voltage according to the drive signal (fig. 9; driving circuit 410, switching elements 410sw; ¶[0121]-[0126]);
a first piezoelectric element which is displaced in accordance with the first drive voltage (figs. 7, 9; piezoelectric body 402_A1; ¶[0098], [0101]-[0102]);
a first pressure chamber a volume of which varies with a displacement of the first piezoelectric element (figs. 5, 7; pressure chamber Ca_1; ¶[0097], [0099], [0101]-[0102]);
a second piezoelectric element which is displaced in accordance with the first drive voltage (figs. 7, 9; piezoelectric body 402_B1; ¶[0098], [0101]-[0102]);
a second pressure chamber a volume of which varies with a displacement of the second piezoelectric element (figs. 5, 7; pressure chamber Cb_1; ¶[0097], [0099], [0101]-[0102]); and
a first nozzle configured to eject a liquid in accordance with a change in volume of the first pressure chamber and a change in volume of the second pressure chamber (figs. 5, 7; nozzle N_1; ¶[0075], [0097]), wherein
the first switching circuit includes a single first switch element configured to switch whether to set the drive signal to the first drive voltage and supply the drive signal commonly to the first piezoelectric element and the second piezoelectric element in accordance with a first ejection control signal (fig. 9; 410swa_1, wiring substrate 435_1; ¶[0121]-[0126]).
Regarding claim 11, Okui teaches the print head according to claim 7, further comprising: a supply port and a discharge port (figs. 1, 5; supply port H1, discharge port H2; ¶[0079]), wherein the liquid supplied from the supply port is discharged from the discharge port via the first pressure chamber and the second pressure chamber (¶[0079]), and at least a part of the liquid discharged from the discharge port is returned to the supply port (fig. 1; circulation mechanism 50, subtank 51, supply flow path 53, collecting flow path 54; ¶[0035], [0079]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 2-4, 6, 8-10, and 12 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 claim 2, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the liquid ejection apparatus of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, wherein a displacement amount of the first piezoelectric element according to the first drive voltage and a displacement amount of the second piezoelectric element according to the first drive voltage are substantially equal to each other, a change amount of the volume of the first pressure chamber with the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and a change amount of the volume of the second pressure chamber with the displacement of the second piezoelectric element are substantially equal to each other, and a flow path length of a first flow path configured to communicate the first pressure chamber and the first nozzle with each other and a flow path length of a second flow path configured to communicate the second pressure chamber and the first nozzle with each other are substantially equal to each other.
Regarding claim 3, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the liquid ejection apparatus of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, wherein an amount of the liquid flowing from the first pressure chamber toward the first nozzle due to the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and an amount of the liquid flowing from the second pressure chamber toward the first nozzle due to the displacement of the second piezoelectric element are substantially equal to each other, a velocity of the liquid flowing through the first flow path configured to communicate the first pressure chamber and the first nozzle with each other from the first pressure chamber toward the first nozzle due to the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and a velocity of the liquid flowing through the second flow path configured to communicate the second pressure chamber and the first nozzle with each other from the second pressure chamber toward the first nozzle due to the displacement of the second piezoelectric element are substantially equal to each other, and a direction in which the liquid flowing from the first pressure chamber toward the first nozzle flows through the first flow path due to the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and a direction in which the liquid flowing from the second pressure chamber toward the first nozzle flows through the second flow path due to the displacement of the second piezoelectric element are opposite to each other.
Regarding claim 4, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the liquid ejection apparatus of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, a resistance value between the other end of the first switch element and the first piezoelectric element is substantially equal to a resistance value between the other end of the first switch element and the second piezoelectric element.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the liquid ejection apparatus of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, the integrated circuit includes a pair of long sides located to be opposed to each other, and a pair of short sides which are shorter than the long sides, and are located to be opposed to each other, and a length of the long sides of the integrated circuit is shorter than a length of a nozzle column in which a plurality of nozzles including the first nozzle and the second nozzle is arranged side by side to form a column.
Regarding claim 8, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest print head of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, wherein a displacement amount of the first piezoelectric element according to the first drive voltage and a displacement amount of the second piezoelectric element according to the first drive voltage are substantially equal to each other, a change amount of the volume of the first pressure chamber with the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and a change amount of the volume of the second pressure chamber with the displacement of the second piezoelectric element are substantially equal to each other, and a flow path length of a first flow path configured to communicate the first pressure chamber and the first nozzle with each other and a flow path length of a second flow path configured to communicate the second pressure chamber and the first nozzle with each other are substantially equal to each other.
Regarding claim 9, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest print head of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, wherein an amount of the liquid flowing from the first pressure chamber toward the first nozzle due to the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and an amount of the liquid flowing from the second pressure chamber toward the first nozzle due to the displacement of the second piezoelectric element are substantially equal to each other, a velocity of the liquid flowing through the first flow path configured to communicate the first pressure chamber and the first nozzle with each other from the first pressure chamber toward the first nozzle due to the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and a velocity of the liquid flowing through the second flow path configured to communicate the second pressure chamber and the first nozzle with each other from the second pressure chamber toward the first nozzle due to the displacement of the second piezoelectric element are substantially equal to each other, and a direction in which the liquid flowing from the first pressure chamber toward the first nozzle flows through the first flow path due to the displacement of the first piezoelectric element and a direction in which the liquid flowing from the second pressure chamber toward the first nozzle flows through the second flow path due to the displacement of the second piezoelectric element are opposite to each other.
Regarding claim 10, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest print head of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, a resistance value between the other end of the first switch element and the first piezoelectric element is substantially equal to a resistance value between the other end of the first switch element and the second piezoelectric element.
Regarding claim 12, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest print head of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, the integrated circuit includes a pair of long sides located to be opposed to each other, and a pair of short sides which are shorter than the long sides, and are located to be opposed to each other, and a length of the long sides of the integrated circuit is shorter than a length of a nozzle column in which a plurality of nozzles including the first nozzle and the second nozzle is arranged side by side to form a column.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Ozawa (US 20200207083 A1) teaches an inkjet printhead comprising two piezoelectric actuators ejecting ink through a shared nozzle. Murayama (US 20210331467 A1) teaches an inkjet printhead comprising two piezoelectric actuators ejecting ink through a shared nozzle, and two separate pressure chambers. Govyadinov (WO 2013032471 A1) teaches an inkjet printhead comprising two piezoelectric actuators ejecting ink through a shared nozzle.
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/TRK/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/STEPHEN D MEIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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