CTNF 19/001,721 CTNF 101462 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 § 112 07-34-01 Claim 1 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. 07-34-02 AIA Where applicant acts as his or her own lexicographer to specifically define a term of a claim contrary to its ordinary meaning, the written description must clearly redefine the claim term and set forth the uncommon definition so as to put one reasonably skilled in the art on notice that the applicant intended to so redefine that claim term. Process Control Corp. v. HydReclaim Corp. , 190 F.3d 1350, 1357, 52 USPQ2d 1029, 1033 (Fed. Cir. 1999). The term “ overlapping ” in claim 1 is used by the claim to mean “ being underneath ,” while the accepted meaning is “ being above .” The term is indefinite because the specification does not clearly redefine the term. Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 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. 07-20-aia AIA 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. 07-20-02-aia AIA This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention. 07-21-aia AIA Claim (s) 1-5 and 7 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Washio US 20200207121 A1 and Ishikuza US 20140055542 A1 . Regarding claim 1, Washio teaches, a recording device (Paragraph 0002, “The present disclosure relates to… a printing apparatus that performs printing on a medium”), a transport section configured to transport a medium in a transport direction of a transport path (Paragraph 0018, “a transport unit 25 that transports the medium 12 in the transport direction D1”), a recording section that records an image on the medium transported by the transport section (Paragraph 0013, “As illustrated in FIG. 1, a printing apparatus 11 is provided with a printing unit 13 that performs printing on a medium 12”), a heating section that heats the medium that was recorded on and that is transported in a first direction in the transport direction (Paragraph 0013, “As illustrated in FIG. 1, a printing apparatus 11 is provided with… a drying device 14 that dries the printed medium 12”), a downstream transport path member that constitutes the transport path at a position downstream of the heating section in the transport direction (Paragraph 0018, “a winding shaft 29 positioned downstream of the transport roller 27 in the transport direction D1”), the heating section includes an air flow path body (Paragraph 0028, “The drying device 14 is provided with a flow path member 49 that forms an air flow path 48”), a heater that is arranged outside the air flow path body and that is configured to heat the medium (Paragraph 0023, “As illustrated in FIG. 2, the drying device 14 is provided with a heating unit 35 that emits heat”), an air inlet port for sucking air from outside the air flow path body into the interior of the air flow path body (Paragraph 0028, “The drying device 14 is provided with a flow path member 49 that forms an air flow path 48 connecting an inflow port 46 and an outflow port 47”), an air outlet port for blowing out air that is inside the air flow path body toward the medium, which is outside the air flow path body (Paragraph 0028, “The drying device 14 is provided with a flow path member 49 that forms an air flow path 48 connecting an inflow port 46 and an outflow port 47”), a fan that is arranged inside the air flow path body and that sends air from the air inlet port to the air outlet port (Paragraph 0033, “The air blowing unit 50 includes a fan 54 that generates an air flow, and causes the air in the air flow path 48 to flow toward the outflow port 47”), the air inlet port is provided at a location of the air flow path body that is, with respect to a second direction intersecting the first direction, on a side opposite to a side facing the medium transported in the first direction (Figure 2, Items 46 and 47). Washio does not disclose: the downstream transport path member is disposed at a position overlapping the heating section in a plan view from the first direction. However, Ishizuka discloses a heating block and a medium collecting part which are arranged such that the block overlaps the medium collecting part in the first direction (Figure 1, Items 27, 30, and P). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Washio to have that the heating section is disposed at a position overlapping the downstream transport path member in a plan view from the first direction to tension the medium so that conveyance to the downstream transport path member would be more stable, as taught by Ishizuka (Paragraph 54, “Because of this, the recording medium M between the heater block 27 and the recording medium collecting part 30 is held with a certain tension in a part that is the most recording medium collecting part 30 side of the contact surface 27a of the heater block 27 so that the recording medium M is conveyed with stability”). Regarding claim 2, Washio teaches, the air flow path body includes a first flow path body extending along the first direction and a second flow path body that is coupled to an upstream end section of the first flow path body in the transport direction, that extends in the second direction, and that includes the air outlet port and the heater is arranged at a portion facing both the first flow path body and the second flow path body (Figure 2, as shown below, shows a first air flow path body extending along the first direction and a second air flow path body having the outlet port coupled to an upstream end section of the first flow path body and extending in the second direction. Note that both the first and second air flow path PNG media_image1.png 769 807 media_image1.png Greyscale bodies in shown in Figure 2 are adjacent to the heater). Regarding claim 3, Washio teaches, the fan is arranged in a region inside the second flow path body and also within the first flow path body (Figure 2, as shown above, shows that the fan 50 is arranged in a region inside both the first and second flow path bodies) . Regarding claim 4, Washio teaches, the air inlet port is arranged at a position of an end section of the first flow path body on the opposite side of the second flow path body (Figure 2, Item 46). Regarding claim 5, Washio teaches, the direction in which the fan sends air is different from the direction in which air is blown out from the air outlet port (Figure 2, Items 50 and 47), PNG media_image2.png 769 807 media_image2.png Greyscale a wall section is arranged between the fan and the air outlet port, and the wall section guides the direction of air sent from the fan toward the position at which the air outlet port is arranged (Figure 2, as shown below, has a wall section between the fan and air outlet port which guides the direction of air sent from the fan toward the position at which the outlet port is arranged). Regarding claim 7, Washio does not teach that the first direction is a vertical direction. However, Ishizuka discloses that the medium is conveyed from the heating block to the medium collecting part in a vertical direction (Figure 1, Items 27, 30, and P). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify Washio to have that the first direction is a vertical direction, as taught by Ishizuka, to tension the medium so that conveyance to the downstream transport path member would be more stable, as taught by Ishizuka (Paragraph 54, “Because of this, the recording medium M between the heater block 27 and the recording medium collecting part 30 is held with a certain tension in a part that is the most recording medium collecting part 30 side of the contact surface 27a of the heater block 27 so that the recording medium M is conveyed with stability”) . 07-22-aia AIA Claim (s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Washio US 20200207121 A1 and Ishikuza US 20140055542 A1 as applied to claim 5 above, and further in view of Yoda US 20210146704 A1 . Regarding claim 6, Washio does not disclose that plural air outlet ports are arranged in a width direction intersecting the transport direction of the transport path. However, Yoda teaches a blowing device having plural air outlet ports arranged in a width direction intersecting the transport direction of the transport path (Figure 2, Items H). Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the drying device of Washio to have plural air outlet ports arranged in a width direction intersecting the transport direction to provide a uniform wind speed for discharge, as taught by Yoda (Paragraph 0043, “However, when the flow path member F having the plurality of air outlets H is disposed, gas is likely to be discharged evenly through each of the air outlets H, and hence wind speed variation can be suppressed”). Conclusion Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Rami Alshoroogi whose telephone number is (571)272-8946. The examiner can normally be reached Mon-Fri 10am-6pm. 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. /RAMI A ALSHOROOGI/ Examiner, Art Unit 2853 /DOUGLAS X RODRIGUEZ/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 2 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 3 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 4 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 5 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 6 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 7 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 8 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 9 Art Unit: 2853 Application/Control Number: 19/001,721 Page 10 Art Unit: 2853
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