CTFR 18/339,873 CTFR 100215 DETAILED ACTION Notice of Pre-AIA or AIA Status 07-03-aia AIA 15-10-aia 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 narrow the range of the number-average surface area of the domains in a cross-section of the toner. Claim 3 has been canceled accordingly. New Claim 11 has been added. No new subject matter has been added. Response to Arguments Applicant’s arguments, see Remarks, filed 2026-05-04, with respect to the rejection of Claims 1 - 10 under 35 U.S.C. §112(b) have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. Applicant’s arguments with respect to the rejection of Claim 1 under 35 U.S.C. §103, in light of the present amendment, have been fully considered and are persuasive. Therefore, the rejection has been withdrawn. However, upon further consideration, a new ground of rejection is made in view of Shimano et al (US PGP 2014/0308611) and Hashimoto et al (US PGP 2021/0181647). Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103 07-103 AIA The text of those sections of Title 35, U.S. Code not included in this action can be found in a prior Office action. 07-20-02-aia AIA 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. 07-21-aia AIA Claim s 1, 2, and 4 - 11 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Shimano et al (US PGP 2014/0308611) in view of Hashimoto et al (US PGP 2021/0181647) . Shimano teaches a toner including toner particles, which contain a binder resin and a colorant. The toner particles have a sea-island structure (analogous to a matrix-domain structure) including a sea portion (analogous to a matrix) of a crystalline resin, and islands (analogous to domains) of an amorphous resin, which is visible in a cross-section of each toner particle (Abstract). The crystalline resin is preferably a vinyl resin which contains at least 50% by mass of a structural unit represented by a general formula 1, representing alkyl (meth)acrylates having alkyl chains of 16 – 34 carbons ([0034]), reading on instant Formula (3). The amorphous resin may be a styrene-acrylic resin ([0043]). Shimano points out styrene, butyl (meth)acrylate, and (meth)acrylic acid as other useful monomers for the preparation of a styrene-acrylic resin ([0045]). Shimano teaches that the islands (domains) of the sea-island structure preferably have a number-average circle-equivalent diameter of 30 – 500 nm in cross-sectional view ([0057]). Such domains, if roughly circular in shape, would have number-average cross-sectional surface area of roughly 700 – 196,000 nm 2 , reading on the range stated in Claim 1. π ( 30 n m 2 ) 2 = 706.5 n m 2 π ( 500 n m 2 ) 2 = 196,250 n m 2 Shimano does not appear to give further preferences regarding the composition of the crystalline or amorphous resins, or preferred viscoelasticity parameters of the binder resin such as the storage elastic modulus at particular temperatures. Hashimoto teaches a toner comprising toner particles comprising a binder resin, wherein the binder resin contains a first resin, which is a crystalline resin, and a second resin, which is an amorphous resin (Abstract). The first resin contains a first monomer unit represented by a formula (1) ([0045]), which represents (meth)acrylates having alkyl chains of 18 – 36 carbons, reading on instant Formula (3). The first monomer unit is preferably contained in the first resin in an amount of 30 – 90% by mass ([0083]), and may be a single monomer unit or a combination of two or more types ([0089]). Hashimoto teaches that the first resin also contains a second monomer unit, which imparts polarity to the crystalline resin and improves adhesion to paper upon fixing ([0101]). Given examples of the second monomer include (meth)acrylic acid ([0102], [0107]). Hashimoto teaches that the second monomer unit may be contained in the first resin in an amount of 0.1 – 70% by mass ([0112]). Hashimoto teaches that the first resin also contains a third monomer unit, represented by a formula (5), which may represent styrene ([0114]). Hashimoto teaches that the third monomer unit may be contained in the first resin in an amount of 10 – 50% by mass, which improves charge maintenance property ([0116]). The first resin is preferably contained in the binder resin in an amount of 30 – 95% by mass, facilitating the formation of the matrix-domain structure ([0123]). Hashimoto teaches that the second (amorphous) resin is preferably a vinyl resin, which improves compatibility with the first (crystalline) resin and improves control of the size of the domains in the domain-matrix structure ([0125], [0126]). The second resin is preferably contained in the binder resin in an amount of 4 – 70% by mass ([0130]). Given as examples of monomers which may be used in the preparation of the second resin include (meth)acrylates having alkyl chains of 1 – 4, 8, 12, or 18 carbons ([0124], [0134], [0135]). Hashimoto teaches a relationship between the chain length of the (meth)acrylate monomer units of the second resin and the number-average diameter of the domains in the matrix-domain structure of the toner particle ([0148]). The area ratio of the domains in a cross-section of the domain-matrix structure is preferably 15 – 80% ([0072]), reading on the range stated in Claim 1. Hashimoto does not appear to teach preferred viscoelasticity parameters such as the storage elastic modulus at particular temperatures. In preparing the toner of Shimano, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve adhesion to paper at fixing, improve charge maintenance property, and improve compatibility of the amorphous resin with the crystalline resin by implementing the preferred compositions for those resins taught by Hashimoto. The types and relative amounts of monomer units taught by Shimano and Hashimoto for a crystalline vinyl resin read on the composition of instant crystalline resins C-1 and C-2 (Specification, Table 1). The types of monomer units taught by Hashimoto for an amorphous vinyl resin read on the compositions of amorphous resins, which, alongside instant crystalline resins C-1 and C-2, allow for the preparation of toners having the same resins as instant example Toners 1 – 7 (Specification, Table 2). These examples all possess values for T2, T3-T1, and G’(100) lying in the ranges stated in Claim 1 (Specification, Table 3). Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the instant application to prepare the toner of Shimano, incorporating the monomer compositions for the crystalline and amorphous resins taught by Hashimoto, and, in the course of routine experimentation, prepare a toner which would necessarily possess values for T2, T3-T1, and G’(100) lying in the ranges stated in Claim 1 . As discussed above, Hashimoto teaches that, in a cross-section of the toner, the area ratio of the domains in the domain-matrix structure is preferably 15 – 80% ([0072]), overlapping the range stated in Claim 2 . As discussed above, Shimano teaches that the crystalline resin contains at least 50% by mass of a structural unit represented by a general formula 1, representing alkyl (meth)acrylates having alkyl chains of 16 – 34 carbons ([0034]), reading on instant Formula (3) and satisfying Claim 4 and Claim 5 . Shimano teaches that the crystalline resin makes up 30 – 70% by mass of the binder resin ([0031]). Where one of ordinary skill in the art would understand that the binder resin is the main component of a toner, the content of crystalline resin in the toner would be allowed to lie in the range stated in Claim 6 . As discussed above, Hashimoto teaches that the second resin, which is an amorphous resin, may include (meth)acrylates having alkyl chains of 1 – 4, 8, 12, or 18 carbons ([0124], [0134], [0135]), reading on Formula (4) of Claim 7 , Formula (7) of Claim 9 , and satisfying the group R 5 of Claim 8 . As discussed above, the crystalline and amorphous resins of Shimano and Hashimoto are vinyl resins, satisfying Claim 10 . As discussed above, the crystalline resin of Shimano comprises a structural unit represented by a general formula 1, representing alkyl (meth)acrylates having alkyl chains of 16 – 34 carbons, reading on instant Formula (3), and the amorphous resin of Hashimoto may include (meth)acrylates having alkyl chains of 1 – 4 carbons, reading on instant Formula (4), satisfying Claim 11 . Conclusion 07-40 AIA 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. Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice. 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. Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000. /GRANT STEVEN SEILER/ Examiner, Art Unit 1734 /PETER L VAJDA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 05/27/2026 Application/Control Number: 18/339,873 Page 2 Art Unit: 1734 Application/Control Number: 18/339,873 Page 3 Art Unit: 1734 Application/Control Number: 18/339,873 Page 4 Art Unit: 1734 Application/Control Number: 18/339,873 Page 5 Art Unit: 1734 Application/Control Number: 18/339,873 Page 6 Art Unit: 1734 Application/Control Number: 18/339,873 Page 7 Art Unit: 1734 Application/Control Number: 18/339,873 Page 8 Art Unit: 1734
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