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 .
Priority
Acknowledgment is made of applicant’s claim for foreign priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 (a)-(d). The certified copy has been received.
Information Disclosure Statement
The Information Disclosure Statement (IDS) submitted on 11 February 2025 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the Information Disclosure Statement has been considered by the Examiner.
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.
The factual inquiries for establishing a background for determining obviousness under 35 U.S.C. 103 are summarized as follows:
1. Determining the scope and contents of the prior art.
2. Ascertaining the differences between the prior art and the claims at issue.
3. Resolving the level of ordinary skill in the pertinent art.
4. Considering objective evidence present in the application indicating obviousness or nonobviousness.
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.
Claims 1-3 & 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over AKITA et al. (US 2020/0009870 A1) in view of Yamaguchi (US 2009/0289993 A1).
As related to independent claim 1, AKITA et al. teaches a maintenance device comprising: a frame body which stores a cleaning liquid (AKITA et al. – Page 3, Paragraphs 42-47 and Figure 5, shown below); a pressing roller which is exposed upward from the frame body and pressed against a nozzle surface of an inkjet head (AKITA et al. – Page 3, Paragraphs 50-52 and Figure 5, Reference #41 & #20a, shown below).
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Continuing with claim 1, AKITA et al. teaches the cleaning roller immersed in the cleaning liquid can be replaced with a cleaning belt, which would include a counter roller and an endless belt (AKITA et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 5-9). Meanwhile, Yamaguchi teaches a maintenance device comprising: a frame body, a pressing roller which is exposed upward from the frame body and pressed against a nozzle surface of an inkjet head (Yamaguchi – Page 3, Paragraphs 45 & 48; Page 5, Paragraphs 64-67; and Figures 4B and 5, Reference #42, shown below) and specifically teaches a counter roller which is provided below the pressing roller; an endless belt-like member which is wound around the pressing roller and the counter roller; and a driving part which circulates the belt-like member (Yamaguchi – Page 3, Paragraphs 45 & 48; Page 5, Paragraphs 64-67 & 74-75; and Figures 4B, 5, &6A Reference #42a, #42b, #41, & #46, shown below).
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It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to modify the maintenance device of AKITA et al. with the depicted endless belt-like member of the maintenance device of Yamaguchi in an effort to provide an example of the design choice of cleaning units as depicted by AKITA et al. and provide a head cleaning device capable of stably maintaining wiping performance of a nozzle surface and ensure cleaning capability (AKITA et al. – Page 1, Paragraphs 8-9 and Yamaguchi – Page 1, Paragraphs 2 & 4).
As related to dependent claim 2, the combination of AKITA et al. and Yamaguchi remains as applied above and continues to teach a sliding device which relatively slides the pressure roller and the inkjet head parallel to the nozzle surface (AKITA et al. – Page 3, Paragraph 50; Page 4, Paragraph 71 – Page 5, Paragraph 76 and Figures 6-8, shown below and Yamaguchi – Page 5, Paragraphs 64-67 and Figure 5, shown above).
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As related to dependent claim 3, the combination of AKITA et al. and Yamaguchi remains as applied above and continues to teach a replacement means which replaces the cleaning liquid (AKITA et al. – Page 4, Paragraphs 66 & 68 and Figure 5, Reference #45 & #46, shown above).
As related to dependent claim 6, the combination of AKITA et al. and Yamaguchi remains as applied above and continues to teach an inkjet recording apparatus comprising the inkjet head, and the maintenance device (AKITA et al. – Page 1, Paragraph 3 & Figure 5, shown above and Yamaguchi – Page 1, Paragraph 2 & Figure 5, shown above).
Claims 4 & 5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over the combination of AKITA et al. (US 2020/0009870 A1) and Yamaguchi (US 2009/0289993 A1) and further in view of Steinfield et al. (US 6,692,100 B2).
As related to dependent claim 4, the combination of AKITA et al. and Yamaguchi remains as applied above and continues to teach a cleaner [i.e. throttle member] which holds the belt-like member between the counter roller and the cleaner (AKITA et al. – Page 4, Paragraph 59, and Figure 5, Reference #43). Given the combination teaching an endless belt with a counter roller, the throttle member of AKITA et al. would function as a cleaner. Meanwhile, Steinfield et al. teaches a maintenance device with a pressing roller and a counter roller and further teaches a cleaner that specifically holds the belt-like member between the counter roller and the cleaner (Steinfield et al. – Figure 7, Reference #290, #250, #260, & #240, shown below). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to specify the cleaner of the combination of AKITA et al. and Yamaguchi holds the belt-like member between the counter roller and the cleaner as taught by Steinfield et al. in an effort to ensure the amount of cleaning liquid is appropriate (AKITA et al. – Page 4, Paragraph 60) and cleaning the print head (Steinfield et al. – Column 2, Lines 62-65).
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As related to dependent claim 5, the combination of AKITA et al., Yamaguchi, and Steinfield et al. remains for the reasons indicated above and continues to teach the pressing roller is disposed on a rear side of the counter roller on the basis of a forward moving direction of the belt-like member below the counter roller (Steinfield et al. – Figure 7, Reference #290 & #250, shown above).
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. YAMAGUCHI (US 2010/0201741 A1) teaches a maintenance device with a pressing roller and a counter roller and an endless belt-like member between. YAMAGUCHI et al. (US 2010/0201738 A1) teaches a maintenance device with a pressing roller and a counter roller and an endless belt-like member between which slides relative to the head. INOUE (US 2010/0245466 A1) teaches a movable cleaning section with a cleaning liquid supply. HARA et al. (US 2015/0124023 A1) teaches a maintenance device comprising a pressure roller and the device is slid relative to the head. TAKAHASHI et al. (US 2018/0208783 A1) teaches a maintenance device with a pressing roller/belt for cleaning liquid application. SATO et al. (US 2018/0264821 A1) teaches a maintenance device with a pressing roller/belt for cleaning liquid application which slides relative to the head. ATAKE (US 2019/0283430 A1) teaches a maintenance device with a pressing roller/belt for cleaning liquid application. Mizutani et al. (US 11,654,685 B2) teaches a maintenance method using a pressing roller to apply maintenance liquid to the nozzle surface of an inkjet head. Chidate (US 12,115,791 B2) teaches a maintenance device with a pressing roller/belt. Takahashi et al. (US 12,636,890 B2) teaches a maintenance device with a pressure roller which is pressed against a nozzle surface.
Examiner's Note: Examiner has cited particular Figures & Reference Numbers, Columns, Paragraphs and Line Numbers in the references as applied to the claims above for the convenience of the applicant. Although the specified citations are representative of the teachings of the art and are applied to the specific limitations within the individual claim, other passages and figures may apply as well. It is respectfully requested from the applicant in preparing responses, to fully consider the references in their entirety as potentially teaching all or part of the claimed invention, as well as the context of the passage as taught by the prior art or disclosed by the Examiner.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the Examiner should be directed to JOHN P ZIMMERMANN whose telephone number is (571)270-3049. The Examiner can normally be reached Monday-Thursday 0700-1730 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, 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.
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/John P Zimmermann/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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