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 .
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) 1-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mataki (# US 2021/0291551).
Mataki discloses:
1. An image recording method (see Abstract) comprising:
recording a white image by applying a white ink (see Abstract); comprising water ([0226]) and a white pigment (titanium oxide; [0222]) onto one surface of a non-permeable substrate by an ink jet method (impermeable medium, element: 12, figure: 1); and
winding the non-permeable substrate on which the white image is recorded in a state where a tension is applied ([0020]; [0030]-[0035]; [0103]-[0104]),
2. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the recording further comprises recording a colored image by applying a colored ink comprising water ([0226]) and a coloring pigment ([0221]) onto the one surface of the non-permeable substrate by an ink jet method (see Abstract)
3. The image recording method according to claim 2, wherein the colored image is recorded before the white image so that the colored image is disposed between the one surface of the non-permeable substrate and the white image ([0072]-[0101]).
5. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the P is 30 to 150 (tension; 49 N/m2; [0104]).
7. The image recording method according to claim 1, further comprising:
before the recording, applying a pretreatment liquid ([0108]) comprising water ([0111]) and an aggregating agent onto the one surface of the non-permeable substrate ([0112]-[0121]),
wherein, the recording comprises applying the white ink onto a region on the one surface onto which the pretreatment liquid has been applied, to record the white image ([0072]-[0111]).
8. An image recording apparatus (see figure: 1) for use in the image recording method according to claim 1, the apparatus comprising:
a recording unit that comprises an ink jet head for applying the white ink (element: 46, figure: 1) onto the one surface of the non-permeable substrate (element: 12, figure: 1), and
performs the recording of the white image on the one surface of the non-permeable substrate (figure: 1); and
a winding unit that comprises a winding device that winds the non-permeable substrate on which the white image has been recorded in a state where a tension is applied (winding roller, element: 16, figure: 1) and performs the winding.
Mataki explicitly did not discloses:
1. wherein, with the proviso that a surface energy difference between the other surface of the non-permeable substrate and a surface of the white image is represented by ΔE in units of mJ/m.sup.2 and the tension is represented by P in units of N/m, a ΔE/P ratio, which is a value obtained by dividing ΔE by P, is 0.06 to 0.60.
4. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ΔE is 5.0 to 25.0.
6. The image recording method according to claim 1, wherein the ΔE/P ratio is 0.10 to 0.50.
8. wherein the ΔE/P ratio is 0.06 to 0.60.
However, Mataki teaches the same non permeable substrate and same white ink as applicant discloses in their own specification, and surface energy is property of medium, which is constant to material. Therefore, the surface energy difference between the other surface of the non-permeable substrate and a surface of the white image is represented by ΔE in units of mJ/m.sup.2 and the tension is represented by P in units of N/m, a ΔE/P ratio obviously have the value obtained by dividing ΔE by P, is 0.06 to 0.60; ΔE is 5.0 to 25.0 and the ΔE/P ratio is 0.10 to 0.50.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
(1) Yamanobe (# US 2009/0153613) discloses the inkjet recording apparatus (10) for recording an image onto a medium using an ink containing a coloring material, comprises a device for depositing a first treatment agent, which has a function of suppressing permeation of liquid into the recording medium, onto the recording medium, a device for depositing a second treatment agent, which has a function of aggregating the coloring material contained in the ink and a function of increasing viscosity of the ink, onto the recording medium, and an image processing device, which converts input image data into dot data (see Abstract).
(2) Asakawa et al. (# US 2021/0017414) discloses A printing method for printing a printing medium includes a non-white ink application step of applying an aqueous non-white ink composition containing a non-white coloring material onto the printing medium, and a white ink application step of applying an aqueous white ink composition containing a white coloring material onto the non-white ink composition on the printing medium to form a superimposed region. The non-white ink composition and the white ink composition each have an organic solvent content limited to 15% or less relative to the total mass of the corresponding ink composition. The mass ratio of the white ink composition to the non-white ink composition in the superimposed region is 1.5 or more in a portion to which the non-white ink composition is applied in an amount largest in the superimposed region. (see Abstract).
(3) Asakawa et al. (# US 2021/0024767) discloses a printing method for printing a printing medium whose printed side will be laminated after being printed. The printing method includes a non-white ink application step of applying an aqueous non-white ink composition containing a non-white coloring material onto the printing medium, a white ink application step of applying an aqueous white ink composition containing a white coloring material onto the non-white ink composition on the printing medium, and a clear ink application step of applying a clear ink composition containing a resin onto the white ink composition on the printing medium (see Abstract).
(4) Spevak et al. (# US 2006/0158481) discloses a printing apparatus having an array of printheads arranged along a single printhead axis, and capable of printing images and a coating layer on the substrate during a single printing operation. The coating layer can comprise a specialized printing fluid such as a layer of substantially white ink. The apparatus can perform a pre-coat printing operation, in which the coating layer is deposited first on the substrate, and the image is then printed over the coating layer. The apparatus can also perform a post-coat printing operation, in which the image is first printed onto the substrate, and the coating layer is then deposited over the image. The printhead array includes at least one printhead for printing inks to form the images, and at least one printhead for printing a specialized fluid to form the coating layer. Depending on the printing mode, a controller allocates certain nozzles of the array for printing inks and certain nozzles for printing the specialized fluid. As each section of a substrate advances under the array, it first receives a coating layer, and then an image layer; or it first receives an image layer and then a coating layer. The invention is particularly advantageous for printing on non-white and transparent substrates, as well as for printing backlit signs (see Abstract).
(5) Yoshida (# US 2009/0244605) discloses the method involves printing an image in area included in a print area, and printing another image e.g. white image, in another area that is included in the print area and located on a downstream side of the former area in transport direction based on image data that includes the images as printing targets by using a printing unit. The former image that is printed on the former area is transmitted to the latter area by using a transport unit (10), and printing material i.e. tag, is printed on the former image (see Abstract).
(6) Okuda et al. (# US 2015/0054883) discloses an ink set comprises a reaction liquid containing coagulant, ink (A) containing a color material, and an ink (B) containing a color material. The ink set is provided for recording on a non-absorptive recording medium or a low-absorptive recording medium and for sequentially imparting the reaction liquid, the ink (A) and the ink (B) to the recording medium in a superimposed manner (see Abstract).
(7) Goi (# US 2017/0021641) discloses the active-light-ray-curable inkjet white ink according to the present invention, the ink including a pigment, a dispersing agent, a wax, a photopolymerizable compound, and a photopolymerization initiator, and being capable of a sol-gel phase transition by a temperature change, the pigment including titanium dioxide surface-coated with alumina, the content of the titanium dioxide being 10% by mass to 15% by mass of the total mass of the ink, the ink including sodium ions in a mass ratio of 200 ppm or lower with respect to the pigment, and the dispersing agent including a comb-shaped block copolymer having a tertiary amine group, even when titanium dioxide is used as the pigment, the viscosity of the ink can be restrained from increasing, luster equivalent to that of another color is obtained, and clogging of a recording head for ink discharge is reduced (see Abstract).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANISH S SHAH whose telephone number is (571)272-2152. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-4:00pm.
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, Ricardo Magallanes can be reached at 571-272-5960. 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.
MANISH S. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/Manish S Shah/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
Prosecution Insights