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 Arguments
Applicant’s arguments with respect to claim(s) 1 have been considered but are moot because the new ground of rejection does not rely on any reference applied in the prior rejection of record for any teaching or matter specifically challenged in the argument.
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.
Claim(s) 1-5 and 7 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishidate (US 20180095241 A1) in view of Mizutani (US 20170060021 A1).
Re Claim 1, Ishidate discloses, on Fig. 1 and 2, an optical scanning apparatus, comprising: a light source (plurality of unshown light sources) [Par 35]; a deflector (deflector 41) that deflects a light beam emitted from the light source [Par 30-35]; an optical member (mirrors 62a-62h, generally mirror 62) that is disposed on an optical path of the light beam and that extends in a main scanning direction of the light beam (The mirror 62 is used for guiding the laser light to the photosensitive drum 50) [Par 35]; and a housing (casing 105) that houses the light source, the deflector, and the optical member [Par 35]; wherein the housing has an adhesive support portion (See Fig. 5: leaf spring 72) to which the optical member (mirror 62) is bonded with adhesive (adhesive S) applied therebetween and that supports the optical member (adhesive S bonds optical member 62 and leaf spring 72) [Par 8 and 69], the adhesive support portion (See Fig. 5, leaf spring 72) has elevated portions (either side throttling portions 79) and a depressed portion (projection portion points 80 and 90] [Par 72], the elevated portions and the depressed portion being formed at a counterposed face that faces the optical member (Fig. 5: points 80 and 90 and throttling portion 79 face member 62) and to which the adhesive is applied (adhesive is applied to edge 81 of throttling portion 79 and points 80 and 90) [Par 71], the elevated portions and the depressed portion extending in a direction intersecting the main scanning direction (Fig. 5-6: throttling portion 79, and points 80 and 90 extend along a surface of mirror 62 that intersects with reflection surface 621) [Par 37] , the elevated portions (Fig. 6: either side throttling portions 79) are disposed at opposite end parts of the counterposed face in the main scanning direction (throttling portions 79 are on opposite ends of the side surface of mirror 62, see Fig. 4 where mains scanning direction is the Y axis) [Par 26] , and the depressed portion is disposed between the two elevated portions with respect to the main scanning direction (Fig. 6: points 80 and 90 are between either throttling portions 79).
But Ishidate does not explicitly disclose, the elevated portions extending along in a straight line, and the depressed portion being formed in a shape of a groove.
However, within the same field of endeavor, Mizutani teaches, on Fig. 9, that it is desirable in lens support portions to include, the elevated portions extending along in a straight line (seat 721 is straight), and the depressed portion being formed in a shape of a groove (recessed portion 722 is a groove) [Par 39].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify the system of Ishidate with Mizutani in order to provide, suppress deformation of the adhesive, as taught by Mizutani [Par 41].
Re Claim 2, Ishidate in view of Mizutani discloses, the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, and Ishidate further discloses on Fig. 5, wherein the adhesive support portion (Fig. 5: leaf spring 72) has a plurality of the counterposed faces (urging portion 72a and second urging portion 72b)) that respectively face a plurality of faces of the optical member (leaf spring 72 faces two different surfaces of member 62) extending in the main scanning direction (see Fig. 4: both surfaces of member 62 extend at least partially in the optical scanning direction Y [Par 26].
Re Claim 3, Ishidate in view of Mizutani discloses, the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, and Ishidate further discloses on Fig. 4-5, wherein the adhesive support portion (leaf spring 72) is provided at least at one of opposite end parts (See Fig. 4 leaf spring 72 contacts member 62 one of the opposite ends of axis Y) of the optical member (mirror 62) in the main scanning direction (scanning direction Y).
Re Claim 4, Ishidate in view of Mizutani discloses, the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, and Ishidate further discloses on Fig. 4-5, wherein the optical member (mirror 62) is bonded to the adhesive support portion (leaf spring 72) in a state positioned relative thereto (see Fig. 4) based on a position at which the light beam enters the optical member (See Fig. 4: “For this reason, the mirror 62 is contacted to the supporting bearing surface 71, for holding the mirror 62, which is a part of the casing 105, by an urge force (pressure) of a leaf spring 72, and the mirror 62 is supported and fixed by the supporting bearing surface 71. The leaf spring 72 is a member for fixing the optical member to the casing 105.”… “The mirror 62 has the reflecting surface 621 including a light beam reflecting region R for reflecting the light beam”.)[Par 36-37].
Re Claim 5, Ishidate in view of Mizutani discloses, the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, and Ishidate further discloses on Fig. 4, wherein the adhesive (adhesive S) is an ultraviolet-curable adhesive (adhesive S is UV curable) [Par 70].
Re claim 7, Ishidate in view of Mizutani discloses, the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1, and Ishidate further discloses on Fig. 2, wherein the optical member (mirror 62) is a turning mirror that changes the optical path of the light beam (See Fig. 2: " The mirror 62 is used for guiding the laser light to the photosensitive drum 50.”) [Par 35].
Claim(s) 6 is/are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Ishidate in view of Mizutani as applied to claim 1 above, and further in view of Lim (US 20120127252 A1).
Re claim 6, Ishidate discloses, the optical scanning apparatus according to claim 1.
But Ishidate does not explicitly disclose, wherein the adhesive is a thermally curable adhesive.
However, within the same field of endeavor, Lim teaches, on Fig. 2, that it is desirable in optical scanning devices to include wherein the adhesive (adhesive 13) is a thermally curable adhesive (Adhesive 13 is thermally curable) [Par 32].
Therefore, it would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art before the filing date of the invention to modify the system of Ishidate with Lim in order to couple the mirror, as taught by Lim [Par 8-13].
Conclusion
The prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to applicant's disclosure. Nagaoka (US 20080316559 A1) teaches a laser scanning device.
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 RAY ALEXANDER DEAN whose telephone number is (571)272-4027. The examiner can normally be reached Monday-Friday 7:30-5:00.
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, Bumsuk Won can be reached at (571)-272-2713. 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.
/RAY ALEXANDER DEAN/ Examiner, Art Unit 2872
/WYATT A STOFFA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2881