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 December 4, 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: pressurized air port H99 recited in ¶[0091] 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.
Specification
The lengthy specification has not been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. Applicant’s cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
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 1-4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yoshida (US 20080143779 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Yoshida teaches a pressure changing unit for changing pressures at a plurality of connect destinations, the pressure changing unit comprising:
a motor (fig. 8; drive motor 25A; ¶[0078]-[0080]);
a pump that is connected to the motor and that is driven by power of the motor (fig. 8; pump 25; ¶0078]-[0080]);
a switching section configured to switch connection between the plurality of connect destinations and the pump by the power of the motor (fig. 8; switching valve apparatus 37; ¶[0045], [0079]); and
a transmission section positioned between the motor and the switching section, wherein
the transmission section is configured to, when the motor rotates in a forward direction, not transmit power from the motor to the switching section and, when the motor rotates in a reverse direction, transmit power from the motor to the switching section (fig. 8; one-way clutch mechanism 96; ¶[0078]-[0080]).
Regarding claim 2, Yoshida teaches the pressure changing unit according to claim 1, wherein the switching section includes a plurality of valves positioned between the plurality of connect destinations and the pump and a plurality of cams configured to open and close each of the plurality of valves (figs. 8, 11-12; valve bodies 38, cam shaft 55, cam members 56-59; ¶[0101]).
Regarding claim 3, Yoshida teaches the pressure changing unit according to claim 1, wherein the switching section includes a switching body that is positioned between the plurality of connect destinations and the pump and that is configured to, by rotating, switch the connection between the plurality of connect destinations and the pump (figs. 8, 11-12; cam shaft 55, cam members 56-59; ¶[0101]).
Regarding claim 4, Yoshida teaches the pressure changing unit according to claim 1, wherein the transmission section includes a one way clutch (fig. 8; one-way clutch mechanism 96; ¶[0078]-[0080]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 5-6 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 5, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the pressure changing unit of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, a second motor, a second pump that is connected to the second motor and that is driven by the power of the second motor, an air release section that is connected to the plurality of connect destinations and that is configured to open the plurality of connect destinations to atmosphere, and a second transmission section that is positioned between the second motor and the air release section and that is configured to transmit the power of the second motor to the air release section, the second pump is configured to change the pressure of at least one of the connect destinations among the plurality of connect destinations, and the air release section is configured to close, when the second motor rotates in the forward direction and to open when the second motor rotates in the reverse direction.
Regarding claim 6, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the pressure changing unit of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, a detection section configured to detect rotation angle of the motor and a control section configured to control the motor, wherein the control section when causing the motor to rotate in the forward direction, open controls the motor and when causing the motor to rotate in the reverse direction, PID controls the motor based on a detection result by the detection section.
Claims 7-11 are hereby allowed.
The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance:
Regarding independent claim 7, the prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the liquid ejection device of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, the pressure changing unit according to claim 1, at least either the liquid supply unit or the liquid ejection unit includes an accommodation section configured to accommodate liquid, the accommodation section includes a membrane member configured to divide the inside of the accommodation section into an air chamber and a liquid chamber, the plurality of connect destinations includes the accommodation section, and the pressure changing unit is configured to change pressure in the air chamber.
The closest art of record, Wan et al. (US 20170246880 A1) teaches an air priming system that primes printer fluid in one or more fluid tanks, but fails to teach a transmission section configured to, when the motor rotates in a forward direction, not transmit power from the motor to the switching section and, when the motor rotates in a reverse direction, transmit power from the motor to the switching section.
Any comments considered necessary by applicant must be submitted no later than the payment of the issue fee and, to avoid processing delays, should preferably accompany the issue fee. Such submissions should be clearly labeled “Comments on Statement of Reasons for Allowance.”
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Yokouchi (US 20130093820 A1) teaches an ink supply system comprising a motor configured to drive a pump, and a clutch and transmission system configured to transmit power from the motor to the pump. Yokouchi (US 20100020139 A1) teaches a diaphragm pump which supplies a liquid from a tank to a printhead. Ito (US 20070081056 A1) teaches a valve device comprising a clutch and cam mechanism.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to THOMAS RAY KNIEF whose telephone number is (703)756-5733. The examiner can normally be reached M-F, 8AM - 5 PM EST.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephen Meier can be reached at 5712722149. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/TRK/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/STEPHEN D MEIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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