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and the fee set forth in 37 CFR 1.17(e) has been timely paid, the finality of the previous Office action has been withdrawn pursuant to 37 CFR 1.114.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 03/05/2026 has been entered.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, filed 03/05/2026, with respect to the rejection(s) of claim(s) under 35 USC 102 have been fully considered and are persuasive in light of the amendments. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground(s) of rejection is made in view of Hashiguchi U.S. Publication 2013/0004189.
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.
Claim(s) 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Hashiguchi et al. U.S. Publication 2013/0004189.
With respect to claim 11, Hashiguchi discloses an optical sensor unit comprising:
A photosensitive drum (Figure 2, photosensitive element 2 or drums 2Y, 2C, 2M, 2K)
A belt configured to contact the photosensitive drum (Figure 2, belt 7)
A frame (Figure 4A, frame = upper cover 35, P.0045)
An optical sensor to be attached to the frame and located opposite to the belt, the optical sensor configured to detect a test toner image formed on a surface of the belt (Figure 2, optical sensor 300, Figure 4, optical sensor 30, Col.6, l 31-44, P.0045)
A substrate (Figure 4, substrate = circuit board 34, P.0045)
A light emitting element that emits light, the light emitting element being fixed to the substrate (Figure 4 and 5A, light emitting element = 31, P.0045)
A light receptive element that receives reflected light emitted from the light emitting element and reflected off the sensing object, the light receptive element being fixed to the substrate (Figure 4 and 5A, light receptive element = 32 and 33, P.0045)
A lens member located between the frame and the substrate, the lens member having an optical surface through which light emitted from the light emitting element travels (Figure 4, lens 37a-37c, P.0045)
A holder comprising a holder body and a first hook protruding from the holder body, the first hook engageable with the frame (Figure 4 and 5A, holder body = lower case 36, first hook shown in Figure 5A, engageable with frame 35, Figure 5B, hooks 361a, 362a, P.0046)
However, Tanaka fails to label and clearly disclose that the lens member is held fixed between the frame and the holder and that the holder configured to press the lens member against the frame when the first hook is engaged with the frame.
From Figure 4, 5A, and 5B, with the lens member 37a-37c, the frame is 35 and the holder is 36, it would be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art that the lenses are located pressed between the upper case 35 and lower case 36. The absence of an explicit label for the lenses in Figure 5B does not negate the presence of the lenses at the location between the two cases. A person of ordinary skill in the art viewing the overall structure and operation disclosed would readily understand that the lens must necessarily reside between the upper and lower case to enable the lenses to be aligned with the light emitters and light receivers (31 and 33). This positional requirement follows inevitably from the teachings of the figure when considered in light of basic engineering principles and well-known physical constraints. See MPEP 2144 and MPEP 2112. The skilled artisan is not limited to only what is explicitly disclosed; rather they interpret drawings with ordinary skill and logic. The reference inherently teaches the claimed positional relationship or at minimum renders it obvious.
With respect to claim 12, Hashiguchi discloses all of the limitations as applied to claim 11 above. In addition, Hashiguchi discloses:
A substrate retainer by which the substrate is held and fixed between the holder and the substrate retainer, the substrate retainer comprising a retaining body and a second hook protruding from the holder, the second hook being engageable with the substrate retainer (Figure 5A, Figure 5B, substrate retainer = stopper in concave part of frame 35, P.0046, second hook = 362a)
When the second hook is engaged with the frame, the retainer body presses the substrate against the holder (Figure 5B, P.0046)
However, Hashiguchi fails to disclose the second hook protrudes from the substrate retainer rather than the holder. This would be an obvious switch, either a protruding hook from the frame to engage with the holder or a protruding hook from the holder to engage with the frame are functional equivalents and would be a design choice based on mechanical needs and space.
With respect to claims 13, 14, 17, 18, and 19, Hashiguchi discloses all of the limitations as applied to claim 12 above. In addition, Hashiguchi discloses:
13- The holder further comprises a locating protrusion configured such that when the lens member is attached to the holder, the locating protrusion protruding toward the lens member contacts the lens member (Figure 5B, holder = 36, locating protrusion = shoulder of 36 where it meets 361, following the same logic as applied to claim 11 above, the lens would sit in the white space between 36 and 35 at the top of Figure 5B)
14- The lens member comprises a protrusion configured such that when the optical sensor is attached to the frame, the protrusion protruding toward the frame contacts the frame, and the optical surface is kept out of contact with the frame (Figure 4, lens = 37a-37c, lens protrusion = white unlabeled component surrounding it, frame = 35)
17- wherein the light receptive element comprises a first light receptive element that receives a specular reflection component of light reflected off the test toner image and a second light receptive element that receives a diffuse reflection component of light reflected off the test toner image (P.0048, first light receptive element = 32, second light receptive element = 33)
17- wherein the substrate comprises a first hole corresponding to the first light receptive element and a second hole corresponding to a second light receptive element (Figure 4, first hole = passage 403, second hole = passage 401, first light receptive element = 32, second light receptive element = 33, P.0045)
18- the holder further comprises a first light shielding wall located between the light emitting element and the first light receptive element and a second light shielding wall located between the light emitting element and the second light receptive element (Figure 4, first light shielding wall = 405, second light shielding wall = 404, P.0045)
18- Wherein the first light shielding wall has a groove formed in a surface thereof facing to the light emitting element (Figure 4, groove = outward bend in wall 405 unlabeled right above light 31)
19- the groove extends parallel to an optical axis of the light emitting element (Figure 4, the outward protrusion inside wall 405 has a non zero thickness in the direction parallel to the optical axis)
With respect to claim 15 Hashiguchi discloses all of the limitations as applied to claims 11 and 14 above. However, Hashiguchi fails to disclose the lens member further comprises a third hook engageable with the holder.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to include additional hooks between various components, since it has been held that multiplying working parts of an invention is within ordinary skill in the art. In this case, a hook is a well-known component releasably engaging one component in structural relationship to another component. Although Hashiguchi is silent about it, the lens component is clearly held in a structural relationship to the holder in some manner. Using a hook for that connection would be within ordinary skill in the art.
With respect to claim 20, Hashiguchi discloses all of the limitations as applied to claim 11 above. In addition, Hashiguchi discloses:
The lens member is a lens having a positive power (P.0047, condensing lens inherently have positive power)
The radius of curvature of a first surface being larger than a radius of curvature of a second surface (inherent to condensing lenses, functionally required to collect light and focus onto sensor surface)
However, Hashiguchi fails to disclose the lens has a first surface facing to the frame and a second surface facing to the substrate.
It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of the invention to have the curved first surface facing the frame and the curved second surface facing the substrate. The substrate and frame of Hashiguchi hold the sides of the lens, not the curved top and bottom. However, this is a matter of design choice. Based upon the geometric set up of elements, the frame and substrate could hold any of the sides of the lens in order to keep it in a required position with respect to the sensor, source, and target.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 16 is 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 and any deficiencies under 35 USC 112 corrected therein.
The prior art alone or in combination fail to disclose or suggest a lens member with a third hook engageable with the holder, wherein the third hook has a through hole piercing the hook in a lengthwise direction and a holder lug protruding and engageable with the hook hole when the lens member is attached to the holder in combination with the rest of the claimed limitations.
Conclusion
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REBECCA CAROLE. BRYANT
Examiner
Art Unit 2877
/REBECCA C BRYANT/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2877