CTNF 18/947,093 CTNF 101415 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA. Priority 02-26 AIA Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55. Specification 07-29 AIA The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: In paragraph 0002 , the second sentence recites “…the noise board…” . It is understood that this recitation should be “…the noise nozzle board…”. In paragraph 0064 , one material for the support member is listed as “stainless”. It is understood that material should be “stainless steel”. In paragraph 0067 , the last sentence recites, “…the projection area of the second substrate 705 for the first substrate 401 is smaller than the projection area of the first substrate 401.” The use of “for the first substrate” is not clear. As presently understood, it is suggested to amend the sentence such that it recites, “… the projection area of the second substrate 705 for onto the first substrate 401 is smaller than the projection area of the first substrate 401.” In paragraph 0085 , the second sentence recites “According to this configuration, even in a case where the adhesive agent is appended by an amount exceeding the amount appropriate for bonding the first area 1001, it is possible to prevent the adhesive agent 903 (not shown schematically in FIG. 12) from flowing into the groove portion 1100 , and therefore, to check the flow of the adhesive agent 903.” This appears to counter the other recitations in other paragraphs wherein the adhesive agent does flow into the groove. It is suggested to amend the sentence such that it recites “According to this configuration, even in a case where the adhesive agent is appended by an amount exceeding the amount appropriate for bonding the first area 1001, it is possible to prevent the adhesive agent 903 (not shown schematically in FIG. 12) from flowing into beyond the groove portion 1100 , and therefore, to check the flow of the adhesive agent 903.” Appropriate correction is required. Claim Objections 07-29-01 AIA Claim s 5-7 are objected to because of the following informalities: Claim 5 recites a material for the support member as “stainless”. It is understood that material should be “stainless steel”. Claim 6 recites, “a projection area of the second substrate for the first substrate is smaller than a projection area of the first substrate”. As previously stated for paragraph 0067, The use of “for the first substrate” is not clear, therefore it will be examined such that “for” is “onto”. Claim 7 recites “an adhesive agent” twice. It is understood the second instance should be “the adhesive agent” . Appropriate correction is required. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-07-aia AIA 07-07 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 – 07-08-aia AIA (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. 07-15-aia AIA Claim(s) 1, 2, 6, 7, 10, 12, and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Kobayashi et al. (US 11104132 B2, from IDS) , hereinafter referred to as Kobayashi . Regarding claim 1 , Kobayashi discloses a liquid ejection head (liquid discharge head 200; Fig. 1) comprising: a first substrate having a first surface in which an ejection port configured to eject liquid is provided (nozzle substrate 201 with nozzles 204; Fig. 2, 3; nozzle substrate 1 with nozzles 3; Fig. 5A-6B); a support member joined to the first surface of the first substrate (col. 5, ll. 46-48) and provided with an opening surrounding an area in which the ejection port in the first substrate is provided (cover member 280 has an opening for nozzles 204; Fig. 2, 3; cover member 8 has an opening for nozzles 3; Fig. 6A, 6B); and a second substrate joined to a second surface on the opposite side of the first surface of the first substrate (col. 6, ll. 25-30; col. 7, ll. 35-40; actuator substrate 220 includes channel substrate 202; Fig. 3), wherein an area in which the support member and the first substrate are joined includes a first area in which adhesion strength between the support member and the first substrate is relatively high and a second area in which adhesion strength between the support member and the first substrate is relatively low (adhesive 9 is applied in first area, but not in second area; annotated portion of Fig. 3 below); PNG media_image1.png 313 544 media_image1.png Greyscale Regarding claim 2 , Kobayashi discloses wherein in a state where the first surface is viewed along a direction in which the support member, the first substrate, and the second substrate are laminated, the first area includes an overlapping area in which a projection area in which the second substrate is projected and a projection area in which the support member is projected overlap and the second area includes an area in which the second substrate is not projected but the support member is projected (annotated portion of Fig. 3 below). PNG media_image2.png 265 711 media_image2.png Greyscale Regarding claim 6 , Kobayashi discloses wherein in a state where the first surface is viewed along a direction in which the support member, the first substrate, and the second substrate are laminated, a projection area of the second substrate onto the first substrate is smaller than a projection area of the first substrate (annotated portion of Fig. 3 below). PNG media_image3.png 207 712 media_image3.png Greyscale Regarding claim 7 , Kobayashi discloses wherein to the first area, an adhesive agent is appended and to the second area, the adhesive agent is not appended (adhesive 9 is in recess 4 and not where there is water repellent film 7; col. 5, ll. 38-52; Fig. 6B; annotated portion of Fig. 3 below). PNG media_image4.png 225 648 media_image4.png Greyscale Regarding claim 10 , Kobayashi discloses wherein part or all of the second area has been subjected to water-repellent treatment (liquid repellent film 7 covers the surface of nozzle substrate 1 other than the recess 4 where adhesive is applied; col. 5, ll. 41-48; Fig. 5B, 6B). Regarding claim 12 , Kobayashi discloses wherein the second substrate is provided with an individual channel for supplying liquid to each of the ejection ports (individual liquid chamber 206; Fig. 2, 3) and an energy generation element configured to generate energy for ejecting liquid from the ejection port (piezoelectric element 211; col. 4, ll. 23-30). Regarding claim 13 , Kobayashi discloses a liquid ejection apparatus (printing apparatus 500; Fig. 15) comprising: a liquid ejection head according to claim 1, and a mounting unit for mounting the liquid ejection head (common base 552; Fig. 16) . Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 3-5 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Nakamura et al. (US 20200122476 A1) , hereinafter referred to as Nakamura . Regarding claims 3-5 , Kobayashi teaches the liquid ejection head wherein the first substrate includes silicon (col. 7, ll. 14), however Kobayashi does not teach wherein the support member includes any one or more of titanium, nickel alloy, stainless steel, tungsten, molybdenum, and ceramics. Nakamura teaches a liquid ejection head (liquid discharge head 3; Fig. 2-4) wherein a support member may be made of a metal such as stainless steel (cover member 11; at para. 0032). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the support member as taught by Kobayashi wherein the material for the support member may be stainless steel for the purpose of using a material with strength as taught by Nakamura (at para. 0032) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Kinokuni (US 20200171829 A1) . Regarding claim 8 , Kobayashi does not teach wherein the adhesive agent is a thermosetting-type adhesive agent. Kinokuni teaches a liquid ejection head (liquid discharge head 101a; Fig. 1; head module 1 with head 2; Fig. 4, 7) wherein an adhesive agent that connects a support member to a first substrate is a thermosetting-type adhesive agent (adhesive 6, 6-2, is thermosetting and bonds nozzle cover 5-2 to nozzle plate 4-3; at para. 0075-0076; Fig. 7). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the adhesive agent as taught by Kobayashi wherein the adhesive agent is a thermosetting-type for the purpose of providing an adhesive agent that with corrosion resistance to various inks as taught by Kinokuni (at para. 0076) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi as applied to claim 7 above, and further in view of Shingyouchi (JP 2020172050 A) . Regarding claim 9 , Kobayashi does not teach wherein at a boundary between the first area and the second area, a groove portion is provided. Shingyouchi teaches a liquid ejection head (head module 100; Fig. 1) wherein a groove is provided in the support member opposite to the region adhesive agent is applied (annular groove 132 provided in cover member 103; at para. 0037; Fig. 10, 15), and the groove is between a first area in which adhesion strength is stronger than a second area with lower adhesion strength (annotated portion of Fig. 10 below). PNG media_image5.png 214 524 media_image5.png Greyscale Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the area in which the support member and the first substrate are joined as taught by Kobayashi such that a groove is provided between the first and second areas for the purpose of adjust excess or deficiency of the adhesive as taught by Shingyouchi (at para. 0039). Further, the examiner notes that change in placement of the groove (i.e. at a boundary specifically as opposed anywhere else near the first area) without changing the purpose or operation of the groove (i.e. redirection of excess adhesive agent) is considered obvious over prior art (MPEP 2144.04 VI C on Rearrangement of Parts) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Buskirk et al. (US 20190346067 A1) , hereinafter referred to as Buskirk . Regarding claim 11 , Kobayashi does not teach wherein the thickness of part or all of the first substrate is 0.3 mm or less. Buskirk teaches a liquid ejection head (jetting assembly 200; Fig. 5A) wherein the thickness of a first substrate (orifice plate 250; Fig. 5A) may have a thickness in a range 30 microns to 60 microns or 100 microns to 400 microns (at para. 0051). The first range taught by Buskirk lies inside the claimed range, and the second range overlaps with the claimed range, therefore obviousness exists (MPEP 2144.05). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the first substrate as taught by Kobayashi to have a thickness in a range from 30 microns to 400 microns, such as 300 microns or less, for the purpose of having a suitable thickness wherein a thicker first substrate may maintain a better flatness as taught by Buskirk (at para. 0051) . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Miwa (US 20230130058 A1) teaches a liquid discharge head comprising a nozzle plate, a cover, and a channel substrate wherein the parts are attached by an adhesive (Fig. 12). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KYRA M VAN KREUNINGEN whose telephone number is (571)272-9423. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Thur 9:00am-6:00pm and Fri 9:00am-1:00pm. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, DOUGLAS X RODRIGUEZ can be reached at (571) 431-0716. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. 08 June 2026 /KYRA MELOR VAN KREUNINGEN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853 /SHELBY L FIDLER/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/947,093 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/947,093 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/947,093 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/947,093 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/947,093 Page 6 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/947,093 Page 7 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/947,093 Page 8 Art Unit: 2853
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