CTNF 18/966,512 CTNF 77760 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. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102 07-06 AIA 15-10-15 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. 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) 1-15 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102 (a)(1) as being anticipated by Togashi et al. (# US 2016/0221339) . Togashi et al. discloses: 1. A liquid ejecting head (see Abstract; figure: 1-27) comprising: a head chip ([0055]) configured to eject liquid in an ejection direction ([0055]); a fixing plate (element: 38, figure: 4-6; [0061]-[0062]) having a first surface (Q1; [0061]) facing in the ejection direction, a second surface (Q2, [0061]) to which the head chip is fixed and which is opposite from the first surface, and a lateral surface that connects the first surface and the second surface (figure: 4-6); and a holder configured to hold the head chip between itself and the fixing plate (see figure: 4-7; [0052]-[0055]), wherein in a plan view as seen toward the first surface, the first surface includes a water repellent region having water repellency, and a hydrophilic region that is disposed between the water repellent region and the lateral surface, and has lower water repellency than the water repellent region ([0061]-[0063]), and part of mold is bonded to the hydrophilic region of the first surface, the mold being disposed between the lateral surface and at least one of the head chip or the holder ([0052]-[0077]). 2. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the hydrophilic region of the first surface is disposed between the water repellent region and the lateral surface so as to be adjacent to the lateral surface ([0063]). 3. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the lateral surface has water repellency ([0049]-[0085]). 4. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein part of the mold is bonded to the second surface ([0049]-[0085]). 5. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the lateral surface includes an outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate, the mold includes a first mold disposed between the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate and the holder, the hydrophilic region of the first surface includes a first region disposed along the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate, and part of the first mold is bonded to the first region (see figure: 1-20). 6. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 5, wherein a dimension of the first region in an arrangement direction of the lateral surface and the first region which are adjacent in the plan view is greater than a thickness of the fixing plate (see figure: 2-25). 7. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 5, wherein in an arrangement direction of the lateral surface and the first region which are adjacent in the plan view, a dimension of the first region is less than a dimension of part of the first mold, the part being disposed between the lateral surface and the holder (figure: 2-25). 8. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 5, wherein the second surface and the holder are fixed by an adhesive disposed between the second surface and the holder, part of the first mold is bonded to the second surface, and a liquid resistance of the first mold is higher than a liquid resistance of the adhesive ([0062]-[0086]; see figure: 7-14). 9. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 5, wherein the second surface and the holder are fixed by an adhesive disposed between the second surface and the holder, part of the first mold is not bonded to the second surface, and a liquid resistance of the first mold is higher than a liquid resistance of the adhesive (figure: 7, 12-14; [0062]-[0086]). 10. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 5, wherein the holder has an outer peripheral wall on a bottom surface facing in the ejection direction, the outer peripheral wall being fixed to the second surface by an adhesive, in the bottom surface of the outer peripheral wall, a groove is formed at a position overlapping with the outer peripheral surface of the fixing plate in the plan view, and part of the first mold is disposed inside the groove ([0059]). 11. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 1, wherein the head chip includes a nozzle plate having nozzles configured to eject liquid, the fixing plate has an exposure opening for exposing the nozzle plate to an outside, the lateral surface includes an inner peripheral surface that defines the exposure opening of the fixing plate, the mold includes a second mold disposed between the inner peripheral surface and the nozzle plate, the hydrophilic region of the first surface includes a second region disposed along the inner peripheral surface, and part of the second mold is bonded to the second region ([0055]-[0090]). 12. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 11, wherein in an arrangement direction of the lateral surface and the second region which are adjacent in the plan view, a dimension of the second region is greater than a thickness of the fixing plate ([0070]-[0071]). 13. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 11, wherein in an arrangement direction of the lateral surface and the second region which are adjacent in the plan view, a dimension of the second region is less than a dimension of part of the second mold, the part being disposed between the lateral surface and the nozzle plate ([0050]-[0090]). 14. The liquid ejecting head according to claim 11, wherein in the plan view, a surface of the nozzle plate (element: 46, figure: 3-5) includes a nozzle formation region having water repellency in which nozzles are formed, and a hydrophilic region having lower water repellency than the nozzle formation region, the hydrophilic region being disposed between an outer peripheral surface of the nozzle plate and the nozzle formation region, and part of the second mold is disposed in the hydrophilic region of the nozzle plate ([0052]-[0094]). 15. A liquid ejecting apparatus comprising: the liquid ejecting head according to claim 1; and a liquid reservoir configured to store liquid to be supplied to the liquid ejecting head ([0058]; figure: 5) . Conclusion 07-96 AIA The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. (1) Hanaoka et al. (# US 2022/0355600) discloses a liquid ejecting head (see Abstract; figure: 1-10) comprising: a head chip (element: 12, figure: 3 & 6) configured to eject liquid in an ejection direction ([0032]-[0034]); a fixing plate (element: 11, figure: 6) having a first surface facing in the ejection direction ([0032]-[0033]). (2) Sugawara et al. (# US 2023/0134134) discloses a first-adhesive surface is provided on an upper portion of a head chip, a holder accommodates the head chip between the holder and a fixing plate and has a second-adhesive surface formed with an opening of a second-supply flow passage communicating with the head chip, the first-adhesive surface and the second-adhesive surface adhere to each other with a first-adhesive so as to define a coupling flow passage coupling between a first-supply flow passage and the second-supply flow passage, the upper portion of the head chip has a first-contact portion, the holder has a first-contacted portion facing the first-contact portion, and a first-dimension between the first-contact portion and the first-contacted portion is smaller than a second-dimension between the first-adhesive surface and the second-adhesive surface (see Abstract). (3) Kimura (# US 2018/0086084) discloses a liquid ejecting head includes a nozzle that ejects a liquid, a flow path member formed with a flow path that guides the liquid to the nozzle, a supply path member formed with a supply path that supplies the liquid to the flow path member, and a heater that heats the supply path member. A linear expansion coefficient of the supply path member is greater than a linear expansion coefficient of the flow path member. The flow path member and the supply path member are joined together by a thermoset adhesive. The heater is provided to the supply path member (see Abstract). (4) Wantanbe (# US 2024/0316929) discloses a liquid ejecting head includes a head chip, a wiring substrate including a drive circuit, the wiring substrate being electrically coupled to the head chip, a fixing plate fixed with the head chip, a holder including an inner wall surface facing the drive circuit, the holder being made of a metal, the holder being configured to hold the head chip between the fixing plate and the holder, and a separation member disposed between the inner wall surface and the drive circuit, the separation member being configured to suppress conduction between the inner wall surface and the drive circuit (see Abstract). (5) Kanegae et al. (# US 2022/0305785) discloses a liquid ejecting head includes: head chips including a first-head-chip and a second-head-chip; a holder holding the head chips; and a heater along a direction parallel to a nozzle surface. The first-head-chip and the second-head-chip are disposed to be offset from each other in both a first-direction and a second-direction parallel to the nozzle surface and intersecting with each other. When a first-side is one of the four sides of a virtual rectangle circumscribing the aggregate of the head chips and a second-side and a third-side are coupled to both ends of the first-side, the first-head-chip is in contact with the first-side and the third-side and the second-head chip is in contact with the second-side. The heater overlaps the head chips. A first-region surrounded by the first-side, the second-side, the first-head-chip, and the second-head-chip includes a first-outside-part positioned outside the outer edge of the heater (see Abstract). (6) Kanegae et al. (# US 2022/0305788) discloses a liquid ejecting head includes: a plurality of head chips having a nozzle surface; a thermally conductive holder holding the plurality of head chips; a thermally conductive flow path structure provided with a flow path of a liquid supplied to the plurality of head chips; and a planar heater disposed between the holder and the flow path structure and along a direction parallel to the nozzle surface, in which the heater overlaps the plurality of head chips in a plan view (see Abstract). (7) Okui (# US 2021/0370673) discloses a liquid ejecting head includes head chips configured to eject a liquid toward a medium in a first-direction, in which, when a width direction of the medium is a second-direction, a direction orthogonal to the first-direction and the second-direction is a third-direction, and a direction perpendicular to the first-direction and intersecting the second-direction and the third-direction is a fourth-direction, the head chips include a first-chip group in which first head-chips are arranged side by side in the second-direction, the first-head chip having a first-nozzle row formed by arranging first-nozzles side by side in the fourth-direction, and a second-chip group in which second-head chips are arranged side by side in the second-direction, the second-head chip having a second-nozzle row formed by arranging second-nozzles side by side in the fourth-direction, and the first-chip group is arranged side by side in the third-direction with respect to the second-chip group (see Abstract). (8) Watanabe (# US 2019/0381794) discloses a liquid ejecting head including a head unit including a liquid ejecting unit that ejects a liquid from a nozzle, a drive circuit that drives the liquid ejecting unit, a containing body in which a space that stores the liquid is formed; a fixing plate which contacts the head unit on a nozzle side of the head unit; and a support that contacts the fixing plate and that supports the head unit, in which the support is formed of a material having a thermal conductivity higher than that of the containing body (see Abstract). (9) Akahane (# US 2017/0182776) discloses a liquid ejecting head includes: a substrate having pressure generating chambers; drive units configured to apply pressure vibration to the pressure generating chambers; and a head casing having first and second areas mutually exclusively disposed as viewed from the substrate, the first areas being disposed in a staggered arrangement as viewed from the substrate, the head casing storing the drive units in the first areas as viewed from the substrate, the head casing having recesses disposed in the second areas as viewed from the substrate (see Abstract). Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANISH S SHAH whose telephone number is (571)272-2152. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-4:00pm. 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, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at 571-272-5960. 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. MANISH S. SHAH Primary Examiner Art Unit 2853 /Manish S Shah/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 6 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 7 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 8 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 9 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 18/966,512 Page 10 Art Unit: 2853
Prosecution Insights