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 01/10/2025 was filed. The submission is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(d):
(d) REFERENCE IN DEPENDENT FORMS.—Subject to subsection (e), a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
The following is a quotation of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, fourth paragraph:
Subject to the following paragraph [i.e., the fifth paragraph of pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112], a claim in dependent form shall contain a reference to a claim previously set forth and then specify a further limitation of the subject matter claimed. A claim in dependent form shall be construed to incorporate by reference all the limitations of the claim to which it refers.
Claims 8 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(d) or pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, 4th paragraph, as being of improper dependent form for failing to further limit the subject matter of the claim upon which it depends, or for failing to include all the limitations of the claim upon which it depends.
Regarding claim 8, there is no limitation within the body of the claim that further limits claim 1.
Applicant may cancel the claim(s), amend the claim(s) to place the claim(s) in proper dependent form, rewrite the claim(s) in independent form, or present a sufficient showing that the dependent claim(s) complies with the statutory requirements.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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 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) 1-9 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Nitta et al. (JP 2010074101 A) in view of Okushima et al. (US 20170197420 A1) and Yamashita (JP 2017144672 A).
Nitta discloses the following limitations:
Regarding claim 1, a flexible board (“flexible printed wiring board 13”, Figure 3) configured to output a drive signal (“printing apparatus outputs a print signal to the printed wiring board 15 via the flexible printed wiring board 13.”) to be applied to a liquid jet head (“inkjet head 12”, Figure 1) having a plurality of nozzles (“plurality of nozzles 23”, Figure 2), the flexible board comprising:
a drive device or a plurality of drive devices (“drive elements” paragraph [0018]) which are disposed on a board surface, and which is configured to generate the drive signal configured to jet a liquid from the nozzles (Paragraph [0018] describes how the “drive elements” are provided on both sides of the “pressure chamber 14A” and a side of each “flexible wiring board 13” since the “drive elements” connect and send signals from the “flexible wiring board 13” to the “printed wiring board 15” as described in paragraph [0022].);
a reinforcing plate (“reinforcing conductor pattern 36”, Figure 6), and which is configured to adjust a thickness of the board surface (Figure 6 displays how the “reinforcing conductor pattern 36” includes the “dummy wiring 42” that is used to add to the “reinforcing conductor); and
a stress relaxation part (“second conductor pattern 52”, Figure 6) which is disposed in a vicinity of a second end portion at an opposite side to the first end portion in the reinforcing plate, and which is configured to relax stress generated when the flexible board bends (Figure 6 displays how the “second conductor pattern 52” is located at the opposite end from the “reinforcing conductor pattern 36” of the “reinforcing plate 37” and helps “disperse the stress” from concentrating as described in paragraphs [0035] and [0039].).
Regarding claim 2, the flexible board according to claim 1, wherein a reinforcing pattern (“reinforcing conductor pattern 36”, Figure 6) as the stress relaxation part (“second conductor pattern 52”, Figure 6) is disposed so as to straddle the second end portion of the reinforcing plate on the board surface (Figure 6 displays how the “second conductor pattern 52” is in contact with, or “straddle”, the “reinforcing plate 37”).
Regarding claim 3, the flexible board according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing pattern (“reinforcing conductor pattern 36”, Figure 6).
Regarding claim 5, the flexible board according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing pattern (“reinforcing conductor pattern 36”, Figure 6).
Regarding claim 6, the flexible board according to claim 1, wherein the second end portion of the reinforcing plate (“second conductor pattern 52”, Figure 6) is formed of a nonlinear shape which functions as the stress relaxation part (Figure 6 displays how the “second conductor pattern 52” is shaped in a nonlinear “crescent” shape.).
Regarding claim 8, a liquid jet head (“inkjet head 12”, Figure 1) comprising: the flexible board (“flexible printed wiring board 13”, Figure 3) according to claim 1; and a jet section (“head main body 14”, Figure 2) which includes the plurality of nozzles (“plurality of nozzles 23”, Figure 2) configured to jet the liquid based on the drive signal output from the flexible board (Paragraph [0022] describes how the “printed wiring board 15” receives a “print signal” from the “flexible wiring board 13”.).
Regarding claim 9, a liquid jet recording apparatus (Paragraph [0015] describes a “liquid circulation type printing apparatus”) comprising the liquid jet head (“inkjet head 12”, Figure 1) according to claim 8.
Nitta fails to teach the following limitations:
Regarding claim 1, a terminal section as a portion which is disposed in an end-portion region of the board surface, and which is inserted into a connector on another board and a reinforcing plate which is disposed including the terminal section at a first end portion side on the board surface.
Regarding claim 3, wherein the reinforcing pattern is formed using a power supply wiring pattern or a ground wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device.
Regarding claim 4, wherein a wide portion relatively wider in wiring width is provided in a signal wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device, and the reinforcing pattern is formed using the wide portion in the signal wiring pattern.
Regarding claim 5, wherein the reinforcing pattern is formed using a dedicated pattern different from a wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device
Regarding claim 7, the flexible board according to claim 6, wherein the nonlinear shape is a corrugated shape.
Okushima teaches the following limitations:
Regarding claim 1, a terminal section (“terminal 341” Figure 35B) as a portion which is disposed in an end-portion region of the board surface (Figure 35B displays the “terminal 341” is disposed on the end of the “flexible board 40” as described in paragraph [0251].), and which is inserted into a connector (“terminals 316”, Figure 35B) on another board (“print element board 310”, Figure 35B).
Therefore, it would be obvious for someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the flexible board taught by Nitta to also apply a terminal section as a portion which is disposed in an end-portion region of the board surface, and which is inserted into a connector on another board taught by Okushima. This would have been done for the for the purpose of electrically connect the flexible circuit board to another board (Okushima, paragraph [0251]).
Yamashita teaches the following limitations:
Regarding claim 1, a reinforcing plate (“conductive portion 75”, Figure 5) which is disposed including the terminal section (“input terminals 60 and 61”, Figure 6) at a first end portion side on the board surface (Figures 5 and 6 how the “conductive portion 75”, also acknowledged as the “power supply line 67”, is located at the far-right end of the “flexible substrate 51” which is connected to the “control device 6” of the “printer 1”.).
Therefore, it would be obvious for someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the flexible board taught by Nitta to also apply a reinforcing plate which is disposed including the terminal section at a first end portion side on the board surface taught by Yamashita. This would have been done for the for the purpose of connecting to the control device that drives the inkjet head (Yamashita, paragraphs [0016] and [0041]).
Regarding claim 3, the flexible board according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing pattern (“conductive portion 75”, Figure 5) is formed using a power supply wiring pattern or a ground wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device (Paragraph [0052] describes how the “conductive portion 75”, for substrate reinforcement, is the “power supply line 67” and supplies voltages to the “driving IC 52”.).
Therefore, it would be obvious for someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the flexible board taught by Nitta to also apply wherein the reinforcing pattern is formed using a dedicated pattern different from a wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device taught by Yamashita. This would have been done for the for the purpose of supplying power to the drive IC (Yamashita, paragraph [0052]).
Regarding claim 4, the flexible board according to claim 2, wherein a wide portion relatively wider in wiring width is provided in a signal wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device (Figure 6 displays how the “power supply line 67”, for supplying power to the “drive IC 52”, is thicker than the “input wiring 65” and “output wiring 66”.), and the reinforcing pattern is formed using the wide portion in the signal wiring pattern (Paragraph [0052] describes how the “conductive portion 75”, for substrate reinforcement, is the “power supply line 67” and supplies voltages to the “driving IC 52”.).
Therefore, it would be obvious for someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the flexible board taught by Nitta to also apply wherein the reinforcing pattern is formed using a power supply wiring pattern or a ground wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device taught by Yamashita. This would have been done for the purpose of reinforcing the power supply (Yamashita, paragraph [0054]).
Regarding claim 5, the flexible board according to claim 2, wherein the reinforcing pattern is formed using a dedicated pattern different from a wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device (Paragraph [0051] describes how the “power supply line 67”, which includes the “conductive portion 75” for substrate reinforcement, is a wiring different from the “input wiring 65” and the “output wiring 66”).
Therefore, it would be obvious for someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the flexible board taught by Nitta to also apply wherein the reinforcing pattern is formed using a power supply wiring pattern or a ground wiring pattern to be electrically coupled to the drive device taught by Yamashita. This would have been done for the purpose of reinforcing supply power line (Yamashita, paragraph [0051]).
Regarding claim 7, the flexible board according to claim 6, wherein the nonlinear shape is a corrugated shape (Figure 6 displays how the “conductive portion 75”, for substrate reinforcement, which includes the “three wiring portions 67a” that extend outward and are connected to the “connection portion 67b”. The “three wiring portions 67a” are spaced apart. This causes the wire shape of the reinforced “conductive portion 75” to be similar to a corrugated shape.).
Therefore, it would be obvious for someone with ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the flexible board taught by Nitta to also apply wherein the nonlinear shape is a corrugated shape taught by Yamashita. This would have been done for the purpose of manufacturing preference.
Conclusion
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/N.D.Q./Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/RICARDO I MAGALLANES/Supervisor Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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