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 03 March 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 1-5 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1)/(a)(2) as being anticipated by Park et al. (US 2025/0074059 – hereinafter Park.)
Regarding claim 1,
Park discloses an inkjet recording apparatus [100 in fig. 1], comprising:
a recording head [100 in fig. 1] that includes an ink ejection surface having openings of nozzles [110 in fig. 2] for ejecting ink onto a recording medium [paragraph 0038];
a cap [210 in figs. 1-2] that is attachable to and detachable from the ink ejection surface and caps the ink ejection surface [paragraphs 0052-0053 and 0056-0057];
a cleaning liquid supply portion [400 in figs. 4A-4B] that supplies a cleaning liquid [‘CL’ in fig. 2] to a closed space between the ink ejection surface and the cap [as seen in figs. 1-2; paragraphs 0062, 0065, 0070 and 0079];
a supply port [211 in fig. 2] that is provided in the cap so that the cleaning liquid flows therethrough into an inside of the cap [paragraphs 0070 and 0097]; and
a liquid level adjusting portion [part of controller 610 in figs. 8A-8B] that adjusts a liquid level of the cleaning liquid in the closed space so that a liquid surface of the cleaning liquid stored in the closed space contacts the ink ejection surface and so that the cleaning liquid is prevented from leaking out of the closed space [paragraphs 0065 and 0138-0153; as seen in figs. 8A-8B.]
Regarding claim 2,
Park further discloses wherein the liquid level adjusting portion has an overflow port [path through which the liquid overflowing from cap 210 enters tray 230 in fig. 9] that is arranged above a height level of the ink ejection surface in the cap [implicit from figs. 2 (which shows positioning of the head when attached to the cap) and 9] and through which the cleaning liquid in the closed space overflows [paragraphs 0156-0160.]
Regarding claim 3,
Park further discloses the inkjet recording apparatus further comprising:
a supply pump [410 in figs. 4A-4B and 6] that is provided in the cleaning liquid supply portion and delivers the cleaning liquid toward the closed space [paragraph 0081];
a control portion [610 in figs. 8A-8B] that controls an operation of the supply pump [paragraph 0084],
wherein
the liquid level adjusting portion [500 (which includes electrodes 510/520) in figs. 8A-8B] includes a liquid level sensor that senses the liquid level of the cleaning liquid in the closed space [paragraphs 0082 and 0142-153], and
based on a sensed value obtained by the liquid level sensor, the control portion controls the supply pump so that the liquid surface of the cleaning liquid contacts the ink ejection surface [paragraphs 0082-0086.]
Regarding claim 4,
Park further discloses wherein the liquid level sensor is provided at the cap [as seen in figs. 8A-8B.]
Regarding claim 5,
Park further discloses wherein the liquid level sensor is provided at the recording head [paragraph 0083.]
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
Wanibe (JP 2017-128010) discloses an inkjet recording apparatus [1 in fig. 1], comprising:
a recording head [6 in fig. 1] that includes an ink ejection surface having openings of nozzles for ejecting ink onto a recording medium [paragraph 0024]; a cap [7 in fig. 1] that is attachable to and detachable from the ink ejection surface and caps the ink ejection surface [paragraph 0025]; a cleaning liquid supply portion [3 in fig. 1] that supplies a cleaning liquid to a closed space between the ink ejection surface and the cap [paragraphs 0025-0026]; a supply port [15 in fig. 1] that is provided in the cap so that the cleaning liquid flows therethrough into an inside of the cap [paragraphs 0025-0026]; and a liquid level adjusting portion that adjusts a liquid level of the cleaning liquid in the closed space so that a liquid surface of the cleaning liquid stored in the closed space contacts the ink ejection surface and so that the cleaning liquid is prevented from leaking out of the closed space [paragraphs 0025 and 0050.]
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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