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 § 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.
Claim(s) 1 & 3-11 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(2)(1) as being anticipated by Okui et al. (# US 2016/0009087).
Okui et al. discloses:
1. A liquid discharge head (see Abstract; figure: 3) comprising:
a plurality of discharge units (head, element 70, figure: 3) each including:
a discharge element substrate configured to discharge liquid (eject ink; [0015]; [0042]; [0047]);
a pressure adjustment unit configured to reserve the liquid to be discharged from the discharge element substrate, and to adjust a pressure of the liquid (pressure chamber; [0046]-[0050]); and
a support member configured to fluid-connect the discharge element substrate and the pressure adjustment unit, and to support the discharge element substrate (fixing plate; element: 22, figure: 3; [0045]),
wherein the plurality of discharge units is arranged in a juxtaposed manner (see figure: 2A, 2B; [0042]).
3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, further comprising a fixing member configured to integrally fix the plurality of discharge units (element: 22, figure: 3).
4. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, further comprising an electric wiring substrate configured to receive power from outside the liquid discharge head, wherein each of the plurality of discharge units includes an electric connection member configured to electrically connect to the electric wiring substrate, and wherein power is supplied from the electric wiring substrate to the discharge element substrate of each of the plurality of discharge units via the electric connection member (element: 78, figure: 3; [0049]).
5. The liquid discharge head according to claim 4, further comprising a fixing member configured to integrally fix the plurality of discharge units, wherein the electric wiring substrate is fixed to the fixing member (figure: 3).
6. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of discharge units is juxtaposed in a first direction, wherein the discharge element substrate of each of the plurality of discharge units has a discharge port array configured to discharge the liquid, and wherein the discharge port array of each of the plurality of discharge units extends in a second direction intersecting with the first direction (see figure; 2A, 2B; [0042]).
7. The liquid discharge head according to claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of discharge units has an overlapping area viewed from the first direction (see figure: 2A, 2B).
8. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the discharge element substrate of each of the plurality of discharge units has a discharge port array configured to discharge the liquid, and wherein the plurality of discharge units is juxtaposed in a direction in which the discharge port array extends (see figure: 2-3).
9. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjustment unit includes a circulation pump configured to circulate the liquid in each of the plurality of discharge units.
10. The liquid discharge head according to claim 4, wherein the pressure adjustment unit includes a circulation pump configured to circulate the liquid in each of the plurality of discharge units, and wherein power is supplied to the circulation pump from the electric wiring substrate.
11. A liquid discharge apparatus (see figure: 1) comprising:
a discharge head including a plurality of discharge units arranged in a juxtaposed manner (see figure: 2A, 2B), each of the plurality of discharge units including
a discharge element substrate configured to discharge liquid (eject ink; [0015]; [0042]; [0047]),
a pressure adjustment unit configured to reserve the liquid to be discharged from the discharge element substrate, and to adjust a pressure of the liquid (pressure chamber; [0046]-[0050]), and
a support member configured to fluid-connect the discharge element substrate and the pressure adjustment unit, and to support the discharge element substrate (fixing plate; element: 22, figure: 3; [0045]); and
a carriage on which the liquid discharge head is mounted, and configured to move relative to a recording medium to which the liquid is discharged from the liquid discharge head (element: 12, figure: 1; [0040]-[0041]),
wherein the carriage moves in a direction in which the plurality of discharge units is arranged in a juxtaposed manner (see figure: 2A, 2B; [0042]).
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) 2 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Okui et al. (# US 2016/0009087) in view of Umeda (# US 2008/0297545).
Okui et al. teaches all the limitation of the liquid discharge head except:
2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjustment unit includes a valve chamber, a pressure control chamber, an opening configured to communicate the valve chamber and the pressure control chamber, and a valve configured to open and close the opening, and
wherein the pressure control chamber is formed of a displaceable flexible member in a part of a surface thereof, and includes a pressing plate displaceable in conjunction with the flexible member, and an urging member configured to urge the pressing plate in a direction in which an inner volume of the pressure control chamber increases, and
wherein the pressure control chamber is configured to open and close the valve in response to a displacement of the pressing plate and the flexible member.
Umeda discloses to have the uniform ejection stability of the print head
2. The liquid discharge head according to claim 1, wherein the pressure adjustment unit includes a valve chamber (element: 183c,183d, figure: 12), a pressure control chamber (element: 91, figure: 18A, 18B), an opening configured to communicate the valve chamber and the pressure control chamber, and a valve configured to open and close the opening ([0134]-[0135]), and
wherein the pressure control chamber is formed of a displaceable flexible member in a part of a surface thereof, and includes a pressing plate displaceable in conjunction with the flexible member, and an urging member configured to urge the pressing plate in a direction in which an inner volume of the pressure control chamber increases ([0085]-[0086]), and
wherein the pressure control chamber is configured to open and close the valve in response to a displacement of the pressing plate and the flexible member ([0068]; [0112]; [0136]-[0142]).
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filling date of the invention to modify the pressure adjustment unit of the head of Okui by the aforementioned teaching of Umeda et al. in order to have the high quality print head with uniform ejection stability, which gives high quality printed image.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure.
(1) Nakamura (# US 2016/0059559) discloses the head (1) has a liquid supply passage (103) whose end is connected to a liquid inflow through-hole (104). The liquid supply passage supplies liquid supplied from the liquid inflow through-hole to a pressure chamber (102). A diaphragm (109) forms a surface that opposes a discharge opening (101) of the chamber. A piezoelectric transducer (111) applies vibration to the diaphragm and a partition portion (121a), where a surface of the partition portion opposes the supply passage, and another surface of the partition portion opposes a photosensitive resin layer (119) through the diaphragm (see Abstract).
(2) Kasai et al. (# US 2017/0197412) discloses the head has a cover located on a face for covering a liquid supply channel and including supply-side openings to supply liquid to the channel. A sum of pressure drop of liquid on the channel from any supply-side opening to a supply port communicated with the supply-side opening and is at farthest removed position from the supply-side opening in a process of liquid being replenished to the pressure chambers after having discharged liquid from the discharge orifices, where pressure drop of liquid at the supply port at the farthest removed position is 5000 Pa or less (see Abstract).
(3) Nakagawa et al. (# US 2017/0197413) discloses the head has a recording element for generating thermal energy used to discharge liquid to be fixed. A substrate comprises a liquid supply channel connected to a first liquid channel to supply liquid to the first liquid channel, and a liquid recovery channel (212a) connected to a second liquid channel to recover liquid from the second liquid channel, where pressure at an inlet portion of the first liquid channel is set to be 30 to 1400 mmAq higher than pressure at an outlet portion of the second liquid channel (see Abstract).
(4) Nagai et al. (# US 2017/0197426) discloses the apparatus has a pressure control assembly including a pressure adjustment mechanism (L) that causes liquid supplied from a first upstream passage to flow at first pressure. Another pressure adjustment mechanism causes the liquid supplied from a second upstream passage to flow at second pressure different from the first pressure. The first upstream passage and the second upstream passage are in communication with each other. The first downstream passage and the second downstream passage are respectively connected to an ejection opening communication passage (see Abstract).
(5) Miyashita et al. (# US 2023/0120077) discloses the first pressure control chamber 122 is connected to a supply channel 130, a bypass channel 160, and a pump outlet channel 180 of the circulation pump 500. The supply channel 130 is connected to the common supply channels 18 through the above-mentioned ink supply ports provided in the ejection module 300. Also, the bypass channel 160 is connected to the second valve chamber 151 provided in the second pressure adjustment unit 150. The second valve chamber 151 communicates with the second pressure control chamber 152 through a communication port 191B that is opened and closed by a valve 190B illustrated in FIG. 5. Note that FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate an example where one end of the bypass channel 160 is connected to the first pressure control chamber 122 of the first pressure adjustment unit 120, and the other end of the bypass channel 160 is connected to the second valve chamber 151 of the second pressure adjustment unit 150. However, the one end of the bypass channel 160 may be connected to the supply channel 130, and the other end of the bypass channel may be connected to the second valve chamber 151 ([0070]).
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to MANISH S SHAH whose telephone number is (571)272-2152. The examiner can normally be reached 8:00am-4:00pm.
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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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MANISH S. SHAH
Primary Examiner
Art Unit 2853
/Manish S Shah/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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