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 .
DETAILED ACTION
Acknowledgement is made of the receipt of Preliminary Amendment filed 05 September 2025.
Priority
Receipt is acknowledged of papers submitted under 35 U.S.C. 119(a)-(d), which papers have been placed of record in the file.
Information Disclosure Statement
The references cited on a Form PTO 1449 have been considered.
Specification
The specification has been checked to the extent necessary to determine the presence of all possible minor errors. However, the applicant's cooperation is requested in correcting any errors of which applicant may become aware in the specification.
Claim Rejections
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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, 3-5 and 7-8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Sakai et al. (US Pub. 2018/0085773).
Note: The method steps are inherently taught in the apparatus device/limitations in the rejections as follow:
Sakai et al. disclose in Figures 1-8 a fluid discharging apparatus (100) comprising:
Regarding to claim 1, a nozzle plate including a nozzle hole (15) from which a liquid is dischargeable (Figure 1);
a valve (12) to openably close the nozzle hole (15) (Figure 1);
a driver (14) to move the valve (12) to openably close the nozzle hole (15) (Figure 1); and
circuitry (60) (Figure 1) configured to:
apply a first drive signal including a first drive period to the driver (14) to open the nozzle hole (15) for a first valve opening time (interval time t2-t3) equal to or shorter than the first drive period in a first drive period band (Figures 3-4A, paragraph 0063); and
apply a second drive signal including a second drive period to the driver (14) to open the nozzle hole (15) for a second valve opening time (interval time t3-t4) shorter than the first valve opening time (interval time t2-t3), the second valve opening time longer than the second drive period in a second drive period band (Figure 3 and 5A, paragraph 0064).
Regarding to claim 3, a memory to store: the first drive period; the second drive period; the first valve opening time; and the second valve opening time (Figures 3-4A, paragraph 0056).
Regarding to claim 4, wherein the nozzle plate further includes: multiple nozzle holes (inherent nozzle holes 15, but not shown) including the nozzle hole (15).
Regarding to claim 5, liquid discharge method comprising:
applying a first drive signal including a first drive period to a driver (14) (Figure 1);
moving a valve (12) to open a nozzle hole (15) for a first valve opening time (interval time t2-t3) equal to or shorter than the first drive period in a first drive period band (Figures 3-4A, paragraph 0063);
discharging a liquid (FL) from the nozzle hole (15) in the first drive period band (Figures 1 and 3);
applying a second drive signal including a second drive period to the driver (14) (Figures 1 and 3);
moving the valve to open the nozzle hole for a second valve opening time (interval time t3-t4)shorter than the first valve opening time in a second drive period band, the second valve opening time longer than the second drive period in the second drive period band (Figures 3 and 5A, paragraph 0064); and
discharging the liquid (FL) from the nozzle hole (15) in the second drive period band (Figures 1 and 3).
Regarding to claim 7, storing in a memory the first drive period, the second drive period, the first valve opening time, and the second valve opening time (Figures 3-4A, paragraph 0056).
Regarding to claim 8, wherein: the discharging the liquid (FL) from the nozzle hole (15) in the first drive period band includes discharging the liquid from the nozzle hole which includes multiple nozzle holes (inherent nozzle holes 15, but not shown).
Citation of Pertinent Prior Art
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. These prior art references (US Pub. 2004/0050974; US Pub. 2009/0167818) cited in the PTO 892 form show a valve encased nozzle device which is deemed to be relevant to the present invention. These references should be reviewed.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claim 2 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. This claim would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a liquid discharge apparatus comprising circuitry that is decreased a second valve opening time in a second drive period band with a decrease in a second drive period of a second drive signal in the combination as claimed.
Claim 6 would be allowable if rewritten to include all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims. This claim would be allowable because the prior art references of record fail to teach or suggest a liquid discharge method comprising wherein; an applying the second drive signal decreases a second valve opening time in a second drive period band with a decrease in the second drive period of the second drive signal in the combination as claimed.
CONCLUSION
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Examiner Anh Vo whose telephone number is (571) 272-2262. The examiner can normally be reached on Monday to Friday from 9:30 A.M.to 6:00 P.M..
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner'ssupervisor, Douglas Rodriguez can be reached on (571) 431-0716. The fax phonenumber for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/ANH T VO/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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