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
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been filed on 1/28/25, the requirements 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d) are met.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited on a Form PTO 1449 have been considered.
Specification
The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. However, the 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.
Claim(s) 1, 3-7, 12-13, 19 and 21 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Nishino (U.S. 2005/0156995 A1).
Nishino discloses the following claimed limitations:
Regarding independent Claim 1, a head cleaner (12, §0049 and Figs. 1-6) for cleaning a nozzle face (9, §0049 and Figs. 5-6) of a liquid discharge head (5, §0049 and Figs. 1, 5-6), the head cleaner comprising:
a wiper to wipe and clean the nozzle face (§§0049-0078 and Figs. 2-6),
the wiper including:
a wiping portion to contact and wipe the nozzle face (15, §§0049-0078 and Figs. 2-6); and
a flexible presser (23, §§0049-0078 and Figs. 2-6) to press the wiping portion against the nozzle face, the flexible presser having a flexibility greater than a flexibility of the nozzle face (§0053);
a support (13, 16-19, §§0044-0049 and Fig. 2) supporting the wiper; and
a securing member (13, 16-19, §§0050, 0066 and Fig. 2) to secure the wiping portion to the flexible presser removably.
a securing member (13, 16-19, §§0050, 0066 and Fig. 2) which includes a frame (13, §§0044-0045 and Fig. 2) with a center opening (14, §§0044-0045 and Fig. 2), the securing member to removably secure the wiping portion to the flexible presser.
Regarding Claim 3, wherein the flexible presser has a pressing face that is covered by the wiping portion (Fig. 2), and
the wiping portion includes a wiper sheet that has a thickness smaller than a thickness of the flexible presser (Fig. 3).
Regarding Claim 4, wherein the wiper sheet includes an extension extending outboard from the pressing face of the flexible presser (Figs. 2-3), and
the securing member switches between a securing state in which the securing member presses the extension against the support to secure the extension to the support (§0049 and Figs. 2-3, 6) and a replacement state in which the securing member releases pressure applied to the extension (C, §0049 and Figs. 2-3, 5).
Regarding Claim 5, a hinge (21, §0049 and Figs. 2-3) mounted on the support, wherein the securing member pivots about the hinge.
Regarding Claim 6, wherein the pressing face of the flexible presser includes: a projection (27, §0052 and Figs. 4-6) to press against the wiper sheet; and
a depression (26, §0052 and Figs. 4-6) depressed with respect to the projection.
Regarding Claim 7, wherein the flexible presser is mounted on the support and combined with the support (Fig. 2).
Regarding independent Claim 12, a liquid discharge apparatus (§0032 and Fig. 1) comprising:
a liquid discharge head (5, §0049 and Figs. 1, 5-6) having a nozzle face (9, §0049 and Figs. 5-6) to discharge liquid; and
a head cleaner (12, §0049 and Figs. 1-6) to clean the nozzle face, the head cleaner including:
a wiper (§§0049-0078 and Figs. 2-6) to wipe and clean the nozzle face, the wiper including:
a wiping portion (15, §§0049-0078 and Figs. 2-6) to contact and wipe the nozzle face; and
a flexible presser to press the wiping portion against the nozzle face,
the flexible presser (23, §§0049-0078 and Figs. 2-6) having a flexibility greater than a flexibility of the nozzle face (§0053);
a support (13, 16-19, §§0044-0049 and Fig. 2) supporting the wiper; and
a securing member (13, 16-19, §§0050, 0066 and Fig. 2) which includes a frame (13, §§0044-0045 and Fig. 2) with a center opening (14, §§0044-0045 and Fig. 2), the securing member to removably secure the wiping portion to the flexible presser.
Regarding Claim 13, wherein: the support comprises a slider body having a box shape (13, §§0044-0045 and Fig. 2).
Regarding Claim 19, a carriage (4, §044 and Fig. 1) that mounts the liquid discharge head and moves reciprocatingly in a main scanning direction.
Regarding Claim 21, wherein: the securing member is a rectangular frame (13, §§0044-0045 and Fig. 2).
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.
Claim(s) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishino (U.S. 2005/0156995 A1) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Matsunaga et al. (U.S. 2021/0023846 A1).
Nishino discloses the following claimed limitations:
Regarding Claim 2, all limitations of Claim 1 (from which this Claim depends).
Nishino does not disclose the following claimed limitations:
Regarding Claim 2, wherein the flexible presser includes a porous material.
Matsunaga et al. disclose the following claimed limitations:
Regarding Claim 2, wherein the flexible presser includes a porous material (sponge cloth, §§0091-0093). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to apply the porous material of Matsunaga et al. to the head cleaner of Nishino to ensure a close contact of the wiping portion with the nozzle face.
Claim(s) 20 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nishino (U.S. 2005/0156995 A1) as applied to claim 19 above, and further in view of Matsunaga et al. (U.S. 2021/0023846 A1).
Nishino discloses the following claimed limitations:
Regarding Claim 20, all limitations of Claim 19 (from which this Claim depends).
Nishino does not disclose the following claimed limitations:
Regarding Claim 20, a maintenance structure including a cap to cap the nozzle face.
Matsunaga et al. disclose the following claimed limitations:
Regarding Claim 20, a maintenance structure (66, §0051 and Fig. 2) including a cap (66, §0064 and Fig. 5) to cap the nozzle face. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, before the effective filing date of the claimed invention, to apply the maintenance structure of Matsunaga et al. to the head cleaner of Nishino to ensure head performance after extended idle periods.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 9-11 and 17-18 are allowed. The following is an examiner’s statement of reasons for allowance: the primary reason for allowance of claims 9-11 is the inclusion of the limitations of a head cleaner including a second wiping portion attached with the first wiping portion removably; and a flexible presser to press the first wiping portion and the second wiping portion against the nozzle face, the flexible presser having a flexibility greater than a flexibility of the nozzle face, the first wiping portion to peel off from the second wiping portion. It is these limitations found in the claims, as they are claimed in the combination of that has not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Claims 14-16 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: the primary reason for indicating allowable subject matter of claim 14 is the inclusion of the limitations of a head cleaner including the support further comprises a projection mounted on an outer face of the slider body. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination of that has not been found, taught or suggested by prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The primary reason for indicating allowable subject matter of claims 15-16 is the inclusion of the limitations of a head cleaner including a holder that movably holds the support. It is these limitations found in the claims, as it is claimed in the combination of that has not been found, taught or suggested by prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see Applicant Arguments/Remarks, filed 8/10/26, with respect to rejection(s) of Claim 8 have been fully considered and, in conjunction with amendments filed on the same date, are persuasive. The rejection of Claim 8 has been withdrawn.
Applicant's arguments filed 8/10/26, with respect to rejection(s) of Claims 1-7 and 12 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. Please see the rejections above for application of prior art of record to amended Claims 1-7 and 12.
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ALEXANDER D SHENDEROV whose telephone number is (571)270-7049. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 9-5.
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 Rodrigues 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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/ALEXANDER D SHENDEROV/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/JASON S UHLENHAKE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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