Appeal No. 96-3340
Application 08/363,087
1. A system for supplying liquid ink to an ink-jet printing apparatus, comprising:
a housing defining a chamber having a ventilation port and an outlet
port;
a medium occupying a portion of the chamber, the medium having a
capillary force associated therewith for retaining a quantity of liquid
ink;
a scavenger member of a predetermined volume disposed across
the outlet port, providing a capillary force greater than the capillary
force of the medium; and
a free space defined within the housing adjacent a surface of the
scavenger member, wherein ink is flowable between the scavenger
member and the free space, the free space being of a volume not
less than the volume of the scavenger member.
The prior art references of record relied upon by the Examiner in rejecting the
appealed claims are:
Baker et al. (Baker) 4,771,295 Sep. 13, 1988
Kashimura et al. (Kashimura) 5,182,581 Jan. 26, 1993
(effective filing date Jul. 26, 1989)
Koitabashi et al. (Koitabashi) 5,216,450 Jun. 01, 1993
(filed Oct. 24, 1990)
Claims 1, 10, 12, 13, 18 and 19 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103 as being
unpatentable over Baker in view of Kashimura.
Claim 11 stands rejected under 35 USC § 103 as being unpatentable over Baker in
open space as a ready supply of liquid ink for the scavenger member to reduce the back pressure. We
make no findings as to the implicit disclosure from the original figures. We note that the material was
introduced in a preliminary amendment filed with a Rule 60 continuation, a rejection was made by the
Examiner and withdrawn after response thereto.
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