Appeal No. 1997-0316
Application No. 08/218,951
thermally insulating layer further comprising at least one
preferred heterogeneous nucleation site as a discontinuity in
said thermally insulating layer which reduces the critical
free energy of formation for the gas phase ink bubble and
selectively disposed on a surface of said thermally insulating
layer which is in contact with ink when ink is in said ink
firing chamber, whereby a consistently located gas phase ink
bubble may be formed; and
an orifice plate forming at least one boundary of said
ink firing chamber and including at least one orifice from
which ink from said ink firing chamber is expelled normal to
the plane of said heating element when said heating element is
electrically activated.
The examiner relies on the following references:
Scheu 4,513,298 Apr. 23, 1985
Shiozaki 63-34144 3 Feb. 13, 1988
Taniguchi et al. 2-103150 3 Apr. 16, 1990
(Taniguchi)
Claims 1 through 12, 15 through 21 and 23 through 25
stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103. As evidence of
obviousness, the examiner cites Shiozaki in view of Taniguchi
with regard to claims 1 through 7, 12, 15 through 17, 21, 23
and 24 and Shiozaki in view of Scheu with regard to claims 8
through 11, 18 through 20 and 25.
3Our understanding of the Shiozaki and Taniguchi
references is based on English translations thereof provided
by appellant.
3
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