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
The amendments filed 2/6/2026 have been entered. Table 1 in the Specification has been replaced. Claims 1-17 and 20 remain pending. Claim 1 is amended. Claims 18-19 have been cancelled. Claim 21 has been added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s arguments, see page 11, filed 2/6/2026, with respect to the specification have been fully considered and are persuasive. The objection of the specification has been withdrawn.
Applicant has replaced Table 1 in the specification, the table is no longer blurry.
Applicant’s arguments, see page 13, filed 2/6/2026, with respect to claims 18-19 have been fully considered and are persuasive. The rejections of claims 18-19 has been withdrawn.
Claims 18 and 19 are cancelled, the rejections are withdrawn.
Applicant’s arguments, see page 11-13, filed 2/6/2026, with respect to the rejections of claims 1-17 and 20 under 35 USC 102(a)(1) and 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 Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn.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 Mukoyama (JP 2000112183) in view of Uchida (US 5631116).
Applicant argues Mukoyama does not disclose or suggest using a resin comprising an alicyclic (meth)acrylic resin, or the moisture protection using an alicyclic (meth)acrylic resin can provide. Examiner agrees Mukoyama does not disclose an alicyclic (meth)acrylic resin. However, Mukoyma does indicate any known resin can be used for the coating layer. Uchida teaches a carrier comprising a resin coating layer comprising cyclohexyl methacrylate, which can maintain charge in humid conditions without delaminating.
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, 8, 10-17, and 20 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukoyama (JP 2000112183) in view of Uchida (US 5631116).
Regarding claims 1-3, 8, and 12-14, Mukoyama discloses an electrophotographic carrier produced by mixing a ferrite core particle 100 parts ferrite core particles, 15 parts toluene, 3.5 parts styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer, 0.6 parts crosslinked nylon resin particles, and 2.5 parts strontium titanate particles having a particle size of 20 nm ([0041]). The amount of strontium titanate in the resin coating mixture is 2.5/(3.5+0.6+2.5) = 38%. The carrier particles are produced using a nearly identical process to the Examples of the Instant Application, both first mix the resin, resin particles, strontium titanate particles, and toluene to produce a coating layer forming liquid; the ferrite particles and coating layer forming liquid are then placed in a vacuum degassing kneader heated and stirred, distilling off the toluene ([0041], Instant Application [0109]). While the amount of strontium titanate used in Mukoyama is more than Example 1 in the Instant application, it is slightly less than the 40% used in Example 4 of the Instant Application (Instant Application [0116]). Due to the similar amounts and identical methods, one of skill in the art would expect the proportion of Sr atoms within the surface of the resin coating layer to match or be slightly less than that of Example 4, 0.8 at%. Furthermore, due to the similar ratio of resin to strontium titanate, and identical methods one of skill in the art would expect the carrier of Mukoyama would possess inherently possess ratios of Sr1/C1 and Sr2/C2 close to that of Example 4 of the Instant Application, Sr1/C1 = 0.1143 and Sr2/C2 = 0.1714, (Instant specification [0116]). However, while Mukoyama states any known resin may be used as a coating resin, including acrylic resins ([0014]), Mukoyama does not disclose a resin coating layer containing an alicyclic (meth)acrylic resin.
Uchida teaches a carrier comprising a resin coated layer on the surface of the core, the resin comprising an alicyclic methacrylate monomer (abstract). Uchida further teaches the carrier is capable of maintaining a high charge even under high humidity conditions, without any delamination of the coated layer. This is achieved by using a coating resin prepared by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate (Col 2 line 59 to Col 3 line 25). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to use a resin coating layer comprising an alicyclic methacrylate, as taught by Uchida, in the carrier of Mukoyama, to maintain high charge under high humidity conditions, and prevent delamination of the coated layer.
Regarding claims 4, modified Mukoyama discloses all limitations as set forth above. Mukoyama does not disclose the ratio D/T, of the particle size of the strontium titanate particles (D) to the thickness of the resin coating layer (T) being 0.0033-0.050. However, while the particle size of the strontium titanate used is slightly smaller, and more of the coating layer forming liquid is used per 100 parts ferrite particles, one of skill in the art would expect the carrier of Mukoyama would be within the claimed range. In the Instant Application, Example 4 possesses a D/T value of 0.0208, using strontium titanate particles having a particle size of 25 nm, and a coating solution having 5.1 parts solid material, Examples 2-23 are prepared in the same manner as Example 1, except the type and content of strontium titanate and nitrogen containing resin particles are adjusted (Instant Specification [0109]-[0110], [0116]). The Carrier of Mukoyama possesses a strontium titanate particle size of 20 nm and an amount of coating solution of 6.6, therefore one of skill in the art would expect a Ratio D/T of 0.0208 *(20/25)/(6.6/5.1) = 0.0208* (0.8/1.29) = 0.1286.
Regarding claims 10-11, modified Mukoyama discloses all limitations as set forth above. Mukoyama further discloses the crosslinked nylon resin particles are used in an amount of 0.6 parts in the coating layer forming liquid, with 3.5 parts styrene-methyl methacrylate copolymer and 2.5 parts strontium titanate particles for a mass% of 0.6/(3.5+0.6+2.5) = 9.09 mass%, and a mass ratio of the nylon resin particles P, to the strontium titanate particles W of P/W is 0.6/2.5 = 0.24 ([0041]).
Regarding claims 15-17, Mukoyama discloses all limitations as set forth above. Mukoyama further discloses a developer is prepared by mixing the carrier with a toner ([0042]).
Regarding claim 20, modified Mukoyama discloses all limitations as set forth above. Mukoyama further discloses an image forming method, comprising a step of charging a photosensitive member, exposing the photosensitive member to form an electrostatic latent image, a developing step using the developer, a transfer step to transfer to a support and a fixing step to fix the image to the support ([0012]).
Claims 5-7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukoyama (JP 2000112183) in view of Uchida (US 5631116) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Iguchi (US 20190033740).
Regarding claims 5-7, modified Mukoyama discloses all limitations as set forth above. Mukoyama does not disclose the strontium titanate are doped with metal atoms other than titanium and strontium.
Iguchi teaches a strontium titanate particles doped with a metal element, preferably a lanthanoid having an electronegativity of 2 or less ([0078]-[0082]). Iguchi further teaches using a dopant having an electronegativity of 2 or less allows for control of the resistivity and capacitance of the particles. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to dope the strontium titanate particles of Mukoyama with a lanthanide having an electronegativity of 2 or less, as taught by Iguchi, to better control the electrical properties of the particles and the carrier.
Claim 9 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukoyama (JP 2000112183) in view of Uchida (US 5631116) as applied to claims 1 and 8 above, and further in view of Ohishi (US 5821022).
Regarding claim 9, modified Mukoyama discloses all limitations as set forth above. However, Mukoyama does not disclose a volume-average particle size of the nitrogen containing resin particles of 120-230 nm.
Ohishi teaches a carrier having a core with a resin layer which includes resin particles having a nitrogen atom which are 0.1-2 µm, aka 100-2000 nm, in diameter (abstract, Col 2 line 25-27). Ohishi further teaches when the nitrogen atom containing resin particles are in the range of 0.1-2 µm dispersibility of the particles in the resin layer is improved, and the particle not likely to fall away from the resin layer, even under mechanical stress (Col 5 line 51-63). Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date ensure the nylon particles of Mukoyama be 100-2000 nm in particle diameter, as taught by Ohishi, to ensure they are properly dispersible in the resin layer, while preventing the resin particles from falling away even when stressed.
Claims 21 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Mukoyama (JP 2000112183) in view of Uchida (US 5631116) as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Honjo (US 5595850).
Regarding claim 21, modified Mukoyama discloses all limitations as set forth above. Uchida further teaches the alicyclic methacrylate is preferably cyclohexyl methacrylate (Col 5 line 4-7). However, Mukoyama does not disclose the core material comprises a compound selected from calcium oxide and strontium oxide, or the total content of calcium and strontium is 0.1-2 % by mass with respect to the total mass of the core material.
Honjo teaches a ferrite carrier for electrophotographic developers with SrO substituted for 0.35-5.0 mol% of the ferrite (abstract, Col 2 line 6-30). Honjo further teaches the SrO substitution reduces the magnetization dispersion of the ferrite carrier particles, enhancing the image developing qualities, durability, service life, and environmental stability of developers using the ferrite (Col 2 line 31-43). Honjo further teaches specific Examples 1 and 3 comprising (MnO)(MgO)(Fe2O3) ferrites substituted with SrO, the mol% of each detailed in Table 1 (Col 7 and 8). Using the mol%, and the molecular weight of the oxides the mass% of the Sr can be calculated.
MnO
MgO
Fe2O3
SrO
total
Sr (in SrO)
Sr mass%
molar mass
70.94
40.3
159.69
103.62
87.62
Example 1
mol%
35
14.5
50
0.5
0.5
mass
2482.9
584.35
7984.5
51.81
11103.56
43.81
0.394558
Example 2
mol%
35
10.3
50
4.7
4.7
mass
2482.9
415.09
7984.5
487.014
11369.5
411.814
3.622093
Example 3
mol%
40
10
49.6
0.4
0.4
mass
2837.6
403
7920.624
41.448
11202.67
35.048
0.312854
As shown above, Honjo teaches Sr content in an amount of 0.31-3.62 mass% of the carrier core material in the Examples. Therefore, it would have been obvious to a person having ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date to ensure the core material of Mukoyama included a Sr content of 0.31-3.62 mass% from substituted SrO, as taught by Honjo, to reduces the magnetization dispersion of the ferrite carrier particles, enhancing the image developing qualities, durability, service life, and environmental stability of developers using the carrier.
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 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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/C.C.S./ Examiner, Art Unit 1737
/MARK F. HUFF/ Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 1737
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