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 .
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.
Specification
ABSTRACT - Applicant is reminded of the proper language and format for an abstract of the disclosure.
The abstract should be in narrative form and generally limited to a single paragraph on a separate sheet within the range of 50 to 150 words in length. The abstract should describe the disclosure sufficiently to assist readers in deciding whether there is a need for consulting the full patent text for details.
The language should be clear and concise and should not repeat information given in the title. It should avoid using phrases which can be implied, such as, “The disclosure concerns,” “The disclosure defined by this invention,” “The disclosure describes,” etc. In addition, the form and legal phraseology often used in patent claims, such as “means” and “said,” should be avoided.
The abstract of the disclosure is objected to because it merely consists of a single run-on sentence without regard for proper grammatical form. Correction is required. See MPEP § 608.01(b).
TITLE - 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 Objections
A series of singular dependent claims is permissible in which a dependent claim refers to a preceding claim which, in turn, refers to another preceding claim.
A claim which depends from a dependent claim should not be separated by any claim which does not also depend from said dependent claim. It should be kept in mind that a dependent claim may refer to any preceding independent claim. In general, applicant's sequence will not be changed. See MPEP § 608.01(n).
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 1-13 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.
Claim 1 recites inter alia, “one end portion out of both end portions of the transfer jacket”. There is insufficient antecedent basis for the limitation "both end portions" in the claim. Additionally, the claimed end portion is unclear since the transfer jacket is a three-dimensional object and no particular direction/position of such end portion is defined.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
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)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 4-6, 8, 9, 11-13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20230068665 to Kishi et al.
Kishi teaches:
(claim 1) A transfer device (13, Fig.1) comprising:
a transfer member(16A) that is formed in an endless band-like shape and to which a toner image is transferred;
a transfer cylinder (50, Fig.6) that includes a cylinder body (52) having an outer peripheral surface at which a recess portion (54) extending in an axial direction is formed and a transfer jacket (100) that is wound around the outer peripheral surface such that both end portions of the transfer jacket are disposed outside the recess portion [0066]; and
a transfer roll (24) that extends in the axial direction, that transfers the toner image to a recording medium wound around the transfer cylinder while sandwiching the transfer member together with the transfer jacket, and that repeats collision and separation with respect to the transfer jacket as the transfer roll passes through the recess portion [0040],
wherein at least one end portion (110B) out of both end portions (100A, 100B) of the transfer jacket includes an edge that is not parallel to an axis of the transfer roll (see end portion 152 in Fig.11; also see end portion of 100A near #60 in Fig.11).
(claim 2) The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer jacket is formed to be symmetrical with respect to a center in the axial direction (Fig.12).
(claim 4) The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein both end portions of the transfer jacket include edges that are not parallel to the axis of the transfer roll (see Fig.11).
(claim 5) The transfer device according to claim 4, wherein shapes of both end portions of the transfer jacket are different from each other (see Fig.11).
(claim 6) The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer jacket is attached to the cylinder body such that the transfer jacket is replaceable [0094].
(claims 8, 9, 11-13) An image forming apparatus (10, Fig.1) comprising: an image forming unit (12) that includes an image formation unit (20) that forms the toner image and the transfer device according to any of claims 1, 2, and 4-6; and a fixing device (15) that fixes an image which is transferred to a recording medium by the image forming unit.
(claim 9) An image forming apparatus (10, Fig.1) comprising: an image forming unit (12) that includes an image formation unit (20) that forms the toner image and the transfer device according to claim 2; and a fixing device (15) that fixes an image which is transferred to a recording medium by the image forming unit.
Claim(s) 1, 2, 6, 8, 9 and 13 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by US 20230122708 to Wada et al.
Wada teaches:
(claim 1) A transfer device (13, Fig.1) comprising:
a transfer member (30) that is formed in an endless band-like shape and to which a toner image is transferred;
a transfer cylinder (50, Fig.6) that includes a cylinder body (52) having an outer peripheral surface at which a recess portion (54) extending in an axial direction is formed and a transfer jacket (100) that is wound around the outer peripheral surface such that both end portions of the transfer jacket are disposed outside the recess portion [0082]; and
a transfer roll (24) that extends in the axial direction, that transfers the toner image to a recording medium wound around the transfer cylinder while sandwiching the transfer member together with the transfer jacket, and that repeats collision and separation with respect to the transfer jacket as the transfer roll passes through the recess portion [0051],
wherein at least one end portion out of both end portions of the transfer jacket includes an edge (104, Fig.9) that is not parallel to an axis of the transfer roll [0088].
(claim 2) The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer jacket is formed to be symmetrical with respect to a center in the axial direction (Fig.8).
(claim 6) The transfer device according to claim 1, wherein the transfer jacket is attached to the cylinder body such that the transfer jacket is replaceable [0086].
(claims 8, 9, and 13) An image forming apparatus (10, Fig.1) comprising: an image forming unit (12) that includes an image formation unit (20) that forms the toner image and the transfer device according to any of claims 1, 2, and 6; and a fixing device (15) that fixes an image which is transferred to a recording medium by the image forming unit.
Allowable Subject Matter
Claims 3, 7, 10 and 14 would be allowable if rewritten or amended to overcome the rejection(s) under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), 2nd paragraph, set forth in this Office action.
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. JP 2021-018317 is relevant to the teachings of a transfer member and image forming apparatus wherein the transfer member comprises: an inner layer that is not adhered to and wound around a transfer barrel body; and an outer layer that is adhered to the inner layer and has a hardness smaller than the hardness of the inner layer.
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to ARLENE HEREDIA whose telephone number is (571)272-8393. The examiner can normally be reached M-F: 9:30-5:30.
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If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, Stephanie Bloss can be reached at (571) 272-3555. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
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/Arlene Heredia Ocasio/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2852
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