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
Receipt is acknowledged of certified copies of papers required by 37 CFR 1.55.
Information Disclosure Statement
The information disclosure statement (IDS) submitted on 4/10/20/25 is in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97. Accordingly, the information disclosure statement is being considered by the examiner.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
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.
Claims 5-6 are 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.
Regarding claims 5-6:
These claims present a seemingly preferred limitation through the language “in particular.” However, it is not clear whether this preferred limitation is required by the claim. For example, is claim 5 infringed through the use of a plastic partial guide housing, OR does infringement only occur with the use of stainless steel? Similarly, does infringement of claim 6 occur through the use of an ink filling level sensor, OR does infringement occur only upon inclusion of a capacitive filing level sensor?
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) 1-4 and 9-10 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1/2) as anticipated by Camino Salinas et al. (US 2017/0313091 A1) or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Camino Salinas et al. in view of Hirashima (US 2008/0239013 A1).
Regarding claim 1:
Camino Salinas et al. disclose an arrangement for directing ink from and/or to one or more printheads of an ink jet printing system, the arrangement comprising:
one or more printheads (708: Fig. 7); and
at least one ink guiding device (fluid delivery system 200) adapted to direct ink from and/or to the one or more printheads (Fig. 7), the at least one ink guiding device comprising:
a plurality of partial guide housings (at least the “body” of each manifold 302) including a first partial guide housing (start module 702A) and a last partial guide housing (end module 702N: paragraph 27 & Fig. 7);
at least one lower connecting piece (at least one of fluid interconnectors 304) that connects underneath each partial guide housing with one or more of the print heads in an ink-guiding manner (paragraph 19 & Fig. 4);
a horizontal connector (at least one module interconnector 314) connecting the first partial guide housing at a first horizontal end in an ink-guiding manner to an ink supply and/or an ink discharge (Figs. 3-4, 7); and
a horizontal end piece (at least a dead end 502) closing the last partial guide housing at a second horizontal end (paragraph 23 & Fig. 5),
wherein each of the plurality of partial guide housings has a volume that can be filled partly with ink and partly with gas (the volume shown Fig. 5 is capable of being partially filled with ink and/or gas), an ink level height has a gas pressure being adjustable (Fig. 5),
wherein each of the plurality of partial guide housings is connected at the second horizontal end to the first horizontal end of a further partial guide housing in an ink and gas connection or is connected to the horizontal end piece (Figs. 2, 7).
In an alternative viewpoint Camino Salinas et al. do not expressly disclose that the volume is filled partly with gas.
However, Hirashima disclose an arrangement that allows for smooth removal of bubbles (paragraph 27) by comprising an ink guiding device (Fig. 9) comprising a plurality of partial guide housings (buffer tanks 221, 231), wherein each of the plurality of partial guide housings have a volume that can be filled partly with ink and partly with gas (“bubbles” / “air accumulation”), an ink level height and a gas pressure being adjustable (paragraph 27), wherein the partial guide housings are connected by an ink and gas connection (series tube 283: Fig. 9).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been at least obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to modify Camino Salinas et al.’s arrangement to allow for communication of ink and gas between partial guide housings, as taught by Hirashima.
Regarding claim 2:
Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Camino Salinas et al. also disclose that the partial guide housings are connectable to one another with seals at their horizontal ends and/or by means of seals with the horizontal connecting piece and/or by means of seals with the horizontal end piece (paragraph 20).
Regarding claim 3:
Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Camino Salinas et al. also disclose that the partial guide housings are integrally formed together (upon connection, as in Fig. 2).
Please also note that the use of a one-piece construction instead of a modular structure is merely a matter of obvious engineering choice. In re Larson, 340 F.2d 965, 968, 144 USPQ 347, 349 (CCPA 1965). See also MPEP 2144.04.
Regarding claim 4:
Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Camino Salinas et al. also disclose that the partial guide housings have a parallelepiped shape in which a horizontal width dimension is smaller than a vertical dimension (Figs. 3-4).
Regarding claim 9:
Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Camino Salinas et al. also disclose that the at least one lower connecting piece of each partial guide housing connects ink guiding with two print heads (Fig. 7).
Regarding claim 10:
Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement comprises all the limitations of claim 1, and Camino Salinas et al. also disclose that the assembly is comprised in a system for printing ink on a recording medium (“printer”: Fig. 7).
Claim(s) 7-8 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1/2) as anticipated by Camino Salinas et al. (US 2017/0313091 A1) or, in the alternative, under 35 U.S.C. 103 as obvious over Camino Salinas et al. in view of Hirashima (US 2008/0239013 A1).
Regarding claim 7:
Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement comprises all the limitations of claim 1, but do not expressly disclose that the ink guiding device comprises one or more sensors for determining a gas pressure.
However, Hirashima disclose an ink guiding device (Fig. 1) comprising a sensor (126) for determining a gas pressure (paragraph 23 & Fig. 2), so as to enable control of gas pressure (paragraph 23).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to pressure controls, such as those taught by Hirashima, into Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement.
Regarding claim 8:
Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement comprises all the limitations of claim 1, but do not expressly disclose a proportional valve.
However, Hirashima dislcose an ink guiding device (Fig. 1) that is configured as an ink supply having a horizontal connecting piece (branch line 140) connected in ink-guiding manner to a proportional valve (128) configured to control an ink passage speed in dependence on the gas pressure (paragraphs 23-24), so as to maintain pressure within a predetermined range (paragraphs 23-24).
Therefore, before the effective filing date of invention, it would have been obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art to include pressure controls, such as those taught by Hirashima, into Camino Salinas et al.’s modified arrangement.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure:
US 2014/0063141 A1 disclose an arrangement comprising a plurality of serially connected printhead manifolds, the manifolds being connected by joints (Fig. 16).
US 2010/0253742 A1 disclose an arrangement comprising an ink guiding device (manifold 108) that may be formed of a plurality of modules (paragraph 41).
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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