DETAILED ACTION
This office action follows a reply filed on December 10, 2025. Claims 1, 2 and 4-7 have been amended. Claims 1-2 and 4-10 are currently pending and under examination.
All previous rejections are withdrawn; however, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is proposed below.
The present application, filed on or after March 16, 2013, is being examined under the first inventor to file provisions of the AIA .
The texts of those sections of Title 35 U.S. Code are not included in this section and can be found in a prior Office action.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
Claims 1-2 and 8-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Imai (US 2013/0342622) in view of JP 2011-079196.
Imai teaches an image recording method carried out by applying an ink to an intermediate transfer body and a step of transferring the intermediate image to a recording medium by heating (Abstract).
Imai teaches that the image recording method may further include a step of applying a liquid composition to the intermediate transfer boy prior to the intermediate image-recording step, where the liquid composition may contain such a reactant that precipitates or aggregates an ink component such as a colorant or polymer, where the reactant includes polyvalent metal ions and organic acids (p. 2, [0022]).
Imai teaches that the ink contains an aqueous medium and colorant (p. 4, [0039] and [0041]), and meets applicants’ aqueous inkjet ink.
Imai teaches that the liquid composition includes a polyvalent metal ion, such as calcium, and an aqueous medium and another compound, which may be the same as those useable in the ink (p. 5, [0048]). This liquid composition meets applicants’ pretreatment liquid.
Imai further teaches that the method may further include a step of cleaning a surface of the intermediate transfer body, where the method of cleaning may be any method conventionally used, and includes a method of showering a cleaning liquid on the intermediate transfer body (p. 2, [0024]).
Imai does not teach the described cleaning liquid.
JP ‘196 teaches a cleaning device for cleaning an intermediate transfer member provided in an ink jet type image forming apparatus for forming an image by applying a recording liquid such as an ink to an intermediate transfer member with a head (p. 1 ,[0001]). JP ‘196 teaches that an intermediate transfer image forming apparatus requires an initialization process for removing stains such as ink remaining after transfer, processing liquid, and reaction liquid, teaching that if stain removal is inadequate, the stain will be transferred to the recording material at the next transfer causing the image to be disturbed (p. 3, [0019]).
JP ‘196 teaches that the cleaning liquid contains water as the base, and an inorganic alkali metal salt, specifically listed to include potassium nitrate, teaching that the inclusion of such increases the ionic conductivity of the water and increases the electrolysis rate of water so that effective cleaning is exhibited in a short time (p. 17, [0130]). JP ‘196 also teaches the inclusion of a water-soluble organic solvent to prevent drying, and is exemplified as a combination of ethylene glycol and glycerin (p. 19, [0153]), where glycerin has an SP value of 16.7 and ethylene glycol has an SP value of 16.3.
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time the invention as filed to have use the cleaning liquid of JP ‘196 as the cleaning liquid of Imai, as Imai does not limit the particular cleaning method and JP ‘196 teaches that the cleaning liquid containing water, glycerin and an inorganic alkali metal salt provides effective cleaning in a short time, where both methods focus on the ink jet printing method using an intermediate transfer body.
Imai in view of JP ‘196 is prima facie obvious over instant claims 1-2.
As to claims 8-10, JP ‘196 exemplifies a cleaning liquid containing 30 wt% water-soluble organic solvent and 69 wt% water.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 4-7 are objected to as being dependent upon a rejected base claim, but would be allowable if rewritten in independent form including all of the limitations of the base claim and any intervening claims.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to BRIEANN R JOHNSTON whose telephone number is (571)270-7344. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM EST.
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/Brieann R Johnston/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1766