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 March 13, 2025 was filed 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 § 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.
Claims 1, 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Wakayama (US 20130135426 A1).
Regarding claim 1, Wakayama teaches a printing device on which a colorimeter that measures color of an image is mounted, the printing device comprising: a printing section that prints the image on a medium (fig. 1; printing unit 3, sheet S; ¶[0023], [0025]); a mounting section that mounts the colorimeter (fig. 7A; housing 20, presser plate 21, reference plate 25, guide rail 30, rotation shaft 51; ¶[0034], [0038], [0040]-[0041]); and a movement mechanism that moves the mounting section toward and away from the medium (figs. 7A-B; rotation shaft 51, movement mechanism 55, elevating motor 56; ¶[0041]), wherein the mounting section includes an accommodation member that accommodates the colorimeter (fig. 7A; carriage 33; ¶[0034]), and a pressing member that is attached to the accommodation member and that presses the colorimeter so as to approach the medium (fig. 7A; spring member 38; ¶[0036]).
Regarding claim 7, Wakayama teaches the printing device according to claim 1, wherein the mounting section includes a holding member that holds the colorimeter and the holding member is attached for movement relative to the accommodation member and is configured to move relative to the accommodation member toward and away from the medium (figs. 7A-B; presser plate 21; ¶[0034], [0037]-[0038], [0040], [0055], [0068]).
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
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.
Claims 1-4, 6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Fukuda et al. (US 20180086097 A1), hereinafter Fukuda, in view of Iwakoshi et al. (US 20190079438 A1), hereinafter Iwakoshi.
Regarding claim 1, Fukuda teaches a printing device on which a colorimeter that measures color of an image is mounted, the printing device comprising: a printing section that prints the image on a medium (fig. 2; recording head 1, ink cartridge 2, recording sheet 100; ¶[0076], [0082]); a mounting section that mounts the colorimeter (fig. 2; color measuring unit 10, light projecting unit 20, light receiving unit 30; ¶[0083], [0094]-[0095]); and a movement mechanism that moves the mounting section toward and away from the medium (fig. 4; changing unit 40; ¶[0100]).
However, Fukuda fails to teach or fairly suggest wherein the mounting section includes an accommodation member that accommodates the colorimeter, and a pressing member that is attached to the accommodation member and that presses the colorimeter so as to approach the medium.
Iwakoshi teaches a colorimeter comprising a mounting section includes an accommodation member that accommodates the colorimeter, and a pressing member that is attached to the accommodation member and that presses the colorimeter so as to approach the medium (figs. 1A-B, 4A-B; colorimeter 11, colorimeter base 13, contact region 13a, biasing member 18; ¶[0086]-[0088]).
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention to incorporate the colorimeter of Iwakoshi into the printing device of Fukuda in order to improve reading accuracy by creating a contact state between the colorimeter and the medium (see Iwakoshi ¶[0008])
Regarding claim 2, Fukuda as modified by Iwakoshi teaches the printing device according to claim 1. Fukuda further teaches the printing section includes a head that ejects liquid and a carriage on which the head is mounted and the mounting section is attached to the carriage (fig. 2; recording head 1, carriage 3, carriage shaft 5, color measuring unit 10; ¶[0076], [0082]-[0083], [0094]-[0095]).
Regarding claim 3, Fukuda as modified by Iwakoshi teaches the printing device according to claim 2. Iwakoshi further teaches mounting the colorimeter to a main body frame via the biasing member 18 and the motor 20 (figs. 1A-B, 2, 4A-B; ¶[0086] and [0101]). Iwakoshi further teaches a movement mechanism configured to move the colorimeter toward and away from a medium, wherein the colorimeter base 13 is mounted to the movement mechanism, and the movement mechanism is mounted to the main body frame (figs. 6A-F; contact region 13a, slide cam 15, inclined surface 15c, slide piece 15e, cam gear 17; ¶[0083], [0100], [0115]-[0122]).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, when combining the colorimeter of Iwakoshi with the printing apparatus of Fukuda, to mount the colorimeter in the manner described by Iwakoshi onto the carriage of Fukuda by replacing the points of attachment to Iwakoshi’s “main body frame” with points of attachment to the carriage of Fukuda in order to improve reading accuracy by creating a contact state between the colorimeter and the medium.
Thus, Fukuda as modified by Iwakoshi renders obvious the printing device of claim 3, i.e. the printing device according to claim 2 wherein the mounting section is attached to the carriage via the movement mechanism.
Regarding claim 4, Fukuda as modified by Iwakoshi teaches the printing device of according to claim 3. Iwakoshi further teaches mounting the colorimeter to a main body frame via the biasing member 18 and the motor 20 (figs. 1A-B, 2, 4A-B; ¶[0086] and [0101]). Iwakoshi further teaches a movement mechanism configured to move the colorimeter toward and away from a medium, wherein the colorimeter base 13 (accommodation member) is mounted to the movement mechanism, and the movement mechanism is mounted to the main body frame (figs. 6A-F; contact region 13a, slide cam 15, inclined surface 15c, slide piece 15e, cam gear 17; ¶[0083], [0100], [0115]-[0122]).
Therefore, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art prior to the effective filing date of the claimed invention, when combining the colorimeter of Iwakoshi with the printing apparatus of Fukuda, to mount the colorimeter base (accommodation member) in the manner described by Iwakoshi onto the carriage of Fukuda by simply replacing the points of attachment to Iwakoshi’s “main body frame” with points of attachment to the carriage of Fukuda in order to improve reading accuracy by creating a contact state between the colorimeter and the medium.
Thus, Fukuda as modified by Iwakoshi renders obvious the printing device of claim 4, i.e. the printing device according to claim 3 wherein the accommodation member is attached to the carriage via the movement mechanism.
Regarding claim 6, Fukuda as modified by Iwakoshi teaches the printing device according to claim 1. Iwakoshi further teaches the colorimeter includes a contact portion to be pressed against the medium, the contact portion includes a contact surface that comes into contact with the medium, and the accommodation member accommodates the colorimeter so that the pressing member is positioned on an axis line that passes through a center of the contact portion and that extends perpendicularly to the contact surface (figs. 1A, 4A-C, 6A-F, 7A-F; colorimeter window 11a, colorimeter cover 12, shutter 14, biasing member 18; ¶[0080], [0085]-[0086], [0132]-[0138]).
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 5 is objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
The following is a statement of reasons for the indication of allowable subject matter:
The prior art of record fails to teach or fairly suggest the printing device of the claim, particularly including and in combination with, the accommodation member includes an accommodation body that accommodates the colorimeter and a cover that is configured to open and close with respect to the accommodation body and the pressing member is attached to the cover.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Tatsuda (US 20190160839 A1) teaches a printing apparatus comprising a colorimeter attached to a carriage, wherein the colorimeter has its posture adjusted using a series of screws. Uchida (US 20130286080 A1) teaches a colorimeter comprising a cover, a biasing member, and a contact position. Morita et al. (US 20160004202 A1) teaches a carriage-borne colorimeter comprising an openable and closeable cover.
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/TRK/Examiner, Art Unit 2853
/STEPHEN D MEIER/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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