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 December 2024 has been considered by the examiner.
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, 2, 4, and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Tokai (US 2022/0288953.)
Regarding claim 1,
Tokai discloses a recording device [1 in fig. 1] comprising:
a head [3 in fig. 3] configured to discharge an ink of ultraviolet curing type toward a medium [‘M’ in figs. 1-2; paragraphs 0041];
an irradiation unit [4 in fig. 3] configured to irradiate the medium with an ultraviolet ray [paragraph 0041];
a carriage [2 in figs. 1-3] mounted with the head and the irradiation unit [paragraph 0040];
a movement mechanism [guide rail 6 in figs. 1-2] configured to move the carriage relative to the medium [paragraph 0040]; and
a control unit [20 in fig. 7] configured to control the movement mechanism and the irradiation unit [paragraphs 0052 and 0056], wherein
the movement mechanism executes a forward operation of moving the carriage in a first direction [A1 in fig. 1] with respect to the medium and a return operation of moving the carriage in a second direction [A2 in fig. 1] opposite to the first direction with respect to the medium [paragraph 0040], and
the control unit
causes the head to execute discharge of the ink while causing the carriage to move in the forward operation [Abstract; paragraphs 0017, 0040-0041, and 0058; during “first control”, the carriage moves the head in the main scanning direction A (which includes forward direction A1 and return direction A2) while the head discharges ink; please note that the limitation does not recite the head executing discharge only during the forward operation], and causes at least the irradiation unit to execute irradiation while causing the carriage to move in the return operation [Abstract; paragraphs 0017, 0040-0041, and 0059; during “second control”, the irradiation unit is moved in the main scanning direction A while it irradiates the medium without the head performing discharge of ink; please note that the claim does not recite the irradiation unit executing irradiation only during the return operation], and
makes a moving speed of the carriage in the return operation higher than a moving speed of the carriage in the forward operation [Abstract and paragraph 0017.]
Regarding claim 2,
Tokai further discloses the recording device further comprising:
a support base [placement unit 7 in fig. 7] having a support surface that supports the medium [paragraph 0040], wherein
the support surface has a recess [implicit from figs. 1-2 and well-known that there will be a recess where the placement unit ends], the carriage causes the head and the irradiation unit to face the support surface and holds the head and the irradiation unit [paragraph 0040; the carriage is provided with the head and irradiation unit; as seen in figs. 1-2], and
the carriage moves stepping over the recess of the support surface when moving in the first direction and the second direction [as seen in figs. 1-2.]
Regarding claim 4,
Tokai further discloses wherein the control unit operates the movement mechanism such that a maximum speed of the carriage in the return operation is higher than a maximum speed of the carriage in the forward operation [Abstract; paragraph 0017.]
Regarding claim 7,
Tokai further discloses wherein the control unit causes the head to execute discharge of the ink and the irradiation unit to execute irradiation in the forward operation, and causes the irradiation unit to execute irradiation while moving the carriage at a return path speed in the return operation [Abstract; paragraphs 0017, 0040-0041, and 0058-0059.]
Regarding claim 8,
Tokai further discloses wherein the control unit makes an irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit in the return operation higher than an irradiation intensity of the irradiation unit in the forward operation [paragraphs 0025-0026 and 0068.]
Regarding claim 9,
The steps of this method claims are deemed to be inherent in view of the functions of the apparatus disclosed above, since it would be necessary to perform the claimed method steps in order for the apparatus to perform its intended functions.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 5 and 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Tokai.
Regarding claim 5 and 6,
Tokai discloses the claimed limitations as set forth above and further discloses
wherein the return operation includes an acceleration period for accelerating the carriage by the movement mechanism, a constant speed period for moving the carriage at a constant speed, and a deceleration period for decelerating the carriage (claim 6) [it is implicit and well-known that the carriage will decelerate/accelerate during the reciprocating movement between the forward and the return direction; i.e., the carriage needs to decelerate and come to a stop to change its direction from the forward direction to the return direction (and vice versa) and then accelerate to reach its intended speed.]
Tokai fails to expressly disclose wherein the control unit operates the movement mechanism such that a maximum speed of the carriage in the return operation is twice or more a maximum speed of the carriage in the forward operation (claim 5), and wherein the constant speed period is 1/100 or less of an entirety of the return operation (claim 6.)
However, it would have been obvious to one having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have a maximum speed of the carriage in the return operation be twice or more a maximum speed of the carriage in the forward operation, and to have a constant speed period be 1/100 or less of an entirety of the return operation, since it has been held that discovering an optimum value of a result effective variable involves only routine skill in the art. In re Antonie, 559 F.2d 618, 195 USPQ 6 (CCPA 1977). See also In re Boesch, 617 F.2d 272, 205 USPQ 215 (CCPA 1980). One would have been motivated to optimize the speed of the return operation for the purpose of preventing the ink from over-curing by reducing the total exposure time per unit area, and to optimize the constant speed period in the return operation for the purpose of minimizing the total cycle time and reducing structural heat dissipation in the printing apparatus.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 3 is 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 3,
The primary reason for allowance for this claim is the inclusion of the limitations of claims 1 and 2, further comprising wherein the support base includes a plurality of members, and the recess of the support surface is a joint of the members.
It is these limitations, in combination as claimed, that have not been taught, found, or suggested by prior art.
Communication with the USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to JANNELLE M LEBRON whose telephone number is (571) 272-2729. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm.
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.
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/JANNELLE M LEBRON/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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