DETAILED ACTION
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) 1-6 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 103 as being unpatentable over Yamaguchi (2022/0258509) in view of Mizukami (6,491,450) and Itagaki (2017/0048423).
Regarding claims 1 and 4, Yamaguchi teaches an image forming apparatus comprising: an image carrier (fig. 1, item P);
an image forming unit (fig 1, item 41) configured to form an image on the image carrier (see fig. 1);
a measuring unit ([0065]-[0066], fig. 9, item 47/48) provided with a light-emitting element for emitting light to the image carrier and a light-receiving element for receiving reflected light from the image carrier, and configured to measure the reflected light from the image carrier ([0065]-[0066], fig. 9, item 46-48);
a retaining member (fig. 9, item 46) configured to retain the measuring unit (see fig. 9);
a shutter (fig. 9, item 81) configured to block the light emitted from the light-emitting element of the measuring unit to the image carrier ([0065]-[0067]);
an abutting portion (fig. 9, bottom surface of item 46 surrounding item 48) of the retaining member;
a drive source (fig. 9, item 82);
a drive control unit (fig. 3, item 110) configured to control the drive source to separate the shutter from the abutting portion of the retaining member ([0066], see fig. 9) so that the shutter enters an open state where the image carrier is irradiated with the light from the light-emitting element ([0066]);
an adjustment unit configured to cause the light-emitting element of the measuring unit to emit light ([0066]), and
a control unit (fig. 3, item 118) configured to control the image forming unit to form a measurement image ([0046]).
Yamaguchi does not teach specific currents/voltages applies to the drive source or a spring against which the drive force acts. Mizukami teaches a control the drive control unit to supply a first current to the drive source so that the shutter enters the open state, the drive control unit once stops the current supply to the drive source, then supplies a second current smaller than the first current to the drive source, and then stops the current supply again wherein, the shutter transitions from the closed state to a first open state in which the image carrier is irradiated with light from the light-emitting element, and then to the closed state by stopping of the first current after supplying the first current, and,
the shutter transitions in response to the second current but returns to the closed state without reaching the first open state, such that the irradiation of the image carrier with light from the light-emitting element is prevented during supply of the second current (Mizukami, see fig. 3, Note first current +V applied from t1 to t2 and second current +V applied from t8 to t9, wherein because the duration of the second current application is shorter than the first, the total current is smaller in the second application than the first, and note also that the shutter moves, i.e., transitions, in response to the second current being applied),
and
a spring member configured to pull the shutter so that the shutter comes into contact with an abutting portion of the retaining member to enter a closed state where the shutter blocks the light emitted from the light-emitting element to the image carrier; against a pulling force of the spring member (Mizukami, fig. 1, Note spring member 20d). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to use a spring-biased shutter with a current/voltage application technique, as disclosed by Mizukami, as the shutter disclosed by Yamaguchi because doing so would amount to combining a known shutter structure and operational method to a known printer sensor/shutter arrangement to obtain predictable results. In other words, because Yamaguchi does not go into detail about the specific operation of its shutter, it would have been obvious to one of skill in the art to look to Mizukami for specifics on how such a sensor/camera shutter could be implemented.
Upon combination of Mizukami with Yamaguchi, the resultant device would: control the measuring unit to measure reflected light from the measurement image, and control the image forming unit based on a result of the measurement of the measurement image by the measuring unit.
Yamaguchi in view of Mizukami does not teach a reference member. Itagaki teaches a reference member disposed on the shutter and causing the light-receiving element of the measuring unit to receive reflected light from the reference member, and adjust the emitted light amount of the light-emitting element based on a result of the measurement of the reference member by the measuring unit (Itagaki, [0031]). It would have been obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art at the time of invention to add the reference plate disclosed by Itakagi to the shutter disclosed by Yamaguchi in view of Mizukami because doing so would allow for doing so would allow for detection of base levels of light in order to calibrate the printing system.
Regarding claims 2 and 5, Yamaguchi in view of Mizukami and Itagaki teaches the image forming apparatus according to claims 1 and 4, respectively, wherein the drive source is a solenoid having a plunger (Yamaguchi, [0066], see fig. 9, Note that this is necessarily the case).
Regarding claims 3 and 6, Yamaguchi in view of Mizukami and Itagaki teaches the image forming apparatus according to claims 1 and 4, respectively, wherein the shutter is controlled to move in a direction intersecting with a gravity direction from the closed state to enter the open state (Yamaguchi, see fig. 9).
Response to Arguments
Applicant's arguments filed 4/23/2026 have been fully considered but they are not persuasive. The claims have been amended to further specify the operation of the apparatus, but the amendments fail to distinguish the claimed invention from the prior art. The rejections above have been updated to reflect the changes to the claims.
It should be noted that, aside from an assertion that the prior art combination does not teach the claimed invention, Applicant’s arguments have not pointed to any specific deficiency in the prior art combination or detailed how the prior art has been interpreted to be lacking. Thus, Examiner does not have any specific arguments to address.
The standing prior art rejection is maintained
Conclusion
THIS ACTION IS MADE FINAL. 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.
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/ALEJANDRO VALENCIA/ Primary Examiner, Art Unit 2853
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