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 Objections
Claim 7 is objected to because of the following informalities: please change the recitation of “the at least one ink” to “at least one ink” to correct a minor antecedent basis issue. Appropriate correction is required.
Election/Restrictions
While no restriction is required at this time, should the apparatus, ink set, and/or method claims become so divergent as to require different search strategies, Examiner reserves the right to require election of a single invention at a later point in prosecution.
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.
Claim(s) 1, 4-7, 9, and 11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1/2) as being anticipated by Suilen et al. (US 2021/0189166 A1).
Regarding claim 1:
Suilen et al. disclose a method for applying an image onto a recording medium, the method comprising:
applying an aqueous pretreatment liquid (“thermo reversible gelling primer”: paragraph 40) onto the recording medium (paragraph 27), the aqueous pretreatment liquid comprises a Zn2+ salt (paragraph 45);
applying at least one aqueous ink composition (“water-based ink”) onto the recording medium (paragraph 28), the at least one aqueous ink comprising a colorant (“pigment particles”) and a water-dispersible polyester resin (“latex particles”: paragraph 47); and
drying the recording medium (paragraph 29).
Regarding claim 4:
Suilen et al. disclose all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the at least one ink comprises a water-dispersible pigment (paragraph 50).
Regarding claim 5:
Suilen et al. disclose all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the at least one ink further comprises a co-solvent (paragraphs 40-44).
Regarding claim 6:
Suilen et al. disclose all the limitations of claim 1, and also that the drying of the ink is performed by heating the recording medium provided with the ink (paragraph 73).
Regarding claim 7:
Suilen et al. disclose a printing apparatus comprising:
a pretreatment liquid application unit for applying a pretreatment liquid (“thermo reversible gelling primer”: paragraph 68);
an ink applicator for applying at least one ink (“water-based ink” paragraph 71);
a medium support for holding the recording medium (inherent to “providing the recording medium”: paragraph 30);
a drying unit for drying the recording medium (paragraph 73);
a control unit for controlling the printing apparatus to perform the method according to claim 1 (inherent to paragraphs 27-29).
Regarding claim 9:
Suilen et al. disclose an ink set comprising an aqueous pretreatment liquid (“thermo reversible gelling primer”: paragraph 40) and at least one aqueous ink composition (“water-based ink”) comprising a colorant (“pigment particles”) and a resin (“latex”: paragraph 47), wherein the aqueous pretreatment liquid comprises a Zn+2 salt (paragraph 45) and the resin is a water-dispersible polyester resin (paragraphs 50, 60).
Regarding claim 11:
Suilen et al. disclose a method for preparing an ink set, the method including the steps of:
preparing a pretreatment liquid by:
providing a Zn+2 salt (paragraph 45);
providing an aqueous medium (paragraph 91);
mixing the Zn+2 Salt and the aqueous medium (paragraph 91 & TABLE 1);
preparing an ink composition by:
providing a water-dispersible polyester resin (paragraph 47);
providing a colorant (paragraph 47);
providing an aqueous ink medium (paragraphs 40-41);
mixing the polyester resin, the colorant, and the aqueous ink medium (TABLE 2);
combining the pretreatment liquid and the ink composition into an ink set (paragraph 14).
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) 3-4 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suilen et al. (US 2021/0189166 A1) in view of Kobayashi (US 2025/0129259 A1).
Regarding claims 3-4:
Suilen et al disclose all the limitations of claim 1, but does not expressly disclose the particular Zn+2 salt or concentration thereof.
However, Suilen et al. do also disclose that the Zn2+ salt is present in a preferrable range of 0.5 to 10wt% (paragraph 119).
Further, Kobayashi discloses a pretreatment liquid including zinc acetate dihydrate as a Zn2+ salt (paragraph 117), wherein the Zn+2 salt is present in a concentration of 0.5 to 5wt% (paragraphs 117-119).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to form Suilen et al.’s pretreatment liquid, given the molar mass of the zinc salt, to include the zinc acetate salt at a concentration of 1 mmol/L to 1.95 mol/L. For example, at 0.5wt% the concentration of zinc acetate dihydrate is approximately 0.023 mol/L.
Claim(s) 8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suilen et al. (US 2021/0189166 A1) in view of Van Rens et al. (US 2017/0066937 A1).
Regarding claim 8:
Suilen et al. disclose all the limitations of claim 7, and also that the ink applicator comprises an inkjet head (paragraph 71).
Suilen et al. do not expressly disclose that the ink applicator comprises at least one page-wide inkjet print head array.
However, Van Rens et al. disclose an ink applicator comprising at least one page-wide inkjet print head array so as to perform high-speed printing (paragraphs 195-197 & Fig. 1).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to utilize at least one page-wide inkjet print head array, such as taught by Van Rens et al., as Suilen et al.’s ink applicator.
Claim(s) 10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Suilen et al. (US 2021/0189166 A1).
Regarding claim 10:
Suilen et al. disclose all the limitations of claim 9, and also that the ink set comprises a plurality of ink compositions (paragraph 48), each comprising a colorant and a water-dispersible polyester resin (paragraph 47).
Suilen et al. do not expressly disclose the use of four aqueous ink compositions.
However, Examiner takes Official Notice that color printing often utilizes CMYK ink sets, so as to enable printing a wide variety of colors.
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Suilen et al.’s ink set to include CMYK aqueous inks.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
Yang et al. (US 2024/0336799 A1) disclose an ink set comprising an aqueous pretreatment liquid having a Zn2+ salt fixing agent (“zinc acetate” paragraph 44) in a range of e.g. 5-65 wt% (paragraph 46), and an aqueous ink composition comprising a colorant a water-dispersible polyester resin (paragraphs 71, 91).
Communication with the USPTO
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Shelby L Fidler whose telephone number is (571)272-8455. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:30am - 5pm EST.
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.
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SHELBY L. FIDLER
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/SHELBY L FIDLER/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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