DETAILED ACTION
Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
Continued Examination Under 37 CFR 1.114
A request for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, including the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e), was filed in this application after final rejection. Since this application is eligible for continued examination under 37 CFR 1.114, and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114. Applicant's submission filed on 4/23/2026 has been entered.
Response to Amendment
The amendment filed 4/23/2026 has been entered. Claims 1, 4-5, and 7-11 remain pending. Claims 1 and 10 are amended. Claim 6 has been canceled.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 10-13, filed 4/23/2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1 and 4-11 under 35 USC 103 have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Kobayashi (WO 2019077706) in view of Kitagawa (WO 2019142342).
Applicant argues Kobayashi does not disclose or teach an additional electron transport material having general formula (ET2), or the specific structures of (ET2-1), (ET2-2), (ET2-4), (ET2-5), or (ET2-6). Applicant further argues Azuma, previously relied upon to teach general formula (ET2) in the now canceled claim 6, does not teach or suggest the specific compositions of (ET2-1), (ET2-2), (ET2-4), (ET2-5), or (ET2-6) in a way that would be obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Examiner agrees Kobayashi alone does not disclose or teach a naphthalenetetracarboxdiimide based. Examiner agrees the newly added, specific examples of general formula (ET2) are not specifically disclosed by Azuma. Kitagawa is now relied upon to teach inclusion of (ET2) and its specific examples. Kitagawa teaches the general formula (ET2) as well as all the specific examples (ET2-1), (ET2-2), (ET2-4), (ET2-5), and (ET2-6), as well as their use in combination with an azoquinone based electron transport material.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action.
Claims 1, 4-5, and 7-11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kobayashi (WO 2019077706) in view of Kitagawa (WO 2019142342).
Regarding claims 1 and 4-5, Kobayashi discloses electrophotographic photoreceptors, including single layer and laminated positively charged photoreceptors, comprising a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer(s) on the support ([0014]-[0017]). Kobayashi further discloses general formula (ET1), which has the same structure as the ET1 claimed in the instant application, including the same definition of the R groups, with the exception of “at least two of R4 to R8 represent chlorine” ([0028]).
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Kobayashi further discloses (ET1-7), (ET1-8), (ET1-27), (ET1-40), (ET1-53), and (ET1-70) (page 9-13), which are identical to the claimed (ET1-1), (ET1-2), (ET1-6), (ET1-8), (ET1-10), and (ET1-12) of the Instant Application ([0030]-[0035]).
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While Kobayashi does not disclose compositions (ET1-3) and (ET1-4) of the Instant Claim 1, one of skill in art would recognize they are obvious configurations of the R groups of general formula (ET1) in view of the specific examples above. It is clear from the specific examples disclosed by Kobayashi that the number and position of chlorine atoms in the R4 to R8 groups cover a wide range of positions as well as examples with 1-3 chlorine atoms. According to the MPEP, “Where the general conditions of a claim are disclosed in the prior art, it is not inventive to discover the optimum or workable ranges by routine experimentation.” In re Aller, 220 F.2d 454, 456, 105 USPQ 233, 235 (CCPA 1955). (MPEP 2144.05 II A).
Kobayashi does not disclose the solubility of the azoquinone derivative in THF. However, the solubility SETM(THF) is a material property of the azoquinone derivative, and the Instant Specification notes both the claimed (ET1-4) and (ET1-3) have a solubility of 1g or less (Instant specification [0087], [0091]). However, Kobayashi does not disclose a naphthalenetetracarboxdiimide compound represented by (ET2).
Kitagawa teaches an electrophotographic photosensitive member comprising multiple electron transport materials, the first is a naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid diimide compound represented by general formula (1), and the second may be an azoquinone compound. ([0014]-[0017], [0033]-[0034]). Kitagawa further teaches specific examples of general formula (1) are represented by the compounds of (ET1)-(ET4), (ET11), and (ET12) ([0035]-[0036]).
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As seen above, ET1-ET2 of Kitagawa are identical to the claimed ET2-1 and ET2-2 of the Instant Application. Also, ET4, ET11, and ET12 of Kitagawa are identical to the claimed ET2-4, ET2-5, and ET2-6 of the Instant Application. Kitagawa further teaches by using the specific electron transport materials higher image quality without ghost images ([0022]). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to ensure the electrophotographic photoreceptor of Kobayashi includes a second electron transport material selected from the specified ET1-4 or ET11-12, as taught by Kitagawa, to improve image quality without forming ghost images.
Regarding claim 7, Kobayashi discloses all limitations as set forth above. Kobayashi further discloses the electron transport material in the positively charged single layer and multilayer photoreceptors may be used alone or in combinations of two or more ([0059], [0064]). Kobayashi further discloses ET1-4, which is identical to the claimed (ET-1) of the instant application ([0030]).
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Regarding claim 8, Kobayashi discloses all limitations as set forth above. Kobayashi further discloses a multilayer positively charged photoreceptor, with a charge transport layer and a charge generation layer formed on the charge transport layer. The charge generation layer comprises the electron transport material ([0062]-[0064]).
Regarding claim 9, Kobayashi discloses all limitations as set forth above. Kobayashi further discloses a positively charged single layer photoreceptor, including a single layer photosensitive layer comprising the electron transport material ([0055], [0056]).
Regarding claim 10, Kobayashi discloses all limitations as set forth above. Kobayashi further discloses a method of manufacturing the positively charged photoreceptor by dip coating the conductive support to form the photosensitive layer ([0070])
Regarding claim 11, Kobayashi discloses all limitations as set forth above. Kobayashi further discloses the photoreceptor is used in an electrophotographic apparatus ([0011], [0071]-[0074], figure 2).
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to CHARLES COLLINS SULLIVAN IV whose telephone number is (571)272-2208. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 8-4:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Amber Orlando can be reached at (571) 270-3149. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/C.C.S./Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/AMBER R ORLANDO/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1731
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