Appeal No. 2002-0178
Application 09/385,909
VI. The rejection of claim 26 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Collins
in view of Breton
Claim 26 concerns the particle size distribution of the
colorant. The examiner relies upon Breton for teaching a
particle size distribution wherein at least about 90% of the
pigment particles have a diameter of about 0-1 µm with the
remaining pigment particles being a diameter of about 1.0µm. See
column 4, lines 13-16. As stated by the examiner on pages 9-10
of the answer, the motivation for using such a size pigment is to
prevent the ink from clogging the printer nozzles. We find such
motivation sufficient, and hence, affirm this rejection.
VII. The rejection of claim 29 under 35 U.S.C. § 103 over Collins
in view of Wong ‘695
Claim 29 depends upon claim 28, and claim 28 recites the
addition of ink additives. Claim 29 recites specific kinds of
additives and amounts. As pointed out by the examiner on page 10
of the answer, Wong ‘695 discloses the use of surfactants such as
polyethylene glycol monolaurate, etc., and refers to column 4,
lines 42-48. We note also that Collins, at column 3 beginning at
line 44, indicates that the ink compositions of the invention may
also contain “common ink additives” such as surfactants.
Therefore, the utilization of the specific kind of surfactants
disclosed in Wong as the surfactants disclosed in Collins would
have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art in view of
the fact that Collins teaches that common ink additives include
surfactants and in view of the fact that Wong ‘695 teaches the
specific kind of surfactants are known.
Hence, we affirm this rejection.
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