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 .
Response to Amendment
Claim 1 has been amended to include a new limitation surrounding the weight-average molecular weight of the resin in the coating layer of the carrier. Claim 14 has been canceled. No new subject matter has been added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 2026-07-29 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive.
Applicant argues that Anno does not mention a weight-average molecular weight of the copolymer resin used in the coating layer of the carrier, and so the instant claims are non-obvious over the prior art. However, the new limitation surrounding the weight-average molecular weight is read on by the teachings of Tsurumi, detailed in the updated rejection below. The teaching of Tsurumi also moots Applicant’s argument regarding interpolation of an undisclosed physical property.
Applicant reasserts the argument that the viscosity of the coating liquid is critical to the evaluation performance of the present invention, specifically in the evaluation of “color dullness suppressing property”. However, Applicant traverses the argument made in the non-final rejection (dated 2026-04-29) without rebutting the technical points raised regarding the very data pointed to in the presently filed remarks. In brief, the poor performance of comparative examples 1 – 4 cannot reliably be attributed to only the viscosity of the coating liquid, instead of the widely diverging carbon black content possessed by those examples. In addition, in light of the amendment to the claims regarding the molecular weight of the acrylic resin of the coating layer, the preparative examples do not provide evidence of clear relationships among the molecular weight of the acrylic resin, the viscosity of the coating liquid, and the color dullness suppressing performance. For these reasons, the updated rejection below is not withdrawn.
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.
This application currently names joint inventors. In considering patentability of the claims the examiner presumes that the subject matter of the various claims was commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the claimed invention(s) absent any evidence to the contrary. Applicant is advised of the obligation under 37 CFR 1.56 to point out the inventor and effective filing dates of each claim that was not commonly owned as of the effective filing date of the later invention in order for the examiner to consider the applicability of 35 U.S.C. 102(b)(2)(C) for any potential 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) prior art against the later invention.
Claims 1 – 7, 9 – 11, and 13 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Anno et al (US PGP 2019/0094787) in view of Tsurumi et al (US PGP 2012/0064452).
Anno teaches an image forming apparatus having a developing unit, which accommodates a toner and a carrier (Abstract). Anno describes a carrier comprising a core particle having a resin coating ([0103]). The core particles may be magnetic metal or metal oxide particles ([0136]). Anno describes several methods of forming the resin coating layer on the core particles, including kneader coater method, wherein core particles are mixed with a resin coating layer solution in a kneader coater, followed by removal of a solvent from the solution ([0152]).
Anno discloses the preparation of an example Carrier 2-1 ([0285] – [0290]), wherein a resin coating solution is prepared by mixing in a sand mill 3 parts by mass of cyclohexyl methacrylate/methyl methacrylate copolymer (95:5 molar ratio) (a (meth)acrylic resin), 0.3 parts by mass carbon black (conductive particles), and 14 parts by mass of toluene (an aromatic hydrocarbon). This mixture would thus have a content of the resin in the coating liquid of 17.6% by mass, and a content of carbon black of 1.76 parts by mass relative to 100 parts of coating liquid. This resin coating liquid would be composed of the same components in amounts lying between those reported for instant Example 1 and Example 4 (Specification, Table 1, Example 1). Those instant preparative examples possess a value for µ of 118 mPa·s and 65 mPa·s, respectively. Therefore, the coating liquid of Anno would inherently possess a value for µ lying in the range 65 – 118 mPa·s, reading on the range stated in Claim 1.
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Further, the whole of the resin coating solution of Anno is added alongside the core particles to the kneader, giving a value for W (parts by mass of resin coating layer versus 100 parts of core particles) of 3.3 (3 parts of resin plus 0.3 parts of carbon black, added to 100 parts of core particles). The value of µ/W for the carrier of Anno would thus lie roughly in the range 20 - 36, reading on the range stated in Claim 1.
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Anno describes mixing the magnetic core particles with the resin coating solution in a vacuum degassing kneader, which is a type of mixer having a stirring blade, and the removal of toluene by distillation, which entails the evaporation of toluene, the solvent.
Anno does not appear to teach a preferred weight-average molecular weight of the copolymer resin used in the coating layer of the carrier.
Tsurumi teaches a carrier for a two-component developer comprising a core material and a coating resin which covers the core (Abstract). The coating resin is preferably an acrylic resin containing a cyclohexyl group ([0059]). Cyclohexyl (meth)acrylate is pointed out as an example monomer ([0065]) alongside other vinyl monomers such as methyl (meth)acrylate ([0066]). Tsurumi teaches that the weight-average molecular weight of the resin in the coating layer is preferably 5,000 – 1,000,000, and more preferably 10,000 – 200,000 ([0068]).
Lacking guidance from Anno regarding a preferred weight-average molecular weight of copolymer resin in the coating layer of the carrier, one of ordinary skill in the art would have looked to the prior art for a workable range for a cyclohexyl methacrylate/methyl methacrylate copolymer. Being taught by Tsurumi, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to control the weight-average molecular weight of the resin of the coating layer in a range which is the same as that stated in Claim 1. In addition, the kneader blade diameter, the blade rotation speed, and the stirring time are all parameters which would be obvious to optimize to one of ordinary skill in the art. Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, in the course of routine laboratory experimentation, to adjust these parameters in such a way that the product of the amount of stirring work and the viscosity of the resin coating solution (which, as discussed above, lies in the preferred ranges of the instant application) would satisfy Expression 1 of Claim 1. Therefore, before the effective filing date of the instant application, a practitioner preparing the carrier of Anno, wherein the weight-average molecular weight of the copolymer of the coating layer was controlled in the range taught by Tsurumi, would have necessarily carried out a method for producing a carrier described by Claim 1.
As stated above, the resin coating solution of Anno has a value for W of 3.3, lying in the ranges stated in Claim 2 and Claim 3.
As stated above, the resin coating solution of Anno inherently possesses a value for viscosity (µ) of 118 mPa·s, lying in the ranges stated in Claim 4 and Claim 5.
As stated above, the resin coating solution of Anno has a value for µ/W of 36, lying in the range stated in Claim 6.
As discussed above, the resin coating solution of Anno, which is equivalent to the mixture excluding magnetic particles, is composed of 3 parts of methacrylate copolymer, 0.3 parts of carbon black, and 14 parts of toluene. This gives a value for S of 19%, lying in the range stated in Claim 7.
Given that a vacuum degassing kneader is used in the mixing and drying step disclosed by Anno ([0290]), it would be well-known to one of ordinary skill in the art that the coating solution solvent would be distilled under reduced pressure at a temperature lower than the standard boiling point of the solvent. It would therefore have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art, in the course of routine laboratory experimentation, to control the strength of vacuum applied to the mixture, and concomitantly the temperature required inside the kneader to achieve drying, resulting in a temperature in the range stated in Claim 9.
The carrier of Anno has 0.3 parts of carbon black (conductive particles) added to 100 parts of magnetic core particles, lying in the range stated in Claim 10.
Anno teaches a developer comprising a toner and a carrier (Abstract), and exemplifies preparation of a developer ([0400] – [0401]) using Carrier 2-1 described above and a toner (page 17, Table 3, Developer 1K-1), satisfying Claim 11.
Anno describes an image forming apparatus comprising an image forming unit ([0011]). The image forming unit comprises an image holding member ([0013]), a charging unit ([0019]), an electrostatic charge image forming unit (analogous to an exposure element) ([0019]), a developing unit which accommodates a developer and develops an electrostatic latent image ([0013] – [0014]), a transfer unit ([0015]), and a fixing unit ([0074] – [0075]), satisfying Claim 13.
Conclusion
Applicant's amendment necessitated the new ground(s) of rejection presented in this Office action. Accordingly, THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. See MPEP § 706.07(a). Applicant is reminded of the extension of time policy as set forth in 37 CFR 1.136(a).
A shortened statutory period for reply to this final action is set to expire THREE MONTHS from the mailing date of this action. In the event a first reply is filed within TWO MONTHS of the mailing date of this final action and the advisory action is not mailed until after the end of the THREE-MONTH shortened statutory period, then the shortened statutory period will expire on the date the advisory action is mailed, and any nonprovisional extension fee (37 CFR 1.17(a)) pursuant to 37 CFR 1.136(a) will be calculated from the mailing date of the advisory action. In no event, however, will the statutory period for reply expire later than SIX MONTHS from the mailing date of this final action.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to Grant S Seiler whose telephone number is (571)272-3015. The examiner can normally be reached 9:30 - 5:30 Pacific.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Jonathan Johnson can be reached at 571-272-1177. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/GRANT STEVEN SEILER/ Examiner, Art Unit 1734
/PETER L VAJDA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 09/15/2026
