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 .
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 11/19/2024 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Objections
Claims 15 and 19 are objected to because of the following informalities: please delete the recitations of “each liquid ejection unit further comprises the ejection port forming member in which the ejection ports are formed”, because the parent claims already require that each liquid ejection unit comprises an ejection port forming member. It only adds confusion to require the liquid ejection units to “further comprise” an element that is already included. Appropriate correction is required.
Drawings
The drawings are objected to under 37 CFR 1.83(a). The drawings must show every feature of the invention specified in the claims. Therefore, the “electric wiring member(s)” (from claims 12, 16) must be shown or the feature(s) canceled from the claim(s). No new matter should be entered.
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. The figure or figure number of an amended drawing should not be labeled as “amended.” If a drawing figure is to be canceled, the appropriate figure must be removed from the replacement sheet, and where necessary, the remaining figures must be renumbered and appropriate changes made to the brief description of the several views of the drawings for consistency. Additional replacement sheets may be necessary to show the renumbering of the remaining figures. 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.
Specification
The specification is objected to as failing to provide proper antecedent basis for the claimed subject matter. See 37 CFR 1.75(d)(1) and MPEP § 608.01(o). Correction of the following is required: please include the claim term “liquid ejection unit.”
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 12-15 and 18 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.
Regarding claims 12-15:
These claims are directed to “a liquid ejection unit.” Although this term is not used in the written description, it is Examiner’s best understanding that this term corresponds to the disclosed “device chips” (e.g. elements 2 in Fig. 1 / elements 201-209 in Fig. 5). However, in this case, it is not clear what structures correspond to the claimed “electric wiring member electrically coupled to the electrical connecting portion.”
Specifically, the term “electric wiring member” is found in the written description as a member that is joined to the device chips (paragraphs 31, 38). However, because the described electric wiring member is joined to the device chips, it is not a component of the device chips, as required by the claims.
Further regarding claims 14 and 18:
Each of these claims requires that each of the liquid ejection units is formed with “a substrate in which the liquid supply port is formed” (line 4 of claim 14 / line 4 of claim 18). However, in each of these claims, the respective parent claims already require that the liquid ejection units include “a substrate having (a) piezoelectric elements … and (b) an electrical connecting portion …” Because the parent claims introduce “a substrate,” it is not clear if the recitations of “a substrate” in claims 14 and 18 are meant to refer to the substrate recited in the parent claims, or refer to a different substrate.
In the case that Applicant is referring to the same substrate, please change these later recitations to “the substrate”. In the case that Applicant is referring to a different substrate, please use different nomenclature, i.e. “a second substrate”.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 14-15 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Regarding claims 14-15:
Each of these claims are improperly drawn to “The liquid ejection head according to claim 12”. However, claim 12 is directed towards “a liquid ejection unit”.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 12-19 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yagi et al. (US 2007/0046738 A1) in view of Enomoto et al. (US 2006/0187271 A1).
Regarding claims 12 and 16:
Yagi et al. disclose a liquid ejection head comprising a plurality of liquid ejection units (recording head units 32/62) arrayed in an array direction (Fig. 17), wherein each of the liquid ejection unit comprise:
an ejection port forming member (nozzle surface 52A) having an ejection port (nozzle 54) for ejecting liquid (paragraph 67 & Fig. 6A);
a substrate (at least head base plate 52) having a piezoelectric element for ejecting liquid through the ejection port (paragraph 67); and
a positioning portion (for adhesive U: paragraph 106 & Fig. 18-19),
wherein a liquid ejection unit has a polygonal shape with at least five corners as viewed from a side where the ejection port is provided (Fig. 17).
Yagi et al. do not expressly disclose the electrical connecting section or electric wiring member.
However, Enomoto et al. disclose a liquid ejection unit that enables piezoelectric elements to be arranged at high density (paragraph 29), the liquid ejection unit comprising an ejection port forming member (nozzle plate 62) having an ejection port (51A) for ejecting liquid (Fig. 3A), a substrate (68) having a piezoelectric element (58) and an electrical connecting portion (at least wiring layer 74) electrically coupled to the piezoelectric element (paragraph 72 & Fig. 3A) and disposed on a surface of the substrate that is opposite to a side where the ejection port forming member is provided (Fig. 3A), wherein an electric wiring member (flexible cable 100) is electrically coupled to the electrical connecting portion (paragraph 69 & Fig. 3A).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Yagi et al.’s liquid ejection unit with Enomoto et al.’s electrical configuration, so as to enable high density arrangement of the piezoelectric elements.
Regarding claims 13 and 17:
Yagi et al.’s modified liquid ejection unit comprises all the limitations of claims 12/16, and Yagi et al. also disclose that the positioning portion is disposed inside and adjacent to a corner of the polygonal shape (Figs. 18-28).
Regarding claims 14 and 18 (as best understood):
Yagi et al.’s modified liquid ejection unit comprises all the limitations of claims 12/16, and Yagi et al. also disclose that the liquid ejection unit further comprises a liquid supply port (at least a supply path 50A), wherein the liquid ejection unit is formed with the ejection port forming member in which the ejection port is formed (Fig. 32A), a second substrate (liquid relay member 50) in which the liquid supply port is formed (Fig. 32A), and a base plate (base plate 40) in which a liquid flow path (ink supply unit 44) is formed therein (Figs. 31-32), and liquid is supplied from the liquid flow path to the ejection port via the liquid supply port (Fig. 32A).
Regarding claims 15 and 19 (as best understood):
Yagi et al.’s modified liquid ejection unit comprises all the limitations of claims 12/16, but does not expressly disclose that the material of the ejection port forming member includes an inorganic material selected from Si, SiC, or SiO.
However, Examiner takes Official Notice that ejection port forming members are commonly formed out of silicon, at least because silicon is a readily available material and the processing techniques thereof are easily employed.
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Yagi et al.’s liquid ejection unit to utilize a silicon ejection port forming member.
Communication with the USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shelby L Fidler whose telephone number is (571)272-8455. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am - 5pm EST.
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 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.
SHELBY L. FIDLER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/SHELBY L FIDLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
Prosecution Insights