Appeal No. 2005-0247 Page 3
Application No. 10/171,657
a nozzle plate having said plurality of nozzles disposed therein, said
nozzle plate being placed on a substrate to form a cavity underneath said
nozzle plate, said cavity being in fluid communication with each of said
plurality of nozzles to provide a supply of ink thereto; and
a plurality of heating elements, each of said heating elements
having a first portion that has a first resistance and a second portion that
has a second resistance different from said first resistance, each of said
heating elements generating an annular bubble with balanced distribution
within said cavity, said annular bubbles each having a virtual chamber
formed within the corresponding annular bubbles and ink present in the
virtual chamber is ejected through a corresponding one of said nozzles.
Claims 1, 6, 7, 9,11-19, 24, 25, and 27 stand rejected under 35 U.S.C. § 103(a)
as obvious over U.S. Patent No. 4,870,433 ("Campbell"). Claims 2-5, 8, 20, 23, and 26
stand rejected under § 103(a) as obvious over Campbell and U.S. Patent No. 4,914,562
("Abe"). Claim 10 stands rejected under § 103(a) as obvious over Campbell and U.S.
Patent No. 5,305,018 ("Schantz").
OPINION
Our opinion addresses the claims in the following order:
• claims 1, 6, 7, 9,11-19, 24, 25, and 27
• claims 2-5, 8, 10, 20, 23, and 26.
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