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
Claims 1 – 5, 7, and 8 are amended for formatting and usage. No new subject matter has been added.
Response to Arguments
Applicant’s argument that the amendments to Claim 3 and Claim 4 overcome the previously stated rejections under 35 U.S.C. §112(b) are persuasive. Those rejections are withdrawn. In addition, Applicant’s remarks have clarified the limitations recited in Claim 3. The previously stated objection to Claim 3 is therefore withdrawn.
Applicant helpfully points out that the hole transport material represented by formula 20 of Azuma does not read on the hole transport material represented by the formula (HTM1) of Claim 1. Applicant’s argument thus overcomes the previously stated rejection under 35 U.S.C. §103. That rejection is updated below.
Applicant further points out that the structure taught by Azuma is the same as that represented by instant formula (HTM6), which is used in a comparative example. Superiority of (HTM1) over (HTM6) when used alongside a polyester resin is alleged to be unexpected in view of the prior art. However, as described in the updated rejection below, teaching of (HTM1) alongside a polyester resin in the charge transport layer is found in the prior art.
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.
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 1 – 5, 7, and 8 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Azuma et al (US PGP 2022/0342326) in view of Nakamura et al (US PGP 2020/0233325).
Azuma teaches an electrophotographic photosensitive member, including a photosensitive layer, which may be a multi-layer photosensitive layer comprising a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer ([0002] – [0003]). A polyarylate resin is described ([0005]), which is used as the binder resin of the photosensitive layer ([0008]).
The polyarylate binder resin includes repeating units of formulae (1) – (4) ([0022]). Azuma’s formula (1) is a diol unit wherein two oxyphenyl groups, bearing ortho substituents R1 and R2, are connected at their para positions by a linking group X. An example of a unit represented by Azuma’s formula (1), wherein R1 and R2 are each H, and X is a but-2-ylidene group, is a diol unit derived from bisphenol B, the same as the diol portion of instant formula (1) ([0023]). Azuma’s formula (4) is a dicarboxylic acid unit derived from terephthalic acid, the same as the dicarboxylic portion of instant formula (1) wherein X1 corresponds to instant formula (1A). Where both of these units are included in a polyarylate (polyester) resin, the resin would contain a unit of instant formula (1) recited in Claim 1.
Azuma details the photosensitive member, which includes a conductive substrate (analogous to a support), and a photosensitive layer ([0063]). The photosensitive layer may have a multi-layer structure, wherein a charge transport layer is disposed on a charge generating layer, which is in turn disposed on the support ([0064] – [0066]). Such an embodiment is depicted in Azuma’s Fig. 2. A protective layer may be present, but the charge transport layer may be the outermost layer of the photosensitive member ([0068] – [0069]). As mentioned above, the binder resin of the charge transport layer is the polyarylate resin previously described ([0079]).
Azuma teaches that the charge transport layer contains a hole transport material ([0071]), which may include a triphenylamine derivative ([0081]). However, Azuma does not appear to teach a hole transport material having a structure reading on that of (HTM1).
Nakamura teaches an electrophotographic photoconductor including a photosensitive layer (Abstract). The photosensitive layer may be of the multi-layer type, having a charge generation layer and a charge transport layer ([0124]). The binder resin of the charge transport layer may be a polyester resin ([0147]). Nakamura teaches that the charge transport layer contains a charge transport material ([0142]), which is represented by a general formula (I) ([0143]). Further, the charge transport material is preferably represented by a formula (Ia) ([0145]), which is the same as instant (HTM1). Nakamura teaches that incorporation of the charge transport material of formula (Ia) in an amount in a specified range imparts desirable light decay characteristics and suppression of wear to the electrophotographic photoconductor ([0146]).
In preparing the photosensitive member of Azuma, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve the light decay characteristics and suppress wearing of the photosensitive member by incorporating the charge transport material of formula (Ia) in the charge transport layer as taught by Nakamura. 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 photosensitive member of Azuma, having the charge transport material taught by Nakamura in the charge transport layer, resulting in a photosensitive member described by Claim 1.
Azuma teaches that the content of hole transport material in the multi-layer photosensitive layer is preferably 10 – 200 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the binder resin ([0099]). Stated otherwise, that corresponds to a content of hole transport material (analogous to charge transporting compound) of 10 – 200% with respect to the binder resin, encompassing the range stated in Claim 2.
Azuma teaches that the content in the polyarylate resin of the structural unit according to Azuma’s formula (3) is 0 – 50% of the total of units of Azuma’s formulae (1) and (3) ([0022]). That allows the diol unit according to Azuma’s formula (1) to have a content in the diol component of 50 – 100%. Azuma further teaches that the content of the structural unit according to Azuma’s formula (4) is 35 – 70% of the total units of Azuma’s formulae (2) and (4) ([0022]). These ranges would allow for a unit reading on instant formula (1) (discussed above) to make up greater than 50% by mass of the resin, reading on the range stated in Claim 3.
Azuma teaches that the charge generating layer of the multi-layer photosensitive layer contains a charge generating material ([0070]). Examples of charge generating materials are given, including titanyl phthalocyanine ([0100] – [0101]), satisfying Claim 4.
As discussed above, Azuma’s formula (4) is a dicarboxylic acid unit derived from terephthalic acid, the same as the dicarboxylic portion of instant formula (1) wherein X1 corresponds to instant formula (1A), reading on Claim 5.
Nakamura teaches a process cartridge, which includes a photoconductor (photosensitive member), and at least one of a charger, an irradiator, a developing device, and a cleaner, and which is detachably mountable on an image forming apparatus ([0221] – [0223]), reading on Claim 7.
Nakamura teaches an image forming apparatus which includes a photoconductor (photosensitive member), a charger, an irradiator (analogous to an exposing unit), a developing device, and a transfer device, reading on Claim 8.
Claim 6 is rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Azuma et al (US PGP 2022/0342326) in view of Nakamura et al (US PGP 2020/0233325), further in view of Mitsui et al (US PGP 2015/0286182).
The above discussions of Azuma et al and Nakamura et al are incorporated herein.
Neither Azuma nor Nakamura appears to teach silica filler particles in the charge transport layer.
Mitsui teaches an electrophotographic photosensitive member and an image forming apparatus (Abstract). The photosensitive member may be a lamination type (analogous to multi-layer) photosensitive member having a charge generating layer and a charge transport layer ([0174]). Mitsui teaches that a filler may be added to the outermost layer of the photosensitive member, which may be the charge transport layer, and that the filler particles may be silica particles ([0230]). The filler is added for the purpose of improving durability ([0230]).
In preparing the photosensitive member taught by Azuma, having the charge transport material taught by Nakamura in the charge transport layer, one of ordinary skill in the art would have been motivated to improve the durability of the photosensitive member by adding the silica particles as filler to the charge transport layer, as taught by Mitsui. 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 photosensitive member of Azuma, incorporating the charge transport material taught by Nakamura in the charge transport layer, and having silica particles added as filler to the charge transport layer as taught by Mitsui, resulting in a photosensitive member described by Claim 6.
Conclusion
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/GRANT STEVEN SEILER/Examiner, Art Unit 1734
/PETER L VAJDA/Primary Examiner, Art Unit 1737 07/27/2026
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