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 .
Specification
The title of the invention is not descriptive. A new title is required that is clearly indicative of the invention to which the claims are directed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b) CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph:
The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the applicant regards as his invention.
Claims 1-10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
In claim 1, line 4, “of the frame,” is unclear, where “of the frame” could be changed to “to the frame”.
In claim 7, line 9, “a plate thickness of the frame” is unclear as to what plate of the frame that the plate thickness refers to, since no specific plate of the frame has been claimed.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
In the event the determination of the status of the application as subject to AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103 (or as subject to pre-AIA 35 U.S.C. 102 and 103) is incorrect, any correction of the statutory basis (i.e., changing from AIA to pre-AIA ) for the rejection will not be considered a new ground of rejection if the prior art relied upon, and the rationale supporting the rejection, would be the same under either status.
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –
(a)(2) the claimed invention was described in a patent issued under section 151, or in an application for patent published or deemed published under section 122(b), in which the patent or application, as the case may be, names another inventor and was effectively filed before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claims 1, 2, 5, 6 and 10 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(2) as being anticipated by Kitajima (US 2023/0244180).
Kitajima (…180) discloses an image forming apparatus comprising: a frame that holds an
image forming section ([0039]) and to which at least one substrate (201 and 202) that bears a
part of functions of the image forming section is attached ([0048]; [0054]; and figures 1, 4, 5, 7A
and 7B), the frame being such that, at one side surface to which the at least one substrate is
attached to the frame, a width in a vertical direction of a space portion formed between a
plurality of longitudinal shape portions that extend in a horizontal direction between portions of
the frame that extend in the vertical direction is larger than a width in the vertical direction of the
longitudinal shape portions (figures 1, 4, 5, 7A and 7B), wherein the at least one substrate
includes a plurality of substrates (201 and 202), at least a part of the plurality of substrates are
disposed so as to be connected between the portions of the frame that extend in the vertical
direction (figures 7A-8), and, when the frame is divided into two regions by a central line in an
imaginary manner in the horizontal direction, of the substrates that are connected, an uppermost
substrate and a lowermost substrate in the vertical direction are disposed so as to be positioned at
different ones of the two regions (figures 7B and 8) [see Applicant's claim 1]. The plurality of
substrates (201 and 202) are connected to each other in the horizontal direction ([0054]; and
figures 7B and 8) [see Applicant's claim 2]. The uppermost substrate and the lowermost
substrate are attached in a mode in which the uppermost substrate and the lowermost substrate
are connected to either one of a set of the portions of the frame that extend in the vertical
direction and a set of the longitudinal shape portions that extend in the horizontal direction, and
are not connected to another of the set of the portions of the frame that extend in the vertical
direction and the set of the longitudinal shape portions that extend in the horizontal direction
(figure 7B) [see Applicant's claim 5]. The mode is a mode in which the uppermost substrate and
the lowermost substrate are connected to the set of the portions of the frame that extend in the
vertical direction and are not connected to the set of the longitudinal shape portions that extend
in the horizontal direction (figure 7B) [see Applicant's claim 6]. The frame is such that, at the
one side surface to which the substrates are attached, a proportion of an area of the frame with respect to an entire area of the one side surface is 2/3 or less (figure 7B) [see Applicant’s claim 10].
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 103
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 103 which forms the basis for all obviousness rejections set forth in this Office action:
A patent for a claimed invention may not be obtained, notwithstanding that the claimed invention is not identically disclosed as set forth in section 102, if the differences between the claimed invention and the prior art are such that the claimed invention as a whole would have been obvious before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to a person having ordinary skill in the art to which the claimed invention pertains. Patentability shall not be negated by the manner in which the invention was made.
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 3 and 4 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kitajima (US 2023/0244180) in view of Takahashi (US 2013/0136484).
Kitajima (…180) discloses the features mentioned previously, but does not disclose the claimed substrate configuration. Takahashi (…484) discloses an image forming apparatus
(figures 1-3) including a plurality of substrates (72, 73 and 74), wherein the plurality of
substrates include a first substrate (73) that is the uppermost substrate, a second substrate (72)
that is the lowermost substrate, and a third substrate (74) that is positioned between the first
substrate and the second substrate in the vertical direction (figures 4 and 5), and wherein an
external shape of the first substrate is larger than an external shape of the second substrate
(figures 4 and 5) [see Applicant's claim 3]. The external shape of the first substrate is larger than
the external shape of the third substrate (figure 5) [see Applicant's claim 4]. It would have been
obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention
to have the claimed substrate configuration, as disclosed by Takahashi ( ...484), since such a
substrate configuration is well known in the art.
Claims 7-9 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Kitajima (US 2023/0244180) in view of Takahashi (US 2013/0136484) and Ishizuka (US 2013/0027742).
Kitajima (…180) discloses the features mentioned previously, but does not disclose the claimed substrate configuration and the claimed accommodating units. Takahashi 484) discloses an image forming apparatus (figures 1-3) including a plurality of substrates (72, 73 and 74), wherein when a first substrate (73) that is the uppermost substrate is attached to the one side surface, a second substrate (72) that is the lowermost substrate is attached to the one side surface, and a third substrate (74) that is positioned between the first substrate and the second substrate in the vertical direction is attached to the one side surface (figures 4 and 5) [see Applicant's claim 7]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed substrate configuration, as disclosed by Takahashi (…484), since such a substrate configuration is well known in the art. Moreover, Ishizuka (...742) disclose an accommodating unit (54), which is a plate accommodating unit, attaching a substrate to an image forming apparatus ([0050]; and figure 4) [see Applicant's claim 7]. The inclusion of a plate in an accommodating unit and the thickness of the plate is considered to be merely an engineering decision [see Applicant's claims 7-9]. It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the effective filing date of the claimed invention to have the claimed accommodating units that accommodate corresponding substrates, since as disclosed by Ishizuka ( 742), it is well known in the art to attach a substrate to an image forming apparatus by an accommodating unit.
Inquiry
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SANDRA BRASE whose telephone number is (571)272-2131. The examiner can normally be reached M-F.
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, Walter Lindsay can be reached at 571-272-1674. 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.
/SANDRA BRASE/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852 July 18, 2026
Prosecution Insights