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 § 112
2. The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
3. Claim 13 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Examiner is unsure as to how a circulation pump provides liquid from the supply channel into the pressure chamber… the liquid has to have a passage out of the pump. A pump only supplies or pumps fluid to another device or element, however a passageway in necessary for the fluid or liquid to be supplied/pumped to another device or element. In other words how does a circulation pump capable of supplying liquid to another device or element, when it can only pump.
Claims 14-16 are rejected due to their dependency on claim 13.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Claim(s) 12 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Arimura et al. (US 2020/0070521).
Arimura et al. discloses the following claimed limitations:
* Re clm 12, a liquid ejection apparatus/11/ (para 0055, figs 1-4);
* a liquid ejection head/12/ including: an ejection element/24// configured to generate a pressure for ejecting a liquid in a pressure chamber/20/ (paras 0051- 0055, figs 1-4);
* a supply channel/27/ through which the liquid is supplied to the pressure chamber/20/ (paras 0051- 0055, fig 4);
* a collection channel/281, 282/ connected to the supply channel through the pressure chamber and through which the liquid is collected from the pressure chamber (paras 0051- 0061, fig 4);
* a circulation pump/29/ capable of supplying the liquid from the supply channel/27/ into the pressure chamber/20/, and collecting the liquid in the pressure chamber through the collection channel/281, 282/ and sending the liquid to the supply channel/27/ (paras 0051-0061, figs 1-4);
* an outlet channel/flow path coming out of the circulation pump/29/ prior to first on off valve/ 283// for discharging liquid from the circulation pump/29/ (paras 0051- 0061, figs 1-4);
* a first pressure adjustment unit/43,47, fig 4/ disposed between the outlet channel and the supply channel/27/ and configured to adjust a pressure in the supply channel/27/, and (paras 0051- 0061, 0067-0071, figs 1 4);
* a carriage/124/ for mounting the liquid ejection head/liquid ejecting portions 12/ (para 0032, figs 1-2);
* wherein the liquid ejection apparatus/11/ causes the carriage/124/ to scan in a main scanning direction (para 0032, figs 1-2).
Allowable Subject Matter
7. Claim 13 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
8. Claims 1-6, 10 & 11 are allowed.
9. The primary reason for allowance of claims 1-6, 10 & 11 is the inclusion of the limitations of a liquid ejection head that includes wherein the first pressure adjustment unit includes: a valve chamber, a pressure control chamber, an opening through which the valve chamber and the pressure control chamber communicate with each other, and a valve configured to be capable of opening and closing the opening, a surface of the pressure control chamber is formed of a flexible member configured to be displaceable, the pressure control chamber includes: a pressing plate capable of being displaced in conjunction with the flexible member, and a biasing member which biases the pressing plate in a direction in which a volume of the pressure control chamber increases, and the pressure control chamber is configured to be capable of opening and closing the valve according to displacement of the pressing plate and the flexible member. It is these limitations found in the claims, as they are is claimed in the combination of that has not been found, taught or suggested by the prior art of record, which makes these claims allowable over the prior art.
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure and prior art fails to explicitly teach all limitations and/or not combinable to meet the claimed invention. Okina (US 2015/0130872) discloses a apparatus having a pressurizing mechanism that discharges the liquid from a nozzle by pressurizing the liquid inside the supply flow path. A pressure reducing mechanism discharges the liquid from the nozzle by reducing a pressure of a space communicating with a side opposite to a side of the supply flow path of the nozzle.
Conclusion
10. Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to KRISTAL FEGGINS whose telephone number is (571)272-2254. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 930-530pm.
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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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/KRISTAL FEGGINS/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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