Appeal No. 2002-0881
Application No. 09/169,071
gold or silver. Compare the Answer in its entirety with the
Brief in its entirety.
To remedy the above deficiencies of Ochiai, the examiner
relies on Halko to teach a hydrophobic compound coated gold-
plated nickel orifice plate. See the Answer, page 5. This
conductive orifice plate provides certain advantages for ink jet
pens. See, e.g., column 1, lines 11-31. However, as stated by
the appellants (Brief, page 10):
There appears to be no specific discussion in Ochiai et al.
as to the material used for the nozzle plate 12 or whether
the nozzle plate 12 is coated or plated with any type of
material. However, gold electrodes 8 are plated in the
interior of ink chambers 14. The gold electrodes 8 are
individually controlled through the use of a wiring pattern
9. As the gold electrodes 8 coat the entire interior of the
chambers 14 and therefore extend to the end of the chambers
14, the electrodes 8 would make contact with the surface of
the nozzle plate 12.
Thus, it is readily apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art
that upon employment of such conductive orifice plate in the
pressure chamber of the type described in Ochiai, “all of the
electrodes 8 would be shorted together, thereby preventing proper
operation of the print head” of Ochiai as urged by the
appellants. See the Brief, page 10. Yet, the examiner has not
explained why and how one of ordinary skill in the art knowing
such deleterious effect of a conductive orifice plate in the
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