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 07 February 2025 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.
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1-3, 7-8, 10, and 12 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Owaki (JP 2007190685.)
Regarding claim 1,
Owaki discloses a liquid jet head [200 in figs. 1-8] comprising:
a base member [210 and 254 together form a base; see figs. 6-7; paragraph 0047];
a jet module [220 in figs. 2-8] mounted on the base member and configured to jet a liquid [paragraph 0047];
a nozzle plate [20 in figs. 2-8] provided with a nozzle hole [21 in fig. 3] configured to jet the liquid [paragraph 0026];
a nozzle guard [240 in figs. 6-7] made of metal and configured to protect the nozzle plate [paragraph 0032; as seen in figs. 6-7]; and
a conductive part [248 in figs. 6-7] which has conductivity, which is electrically coupled to the jet module and the nozzle guard via the base member [via base member 254; as seen in fig. 7], and which is configured to couple the nozzle guard to a frame ground [paragraphs 0047-0049.]
Regarding claim 2,
Owaki further discloses wherein the conductive part is fixed outside the jet module [as seen in figs. 6-7.]
Regarding claim 3,
Owaki further discloses wherein the conductive part is fixed on a side surface in a longitudinal direction of the jet module [as seen in figs. 6-7.]
Regarding claim 7,
Owaki further discloses wherein at least a corner portion of the nozzle guard includes a drawn part to which drawing processing is applied [by pressing a metal plate; paragraph 0032.]
Regarding claim 8,
Owaki further discloses wherein a side surface portion of the nozzle guard has a bent part to which bending processing is applied [as seen in fig. 6.]
Regarding claim 10,
Owaki further discloses wherein the conductive part is formed of a same member as, and integrally with, the side surface portion of the nozzle guard [as seen in figs. 6-7.]
Regarding claim 12,
Owaki further discloses a liquid jet recording apparatus [1 in fig. 1] comprising the liquid jet head according to claim 1 [see rejection above.]
Claims 1 and 4-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Okui et al. (US 2018/0297362 – hereinafter Okui.)
Regarding claim 1,
Okui discloses a liquid jet head comprising:
a base member [300 in figs. 5 and 8; paragraph 0084];
a jet module [100 in fig. 3] mounted on the base member and configured to jet a liquid [paragraph 0048];
a nozzle plate [20 in fig. 4] provided with a nozzle hole [21 in fig. 4] configured to jet the liquid [paragraph 0054];
a nozzle guard [200 in fig. 3] made of metal and configured to protect the nozzle plate [paragraph 0073]; and
a conductive part [210 in figs. 5 and 8] which has conductivity, which is electrically coupled to the jet module and the nozzle guard via the base member [as seen in figs. 3, 5, and 8], and which is configured to couple the nozzle guard to a frame ground [paragraph 0097.]
Regarding claim 4,
Okui further discloses wherein the conductive part is fixed with a screw [613 in fig. 8; paragraph 0105.]
Regarding claim 5,
Okui further discloses wherein the conductive part is fixed to a same member as a grounded portion of a drive board for the jet module [cover 200, base 300, and wiring boards 111 and 123 of the jet module 100 are connected to circuit board 310, which is grounded; paragraphs 0096-0097.]
Regarding claim 6,
Okui further discloses wherein the base member is provided with an opening part through which the conductive part passes [the screw 613 can be considered a part of the conductive part that is inserted into a hole in the base 300.]
Claims 1 and 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Suzuki et al. (JP H11207979 – hereinafter Suzuki.)
Regarding claim 1,
Suzuki discloses a liquid jet head comprising:
a base member [6 in figs. 2-3; paragraph 0012];
a jet module [25 in fig. 2] mounted on the base member and configured to jet a liquid [paragraph 0012];
a nozzle plate [20 in fig. 2] provided with a nozzle hole [20a in figs. 2-3] configured to jet the liquid [paragraph 0012];
a nozzle guard [35 in fig. 2] made of metal and configured to protect the nozzle plate [paragraph 0003]; and
a conductive part [39 in fig. 4] which has conductivity, which is electrically coupled to the jet module and the nozzle guard via the base member, and which is configured to couple the nozzle guard to a frame ground [paragraphs 0003 and 0014.]
Regarding claim 7,
Suzuki further discloses wherein at least a corner portion of the nozzle guard includes a drawn part to which drawing processing is applied [as seen in fig. 2.]
Regarding claim 8,
Suzuki further discloses wherein a side surface portion of the nozzle guard has a bent part to which bending processing is applied [as seen in fig. 2.]
Regarding claim 9,
Suzuki further discloses wherein a cutout is formed on a boundary between the drawn part and the bent part of the nozzle guard [as seen in fig. 2.]
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 11 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 11,
The primary reason for allowance for this claim is the inclusion of the limitations of claims 1, 7-8, and 10, further comprising: wherein the conductive part is fixed outside the jet module in a portion extending straight from the nozzle guard toward above the base member.
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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